Keys to Happiness; Why We Don’t Use Them?

Published by julia | Filed under Miscellaneous, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

By Robin Lloyd, Special to LiveScience

“It requires some effort to achieve a happy outlook on life, and most people don’t make it.”
—Author and researcher Gregg Easterbrook

Psychologists have recently handed the keys to happiness to the public, but many people cling to gloomy ways out of habit, experts say.

Polls show Americans are no happier today than they were 50 years ago despite significant increases in prosperity, decreases in crime, cleaner air, larger living quarters and a better overall quality of life.

So what gives?

Happiness is 50 percent genetic, says University of Minnesota researcher David Lykken. What you do with the other half of the challenge depends largely on determination, psychologists agree. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

What works, and what doesn’t

Happiness does not come via prescription drugs, although 10 percent of women 18 and older and 4 percent of men take antidepressants, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Anti-depressants benefit those with mental illness but are no happiness guarantee, researchers say.

Nor will money or prosperity buy happiness for many of us. Money that lifts people out of poverty increases happiness, but after that, the better paychecks stop paying off sense-of-well-being dividends, research shows.

One route to more happiness is called “flow,” an engrossing state that comes during creative or playful activity, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has found. Athletes, musicians, writers, gamers, and religious adherents know the feeling. It comes less from what you’re doing than from how you do it.

Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California at Riverside has discovered that the road toward a more satisfying and meaningful life involves a recipe repeated in schools, churches and synagogues. Make lists of things for which you’re grateful in your life, practice random acts of kindness, forgive your enemies, notice life’s small pleasures, take care of your health, practice positive thinking, and invest time and energy into friendships and family. Read the rest of this entry »

Feng Shui and Prosperity

Published by julia | Filed under Feng Shui, Real Estate, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

What is prosperity?

Before you can use feng shui as a tool to achieve prosperity, it is essential for you to know what prosperity actually is in feng shui. Prosperity is the cycle of giving and receiving that circulates in the universe. The inner world that we have is formed through the perceptions we get from the outer world because we see the world only through our window. This is the reflection of our beliefs, faith, and interpretation of the things around us. In essence, our definition of prosperity is the essence of our thoughts and experiences.

A lot of people associate prosperity with material and financial wealth. But the truth is, prosperity can be seen from many angles. Friendship, health, knowledge, love, and spiritual health can also be seen as prosperity.

Getting prosperity

There is only one truth to get prosperity, that is, you must give in order to receive. People who are generous with their wealth or what they have in life will get real riches. This is because the act of giving is prosperity in itself. When you give money, time, effort, and love to other people, you will get inner satisfaction and peace. That, in itself, is the true meaning of prosperity.

How do you deal with prosperity?

When you give something to another person, forget about this act. And when you give something to them, consider it as a gift to them. Don’t expect something from them. Try to give from your heart and both the giver (you) and the receiver happy. Read the rest of this entry »

Rehab that House

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

With the availability of so many foreclosed upon houses with super low sale prices attached to them, it is tempting to try your hand at rehabbing.  But where do you start?  How do you begin?  How big of a project can you handle?  As you are shopping, you should be able to drop each house into one of two categories, Structural Rehab or Cosmetic Rehab.  Start by learning the difference between the two then decide which will work best for you.

When a house needs more than what is commonly called “TLC” or cosmetic work, it would be considered a structural rehab.  The conditions of a house that requires a structural rehab would be evidence of fire damage, cracks in the foundation, sagging floors, fire damage, water damage, or dry rot. These projects are not only difficult and potentially pricey to complete, but estimating the costs of the project is difficult.  It is very easy to underestimate the work and end up eating all your profit at sale time.  For these reasons it is best for the novice to avoid the structural rehab altogether and leave it to the experts.

Cosmetic rehab, although still potentially a lot of work, is much friendlier toward the average guy or first timer.  Conditions of a cosmetic rehab could include paint, carpet, holes in the wall, missing or shabby cabinetry, trim work, windows, door knobs, etc.  Major mechanical and plumbing work, although not cosmetic, Read the rest of this entry »

Yard Sale

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs

Little Johnny Smith had always been a very naughty young man and he was always getting into loads of trouble due to that also. He had this amazing ability to mimic the voice of grown ups and would often phone up random people and bug them with voice impersonations. He had wanted to have his mom and dad buy him a bike for his birthday but as he had not scored good grades and his parents were not financially so well off they were unable to do so. Little Johnny was sitting with his dad and asked him how a kid at his age could make his own money so he could buy his own bike. His dad told him that he could do many things like deliver newspaper, or clean up peoples lawns. He also suggested that he help the neighbors with their yard work and he’d make up enough money in no time.

While this conversation was goin on all of Johnny’s family members joint in and started giving him similar suggestions which didn’t quite get Johnny excited. Until after about an hour of talking his mother said something that appealed to him. She told him to have a yard sale. After Johnny had left the room she said that his father and she had been planning a long time to clean out the garage as it was full of stuff and continued to say that she was sure there would be a lot of stuff that he could sell. Not hearing this as he had gotten straight to work and started to plan how he was going to sell the yard as that is what he understood was the meaning of a yard sale he called up a realtor. Read the rest of this entry »

Feng Shui Symbols for Prosperity and Health

Published by julia | Filed under Feng Shui, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs

Many feng shui practitioners take advantage of symbols and statues to attract wealth, health, and prosperity into their homes. There are certainly many symbols to choose from but it is also recommended for you to know what they represent for you to choose fung shui symbols that are most relevant to your needs. Here is a list of some feng shui symbols you can use for you home:

Good luck coins – giving gold coins that are tied with a red ribbon in threes will bring wealth and good luck to both giver and receiver.

Three legged moon frog – this is a noted symbol of health and good fortune. The three legged frog should have a coin placed in its mouth. Putting this item on your front door facing your house can bring great positive changes to you. This symbol is also known to promote longevity and it is believed to give prosperity as well.

Dragon turtle – this is known as one of the best symbols to have a long and prosperous life. The symbol of the dragon turtle can improve your business and your relationship with your loved ones. You can place this symbol in the prosperity corner of your house while it faces the door.

Golden cat – renowned as the symbol of abundance and protection, this two sided cat is a very unique statue. On one side, the cat is smiling and its left paw is held up, this symbolizes good fortune. On its other side, the cat is frowning and it is holding a broom in its paw. The frowning cat symbolizes protection and it will sweep away trouble from your life.

Golden pigs – the symbol of two golden pigs is said to bring great happiness and prosperity to the house. The golden pigs are usually used by people who are starting their own business or building a new home because it is also used as the symbol of diligence and initiative. Read the rest of this entry »

Real Estate Industry is Biased Against Children?

Published by julia | Filed under Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Uncategorized

There is a pressing immediate concern that has emerged in key cities across the United States, the United Kingdom and other developed countries. There are reports that several residential properties and apartments for rents are not accepting potential occupants who have children, especially infants. While this is not a popular concern in the past, these days, parents are becoming alarmed and offended by the practice of several real estate or property agents, brokers and owners.

Recently, there is a well-celebrated case that happened in Brooklyn. A couple has sued several owners of apartments and brokers for allegedly practicing discrimination against children. The lawsuit alleged that the brokers and apartment owners refused to lease residential spacers to the couple because of the infant. At first, the wife was heavy and was expecting a child when the couple tried to rent an apartment. They were turned down. On the succeeding occasions, some apartments made clear that no children and infants were allowed on the residential spaces.

Many parents and couples have been complaining about similar cases in the past. Alas, not all of them were vocal enough to speak out and refute the inappropriate practices of the real estate and apartment owners and brokers. Now, the issue is being raised and is given heavier weight by the property and human rights industry.

You might ask, what is the main reason why apartment owners would not want their tenants to have and nurse children? The answer is quite simple and logical. Children are too playful. Apartment owners fear that children might incur damages and might cause problems to the property, to the neighbors and to the whole building or neighborhood in whole. Some owners want to avoid future cases and problems with regards to the lead contamination in the interiors of the apartments. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello Neighbor :)

Published by julia | Filed under Miscellaneous, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

All across the nation there are neighborhoods.  Big ones, small ones, old ones, and new ones.  Chances are that you have a neighbor now.  With all the demand for subdivisions and planned communities, chances are that you will also have neighbors when you buy your new house.  Are you a good neighbor?

It occurred to me the other day that the word “neighbor” conjures up for me negative connotations and feelings of resentment and irritation, whereas when I was a kid, “neighbor” was a warm and fuzzy word.  Sayings like “Howdy Neighbor!”, “Love Thy Neighbor”, “Like a Good Neighbor…” etc.  demonstrate that our neighbor is supposed to be a good guy.  Many years ago we could trust our neighbors and vice versa.  We shared with and looked out for one another.  So why is it different today?

Lifestyles are different today and people are busier.  That could be a factor.  But I wonder if it has anything to do with today’s subdivisions where houses are too close together, grounds are often not properly maintained and it makes people grumpy.

I was talking to a city official recently about the addition of some no parking signs in a popular subdivision.  He was pretty agitated and rude, but confessed eventually that there is so much bickering going on in that neighborhood and so many neighbor complaints upon one another that the city just decided to start enforcing things that have been rules all along.  I imagined the neighborhood as a bunch of children who just got in trouble for fighting.  But we are not talking about children.  We are talking about adults.

I spoke to a police sergeant about the seriousness of the no parking signs and by the end of our conversation he told me that all the subs he was in contact with were in constant turmoil and spitting matches among neighbors.  I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  Read the rest of this entry »

Fixer-uppers

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs

When choosing a fixer upper for your home purchase, there are careful considerations to make regarding the purchase. A fixer upper will mean hours, days, weeks and months of working on the home before completion, as well as, an entirely different mortgage ball game. A fixer upper offers the chance to take a piece of history and make it new and bright again, but the process is often larger than the new homeowner has planned for.

A home can be considered a fixer upper if there are clear signs of wear and tear. These signs may not be so evident to the home buyer, but the inspector will find all of the needed repairs during the walk through before the sale. When choosing a fixer upper there are three things to carefully consider.

•    The mortgage process. There are more than a few times when the fixer upper will be listed on the market for a higher price than the mortgage company is willing to own. This can be due to the overall age of the home, the overall condition and the possible resale value of the home, as is. The mortgage company will not take into consideration the changes planned for the home or the potential worth later. This may means shelling out more money in a down payment before even beginning the renovations. Read the rest of this entry »

Getting Creative with Lease Option Purchase

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

When the going gets tough, the tough get creative.  That’s the case in real estate, anyway.  This crazy housing market has dipped to match statistics as low as that of a decade ago.  The frustrated sellers cannot sell because of all the competition they have from the super cheap bank foreclosures. The poor folks who’ve lost their houses need some place to live but cannot buy anything due to credit damage.  How frustrating for everyone!  At some point, though, someone had an interesting idea and it seems to be taking off.  Why not lease to own?

Lease to own is a great option for the recently displaced folks who can afford a monthly payment but cannot get financing.  The buyer’s only other option is to rent.  The problem with renting, though, is that your money is not being invested anywhere.  It’s just being given away month after month.  Also, you can never really feel settled because the owner of the house could decide he no longer wants to be a landlord and sell it.  Or, as is happening a lot lately, something even worse has been happening… some land lords have stopped paying the rent on their rental property, unbeknownst to the renter until it’s time for eviction.  Wow!  What a shock that would be.  In the case of lease to own, a house is found that meets the “buyer’s” needs and terms are negotiated with regards to monthly payment, length of lease, down payment, etc.   Read the rest of this entry »

Short Sale? You Need An Agent!

Published by julia | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Listings, Real Estate, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

Short sales. One of the most misunderstood real estate term on the planet. Short sales do not mean short in time, they do not necessarily mean short in money either. The term short refers to the fact that the lender is willing to accept less than full amounts for the lifting  of the lien on the home. That means for the buyer that the price accepted will be less than what is owed. But, that has nothing to do with a home’s WORTH!

The part of the short sale process that many buyers do not understand is that a loan on a home may exceed the amount of the home’s worth. This is especially true when changes in the real estate market in a given area go south. Take this example: A home buyer chooses a new construction for their home purchase. They purchase the home for $250,000. Only 3 months after the close of the sale, the builder chooses to lower the price of the models sold in that community to $200,000. That means, the worth of your home just dropped by $50,000 with the flick of a pen.

This example is important to understand when it comes to short sales. A homeowner can have two or three mortgages on a home. The home may be worth $300,000 and the first mortgage may only have $150,000 left. A great buy, right? Wrong, if the other mortgages add up to another $200,000, the home will be placed on the market for a short sale that may cost the buyer more than the home  is actually worth. Read the rest of this entry »