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FRONT PORCH NEWS

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Make your real estate plans for 2023 now!
Call for a consultation about buying or selling. It’s not too soon!
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Fun fact: Open houses used to last 12 hours
Early US real estate agents were called “curbstoners.” When a house was for sale, they would rush over, put up a big sign, and sit on the curb in front of the house from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., ushering prospective buyers in for an “inspection.” The competition was fierce, and it sometimes got ugly.
As the profession became more regulated and agencies grew in size, they took on more listings. Instead of having a 12-hour “inspection” period, they shifted to 2 to 4-hour open houses. Whew!

You've heard the quote: "You never know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone." We wish we had eaten better when we still had our health. We wish we had appreciated our freedom more when we were young. We wish we had taken better care of our car while it was still running.
Psychologists explain this using something called Weber-Fechner laws, which describe how the brain perceives change. When there is no change in something (such as a relationship, a car we drive, our health, etc.), the brain doesn't pay attention it. We take it for granted.
But when there is a stimulus, the brain perceives the change in direct proportion to the intensity of the situation. In other words, when the loss leaves a hole in our lives, we regret not appreciating it more. We question if there's something we should have done to prevent the loss or to enjoy it more when we had it.
To turn this Weber-Fechner law on its head, there's a trick you can do, and it makes a great process for New Year's resolutions. It's fairly simple. Use your imagination to go deeply into the feeling of how things would be if you were to lose what you have. Imagine if you lost your spouse. Imagine your life if you lost your health. Imagine your lifestyle if you lost your income, car, or house. It’s not a comfortable process, but it is powerful. The deeper you go into the feeling, the more you’ll come to appreciate what you have now.

Create a Financial Calendar for 2023
This short guide offers a process and tips for getting on top of your finances for the year. Read now or email me for a copy.

Just for Fun
Num, Num, That’s Good
Two sea monsters were prowling the ocean looking for food. They spotted a ship and attacked. The sailors escaped, but the sea creatures happily gobbled up the cargo of potatoes that stuffed the ship’s hold.
Soon after, they spied another ship and attacked again. Once more the sailors escaped, and once more the sea monsters feasted on a load of potatoes.
Hours later, a third ship approached. The sea monsters once again attacked and gorged on a cargo of potatoes. By now their stomachs were full, and they were feeling bloated. The first sea monster said, “Why do we keep doing this?”
The second replied, “Well, everyone knows you can’t eat just one potato ship.”

I can be beautiful and terrible, soft and sharp, heavy and light all at the same time. What am I?

January Quiz Question

Tips for Buying and Selling a Home in Winter
No one likes house hunting in winter, which is one reason that spring is the hottest time for home sales, because that’s when buyers are ready to come out of their cocoons. But if you want to buy now, and you have a warm jacket, then house hunting in winter has advantages.
During winter, sellers may struggle to attract buyers, which might result in them lowering their prices or offering more attractive incentives.
Sellers who must sell in winter are often pressed to sell for external reasons. That can result in them setting a lower price or accepting a lower offer.
When house-hunting in winter, buyers will have the luxury of taking more time to look aroundand think about it.
Winter is a good time to see a house at it's "worst." The exterior is often exposed, rather than being covered by foliage. Inside and outside the home, buyers can see if there are signs of water damage from ice build-up. And a closed-up home may smell different than one with windows and doors thrown open during warm weather.
What about selling in winter? If you're selling a home this winter, then have no fear. There are plenty of buyers who are willing to pay top dollar for a top listing, even in cold weather. It could take a bit longer, so call me now to get started.
To improve your odds of capturing the best buyers: Decorate the exterior of with colorful features that brighten up a drab winter landscape. Treat any water or ice issues. And replace odor-laden carpeting, ceiling tiles, or other odor-holding items so the interior smells fresh. And of course, make everything as clean as possible.

January 2023 Your Name | 555-333-2222

I appreciate you!
I’m grateful to all of you that you have been part of business. Special thanks this month to…
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Please refer your friends for real estate help. I will take care to ensure they have an exceptional experience.

Quiz Contest - Win a FREE Coffee Card
Email me the answer to the question on page 2. Put the word QUIZ in the subject line. email@emailaddress.com
Last month's Q&A: How many boxes do you need to open to figure out which of three boxes holds which ornaments?
You only need to open one box. If you open the box labeled BIG and it contains the small ornaments, then the two remaining boxes, which are mislabeled MIXED and SMALL must be switched.
Congratulations to last month’s winner!

4 reasons to buy a manufactured home
They're usually cheaper to buy than standard-built homes. Data from the Manufactured Housing Institute shows the price of a site-built home is about US $352K/ CA $478K, while the average price for a manufactured home is US $107K/CA $145K. If you're not building, then buying an existing manufactured home in a park or on owned land is even cheaper.
Newer manufactured homes are often built to high safety and energy-efficiency standards and are better
for the environment. They also are constructed to have better soundproofing between rooms than basic standard-built homes. In other words, today’s manufactured homes are well-built.
If you're buying land and installing a home, then a manufactured home can be placed and finished in months or even weeks, compared to 6 months or more for a standard-built home.
They can be remodeled, just like traditional-built homes, depending on the building codes of the area.

When the best response is a witty comeback...
Chef complimenting his guest on her photography. “You must have a great camera to get shots this nice.”
Guest: "You must have high quality pots and pans to get food this good.”
Muhammad Ali to flight attendant: "Superman don't need no seatbelt."
Flight attendant: "Superman don't need no airplane, either. Buckle up."
Oscar Wilde when someone threw a rotten cabbage after a performance: "Thank you my friend. Every time I smell it, I shall be reminded of you."

Why barns are traditionally painted red
Farmhouses and barns in the US and Canada were traditionally painted red for a reason. Thrifty farmers used to seal their barns with linseed oil, which is an orange-colored oil derived from flax seeds.
To this oil, they would add milk and lime, but also ferrous oxide, or rust. Rust was plentiful on farms, and because it killed fungi and mosses that might grow on barns, it was very effective as a sealant. It also turned the mixture red. After paint became a canned product, many barns continued to be painted red out of tradition.

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“We’re ready to buy a new home. Should we sell or keep our current home?”
If you have enough money to purchase your next home without selling your current home, then you have the option of keeping the current home and using it as an income property. There are other reasons for keeping it, too. You may want to give the home to a family member some day, or you may want to wait for property values to rise.
Especially if your home has a mortgage payment that can be covered entirely by area rents, you may want to hang onto the home. This can be the case with lower-priced starter homes or homes that have been in the family long enough that the mortgage is paid down, and a refinance can lower the payment further if needed.
Of course, if you need cash to buy your next home, pay debts, and invest, or if you’re not interested in holding onto a rental property, or area rents won’t cover your mortgage, then you will want to sell for the most cash you can get.
The first step to selling your home is getting a valid appraisal of value so you can make pricing decisions. Contact me for an initial consultation to get started.

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This newsletter is for entertainment purposes only. Credit is given to the authors of articles that are reprinted when the original author is known. This information is solely for entertainment, and should not be substituted for medical, legal, financial or tax advice. Do not hold us responsible for actions you take without proper medical, financial, legal or tax advice. This is not intended as a solicitation of listed property.