The other day I showed a house that was occupied by smokers.
I am not here to harp or preach but I want to share the straight facts with you.
If you choose to smoke that’s on you but please understand that if you decide to smoke IN your home you have probably slashed your home value by upwards of 30%.
Bad odors are one of the biggest turn offs for buyers and one that they CANNOT get past. Do yourself a favor (quit smoking) and smoke outside!
Do you have a wood stove? We do and we primarily heat our home with it in the winter.
One of my least favorite things about the wood stove is when it’s almost out and I have to coax it back to life or even clean it and start a new fire.
However, I have learned a little trick. When the fire is nearly out I can get it going again with some new logs and just a little paper.
With one balled up piece of newspaper, something to catch the flame I am able to remind the fire who she is.
It doesn’t take much, just one little spark of fire to get it going again.
That one piece of paper is immediately consumed and the fire remembers - my job is to burn. Lately I have found there are certain activities I can do too that remind me who I am.
Whether it be exercise, meditation, reading or connecting with a loved one, I can trigger a part of my brain that gets me back into gear.
How about you? I would love to hear what gets your fire going again.
With gratitude.
You know the major adulting conundrum we all have? You know the one? Come on, the one that plagues you everyday (unless you are one of those super organized types)!
Yep, you got it - WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER!
Well, we got this little gal a kids cookbook for Christmas and now she WANTS to make dinner. This is one of her new specialties, taco cups
I don’t know how long this is going to last so I am going to enjoy it as long as she does.
***Side note: You know when you are growing up and you get all kinds of advice from adults- make sure to travel, get good grades, marry your best friend, kids will change your life, you get the picture….
How come NO ONE ever told me that finding something to cook for dinner every night was going to be so hard?
But Zillow says my house is worth a gazillion dollars!
Okay, I’m exaggerating, kind of.
Zillow uses sales data to come up with your “Zestimate” but what they can’t factor in are things like the view, traffic noise, intimate community knowledge, changes in the local work force like a company leaving town or coming to town.
In other words the “Zestimate” is a 50,000 foot view of your homes value.
Having your local agent help you price your home is like looking under a microscope at the value of your home.
Don’t leave these things to chance. Now is not the time to be inaccurate about pricing. Correct pricing is going to dictate whether your home sits on the market or gets multiple-over asking offers.
You know how you can sometimes learn from someone else’s mistake
Well here’s an opportunity for you.
I recently heard about a home that sold “off market”. This is a home that is sold privately, no Realtors involved.
Apparently the seller (lets just call her Jane) did not want to pay real estate commissions so she sold it herself.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this, however, while Jane saved herself the commissions she cost herself over $200,000 in the purchase price.
Had she called a local Realtor they would have helped her price her home accordingly, in line with fair market value. Jane ended up selling her home for WAY under market value.
Your home is likely your most valuable asset. Don’t leave it to chance, fate or your best guess. Get some expert and professional advice so you don’t end up like Jane.
My daughter found this note in the airport.
It was just an unassuming little wad of paper, but being 12 and curious, she decided to pick it up.
And inside someone, I don’t know who, poured out a little of their heart.
Who is this person, the recipient?
Who is the other person, the author?
We won’t ever know.
But judging by the amount of times it seems to have been folded and unfolded, I do think the recipient is probably sad to have lost it.
Or maybe not, maybe this note had been carried around for months in a pocket or wallet and was purposely tossed out as a result of a shattered heart. Tears shed while waiting for a plane
I love the possibilities of this note. The stories it weaves. The heart that beat a little faster when these 30 words were read, over and over again. Memorized and inscribed.
And the part I love most is that someone, because of another, felt hope again. I pray that you have someone in your life that brings you hope too.
With gratitude.
Looking on the bright side.
Here’s what I do when I am having a total crap day.
Pull up those cool videos that do the zoom out of the universe. You know the ones, it starts on your street and progresses to the next solar system in the Milky Way, or something like that!
When I feel like my problems are insurmountable, I like to remind myself that I am just a speck in the universe and whatever I am going through is likely transitory.
You have 3 choices when pricing your home:
Test the market. This strategy works in a rapidly rising market because you are pricing ahead of the market with the hopes that the market will meet or surpass your list price
Price it right. This falls right into the range of what market comparables tell us the home is worth. Not too high, not too low.
Is this sounding a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears?
Strategically aggressive price. This is the price range that attracts multiple offers and offers over asking price.
There is no right or wrong answer. But your pricing should reflect your timing goals. Please leave any questions below.
I was 9 years old when I first learned that life isn’t fair.
My third grade teacher, would have a monthly calendar contest. We were tasked with making a creative and colorful calendar on poster board to be displayed as the “official class calendar” for the month.
Oh, this was right up my alley.
I loved coming up with ideas and seeing how many items I could hot glue to a poster board before it could no longer support itself.
Conversation hearts and doilies for February and spring flowers and Lucky Charms cereal for March
And what better to glue to a calendar in October than the candy corn no one will eat.
Each month, as I poured my heart and soul into my creation, I thought surely my classmates would be awed with wonder and crown me queen of the calendar.
But alas, I never won.
Not a single time.
Now I know this was a long time ago and my memory might be a little foggy but I’m 99.8% sure my calendars were the best, at least some of the time.
But I never won.
And that’s when I was introduced to the “good ole boy (and girl)” system.
Some of these kids had been together since kindergarten! They had history! And I was the new kid in 3rd grade.
It was always the same handful of kids that would win. Were their calendars good? Meh, sometimes, but they had the votes and that’s all that mattered.
One month I had had enough and I campaigned on the playground. Disclaimer: nothing of value was exchanged for votes, but I did present a persuasive argument.
Well that didn’t go over well and ended up with a call to my parents. I wasn’t acting the the “spirit of the contest.”
At the tender age of 9 I realized that the “best girl” doesn’t always win.
It broke my heart. And truth be told, it still does.
Life isn’t fair, we all know this but it doesn’t make it any easier.
But I know there will be an occasion that I can share this story with my girls and they might realize that while life isn’t always fair, there is so much to be grateful for and if we focus on the good nothing can get in the way. 
I’m going to tell you a little secret: Negotiating inspection items can be a bit tricky.
Shows like Million Dollar Listing have not helped either. I cannot tell you how many times the agent on TV says, “We will just get the seller at inspection”. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
The purpose of the inspection is to reveal items that cannot be seen with the naked eye or issues that only a thorough home inspection would find.
In other words, the giant carpet stain you saw during the showing is not something that should end up on your list of inspection requests.
For the best results stick to health and safety issues.
And remember, it doesn’t hurt to ask for the things that are important to you. The seller cannot “ditch” you because you sent over a list of inspection requests. All they can do is say no.
If you have kept your list to major items that “any reasonable buyer” would find objectionable the seller is probably going to agree with you.
One of my biggest roles in a real estate transaction is helping you through this process whether you are the buyer or the seller.
What are some of your favorite words?
Here are a few of mine: cup, icy, pip, kurfuffel, hippopotamus, effervescent, curlicue & ampersand. I just love the way they sound!
And here are a couple I hate - moist, stench and curdle.
What are a few your faves and not so favorite words?
I really love my job. I know lots of people feel that way but for me there are so many gratifying aspects of real estate.
And testimonials like this are what keep me coming back on the hard days.
If we have worked together in the past just know that I value our relationship and your trust in me. I am forever grateful.
With gratitude.
Low to no inventory.
Yep, that is the current state of affairs in the real estate market. We have way more buyers than we do houses.
So what are buyers looking for?
Well anything at this point because they can’t be picky, but here are the most common things I hear:
At least 3 bedroom
Under $500K
Something that doesn’t need a ton of work
Master bedroom
Second living room
If you are curious about selling and what your home might be worth please reach out. I will listen to your needs and goals and give you sound advice.
You know how you can sometimes learn from someone else’s mistake?
Well here’s an opportunity for you.
I recently heard about a home that sold “off market”. This is a home that is sold privately, no Realtors involved.
Apparently the seller (let’s just call her Jane) did not want to pay real estate commissions so she sold it herself.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this, however, while Jane saved herself the commissions, she cost herself over $200,000 in the purchase price.
Had she called a local Realtor, they would have helped her price her home accordingly, in line with fair market value. Jane ended up selling her home for WAY under market value.
Your home is likely your most valuable asset. Don’t leave it to chance, fate or your best guess. Get some expert and professional advice so you don’t end up like Jane.
“Mom, what’s a little white lie?”
How do kids come up with the toughest questions?
And how do you explain that lying (sometimes) is quasi-okay? Because it really isn’t but we also need to hold our tongues sometimes.
What would you say (or have you said) if a child asked you this question?
Do you believe your eyes?
I read this book once about a world where Earth was too hostile to live outdoors so humans lived in underground silos. Imagine a skyscraper that goes underground and only one story is above ground.
The level you lived on had to do with your educational achievements and what job you did to keep the silo running. More prestigious jobs were closer to the surface. Most of the people went along with this, what other choice did they have?
But one small group of people started to have questions.
The top level was a type of cafeteria that was all windows. You could see the wind swept and toxic landscape from the safety of the silo.
Every so often someone would have to go outside for a safety mission. They would have to suit up in protective gear with their own air supply. Some of them completed their missions, and others ended in tragedy. Their bodies still laying waste in the wasteland.
Okay, here’s the spoiler alert. DO NOT read anymore if you want to enjoy this book someday
Eventually the main character decides she’s ditching this popcorn stand and steals a protective suit and goes outside.
She can see the bodies laying around her and the hostile landscape but in a moment of shear courage (or stupidity) she removes her helmet.
And low and behold, Earth is just as it should be. She finds herself standing in a field of green grass and the sun is shining on her face.
In the distance she can see other silos, just like the one she’s lived in her whole life.
It was all a trick.
What she was seeing out of the cafeteria windows was not reality.
What she was seeing out of the helmet was a video overlay.
She runs over the top of a hill and finds a small group of other humans living as humans should.
So back to the original question.
Do you believe your eyes?
Do you believe your ears?
Do you believe what you are told?
Do you believe what you read, watch or listen to?
Just because someone says it is so, doesn’t mean it is.
Sadly the truth has become much more elusive than that.
You’ve all seen it.
American Idol auditions gone bad.
They are cringe-worth at best. I find myself squirming in my seat, its perplexing, strangely fascinating and downright sad.
The worst part is when the families greet the crestfallen contestant with soothing words of comfort. “Oh, sweetie, those judges don’t know a thing. You are the best signer in the world!”
This is the part that drives me insane.
Why lie to these poor people?
They are terrible singers and NEVER should have auditioned for the show.
Telling someone the cold hard truth is sometimes very hard. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, crush their dreams or seem insensitive.
But your honesty is sometimes the most important thing they need to hear.
A couple of years ago I met with a very nice family who wanted to sell their home and move out of state. The winters were getting tough for them and they were having some health issues.
Selling was a must.
I met them at their house and noticed right away this was going to be a tough property. There was stuff everywhere, inside and out. The house was dirty, dark, and falling apart.
They gave me the grand tour and we sat down to talk. I asked them about their goals and timeline for selling their home. They needed to be out of here by September which only gave us 3 months to sell. They were short on time, money and resources to get their home ready for market.
They looked at me with hope in their eyes and asked what was next.
This was the moment for the cold hard truth.
When I first started in real estate I probably would have tried to gloss things over and ease the blow. “No, its not that bad, buyers can look past your stuff.”
Now I know better.
People hire me for my professional and honest advice. This family had a tight timeframe and a pressing need to leave the area.
So I told them the truth.
That no one would buy their home in its current condition. And because we were dealing with a very tight timeframe they were going to need to price their home much below market value to get it sold quickly.
I said all of these things with tenderness and grace, because I very much care about how my words make people feel.
At the end of our meeting they thanked me for my encouraging words.
What??
I didn’t think I sounded encouraging at all, but then I recognized it was the honesty and a thoughtful game plan that gave them feelings of encouragement.
Sometimes the truth hurts, but I believe if you really care for someone you owe them the truth and nothing but.
You did what?
When I first started in real estate, I was not as experienced as I am now, go figure. And I was not as good as dealing with difficult people.
I had this one seller that got really upset over some inspection items and repairs that were required by the lender. I tried my best to explain that he didn’t have to do the repairs but if he didn’t the buyer would not be able to move forward with the purchase.
In the end the seller took care of the repairs, begrudgingly, but then did something not very nice or smart.
He let all the propane out of the tank before closing.
In February.
Needless to say, the buyers had a couple of very cold nights before they could get more propane delivered.
I understand that sometimes a real estate sale can feel personal. As a buyer or seller you might feel “beat up” by the other side.
I always encourage my clients to look at the big picture and recognize the home selling period is just a small slice in time.
And as time has gone on, my hope is that I can bring calmness and clarity to any situation, no matter the people or situation.
With gratitude.
We orbit the gamut of emotions like the earth orbits the sun.
Sometimes we hardly notice our feelings, they are light hearted and fun or run of the mill and mundane.
But sometimes an emotion, like grief or anger, can grip us. And the orbit becomes tighter and faster, like a dying star being drawn to a black hole. Until we reach the event horizon and there’s no turning back.
A black hole is shaped like a funnel in the fabric of space and time. And the dying star gets sucked into the mouth of the funnel never to be seen again.
But scientists are still not sure what’s on the other side of the black hole. What if there’s peace and redemption on the other side? What if there is light and love?
Think of this - even if the caterpillar could comprehend the transition to butterfly, would she even dare to dream that she would go from belly crawler to flying beauty? And as a side note, the caterpillar turns to actual goo during its miraculous transformation.
So if you find yourself in a season of anger or grief that seems never-ending I urge you to remember the mystery and miracle that surrounds transformation. That hearts that are shattered or hardened can beat again with the life blood of rebirth and forgiveness.
Do you believe?
With gratitude.
Monsters under the bed.
Do you remember? You know that feeling.
The feeling that there REALLY were monsters under your bed.
Fear that would grip you, and the armor of your blanket. And if you just buried your head under your pillow they couldn’t get you.
It’s crazy how real that feels when you are a child.
And then you grow up.
And the fear of monsters UNDER the bed disappears, but the monsters don’t go away.
As adults we just find them other places. In a job loss, a failed relationship or the death of a loved one.
But here’s the beauty in it all.
The imagination of a child is vivid. Just as it conjures up monsters under the bed it can also craft magical lands with unicorns and castles made of cotton candy.
So I take a cue from my girls.
When the monsters start to creep in I send my blessings to battle.
For every set back, I have 10 things to be grateful for.
For every hurt, I have any number of dear friends who will stop whatever they are doing to help.
And for every unexpected turn in the road I know God is always with me.
Watch how Carrie’s local expertise can help you find the perfect Kremmling home!