My hope is to encourage anyone and everyone that reads this to DREAM BIG and then LIVE YOUR DREAMS!

What will you do with your future? You really only have two choices...

You can choose to just survive, or you can choose to succeed. Know this though, if you do choose to succeed, and you decide to prosper, and commit to focused and clearly defined goals, then anything is and will be possible because YOU were born to succeed!  Your very BEST can still be in front of you.

YOUR future is in YOUR hands. Inside you is untapped potential. You have unlimited value and your dreams can definitely come true but ONLY if you believe they can. You are unique and very special which NOBODY can ever take away.  You can achieve whatever you put your mind to so choose to enlarge your vision.

Retrain your brain, increase your confidence, attract the GOOD around you, and seize the profitable opportunities in and around your path. Step forward daily and positively engage relationships. Unleash your maximum wealth and don't forget to "DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT!" 

Prepare for your success and believe in yourself.

Plan before you do anything. Ask questions and question everything. Avoid the negative and move outside of your comfort zone. Let go of the past and remember, NEVER GIVE UP!!

Share this with anyone you know that might need a bit of encouragement and inspiration in these challenging times. It might make a difference in their day . . . and maybe, just maybe . . . their entire year! 

I wish the VERY BEST to you all in 2012~

There are some very educated people who are saying, right now, that they will vote for President Obama in 2012...!!! And this in the face of an economy racked by foreclosures, bankruptcies, short sales, jobless, underemployed, debt ridden, near hopeless mentalities, etc..And all this...before Obama dips into his near billion dollar reelection stash...!!!

Of course, these ‘ostrich types’, are some of the same people who referred to President Bush as ‘STUPID’ or ‘DUMB’, and do the same when referring to any of the present opposition to Obama’s reelection...attacking the messengers instead of focusing on the message...

They simply cannot face reality...even though if they were to get into their cars and drive down any stretch of commercial real estate where business after business and building after building show signs of an economy that has put them out of business and caused them to go ‘belly up’...evidence in abundance...

WELL, if they attribute these signs to a Republican controlled House of Congress or yet the workings of President Bush now 3 years removed from office, rather than the failed policies of a destined-to-fail administration...What will their thinking be when President Obama begins spending some of his billion dollar ‘war chest’...

When even ‘some of the elect’ will be deceived...!!!

May I suggest, during this next week of Christmas Holiday, that each of us take that ride down the sickening evidence of a depressed economy, praying for The God of Peace to restore that which has become broken, and impress upon our minds an indelible vision of ‘where we really are’, so that when it comes time to vote, and we are bombarded by Obama’s Billion, our minds will see clearly to vote for a change in the presidency and the Senate as well...and show once and for all who the really smart ones are...!!!

Some see the ‘OCCUPIERS’ as prophets...but the true prophets are ‘THE TEA PARTIERS’, who, early on, saw what was happening to our dear Nation, and decided to do something about it...Diverse.....consisting of Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, young and old alike, black, white, and every hue in between, Christian, Jew, and Atheist...determined by one motive only...To restore our Nation to the prosperity which it once enjoyed so that our posterity, children and grand children alike may enjoy God’s Blessings as we did...!!!

This is the Season which reminds us that Christ came to bring Peace To Men Of Good Will...

Wise Men still seek Him...!!! The unwise...???

Merry Christmas to ALL this Christmas Season...!!!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

This time of the year is typically spent reflecting on the past year--our experiences, our businesses and our loved ones (not necessarily in that order).  This year has been a whirlwind for most of us and for many, we've shared in the losses of dear friends and family, making this time of the year especially difficult for those who have lost loved ones.

My dear friends, Missy Caulk and Christa Stewart-Caulk are healing from two very tough family losses this year--they lost Christa's amazing brother (Missy's son), Jamie and Missy's precious granddaughter, Lillie Bear (and Christa's niece), both within a month of each other.  

Carol Grub, Cyndee Haydon and a few of our other friends have started a project, “THE JAMIE & LILIAN CAULK MEMORIAL PROJECT” for our friend and fellow ActiveRain member Missy Caulk and her family.  The project is focused on placing a memorial bench in the Caulk family's favorite spot, in honor of their family members, Jamie and Lillian.  We're raising funds to purchase that bench and would love for as many friends of the Caulk family to join us in the dedication in 2012.     

Despite the amazing family unity and strength that the Caulk family has, they still need our prayers for comfort and strength.

I have known Missy since I started blogging on ActiveRain in 2007.  She welcomed me with open arms and we quickly became 'virtual' friends until rooming together last year at NAR/RainCamp/REBar Camp in NOLA--in real life!  Prior to NAR, I had flown to Dallas for ActiveRain Camp, where I also met Missy's lovely daughter, to whom I immediately connected!  

Spending a week with them gave me such a warm feeling--their family unity is something that we just don't see these days.  I believe each of Missy's boys and her other daughter, Alyssa, phoned her several times while we were together and Christa was with us as much as she was with Bob during the week!!  The love and connection knows no bounds in the Caulk family; they're truly a wonderful example of what 'family' truly is. 

There's no time like Christmas Eve to reach out to this wonderful family and offer your love and support for them.  After all, that IS what we do here in the Rain, right?  Please help us spread the word about “THE JAMIE & LILIAN CAULK MEMORIAL PROJECT” focused on dedicating a memorial park bench in Jamie and Lillie Bear’s honor.

How can you help?

• Continue to pray for comfort and strength for the Caulk family.
• Help get the word out by socially sharing this post or re-blogging for those who know the Caulk family--OR, write your own blog post about it.
• Make a donation

How to Make a Donation:

Make checks payable to "The Jamie & Lillian Caulk Memorial Fund"

Mail checks to:

Carol Grubb
3647 W. Greenook Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

*Be sure to write "The Jamie & Lillian Caulk Memorial Fund" in the memo of your check.

Or send a Paypal gift (as a gift so all funds go towards the fund) to: cyndeehaydon@gmail.com. 

PLEASE leave your name(s) & email address(es) to be included in the Caulk's card from everyone who participated.  We'd also like to keep you informed of the details of the upcoming dedication ceremony that is being planned so that hopefully you'll be able to attend as well.

Thank you SO much! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

This is from Cyndee Hayden.  Thanks, Cindy & Carol for spearheading this--your hearts are pure gold!

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

We all enjoy reading informative posts--especially when they’re focused on a topic for which we are searching.  We tend to enjoy a connection between the writer when we’re fully agreeing with something or sometimes, for whatever reason, we may get the feeling that we just don’t ‘understand’ that particular writer.

The consumer is the exact same way--they go by the ‘tone’ and style of your writing as well as the content that you provide them within any given article, blog or website.  Here are some pointers that I’ve gathered from discussions with clients who have found me or my firm online:

• Readers don’t like the hard sell.  Your ‘About Us’ page on your website and your ‘Profile’ page on ActiveRain gives you the perfect spot to tell the world about you.  Don’t over-do it though--everyone detests a bragger so, saying that you’re the ‘best’ or ‘highest producing’ at something is a major turn-off.  

• Give them a bit about YOU, not how great YOU think you are!  
• Include a few testimonials; those are well received by readers--far more than touting about yourself!

• Write with passion--let the reader know that you have a wealth of knowledge about your area and that you’re more than willing to share.

• Do your research. What is the consumer in search of while on your site?  Are you finding that they’re clicking on your neighborhood posts or your market reports?  Or is the consumer looking more for school information or local happenings?  

• Take care with your comments - This is one thing that is often overlooked:

• Do you leave snide comments on others’ blogs or in response to those who were gracious enough to leave a comment on your blog?  Sometimes no matter how diplomatic we try to write, it comes across as snide.  Refrain from this type of commenting.  Remember what your grandmother always told you, “If you don’t have something nice to say, just don’t say anything at all!”  Your comments speak louder than you realize.
• Comments are indexed in the search engines so, remember that if you’ve been nasty before, that may just be the comment that you’re ‘discovered’ by--and that’s certainly not a good first impression!

WRITE to the consumer--give them what they want!  Make your blogging voice loud and clear so that the reader wants to continue reading.  Happy blogging in 2012!

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.

A recent article on MSN HOME explained how SOLAR ENERGY was empowering ‘DEVELOPING NATIONS’ to develop more quickly and efficiently...BTW, I keep MSN as my home page just to see what ‘the enemy’ is up to...!!!

If I thought the article had any merit I would have established a hot link on this blog for quick and handy reference to the piece...

However, like THE MEDIA, MSNBC, CNN, THE THREE MAJOR TV NETWORKS, THE NEW YORK TIMES, etc...Their hidden agendas are easily recognized and remain no longer hidden...

The only advantage provided by SOLAR ENERGY to the developing nations was to possibly move them out of the STONE AGE a few years sooner...giving them light bulb power for their tents, powering their radios and other low power appliances...

If God intended SOLAR POWER to be the ‘END ALL’ He would have made the sun shine day AND night...Instead He has, in His Wisdom, placed sufficient natural resources to power THE ENTIRE EARTH...right beneath our very soil...GEOTHERMAL...NATURAL GAS...CLEAN COAL...CRUDE OIL...and even those natural resources yet to be discovered by us...

The liberals must be getting desperate or concerned that their time of influence is rapidly about to come to an end...So they’re pulling out all stops before WE THE PEOPLE take back our Country and restore it to the prominence that God and Nature intended...!!!

While they’re looking out 93 million miles for salvation, it lies right beneath our feet...Perhaps even closer...!!!

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS by keeping CHRIST at the center of your families...!!!

It seems as though I hear more and more these days about the notion of "influence", both from sites like Klout and from various industry lists (Most Influential, etc.). My intent with this post is not to discount or disavow any such influence, but to provide some food for thought.

There are plenty of people I can point to throughout the course of my life who have served as good influences on me and my character. Of course, I also had a few that were...less than helpful. 

When it comes to my own personal influence, there aren't that many areas that concern me. Here's a sample:

Am I influencing my wife and kids in a positive way? As a father of four, there are few things more important than the mental and physical well-being of my children. I love them all dearly, and I am fascinated to watch them grow and develop into really interesting people. I teach them about our faith, our love for one another, and how to relate to the world at large. I am incredibly thankful that I've been blessed with a wife who does a stellar job as my partner in this regard. I tell each of them that I love them...daily (yes, even my teenage son). I want them to know that I am always available to talk, and my love is unconditional. 

Am I influencing my friends to trust me? I sure hope so. I like to think of myself as a very loyal friend, although I'm certainly not perfect. The people that I see on a regular basis are important to me, and I care about how they view me.

Am I influencing my clients to remain loyal, and to send their friends and family to me? Without this particular influence, I wouldn't make a living selling homes. I've been doing this for 15 years now, and 2011 was my best income year since 2006. Why is that? Well, part of the reason is that I focused on my clients and on providing the best possible service that I could muster for them. This has always been important to me, but I was more intentional about it this year.

Am I influencing the world? This is a tough question. I've seen examples of small actions that have long-lasting effects. Like the "butterfly effect" or the tried-and-trite ripples in a pond, we often don't really know what kind of impact we have on the lives of those around us. I've also had more obvious influence on three of my friends who credit me with saving their lives. Since I can't leave that last sentence hanging with no explanation, I will say that I talked two of them out of suicide (one on multiple occasions). The other told me that he was inspired by my 2010 weight loss and changed his lifestyle dramatically.

The bottom line is this: All I can do is try to be obedient to God and attempt to provide a good example for my friends and my family. THAT is the influence that matters to me.

Thanks for reading!

Photo credit: raspberreh via Flickr.com

Last night’s Republican debate hosted by FOX NEWS was an eye opening and interesting exchange of important ideas...IF YOU WANT TO FIX OUR COUNTRY...!!!

I’ll give my liberal friends an opportunity to bow out gracefully from this post ‘right now’ if they still think that the Obama approach of ‘left now’ is still working...!!!

What I heard last night was promising inasmuch as the Republican candidates debating seemed to identify most, if not many, of the present political and societal ills plaguing us...

No new taxes, severe spending cuts, reducing the size of our government, strengthening our military, revising our tax codes, eliminating unnecessary and counterproductive government regulations, re-balancing our three branches of government, letting free markets decide our future growth, and the value of PROVEN LEADERSHIP AT THE HELM...

These are SOME of the ideas discussed and offered...THE PROBLEM...???

Finding ONE PERSON who embodies all of the ideas needed to pull our Country out of the dregs of recession and stagnancy and extreme debt...IMPOSSIBLE...???

EMPHATICALLY...NO, NO, NO...!!!

Nothing is impossible with God...!!! If we keep God at the center of our lives and our Country He will lead us to the RIGHT CANDIDATE...

A PRO LIFE mentality and a restoration of FAMILY VALUES are two of the areas which I omitted from my litany of ideas discussed last night...

Fresh from a weekend SPIRITUAL RETREAT, I am still motivated to ‘STORM THE THRONE’ with prayers for our future, and I encourage my readers to join with me...!!!

Heavenly Father, protect our nation as we seek to improve our political and economic system. Help us to focus on YOU, YOUR GOODNESS AND GENEROSITY, and seek YOUR WISDOM in these matters. Show us the RIGHT WAY and give us the COURAGE we need to make tough decisions...We pray in Jesus’ NAME...!!!

Have a great weekend...!!!

Is your Real Estate Marketing Plan ready and in place for 2012? 

This post might be useful in helping you determine where to best spend your time and money for maximum results.  Online and offline, you're going to need a business plan with goals.  Here's a great article and resource to help get you started. 

Is it ironic that the MEDIA...SECULAR, ANTI RELIGIOUS, and DEATH CULTURAL...when spelled backwards is A..I..D..E..M..

AND 'AID EM' will be revealed in this post...

If you’re like me, you’ve become tired of repeated character assassinations, especially on openly religious celebrities, focusing attention on distractions to solving our nation’s problems rather than issues that promise to address and eradicate those problems...

If you would like examples...how about just in the last two weeks the coverage given to former republican presidential candidate Herman Cain and now repeated media attempts to discredit and demonize rising presidential aspirant, Newt Gingrich.......

All the while ignoring coverage of Jon Corzine, former New Jersey politician who cannot account for 1.2 billion dollars of funds lost by a company while he was CEO, Eric Holder, Attorney General who perjured himself while being questioned by Congress on ‘Fast and Furious’...and our own President Obama who repeatedly and daily ‘executes’ orders that continually attack our American system of government and Christian values...

AND LIKE THE THREE MONKEYS...'THE MEDIA' HEAR no evil, SPEAK no evil, and SEE no evil...

Now, FAITH comes by HEARING...so it is not a coincidence that the FIRST MONKEY HEARS no evil...then, if you’re not hearing THE TRUTH, you can’t SPEAK it...ala, the SECOND MONKEY...AND FINALLY...

THE THIRD MONKEY SEES no Evil...which is the MO for all that is EVIL...TURN YOUR HEAD when you see injustice, dwell on the distraction rather than THE CAUSE, ignore SIN as if it doesn’t exist, reject GOOD and TRUTH while opting for lies and mistruths...

ALL ‘works’ of THE EVIL ONE...whose reality THE MEDIA won’t even acknowledge...

Reminds me of a message seen recently by my sister on a billboard along an interstate highway...THE BILLBOARD said something like this.......

OH HELL.....I FORGOT ABOUT THAT...!!!

There IS a HEAVEN...There IS a HELL...AND There IS DEATH...The Three Last Things...

BE NOT AFRAID, however...THERE IS ALSO A SAVIOUR...we celebrate HIS COMING in history some 2000 years ago, we continue to commemorate HIS KINGDOM during ADVENT and CHRISTMAS each year with longing and great expectation, and HE HIMSELF IS THE TRUTH who WILL SET US FREE...

HIS NAME IS JESUS...!!!

Wise Men still Worship Him, and So Do I...

Have a great weekend...!!!

Put Yourself in the Buyers' Shoes

Residing in a home that is for sale can be quite challenging.  You don’t want your home to appear lived in, rather you want it ‘show ready.’  This is very difficult to do for some homeowners but, it’s the absolute best way to sell a home!  Remember, it’s no longer about you, it's about the buyer.  Can you remember how you felt when you toured your home or the model home that is like the one that you built?  What stood out to you when you toured the home?  It certainly wasn’t grandma’s photo or your collection of shot glasses that you have proudly displayed in a shadow box!  It wasn’t the mural that you have painted in your den or the bright Home Depot orange color you have painted in your dining room!

I recently wrote about selling your Charlotte home and thinking like a real estate agent.  Encouraging sellers to think like buyers also helps you to properly prepare your Charlotte home for the real estate market.  Times are tougher now than ever before for sellers but, if you're realistic and can put yourself in the buyers' shoes, you'll be a step ahead of the competition.

Your mission:  To elicit in a buyer, those same feelings that you had when you discovered your wonderful home.  Showing suggestions to bear in mind:

• Neutral colors allow buyers to better picture themselves in your home.
• Appeal to your buyers’ olfactory senses by baking fresh cookies before the potential buyers arrive
• Leave those cookies for your visitors to enjoy
• De-clutter the home, packing away as much furniture and memorabilia as possible. You want to create a larger feeling space and remember, you’re going to have to pack it up or give it away anyway!

My recommendation is that you do ALL of this prior to listing your home.  Don’t think that it’s okay to work through all of these projects while you have your home listed.  In fact, the largest number of buyers who will come through your home in any given week will be the very first week that you are listed.  Those very serious buyers will miss the changes, meaning that you could possibly miss out on your buyer as well.

Read More Charlotte Home Seller Tips:

Pricing Your Home for Sale, Myth vs. Reality

Selling Your Charlotte Home – Leave the Emotions Out of the Equation

Pricing is CRITICAL When Selling Your Charlotte Real Estate

Charlotte Home Seller Tips - Redefine Your Market Value

Charlotte Home Seller Tips - Do Your Research

Charlotte Home Seller Tips - Extend Your Selling Season

*Charlotte Home Seller Tips | Put Yourself in the Buyers Shoes © Debe Maxwell, CRS

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate

Debe Maxwell, CRS, Realtor®/Broker
SAVVY + COMPANY REAL ESTATE
1920 E. 7th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
Mobile: (704) 491-3310
Fax: (704) 353-7014

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

Disclosure of material contained within.