It’s summer and here, in the Twin Cities, it’s very short.  I have decided to pretend that I am on vacation all summer and will sprinkle in my wonderful Realtor job during this time.  My clients are extremely important to me, however, I know that they want to be relaxed, too.  We have a good time together and it doesn’t seem like work to me!  Here is a great article from wikiHow, one of my favorite bookmarked sites.  I aim to follow these steps!

How to Be Laid Back

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Whether you’re a worrywart, a perfectionist, an overachiever, or a workaholic, you’ve probably envied people who seem to float through life gracefully, never concerned (like you are) about what might happen if they don’t do this or don’t do that. Perhaps they’re not the most motivated or accomplished people you’ve met, but they always seem content. If you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum–always doing, never satisfied–here’s how to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride that is your life.

Steps

1. Do one thing at a time. The world’s greatest achievements were made by people who gave the task in front of them their undivided attention. Tackling multiple activities at once might feel efficient, but is it really productive? Is giving each task 30% of your attention for three hours as effective as giving each task 100% of your attention for one hour each? If something doesn’t deserve your undivided attention, maybe it’s not worth doing at all.
2. Slow down. Why the rush? If what you’re doing is important enough to warrant your time, you might as well enjoy it. Cleaning the house for an hour with your favourite music playing and your bottom shaking is better than cleaning the house in half that time but in a frantic state of mind. Plus, if you’re having fun with your chores, maybe other people will be tempted to join. Don’t just “get it over with”–find a way to make every activity something that you look forward to doing.
3. Stop being a perfectionist. High standards have their place–when performing surgery, for example, or designing a building–but when applied to other areas of your life (your appearance, your home’s appearance, your hobbies, your handwriting, whatever) you’re practically inviting anxiety into your life. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any standards at all; it’s when you start stressing out about the details that you need to ask yourself: “Will doing this right now make me truly happy? Will it make me a better person? Will it make the world a better place?” Usually, the answer is no. Don’t allow perfectionism to become the enemy of your potential.
4. Step aside. When you close your eyes and imagine your role in the world, do you see yourself as Atlas, the mythological Titan, holding the weight of the world on your shoulders? Do you feel like you want to relax, but worry that if you do, everything will fall apart? If so, you need to delegate some responsibility. You might think other people won’t do as good a job, but that’s the thing: they’ll never do it just like you do. So give them responsibility, give them advice, and pass the reins. Don’t be surprised if they make mistakes; just be there to support them, and let them fix (and learn from) their mistakes. Not only will this take some weight off of your shoulders, but it can be very fulfilling to watch someone grow and mature as a result of your guidance.
5. Remember that it’s not the end of the world. Many people spend their entire lives trying to prevent bad things from happening. But guess what? They happen anyway. And life goes on. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take any kinds of precautions in life, but if the majority of your thoughts are consumed in contingency planning, you’re not enjoying life. You’re preventing it. When you’re feeling threatened by things that haven’t happened yet, remember these words by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
   Some of your hurts you have cured,
   And the sharpest you still have survived,
   But what torments of grief you endured
   From the evil which never arrived.
6. Focus on what you have, not what you have to do. Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking I have to straighten this up.. I have to correct him.. I have to stop her..” but truthfully, we don’t have to do anything. You can walk away from any task, at any time. Try replacing every “have to” with a “want to” and see if the statement still holds. Meaning, is it something that you’ll look back on when you’re in your deathbed and be happy you did? Most likely not. So appreciate what you have, while you have it.
7. Learn meditation. Some systems may be quite involved, but most are relatively simple, and all of them will help you achieve all of the above.

Tips

• When bad things happen (and they will, no matter what) shrug and smile. Remind yourself that:
  • Life goes on.
  • Don’t let things make you upset or angry. Remember it’s your choice to get bent out of shape. Learn from the experience. Focus on the big picture.
  • You win some, you lose some.
  • This too will pass.
  • You can’t please everybody.
  • We live and learn.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff.
  • Remember that sometimes bad things lead to the best things.
• Shift your mindset so that you concentrate on what makes you feel happy, not on what makes you feel safe.
• If it seems like something is bothering you, just convince yourself that you don’t find it annoying at all. Although hard to get into straight away, when you put yourself into this mindset it’s amazing what you can live with.
• Don’t worry if you can’t follow these instructions perfectly at first! It takes time to learn to let go.

Warnings

• Don’t confuse being laid-back with being lazy. The goal is to be happy.
• Showing a laid-back attitude in the workplace can have risks. Many employers may confuse “laid-back” with “lazy” and think one does not take the job seriously. It is important to show that this attitude can actually be very productive, often even more so than others which demand greater stress.
• Many environments prefer a cool, calm demeanor over an extreme results driven approach. Be sure to identify your role and pick your battles very carefully.

Related wikiHows

• How to Be Optimistic
• How to Be Patient
• How to Live a Simple and Peaceful Life
• How to Create a Calmer Household

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Laid Back. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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The housing affordability has not been this good since 2004, according to the association. I believe that we’re near the end of the price cuts, too. Plymouth’s average sales price for May alone was 7.2% above last year’s average sale price.

What this says to me is that Plymouth homeowners are digging in and not allowing their homes to be undersold.  This signifies that the market is becoming more balanced.  If home owners can’t sell their home for what they want, they’re not going to list in the first place.  CLICK ON THE CHART FOR A LARGER PICTURE!

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Lucky for a few, my client, Jennifer, aka, Flipper Girl, makes dreams come true.  Now, I’m not a Pollyanna-type blog writer and, trust me, Jennifer isn’t the Pollyanna type either, but she is all over making dreams come true.

This week, I had a reporter from the Star Trib call me for some info about a house that Jennifer rehabbed.  Turns out, it was the very first house that was given up by the Greater Minneapolis Housing Corporation.  That’s no easy feat.  I had a few discussions with the powers-that-be over there.  I had to send pics of the other homes that Miss Jennifer had rehabbed to make sure the they would accept her work on the FIRST EVER TJ WACONIA property to be turned over to the public.

They said, “OK”.   That’s a BIG DEAL!

Here’s the story of the woman who purchased it from Jennifer that was written by the Star Trib in  yesterday’s paper…

Program helps heal wounds of North Side housing fraud

The house sits on a quiet street across from a fire station. The gray stucco looks freshly painted and the front windows are framed by black shutters. Inside, hardwood floors gleam in the morning sun as Jackline Mukiibi, 25, shows off her home, the first home owned by anyone in her family.

Daughter Ava, 3, is away at day care, but her photos sit atop a shelf. Over by the stereo is evidence of a fledgling modeling career, a Target ad featuring the toddler.

It doesn’t look like a house with a notorious past, but it is. Mukiibi’s tidy home was part of the TJ Waconia real estate scam that washed through the North Side. Over a three-year period, developers Jonathan Helgason and Thomas Balko of TJ Waconia bought and resold houses for inflated prices to straw-buyer investors, triggering a foreclosure crisis that left many homeless and many homes abandoned. In April, Helgason and Balko were sentenced to eight and seven years in federal prison, respectively, for their crimes.

Mukiibi represents an effort to reclaim that part of the city, one house at a time. Hers is believed to be the first of the 141 homes from the scam to be sold.

Working through City of Lakes Community Land Trust and taking savvy advantage of several other programs that encourage home ownership, Mukiibi cobbled together a mortgage loan and down payment and moved from her tiny apartment in February.

Mukiibi paid $703 a month for her apartment. Now she lives in a three-bedroom, two-bath house with a finished basement, family room and a fenced yard for $728 per month.

Born in Uganda, Mukiibi came to the United States with her parents when she was 2 years old. “I dreamed of owning a house when I was a little girl,” she said. But she got pregnant at 21, which seemed to limit her ability to buy in the near future. Mukiibi works for a nonprofit and goes to school full time at Metropolitan State University, where she is earning a degree in ethnic studies.

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A couple of must do’s and you’re on your way. You must adhere to the city’s code that you live in. Here’s all you have to do to build a fire pit in Plymouth: (more…)

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Here is an open letter to the “powers that be” in Minneapolis that Rony Davis wants to share with everyone:

Great News !

 

I am so excited…I want to shout!

 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis is absolutely thrilled to tell you that the Pohlad Family Giving Foundation has provided 1 Million Dollars in home buyer assistance funding to NHS of Minneapolis, designated specifically for the Minneapolis 55411 Zip Code.  This area includes the Jordan, Hawthorne, Willard Hay and Near North Neighborhoods of Minneapolis.

 

The down payment, closing cost funds are available up to $8,000 @ 0%.  These loans will be deferred (meaning no monthly payment) and forgivable after 7 years of continued ownership and residency.

 

These funds have no income restrictions and are not restricted to first time home buyers, although first time buyers must complete Home Buyer Training and buyers must intend to occupy the home.  Further, this program may be used in conjunction with other home buyer assistance programs.  How great is that!

 

Eligible homes include single family, duplexes, town homes and condominiums in the 55411 zip code of Minneapolis.

 

We are very excited about this wonderful opportunity and we appreciate the Pohlad Family Giving Foundation for their generous commitment to the stabilization efforts in our community and their confidence in NHS.

 

For more information, call NHS of Minneapolis at 612-521-3581 weekdays and/or check out the flyer, attached.

 

Please forward this notice to others who may benefit from this exciting news.

 

 

V. J. (Rony) Davis

Executive Director

Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis, Inc.

1501 Dupont Avenue N.

Minneapolis, MN  55411

 

612.521-3581

Check out this listing at  www.JeanieHoholik.com and  http://www.twincityrealestatechat.com/2009/03/20/2755-russell-avenue-north-sneak-peak/ .  You have access to Minneapolis Advantage funds.  If you’re a first time home buyer, another $8,000 credit and, now, $8,000 from the Pohlad Foundation!  Plus that, interest rates are at an all time low.

Seriously, what are you waiting for?

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Why would that be?

One reason is that folks realized that they couldn’t get the price that they wanted for their home last year, and would probably have to sell it at a loss.  Not many of us can afford to do that.  Therefore, they’re going to sit tight for a while.

The other reason is that some of last year’s listings are now bank-owned properties.  The banks are notorious for being slow at returning these homes to the market for sale.  They are burdened with bureaucracy and inept employees.  Sorry, banks!  Just speaking from experience!

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There are several reasons why Plymouth, MN was chosen as the Number One Best Place to Live in America.  I’ve mentioned some of them in past posts.

Here’s my very favorite reason…especially, since I live in Plymouth.  The values of our homes remain high compared to other communities in the Twin Cities and the rest of the nation.  The average sales price of a home in Plymouth is up almost 6% over last February.  We have less homes on the market this year, but they are selling at a faster clip.  A glimmer of hope, to be sure!

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In the dining room, the hardwood floors are the original birch.  Wow!

This is the same home that I showed you a couple of months ago that was totally trashed.  Everything has been completely restored to its natural beauty and new updates are in the kitchen and bath…as usual!

This has to be Jennifer’s best flip, yet.  We will be putting it on the market next week.  If you would like to see this property, please give me a call to schedule an appointment!

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Touring through the rehab candidates in North Minneapolis is always an adventure.  My clients and I find so many interesting treasures.  Many of them are beautiful old windows, light fixtures and built-ins.

Jennifer, the famous North Minneapolis flipper, and I toured a home and found it to have been partially finished.  It was clear that the previous owners had bought it to rehab, but ran out of money and/or patience.  It’s not easy to do a good rehab on a home.  It takes stamina, guts and money.

These  pictures are of the hack job they did on the moldings throughout the home.  All that work!

We didn’t buy the home.  It went into multiple offers before we even got a chance to give feedback to the listing agent.  Multiple offers are typical, as of late.

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