TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH

As the world works through the current Covid-19 outbreak, this week's blog is taken from an article published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  It is meant for edification purposes only and is offered as a public service notice.  

     Taking Care of Your Emotional Health

It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during and after a disaster. Everyone reacts differently, and your own feelings will change over time. Notice and accept how you feel. Taking care of your emotional health during an emergency will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Self-care during an emergency will help your long-term healing.

Take the following steps to cope with a disaster:

·         Take care of your body– Try to eat healthy well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

·         Connect with others– Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Maintain a healthy relationship with others while building a strong support system.

·         Take breaks– Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try taking in deep breaths. Try to do activities you usually enjoy.

·         Stay informed– When you feel that you are missing information, you may become more stressed or nervous. Watch, listen to, or read the news for updates from officials. Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media. Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information like your local government authorities.

·         Avoid too much exposure to news– Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly. Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible and check for updates between breaks.

·         Seek help when needed– If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor.

Look out for these common signs of distress:

·         Feelings of numbness, disbelief, anxiety or fear.

·         Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels.

·         Difficulty concentrating.

·         Difficulty sleeping or nightmares and upsetting thoughts and images.

·         Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes.

·         Worsening of chronic health problems.

·         Sudden outburst of anger

·         Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

If you experience these feelings or behaviors for several days in a row and are unable to carry out normal responsibilities because of them, seek professional help.

This is meant purely as a public service notice and the editor of this blog is not presenting or offering professional advice.

TRANSFORMING YOUR SMALL BACK YARD INTO AN OASIS

Pressed for space in your back yard.  Need some ways to transform that small back yard into an oasis.  You have come to the right place for a transformational plan you can use.

1. It all begins with a plan.  The key to a more spacious yard is still in the organization.  Define the spaces in your small yard and make them purposeful.  Will you have a dining or lounging area?  Will there be a play area, open space or maybe a water feature?  Remember, you are creating a destination - an outdoor room that will serve as an extension to your home.

2. Frame your view.  If one is handy, take a picture frame and hold it up as you look out into your back yard.  Now, what do you see with your mind's eye?  Is the space used wisely or just filled with "things"?  Now is the time to move things around before the transformation begins.  When you like what you see, make it become a reality.

3. Plan your plantings.  Trees, shrubs, and plants add color and create the garden oasis you wanted.  Taller, thinner trees and dwarf shrubs will give you lush landscaping without eating up space.  

Grow your garden vertically with hanging baskets, wall-mounted flowerpots or stacked crates of greenery.  You will add the color and not sacrifice precious real estate.

4. Shop smartly for small furniture.  Bulky patio furniture overwhelms a small yard.  Stick with smaller pieces.  Buy functional and versatile patio furniture such as collapsible chairs, portable fire pits and benches that convert into a picnic table, thereby creating less clutter and making the yard appear much bigger.

5. Create curves. Curves add depth and dimension so rely on windy and curving lines to accent your backyard.  The eye is drawn to the swirling shape and creates a sense of a more open space.

6. Blend your indoor and outdoor space.  Transitional features like sliding door and large glass windows help create the illusion of a bigger backyard.

When all is said and done and you gaze out that large glass window to your backyard oasis, you will proudly say, "that is just the way I envisioned it".  The only thing left to do now is simply enjoy it.




  

    

MORE THAN 70% OF COUPLES ARGUE....

More than 70% of couples argue when buying or selling a home.  A recent survey commissioned by Zillow and conducted by Harris Polls found that "either transaction can be fraught with conflict."

Of those who have gone through the home buying process over the last decade, the poll found that 77% argue over the process.  An almost as many who sold said they argued suggesting that those two life events may take a toll on the relationship.

Agree to Disagree for buyers and sellers

The Poll revealed that 54% of buyers could not agree on the size or style of the of home to buy.  While nearly 47% disagreed over the "must-haves" features or even deal breakers.

Other significant disagreements arose regarding the location or neighborhood to buy (42%), the budget (37%) and whether to buy a fixer-up (29%).  

Mortgage options registered nearly 25% of the feuds including selecting the right lender to the mortgage product.

Not to be out done, sellers too share disagreements as well.  The Harris Poll indicated that 85% of Millennial sellers argued over selling a home as compared to 54% of Baby Boomers.  

The heart of the matter for 69% of respondents - three key financial decisions.

 a) What price to list the home for,
 b) Whether to drop the price or
 c) Whether to accept an offer?

Other hassles of a traditional sale included:

 * Whether or not to affect repairs (24%),
 * Strangers walking through the home during open houses (24%)
 *Keeping the house clean for the showings (23%), 
 *Uncertainty over whether the house would sell or not. (21%)

So, if you are either a buyer or a seller take heart knowing that others have gone down this road before you and share your common concerns.  Don't be deterred by the disagreements, but rather use them as a tool to strengthen your relationship.  Ultimately the journey will be worth the time and effort you both put into the process.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME AND REAL ESTATE

If you are like me you were not excited to turn the clock forward and say goodbye to that one hour of sleep you lost this morning.  There are a few people you would like to throw your pillow at to show your frustration, but they are long gone and won't feel your angst.

There is a word of warning though for those who are involved in real estate transactions that might be worth exploring.  So here goes, "What is the impact of Daylight Savings Time on Real Estate?"

Glad you asked....

According to two Cornell University researchers, "Even mild changes to sleep patterns can affect human capital in significant ways."  If you are a new parent you understand this concept instantly.  As a result of the disruption of your "normal sleep pattern" you find yourself a bit off while you make the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle.  

How Does This Impact Real Estate?

1. Real estate transactions are highly emotional.  It does not matter whether one is selling a house or an apartment, during the first few days following DST change the general feeling of being "off" only goes to heighten the emotional charge in the transaction.  

2. Real estate transactions are rooted in negotiations by both sides.  Heightened emotions often overtake logic and reason and create roadblocks that can derail effective negotiations.  Today is certainly not the most productive day to begin negotiations on a real estate deal.

Okay, what should you do?  Besides pulling the covers over your head and burrowing into your pillow for a "little more sleep".  Wait a few days for your circadian clock to make the adjustment to the time change.  If you don't have that luxury, you need to remain aware of your "heightened emotional state" and that of those you are negotiating with then adapt your negotiating style to accommodate.

Remember, just about the time you think you have everything under control from the change to Daylight Savings Time; fall will be here and we'll do this all over again as we revert to Standard Time and "revel" in that lost hour of sleep. Till then...sweet dreams!

TIPS TO TURN YOUR HOUSE INTO A HOME

You may not be tackling the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel nor releasing the statue "David" from its marble prison, but you have a tremendous task before you - creating a place you can call home from the house you just bought.

There is something to be said for walking into a home and sensing the feel that the home reflects the owner's personality so perfectly.  There is a sense of warmth in the color of the walls, flooring and even the selected decor.  But like most great works of art, it takes creativity and design to transform the picture in your mind to the interior of a home.

Let's look at a few ways to bring the imagine in your mind to reality.

1. Showcase your memories - Create your own gallery of personal photos chronicling a variety of important and meaningful moments with family, friends or of great adventures.  Select a variety of frames or simple blow ups of your pictures and hang them individually around your home. 

2. Choose flooring that reflects your style - Gone are the days when dirt floors were stylish.  Today there are multiple options for accentuating the emptiness and absorbing sound.  Whether it is wall-to-wall carpeting, hardwood flooring or tile, a wide variety of surfaces and finishes are available to help create your "look".  

Laying down rugs does much to help warm up your interior and add a layer of personality to the home.

3. Create functional storage - Often cited as one reason to move was "not enough storage".  Now is your opportunity to create functionality and design with your selection of storage and display options.  Cabinets and bookcases can be enhanced by utilizing visually appealing storage items that add another layer of texture to your space.

4. Create an accent wall - Create and accent wall to break up the oneness of your wall color and to create the focal point of any room.  Let your tasteful imagination run as you design your accent wall.  Changing the textual or visual appearance of the accent wall can be a statement of who you are and reflect a personal interest.  

5. Accent with sentimental objects - Filling your home with sentimental objects is what makes your house feel like a home.  As candles can help set a relaxing mood in the bathroom, so can a collection of mementos from a holiday or an art piece tell a story.

6. Display flowers - Okay, you may not be an advocate of "flower power", but a beautiful vase of flowers brings life into your interior.  If you find a room in your home that lacks a personality of its own, arranging flowers will instantly lift your space.  If fresh cut flowers are not an option, perhaps a few indoor plants that only need to be watered once a week will be the answer.

Turning your house into a home is not a work that is accomplished in a day; but evolves over time until the image in your mind becomes reality.  The important thing is to have fun along the way.