InVigOraTing

The days are whipping by in a crush of real estate, parenting, and horsetraining. For a market that isn't moving, it is providing loads of work, albiet not many sales..... Hopefully the market will begin to dribble on forward as we move past the election. On the note of Law being more lucrative than realty right now, my father "the best attorney I know" weighs in that no-one has money to pay for a lawyer right now, so unless you run a bankruptcy clinic you are still feeling the pinch. Good to know..... At least I actually ENJOY real estate as a career!

I started another 10 week BOOT CAMP session. This is part of "paying myself" with good health (I think maybe this was some sort of resolution, or maybe just too much Oprah watching....) The last session was cut short with my injury. I am now operating at about 90% so I hope to make more gains this session in fitness.

On the credit crisis, the banks are all saying locally that they have plenty of money to lend. The catch seems to be that it is available to well qualified borrowers (read top credit scores only please). Hopefully some of the banks will begin to loosen their hold on this ready cash and begin to lend to the slightly less qualified borrowers!

Feeling the PINCH

As the days have passed I have begun to contemplate how the current financial crisis effects me directly. It is all beginning to trickle down and I can clearly anticipate how this might affect me in the coming months. People are tightening their belts in anticipation of a long recession or depression (which I admit reflects my current state of mind!) All the pundits on TV are recommending paying down your debt and living within our means. This is wonderful advice and advice that I fight like most Americans on a daily basis. We all buy in to the fact that we can have it now and pay for it later. Living in a state of deferred payment makes for deep stresses that impact my daily life and the life of many around me. Many of my clients have seen their investments dwindle in the past weeks. Several of my long time clients are involved in finance and are facing heavy stress right now. I can only wonder if my horse training business will be impacted by belts tightening.....I know the housing market is grinding to a big pause right now. My buyers are struggling to find houses to view as few new options are making their way on to the market. My sellers are fielding "low ball" offers from investors looking to pick up a bargain. This all leads me to think of my colossal ill timing on becoming a realtor. I love my job. It is fun, exciting and I have made some wonderful new friends. I guess my mother was right, that law degree may be a good thing to fall back on one day.......

My Busy Phone.....

This week has been very interesting for the stock market and the real estate market. Many Realtors are have clients that are pulling back from buying houses due to the volatility in the stock market.

MY phone has been ringing off the hook! I have had more inquiries on my lovely multifamily listing in this one week than I have had in the last two months. WHY? I think that people are looking to put some of their liquid assets in to a more secure investment. Bellingham's housing market has taken a small hit this last year. However, rentals are booming. What better investment than a charming and solidly maintained. Not only should the investor be able to grow some equity in the property over the years, they will be able to generate positive income in the mean time.

Interesting.....

Lessons From the Fall

I have always believed that the curve balls that life throws us are meant to be lessons. Sometimes you have to look VERY hard to find a lesson in adversity! Almost two months ago I was bucked off one of my training horses. I will bear scars on my shoulder and hip for the rest of my life. I am still struggling to heal from a torn ligament. What lesson is there in all of this? After much moping and self searching I can only think that I need to learn to not be so STUPID! I often feel obligated to take on work when I really don't have the time. I was raised to believe that I can accomplish anything..... This sense of capability has gotten me far in this life, but it also makes me want to shield others from responsibilities that they should shoulder themselves.

This lesson has been particularly appropriate in my real estate career lately. Virtually every transaction has it's share of struggles and bumps along the way to a successful closing. I have long felt it was my job to insulate my clients from as much of the stress of the home buying or selling process as possible. Some areas of the transaction are outside my capability to fix. I can't make a loan appear when none are available. I can't remodel a home to make it sell more quickly. I am working hard on accepting that some burdens are just not mine to bear. The scars and physical pain that I feel now are a great reminder!

Step Outside The Box

This past weekend I literally stepped outside the box. I participated in a mounted police training session with my 3 yr. old horse Diego. I am NOT a daredevil at all. This was an activity that was FAR outside my zone of comfort. It was liberating and thrilling to realize that I am much more capable than I thought. This was more than a horse lesson. It was a life lesson. Sometimes you need to shake it up a bit and reach outside your comfort zone. Open yourself to a new experience.

Getting Involved

I have volunteered to be my community organizer for the Democrats. This is quite a step for me as I have always found politics to be a very personal issue. I can be a bit ambivalent about party politics and have never been officially involved in politics in any capacity. Despite my ambivalence, I have faithfully voted in every election since I turned 18. I think it is a huge privileged to be able to vote and we all must give our opinion and support to the candidate that most closely mirrors our views on how we want our country to be run. I have long felt that at the very least, if the candidate that I support doesn't get elected, I have the right to say that the woes of my country are NOT MY FAULT! So please, regardless of your beliefs, educate yourselves on all of the issues that effect you lives and VOTE for someone. This country is too precious to entrust it's care to someone you do not believe will do a good job.

My Favorite Stock Options.....

After much debate and self rationalizing.... we have added a new member to our family. Cyder-Ella is a wonderful little pony that we found for my daughter right before the current stock market issues arose. Many of my close friends work as stock brokers and financial planners. They have encouraged me to invest in the market over the years. We have put most of our money in to our home (real estate is a great long term investment, even with the hit that the market has taken lately!) I love to tell people that the only stock that I own has four legs.....So many farms and stables are in trouble financially and need homes for some really wonderful and experienced horses and ponies. Cynder has settled in to our fabulous boarding stable without any issues at all. I am excited to be able to share one of my lifelong pursuits with my daughter!