Ryan France, Your Realtor in Austin TX & Guide to Better Austin Living

Is There Such Thing as Fair Market Value?

ryanfrance — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:48:09 +0000

Fair market value is a term you’ll often hear when dealing with real estate. Typically it’s bandied about when discussing the potential list price for a piece of property. In a perfect world establishing fair market value would be as simple as scratching off a lotto ticket to reveal a magical price. But in fact, it is not that simple and quite frankly, I’m not so sure there is such a thing as Fair Market Value.

In its simplest context (pulling from multiple definitions), fair market value can be described as the price that a property or asset would fetch in a marketplace subject to the following conditions.

Both buyer and seller are willing, able and knowledgeable about the asset
Both buyer and seller are acting in their own best interests
There is no undue pressure on either party
A reasonable time period is given for the transaction to be completed

Now, raise your hand if you see any holes in that definition as it pertains to a real estate transaction.

I can count on one hand the number of transactions that I have taken part in where all four elements were met. In all honesty, its tough to find any reasonable situation where all of those criterion are present – especially real estate.

Why? Well, “fair market value” and “intrinsic value” are two completely different things.

When all is said and done, the price will ultimately reflect a place where the buyer has decided that the house is worth more to them than the money they are trading for it and the seller has determined that the house is worth less to them than the proceeds they will receive in return. There are many intrinsic and extrinsic variables that play into that equation.

To complicate matters further, both parties are often working inside of their own time parameters which adds an element of outside pressure to make a particular decision. A seller has accepted a job in another part of the state and she knows that it’s in her best interest to sell the house before she leaves town – one less thing to worry about. A buyer has less than two months remaining on an existing lease and has already given notice of intent to move out. Then there is the buyer who is also a seller (selling an existing home) that has to find a new house to purchase before he closes on his sale or else his things are in storage and hes sleeping on someone’s couch. These dynamics are never static and circumstances are always evolving.

None of that even takes into consideration the time of year or competition from other listings/buyers in the neighborhood.

Fair Market Value is an ideal that just doesn’t really exist. Sure, a property appraisal completed by a professional may come close to indicating the legitimate value of a particular property. But, remember that assessment almost always comes after the fact; after the buyer and seller have made their decision based on what’s important to them. On top of that, an appraisal is most often constructed using information drawn from previous purchases in the same area made by, you guessed it, other buyers and sellers under the same circumstances.

I’d propose that there are actually 3 prices for every piece of property: what the seller hopes to sell it for, what the buyer is willing to pay for it and the only one that really matters – the one in black and white on the HUD settlement statement on the day of closing. IF, both buyer and seller truly are willing, able and knowledgeable about the situation that price can come very close to reflecting fair market value. Far too often the situation is too complex for that to be the case.

That’s what makes this business so intriguing. As a Realtor, it’s about how can you take the existing circumstances of a buyer and/or seller and mold them into a sound strategy that yields the best possible outcome. For a seller, its educating on the importance of property presentation, home staging and pricing segmentation to stimulate a demand that garners a higher than average sales price to list price ratio while minimizing the number of days on market. For a buyer its helping the client put him/herself in the best situation to negotiate the price and terms of a contract that best suits his/her long term objectives. Its helping both parties to establish a clear focus on what is most important to them and staying aligned with that through the entire process.

In that regard choosing the right person to work with can be invaluable.

Flickr photo credit to Jens Dahlin

Homebuyers: I Bet You Didnt Know You Didnt Know

ryanfrance — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:56:35 +0000

I recently read that there are 4 realms of knowledge: what we know, what we think we know, what we don’t know and what we don’t know that we don’t know.

If you think about it, that is so true. Where I believe most of us get into trouble is we “think we know” more than we really do and in reality there is far more that we “don’t know we don’t know” than we could ever realize.

For this very reason, it is crucial to seek the guidance of someone that does “know” what they are doing in areas that you may not. For some, buying and selling real estate is an area of life that they have little experience or knowledge. Thus, working with a knowledgeable and professional Realtor can be a tremendous advantage.

I’m going to tackle buyers in this post and I’m going to address 10 questions that you should ask that may not normally cross your mind but that could have a significant impact on your final decision. Ill call these the I didn’t know I didn’t know questions for home buyers.

–> You may not know that despite all the recent talk about historically low interest rates, flat home prices and rising rents, it still might not make sense for you to buy a house.

–> You may not have known that you can still get into a home for as little as 3.5% down and sometimes with zero down. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) offers a loan program geared toward first time buyers that only requires a 3.5% down payment and the seller can pay the bulk of your closing costs. If you are a veteran or related to one, you likely qualify for a VA loan which is a zero down opportunity and so is a USDA loan. Talk to a responsible lender to find out the best loan program to help you achieve your goals.

–> You may not have known that its common practice for a home seller to fill out a sellers disclosure notice answering questions and disclosing information for the time in which they owned the property. Interested in making an offer? Have you seen a Seller’s Disclosure yet?

–> You may not know that most houses for sale in Austin that receive their electricity from Austin Energy require an Energy Conservation and Disclosure Audit (ECAD) disclosing the energy efficiency of the property.

–> You may not know that money spent hiring a professional inspector to evaluate the house before you finalize the purchase can be worth its weight in gold.

–> You may not have known that if you write a contract directly with the agent that is listing the property for sale, you basically forfeit having your own “representation” in the transaction.

–> You may not have known that you can often get a better deal on a new construction purchase when you work with a Realtor than when you walk into the model home on your own.

–> You may not have known that if you have a house to sell and you are purchasing a new construction home, the builder may “suggest” you take advantage of their move up program where you get a rebate on your sales commissions but you don’t get to choose who the Realtor is that you work with. I offer the same type of “move up” program and you get to work with me instead – someone you know for sure that you can trust.

–> You may not have known that if you are completely relying on property information from sites like Trulia and Zillow you could easily miss out on a great opportunity to purchase the house that best fits your needs.

–> You may not have known that there is not an automatic “buffer” built into every price sales price.

–> You may not have known that just because you might be able to purchase a house for a good price it doesn’t necessarily mean its a good value.

–> You may not have known that in addition to your down payment, there are multiple other “closing costs” associated with your home purchase.

–> You may not have known that if you write your contract correctly, you should have a short window of opportunity to walk away from your purchase and only lose a couple hundred bucks. On top of that, if you miss specific deadlines for performance in your contract you might have to forfeit thousands.

–> You may not know that if you purchase a home where the previous owner filed an insurance claim and did not use the claim money for the intended purposes you’ll likely be up (you know what) creek when you go to file a claim later on. That is why its important for your insurance agent to run a CLUE report on the property before its too late.

These are some examples of things you might now know you don’t know. If there is something that I did not cover that you know you don’t know – shoot me an email and Id be happy to answer your question. Or you can explore the multitude of home buyer’s resources that are available on this site.

Flickr photo credit to WingedWolf

Helping First Time Home Buyers in Austin Texas

Hiring a Realtor? Here’s What I Would Look For

ryanfrance — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:02:34 +0000

According to the 2011 National Association of Realtors study of Home Buyers and Sellers, nearly two-thirds of responders chose to work with the first Realtor they spoke with. When you consider that more than half of those folk (50% for buyers & 61% for sellers) selected their Realtor either through a referral from friends/family or used the same Realtor they’d worked with previously, its not too surprising that more people interview only one Realtor than do not. As a Realtor, the vast majority of my personal business also comes from my social acquaintances, past clients and their referrals.

Based on the same report, home buyers and sellers listed the following criteria for their ideal real estate partner in regards to personality, aptitude and experience.

Most Important Qualities for Buyers when Choosing an Agent
Honesty & Integrity
Knowledge of the Purchase Process
Responsiveness
Knowledge of the Market
Communication Skills

Most Important Factors for Sellers when Choosing a Listing Agent
Reputation of the Agent
The Agent’s Honesty and Trustworthiness
The Agent’s Knowledge of the area

Ironically, you look above and note that Communication Skills, Responsiveness and Knowledge of the Area/Market are all very important (at least in the buyer’s eyes) and yet all 3 also show up in the Top 5 Areas of Least Satisfaction for responders – along with Negotiation Skills and Technology Skills. There seems to be a significant void between the expectations/desires of real estate consumers and their experience with regards to communication and local market knowledge. I see that as well in my day to day dealings with the real estate community as a whole.

While I completely agree with all of the qualities and expectations listed by home buyers and sellers in this survey, my experience has made it apparent to me that despite even the best intentions, I’m not the “right” Realtor to work with everyone that comes my way. When I say that, I don’t mean to imply that I do not possess these noted qualities because I wholeheartedly believe I do. What I mean is that there are other things that are equally important in my eyes to a successful relationship between Realtor and Buyer or Seller. If those things are not important to my clients then perhaps we are not the best fit. At the end of the day, buying or selling a piece of real estate is a large decision on many levels and if you are not working with the “right” person who’s purpose is aligned with your goals, you might be in for an interesting ride to say the least.

If I could put my home buyer or home seller hat on for just a moment and was in the position to hire a Realtor to work with for the next 3-6-9 months, this is what I would look for.

Someone who has references & reviews and is not afraid to share them. I don’t know about you but before I make any decision or purchase, whether that be hiring a vendor or purchasing a product on Amazon, I always read reviews. I want to find out the good, the bad and ugly based on other people’s experiences. This isn’t a fool proof strategy; not all reviews are legitimate but most are. First and foremost, I’d rely on a personal testimonial from someone you know but aside from that, online reviews and testimonials are a good place to start. My client success stories are displayed on my website and I’d be glad to put you in touch with any of them if you’d like a personal reference.

Someone who has time for you. I think per capita, Realtors have to be the “busiest” people on the planet. I say that a little tongue in cheek but I’m serious when I say that you want to find someone who has time for you. When my wife purchased her first house years ago (before I was a Realtor), she signed on to work with a gentleman who was a close personal friend of her sister’s. When she went to actually start looking at houses with that particular Realtor, she found out that he had decided to push her off on another agent in the office. Even though that Realtor was also perfectly capable, she didn’t feel appreciated. Just today I received a phone call from a lady who is looking to get involved in an investment opportunity in Austin. However, at this point she and her husband are in the preliminary “looking” phase. She mentioned she’d spoken to another agent in addition to me and that agent suggested she call someone else. That may seem harsh at first but it’s better than getting involved with a Realtor who will not give you the attention you deserve. I’m certainly not a proponent of wasting people’s time but, what I am saying is that your needs are not always going to align with a particular agent’s availability or capability. Make sure that you know who you will be working with and you are both clear as to what the other person’s expectations are for a successful working relationship.

Someone who is a good communicator. Apparently this is a hot button amongst buyers and sellers, as well it should be. One of the biggest complaints in the real estate industry is the “I signed a representation agreement with a Realtor and then I hardly ever heard from him/her” complaint. To me, good communicator means many different things. It means taking the time up front to make sure that both Realtor and client have clarity as to what the end goal is and working back from there. It means using the channels of communication that are preferable and convenient for both parties. It means planning in advance as well as keeping in touch at regular intervals. It means an open door policy in regards to asking/answering questions to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks.

Someone who doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear. For a seller, this means someone who will give you honest and professional feedback on the price and presentation of your home. Want to know why there are so many overpriced and underwhelming listings on the market? You guessed it. For buyers this means both setting realistic expectations for the type of house that you’ll likely be able to purchase in a particular price range and not deviating from that plan. For both buyers and sellers it means helping to stay focused on the main goals and objectives when it seems like everything else in the real estate transaction is falling apart. It means encouragement when needed and a kick in the butt when warranted.

Someone who will grant you the option to cancel an exclusive representation agreement if plans change or the relationship is just not working. I offer this guarantee in all of my agreements and I’m happy to say that I have not had a client take me up on my offer yet. Still, it’s important because you often read stories like this.

Most importantly, someone who treats you the way you want to be treated. I know that statement is kind of vague but you can tell very early on whether or not the working relationship is going to be a good fit or not. There are a lot of people out there that talk a big game and then don’t deliver the results that you expected. Trust is an extremely important piece of the puzzle and that has to be earned. Make sure that you are working with someone that you respect and that respects you because you are going to be seeing a lot of each other over the course of your real estate transaction.

Other Resources About Hiring a Realtor
Why Work with a Realtor
Why Buyer’s Representation is in Your Best Interest
Realtors: I think we Can Better for Our Clients

Photo Credit, Flickr – NARinfocentral

Simple Truths we Often Forget (Blog Article Share)

ryanfrance — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:01:14 +0000

I am consuming a lot of content these days. Admittedly, I have a pretty healthy addiction to 2 things in particular: the Google reader option in Flipboard and my personalized Zite magazine. They are definitely two of my favorite apps on the Ipad. Check them out, they are both free.

My favorite category that I’ve bookmarked inside of Zite is Productivity. In perusing the productivity articles, one recent headline caught my eye: 101 Simple Truths We Often Forget.

While I do enjoy posts that are “lists,” I typically shy away from reading any list that has more than say, 20 items. I have a case of Ipad ADD. However, I decided to give this one a shot and immediately my reaction was, yep, yep, agree, that’s good . . . . They really put together a strong list of revealing statements, many of which directly relate to the personal initiatives that I am pursuing this year.

Any way you look at it, these “simple truths” are timely reminders for most people who are focused on forming productive habits for the new year. Here are 10 of my favorites from the list and I encourage you to check it out on your own when you have 5 minutes.

The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.
People seldom do things to the best of their ability. They do things to the best of their willingness.
Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
Most of the bad things you worry about will never happen. Most of the bad things that do happen will have never crossed your worried mind.
Being busy and being productive are two different things.
We rarely lose friends, we usually just figure out who our real ones are.
You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it. Either way, it’s getting raised
In life you get what you put in. If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It really is this simple.
Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours
No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.

Photo credit, Flickr – libraryman

Looking Back: A Year Ago Today . . .

ryanfrance — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:05:10 +0000

It’s definitely not difficult to remember where I was on this day (January 18th) last year. Just about a half hour ago our baby daughter, Madeline, was born. My, what a difference a year makes. I’ll have to say that I’m much more comfortable as I sit and write this entry than I was at this hour last year. What a whirlwind of energy and emotion.

I’ve recently written about my thoughts from the past year and some of my plans for 2012. The domino effect triggered by last year’s festivities on this date took a little getting used to. I’d become accustomed to a certain ritual of routines that were comfortable and productive for me.

For instance, I have found in the past that I’m most at peace and on point when I start the day on my own terms. When I get myself out of bed early and take an hour or more to stretch, read, reflect, journal, and eat something healthy I get the day started on the most productive footing. I’m proactive rather than reactive. I’ve maintained that ritual for various long stretches of time over the past couple of years. However, I largely got away from it last year.

It obviously started when my sleep cycles changed drastically having to stay up late to feed and attend to Madeline. As a result, my default morning ritual became stealing as much sleep as possible before the human alarm clock in the other room woke us up. Madeline has since progressed to sleeping through the night and I could have easily gotten back into my more productive morning habits. But, then again it had become so easy to “sleep in.”

Alas, I’m committed to making some changes this year in an effort to regain my productive balance. I’ve learned over time that resolutions and intentions are worthless if a corresponding habit is not formed around the ultimate objective. Therefore my plan this year is to find one or two habits or rituals to focus on each month (30 day challenges, so to speak) that both support and help build upon the larger objectives and my three word focus (prudence, execution and edges).

The biggest focus for the first 30-45 days of the year is on planning and preparation. There are multiple facets to that equation. It starts with setting aside some time each Sunday night to look at the coming week and jot down notes and plans. The other main component of the equation is how I start my day. Knowing myself as I do, I figured it was in my best interest to revisit my personal time in the morning.

About 10 days ago I started getting up at 6am to create a new morning ritual. Within the first couple of days I realized quickly how much I enjoyed it. Over the past week I have gradually pushed it to 5:30am which seems to give me the optimal amount of time before having to go ‘pick up Madeline’ around 7ish so that Kristin and I can get ready to start the business day.

That routine includes:

5-10 minute stretch as the coffee is brewing
10 minutes of prayer and reflection
writing down 5 things I am grateful for each morning
10 minutes of journaling the events of the day before (using this tool)
20-30 minutes of reading a good book
5-10 minutes to sketch a plan for my work day

This has been a really great way to start my day. I look forward to maintaining this ritual through the remainder of the month so that it becomes a solid habit throughout the year. After all, gaining an extra hour a day for year can have a major impact.

Photo credit, Flickr – rockinfree

Keyword for 2012: Edges

ryanfrance — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:57:14 +0000

Edges - lines where an object either begins or ends. A brink or verge. A favorable margin.

I’m most excited about this word and it‘s probably also the most obscure of the three. What the heck do edges have to do with anything, right? Well, despite the obscurity, I feel this word perfectly illustrates the idea that I am going for. For me it’s a daily struggle to lift out of my comfort zone. While I do not lack for self confidence, I’m well aware of my strengths and my weaknesses. Too often I play to my strengths and ignore an opportunity (or need) to strengthen a weakness. I’m sure most people can relate to that.

Sure, I push myself to be better every day but I’d just as soon retract into my comfort zone. So, the word Edges reminds me to find a way to operate on the edges of my comfort zone as often as possible. Hopefully it will push me past some of that internal resistance to try new things, make more mistakes, learn from them and accelerate my overall growth. I love the fact that the definition I pulled for an edge is: a favorable margin, a brink or verge. To me that signifies of place of endless possibility if I can only find a way to get there. Who doesn’t want to find their way to a favorable margin?

So there you have it, those are my three words for this year: prudence, execute and edges. I do have separate business and personal initiatives; goals I want to accomplish and habits I want to form. But, when I came across this practice, I thought it was a great way to constantly remind myself what I’m trying to accomplish. Collectively, these three words come very close to encompassing all of those goals and objectives.

Back to post: My 3 Words for 2012

Key Word for 2012: Execute

ryanfrance — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:51:11 +0000

Execute - to perform skillfully. To carry out fully; accomplish. To produce in accordance with plan or design.

It was quite difficult to narrow my selection down to only three words. I was pretty satisfied with my other two choices but this spot came down to a tough choice between community (sharing) and a word like execute. One of my goals this year is to share and get more involved in my various on and offline communities. Ultimately, execute won out. I was looking for a word that encapsulated two things. First, something that built upon prudence in defining focused production inside of a structure that has been well prepared and thought out. Second, a word that meant – FINISH.

I’m sure I’m not alone in stating that far fewer of my yearly intentions come to fruition than I would hope. Each year, I look back to find that I’ve fallen quite short of my plans and intentions but usually it’s not for lack of effort. Typically it’s for lack of consistent enough focus and drive to see a project or idea through until the end. Or, like Seth Godin likes to say, I don’t ship it. This year, I want to simplify the ideas, carry them out fully and ship the product or service.

Here is a link to a talk that Seth gave about “Quieting the Lizard Brain.” In it, he discusses the concept of Shipping.

Back to post: My 3 Words for 2012

Key Word for 2012: Prudence

ryanfrance — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:29:56 +0000

Prudence - the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. To exercise good care, judgment and wisdom in looking ahead. Shrewdness in the management of affairs and resources

I chose the word prudence for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I find that many of my frustrations in general come from periodic difficulty discerning between what is important & impactful and what is urgent or convenient. As a self employed individual, I am almost always the architect of my own day – both a blessing and a potential curse. That flexibility means that I am constantly faced with decisions that could either lead to a very productive day or one where the clock strikes four and I think to myself, did I get anything worthwhile done today? I’ve had plenty of both.

Having fought this battle for a number of years now, I understand that it all comes down to recognizing the seemingly insignificant triggers and choosing to make the right decision or in other words, exercising prudence and discipline. I consider myself a pretty driven person but my energy is not always channeled down the most prudent path.

My first reaction was to choose the word discern or discernment. Either one would have been appropriate. However, I settled on prudence instead because it also seemed to embody another or my personal initiatives this year – to waste less. My desire is to waste less time, money, energy, food, and use my best judgment in eliminating the unimportant. I thought the definition, “shrewdness in the management of affairs and resources” perfectly aligned with exactly that tenet .

Back to post: My 3 Words for 2012

My 3 Words for 2012

ryanfrance — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:02:28 +0000

The other day I posted a brief summary of the wild ride that was 2011.

Today, I want to turn the page and focus on the new year. In actuality the new year is already a couple of weeks old and the plan is taking a more definitive shape. As I spent a little bit of time looking back on 2011, including the business and personal plan that I put together prior to the year, I was immediately struck by how complex it was. Its no wonder that the overall structure of the plan was abandoned early on. The whole irony of that situation is that prior to the year, one of my focuses for 2011 was to simplify. In some respects I did. However, my initial “plans” for 2011 were anything but simplified.

This year, I’m taking a slightly different approach – the 3 words approach. This is something that I borrowed from Chris Brogan who is a well-known and publicized business, media and technology voice. If you are not familiar with Chris, I’d recommend poking around his website, perhaps following him on Twitter and at the least, reading his post about using 3 words rather than complex and vague resolutions. Chris adopted the 3 word approach years back as a compass to guide him in all facets of his yearly journey. Seeing how I wanted to find a way to simplify my purpose for this year, I’m giving the strategy a test drive.

What I did was first analyze the hits and misses from 2011 to figure out what areas of business and life I wanted to see the most improvement. Then I made a list of habits to support those areas of interest. I followed that up with a list of 10 areas or so that I wanted to focus on business-wise this year. Using those 3 lists, I started to jot down some words that might encompass various aspects of those general purposes. It’s easy to just spew out 3 words like focus, enjoy and grow. I mean, who doesn’t need more of all three of those in life? Actually, as I first started this exercise, I thought I had my three immediately. However, as I sat there and really looked at what I’m trying to accomplish and what each word actually represented, I came up with 3 slightly different variations that I like much better. These 3 words will serve a lens through which I view almost everything I do and decisions I make this year.

My Three Words for 2012

Click on the links above for a more detailed explanation for what each word means to me and why I ultimately chose these three.

Photo Credit, Flickr – stockerre

2011: A year of Growth, of Joy, of Transition & Momentum

ryanfrance — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:30:13 +0000

Its January 11^th and I’m just starting to wrap up my strategic planning for 2012. This is coming from someone who normally has that type of thing nailed by early December in order to get a head start. Why the lag this year? A couple of reasons.

First off, things never quite slowed down for me at the tail end of 2011 as they have in the past. I was steadily busy for the entire year including the last couple of months. That is a good thing, believe me. However, it did not afford me the time I would normally have to sit down, reflect of the year and hash out a new plan.

The second reason I’ve put off writing an actual plan is this. I had a front row seat in 2011 to watch my seemingly well laid plan fall be the wayside and without even the slightest thud. I spent a lot of time in December 2010 planning out how I wanted (thought) the upcoming year would go. And well, let’s just say things didn’t necessarily go according to that plan.

Don’t get me wrong, 2011 was an extremely impactful year. A great year in fact. 2011 was by far my best year in business, to date. It was also a year of monumental personal growth and change. That being said, that elaborate plan that I put together before the year started collected a lot of dust after about February first. 2011 was a year of major transition.

I’m the kind of person that likes to be in control. If you know me well, you know that to be true. The introduction of my baby daughter, Madeline, into what had become a comfortable and somewhat seamless routine threw me for a bit of a loop. She came in kicking and screaming (literally) and at that point I knew we were in for a wild (and joyous) ride.

In a general sense, I felt like I was in the driver’s seat of my own car, the car was going 100 miles an hour and I could not get a hold of the steering wheel no matter what I tried. I was just along for the ride – and that’s okay. I learned and grew a lot. Sometimes we have to take our hands off the wheel to gain proper perspective.

It was a year of tossing aside old routines and adapting to new ones. Adaptation is hardly ever easy but that’s life and it does happens.

If I had to label my experience in 2011 in three words, they would be: growth, transition and momentum.

Growth & transition for reasons already mentioned above and momentum because I’m blessed and pleased with the way things started to roll once I got my feet under me and I’m hopeful and excited about the direction I’m headed at the start of the new year. I look forward to continuing that journey here with you. The following post will detail my focus and 3 words for 2012.

Photo credit, flickr – Tree Leaf Clover