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11 Reasons Your Seller Should List During the Holiday Season

You’ve heard it from real estate agents before. “The Winter season is slow.” Or, “No one is really buying or selling.” And even, “I’ll get started in the New Year, it’s a new start right?”

Wrong. The truth is, it’s better to be ahead than behind. Do you want to have income in January? Do you want to have clients in the pipeline well into February? The winter months are the perfect opportunity for you to find the motivated clients and get them to list their home with you.

Of course, sellers sometimes need a little perspective to help them understand why listing now can benefit their bottom line. So without further adieu, here are 11 reasons your seller should list during the Holiday Season.

11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money! This will allow you to sell high and buy low.

10. You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year.

9. Even though your house will be on the market, you still have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days around the Holidays.

8. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transfers cannot wait until Spring to buy, you need to be on the market during the Holidays to capture the market.

7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons.

6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than they do during a work week.

5. Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price.

4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays.

3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home. Less demand means more money for you.

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you.

And the number one reason why your seller should list during the Holidays …

1. People who look for homes during the Holidays are more serious buyers!

Sell Your Property Faster With These 5 Important Steps

Start Your Move Before You Call the Realtor©

If you are fortunate enough to know ahead of time that you will need to list your property, the time to start staging your house to quick sell is before you call your Realtor©. You want your house to look its absolute best before your Realtor© steps foot in the house to determine sale price and take those all-important photos for the internet. According to Century 21, “A house that has been better maintained and shows better will always sell for more than one that has had deferred (neglected) maintenance and needs work.”

Start With a Clean Slate

So where do you start to stage your house before the Realtor© arrives? You start by breaking up with your clutter and sending it packing. This decluttering and pre-packing is your most important step in staging your house for a quick sell. If you are an avid collector, pack away most of your collections leaving only 3-5 of your favorite items from your collection for display. This is a great time to go through closets, drawers, basements and shed items that you haven’t used in the past year. Don’t forget to declutter your walls too. And the great thing is, many non-profit organizations, like Goodwill, the Salvation Army and Purple Heart will even come to your house and pick up your items for you. How easy is that?

Reorganize

Because so many buyers are watching design shows on HGTV, they expect perfection. Yes, even in your linen closet. By doing so, you will give buyers the impression that they will live an organized, peaceful existence. Take the time to make your closets and storage spaces look immaculate and you will definitely see a return on your investment.

Repair

Now is the time to finally get that to-do list accomplished! Sometimes it is shocking how little time, energy and effort is involved in those odd jobs around the house. For bigger jobs, you may need to bring in a professional. If you cannot afford to repair something, get a few estimates of your own. Remember, savvy buyers today will walk through your home deducting the cost of repairs that they think the house will need and I promise you that their estimate will always be higher than the actual cost. By getting your own estimates, you can counter this more effectively. Knowledge truly is power!

Renew

Breathe new life into your rooms. Are your windows, walls, flooring or bedding outdated? If they are more than ten years old, then that is a mandatory and resounding YES! There are so many reasonable and good looking options in stores like Target, Bed Bath and Beyond & Lowes. Treat yourself to a nice, quick sale by investing in making some of these inexpensive updates.

This may seem overwhelming but breaking it into small, manageable steps can make it easier. Enlist the help of family, friends or professionals. Your house is most likely your biggest investment and you want it to sell quickly and for the most money possible so why wouldn’t you want it to look its absolute best when it hits the market?

Feeling Blue? Try This Yoga Pose!

Want to unwind, focus and maybe even lose weight? Try the yoga pose known as the "Seated Forward Bend." According to traditional text, the Seated Forward Bend (the pose's original name, Paschimottanasana, literally translates as "intense stretch of the west,") can not only help a distracted mind unwind, but can be helpful in addressing obesity. The pose effectively stretches the spine, shoulders and hamstrings. Traditionally, it is also said to:

1.Relieve stress and mild depression

2.Stimulate the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus

3.Improve digestion

4.Help relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort

5.Soothe headache and anxiety and reduce fatigue

Should Women Be Shaving Their Face?

Now, what would you think if I told you that dermatologists and estheticians have been recommending shaving as a real alternative to the methods of hair removal for the face?

I bet there is panic on your face. It was my first reaction, too. No, I’m not shaving my face. What the hell are they talking about? How CRAZY!


OK, stop. Right there. Are you interested in anti-aging? You want to minimize lines and wrinkles? Exfoliation is important to you, right (it better be)? You want smooth glowing and radiant skin. Without some weird hair sprouting front and center from your chin, or a fine layer of dark fuzz setting up residence on your upper lip. OK, maybe it is light peach fuzz, but you still don’t want it, do you?  It allows your skincare products to penetrate more evenly and your makeup to look practically flawless. “It’s a well-kept secret of many beautiful women… just don’t let your husband catch you doing it!”



Aside from being a cheap easy way to manage facial hair, shaving has many other benefits for women. When done right, shaving is one of the best ways to:

•Exfoliate dead skin cells without over stimulating the skin

•Significantly reduce fine lines and wrinkles

•Minimize pore size

•Improve elasticity

•Lighten acne scars

•Balance skin tone

•Permanently remove blackheads




HOW TO GUIDE

Try to do your shave at night or on a day you won't have to apply makeup straight after. Give your face at least 6 hours to reboot and adjust.

make sure your face is clean remove any traces of dirt or makeup.

Dry skin!


SIDEBURN AND CHEEK - Improve tone and elasticity

Starting at the side of the face closest to the ear (side burn), begin shaving using strokes no longer than an inch at a time moving toward the jaw line.

NOSE - Minimize pores and heal blackheads

Shave from the top of the nose to the tip. Just once is good enough. If your razor is small enough to shave each side of the nose then go ahead. If you have a tiny nose, don't risk it.

FOREHEAD - Reduce fine lines and wrinkles

Shave from the center of the forehead (between the eyes) out toward each temple.

Be careful not to whack the eye brow or hair line.

UPPER LIP

Push your tongue up under the upper lip and push outwards until the surface is firm and quite flat.

Tilt your razor on a slight diagonal and only use a small portion of it to shave with the lie of the hair which is staggered on a downward taper.

POST-SHAVE

•Rinse the entire face with fresh warm water and then splash off with cool water.

•Pat face with clean towel so it's not dripping wet but still damp.

•Moisturize as usual.



POINTS TO REMEMBER

•Don't over shave the face until it has acclimated to its new condition.

•Try to do your shave at night or on a day you won't have to apply makeup straight after. Give your face at least 6 hours to reboot and adjust.

•Because the hair is soft and quite long in places, you may be tempted to turn the razor against the hair to remove it more easily. DON'T DO IT! The point is to gradually remove skin cells. It will get easier and better over time.

•Women should only shave their entire face a maximum of one time a week. In most cases, once every two weeks should suffice.

"What about the hair growing back thicker? " you ask,  there’s no need for women to fear that the vellous hair on their face will grow back thicker after it’s been bladed because it won’t. Unlike terminal hairs, which are thicker (men’s facial hair, leg hair), vellous hairs grow back the same after they’ve been removed, as the structure of the hair does not become damaged.



What is dermaplaning?
http://guidetoplasticsurgery.com/what-is-dermaplaning/



Fromm razors from Sally Beauty Supply. This what they look like: http://www.sallybeauty.com/facial-hair-razor/SBS-525354,default,pd.html?green...

wow!!

DRY SKIN BRUSHING

Dry brushing skin that is flaky, dry or even normal is a spa-like technique that offers many health benefits. This highly underrated technique is a recommended addition to any beauty regimen.



Giving your body a firm brush all over makes the skin glow by removing the top dull, dead layer of skin and encouraging new cells to regenerate. The gentle massaging motion of the bristles also has a beneficial effect on areas of cellulite, and it is an effective treatment for helping eliminate toxins from the body during a detox programme.




Benefits:

TIGHTENS Skin.
HELPS Digestion.
REMOVES Cellulite.
STIMULATES Circulation.
INCREASES Cell Renewal.
CLEANS Lymphatic System.
REMOVES Dead Skin Layers.
STRENGTHENS Immune System.
IMPROVES Exchange between Cells.
STIMULATES the Glands, thus helping ALL of the
Body Systems to perform at PEAK EFFICIENCY!

How To Do Skin Brushing:

Buy a NATURAL, NOT synthetic, bristle brush, since it does NOT SCRATCH the surface of your skin.

Buy a brush with a LONG handle, so that you're ABLE to get to the areas of your body, that are NOT EASY to reach, when doing your own Skin Brushing.

Skin Brush, before showering or bathing, at least ONCE per day, and TWICE, if possible. Brushing is best done in the morning

Do NOT wet your skin, since it will NOT have the SAME Effect, because this stretches your skin.

Do LIGHTER Strokes over and around your breasts, but do NOT brush the nipples.

Brush each part of your Body several times VIGOROUSLY, COMPLETELY brushing your WHOLE body.

1.  Take the brush and begin with the sole of your right foot.
   Use firm, rhythmic strokes to cover the sole several times. Next, brush the top of your foot, brushing up towards your ankle. Then go on to your lower leg, making sure you cover the whole surface - shin and calf. Always brush in an upward direction. Stand up and brush the area from your knee to the top of your thigh. Make sure you cover the whole area several times, using long, rhythmic strokes.
   
   Brush your buttock area as far as your waist. Now repeat the whole procedure on your left leg, starting again with the sole of your foot. Starting from the top of your buttocks, and always moving in an upward direction, brush the whole of your back several times all the way up to your shoulders.
2. Next, brush your right arm. Start with the palm of your hand, move on to the back of your hand and then brush from your wrist up to your elbow, always in an upward direction and ensuring that the whole surface of your skin is brushed. Brush your upper arm, working from your elbow towards your shoulder, again covering the whole surface of your upper arm.
3. Repeat on your left side, starting with your hand. Then, very gently, brush your abdomen, brushing in a circle, always in a clockwise direction. Cover the area several times but with less pressure than on your arms and legs. If it feels uncomfortable, stop.
4. The neck and chest are also very sensitive areas, so, again, brush here very gently. Always work towards your heart. If the bristles are too hard on your neck, don't brush here. Lastly, work on your face. Use your soft brush or a dry flannel and soften and shorten your action, as brisk rubbing can stretch or otherwise damage the facial skin.
   
   
   
   

ALWAYS skin brush towards the heart.

Do circular counter-clockwise strokes on your abdomen.

Take a WARM bath or shower, which should always be followed by a COOL rinse at the end to INVIGORATE blood circulation and STIMULATE surface warmth.

Wash your brush every few weeks in water and allow it DRY.

Things I'm Loving!!

These remind me of an updated "jelly" shoe, but MUCH more comfortable. The sole is so cushy and the shoe is so soft and squishy that they feel like a slipper.....love the color combo...so fun.

Fabulous Adrena flats by Crocs.  they are unbelievably comfortable, and they change colors in the sun:))
 

Aztec - Indian Healing Clay

WOW! This stuff is Amazing! This is exactly what I have been looking for, essentially. Even my husband has commented on how my complexion has improved since using this for masks. I consider myself somewhat of a product junkie- mask whore, so I am always on the search for the best stuff to help my skin. I am oily-acne prone, with hormonal cystic acne. I use Apple Cider Vinegar mix in. It does "pull" and "pulsate" your face, and loosens pores and gets all that junk out. I will definitely repurchase once I run out. When it comes time to take it off it's best to put a warm cloth on your face and loosen it up. Your face will be red when it comes off but that's normal and will go away. I use it once a week unless I have spots I need to go away faster. You can spot treat with it too and just put it over a pimple or cyst instead of your whole face.

The unique molecular structure of Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay deep cleanses skin pores, removing dirt and impurities, lifting out poisons and toxins stored in the epidermis.

Pimples and blackheads are absorbed into the clay bed, resulting in accelerated healing and nourishment of the skin.

The skin is clean, refreshed, and alive.

You can see and feel the difference.

Continued use results in a more beautiful, healthy skin.

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is 100% natural.

No additives.

$6.00