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The HGTV Effect
One of my very favorite stories to tell when I’m teaching new agents about working with buyers, is the one about the client who was so caught up in the home-buying process that she was basically starring in her very own (imaginary) reality tv show. She was a first time home buyer, which is a pretty big deal, and she had fully immersed herself in the experience. For her, this included a pretty solid HGTV addiction and she knew all the buzz words and phrases -“we’ll just blow out this wall,” “it’s got good bones” and, of course, “shiplap.” The short version is, at the very first property we toured,…
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Kittens and Vegans and Realtors, Oh My!
Do you ever see something posted on social media -maybe a meme with a sad, homeless kitten, that says ‘This Kitty Probably Won’t Even Get One Like.’- and you think to yourself, “Heeyyyy, wait a minute. I saw that same sad kitten trying to guilt me into liking it last week!” Only, now that you think about it, last week, the kitten wanted you to donate to feline whisker research… Same cat, different guilt trip. What are we to believe? Same thing with these amazing food-related holidays. August 27th is National Burger Day but, last month, July 28th was National Hamburger Day. Was last month for purists and this month…
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3 F-Words We Need to Talk About
3 F-Words We Need to Talk About in July By pure coincidence, it just so happens that F words are my favorite. I didn’t plan it that way, but here we are, so we’re going to take a look at a few that are currently at the top of my list. (Some of your are cringing at the thought of what’s coming next. Some of you went to get popcorn.) 1. Fortune Fortune can mean a lot of things, like money or good luck, but the first thing I think of is, Cookies! First of all, if you’re having fortune cookies, there is a good chance you’ve just had Chinese…
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10 People You MUST Know When Moving to Knoxville
June 12th International Falafel Day 10 People You MUST Know When Moving to Knoxville 10. It 9. Doesn’t 8. Matter 7. They’re 6. All 5. So 4. Nice 3. Laura Fangman 2. Yassin Terou 1. Dolly Parton Allow me to explain. 10-4: It doesn’t matter, they’re all so nice. Now, I understand that no one is immune and there are always exceptions -I don’t live in a bubble- but there truly are so many great folks around here! It was one of the first things we noticed, when we were considering our move. General friendliness was our introduction; strangers who looked you in the eye and smiled, people driving by…
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4% Of The Time- I Got You
April is a month where so many things I love come together. It holds the promise of Spring and warmer weather and my birthday. April also holds my very favorite real estate conference and one of the best, food-related holidays on the calendar. April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day. Although deserving of much more than a day, but humble enough to accept the simple honor, this sandwich is a staple. From the original white-bread-and-Kraft-singles staple of our youth, to fancier, grown up versions that evolved -either from necessity or maturing tastes- to things like this masterpiece from Le Noir Southern Bistro. Those savory layers were slathered in a tasty…
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Jealous?
You should be. March 23rd is National Chips & Dip Day. To clarify, when I think of chips and dip, I’m not talking about fried tortilla bits and runny garden smush (though that combo has a time and place, for sure!). I’m talking about crispy-thin slices of golden potato, lowered into a creamy blend of dairy and a particular selection of spices. Potato chips and French Onion dip. Specifically, Prairie Farms French Onion Dip. If you’ve had it, you know what I mean. Growing up, absolutely nothing else would do and everyone knew it. PF’s dip is distinct and far superior to any other brand, off-brand, or store-brand. It was…
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Food Focus
As I began searching for a theme for this year’s blogs, I remembered a fun little calendar that the good folks at Bite Squad sent me. Each month has a clever food pun and the food-related national holidays are listed in the squares. This seemed great, at first blush: I like food, I like blogging and I like Bite Squad. A Realtor, building a year’s worth of blogging on a foundation of obscure, foodie holidays? I could be on to something. Speaking of Bite Squad, have you used the service yet? They bring you food from restaurants that don’t deliver and you can do the whole thing online. If…
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Stone Soup
Welcome to 2019! This year’s theme is: STONE SOUP We are off and running, in the new year, but I wanted to take a moment to pause and check in with you. This is the time of year when we’re trying to get our collective acts together in order to accomplish those Big, Audacious Goals we’ve been quietly planning. It can be daunting, for sure. Have you summoned the nerve to say your goal out loud, yet? Remember, if it doesn’t scare you, it probably isn’t big enough! When I first started planning goals for 2019, I was afraid mine were too small. I quickly realized that…
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Need 3 Minutes to Yourself?
I can’t promise much, but I can give your kids something to do for about 3 minutes. Use it wisely. May love and joy come to you Paper Christmas cards didn’t go out, this year. I’d like to tell you it’s because I’m very eco-conscious and didn’t want to waste trees. The reality is that I, like many of you, was overwhelmed by the additional requirements brought on by the holiday season and simply didn’t get to them. Nevertheless, I wanted to reach out with a note to express my gratitude for you all; friends, family and clients. If you’re reading this and feel that you don’t fall into one…
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A Step Forward for Safety
Realtor Safety is at the top of my priority list. It can’t not be. Those in the industry are -hopefully- well aware and those on the outside are, sadly, beginning to learn. As excited as the general public seems to be about HGTV, I don’t recall hearing the Property Brothers talk about the buddy system or Joanna Gaines reaching for the next piece of shiplap with a can of pepper spray swinging from her belt loop. A big part of this job, as a Realtor, involves agreeing to go with people I barely know, into places where we are alone and no one will think anything of it. I…
