OOOpppps... a new blog spot.

I've started blogging at a new site. Check me out at www.FairOaksHomesAndMore.com. I discovered I can't use "Realtor" in my web address. Bummer. (Or if they throw me in the slammer over improper usage, you can visit me there...)

How I learned to... "Leap and the Net Will Appear"

As a realtor we are faced with new situations all the time.  A new area, a challenging personality, new software, an "unsurmountable" escrow problem.  While it may seem impossible to deal with some of these challenges, I've come to know you have to just take it one step at a time and trust you will figure it out as you go.  I've learned to "leap and the net will appear".  Just do it!

So how did I learn this?

I started dreaming when my youngest was a high school sophomore, about making a video for her class, and trying to capture some, a lot, most, nearly all... all 250 kids in her class. Criminy, how do I do that?

I just started videoing, not knowing how to do it, but believing I would figure it out. I knew how to point a camera, knew how to do basic editing (I had done 2 other water polo season videos), and knew how to make a cool DVD. But this was HUGE. I decided to take it one step at a time, and make progress, but not expect perfection.

I started showing up with my camera... water polo, football, baseball, hallways at lunch, rallies, homecoming hall decorating, interviews with the kids. It was so fun. For 3 years... a few probably thought I was stalking them.
Two months before graduation, I started editing. In between escrows, signings, showing homes, marketing, cleaning house, cooking, sleeping. Actually, my husband did all the cooking and cleaning so I could edit... edit....edit. Oops, not enough computer memory... buy more. Crud, what's with the sluggish playback... call help line. Why doesn't this transition work?... swear for two days and don't sleep. OOHHH... I figured it out. Wait, I forgot two seniors from softball... run to a game in the rain.

The night I processed the final version (it takes all night) it all appeared to crash. Help line to Sally.. "You have an irreparable bug. You'll just have to start over." Sally to help line... "@%^*$#*$*(#&$*#... no freakin way!!!". 3 years of my life down the drain. But I wouldn't accept that. I looked at it from outside the box. I WILL figure it out. "Maybe this is it". Another night of processing. 3 am. I'm at the pute checking it. I play it back. IT WORKS!!!!! I do a little victory dance and scream in my head to the video gods.

My daughter softly calls to me from the dark. She is also awake, knowing what's at stake. I snuggle into her bed, dissolving into tears at the relief that the biggest technical endeavor of my life turned out. She holds me, our long legs wrapped around each others, entwined in such loving intimacy. We lay there until dawn, chatting... expounding on "going for it", marveling at technology, gossiping about kids in her class, talking about the future... about life. I knew it was a moment that would stay with me til my dying breath. So precious, so amazing, so in the moment. Her loving what I had done for her, and for all the kids of her class.

I went in to work that morning wrung out from crying and the tension release. On my chair was a hand-written note from my daughter...

"Momma... while it may at times seem like nobody appreciates the countless hours you've spent working on this video, what you have created for my class is something that will touch many kids.

"The impact you and Dad have had on the students at Del Campo is too great to measure. While it may seem that some of the sacrifices are in vain, remember the kids you two have been second parents to, the friends of ours that look to you for advice, those you have cared for. The girls Dad baked cookies for, bought Sierra Shootout T-shirts for, the girls he taught to have confidence. By sending out emails to organize homecoming halls you gave some kids the first homemade cookies they had had in years.

"In the same way, this video will give the students whose parents never owned a video camera the first glimpse of them playing a sport, or the only picture they have of their lunchtime group. This video will give the seniors something to look back on. And more importantly, proof that someone other than their parents cares and is willing to make sacrifices for them. I am so fortunate to be your daughter and a part of your life. I love you both."

More tears.

Grad night came around. Bowling, blackjack, video karaoke, sticker tattoos... a long night of fun. At 2 am the kids assembled for a movie, not knowing what to expect, most not wanting to take time out from their fun. The video rolled. Dead silence. More dead silence. Jaws agape. No movement. No blinking. Sweetness is background music to a section. "Whooo--oo-oo--ooo......" all in unison. They are mesmerized. Entranced. Stunned. For 59 minutes.

It was all worth it.

Weeks later, I was in a gift shop. On the wall was a plaque... "Leap and the net will appear". That was it! That was what I had done! I had leap off the cliff, not knowing whether I could pull it off, but knowing that putting one edit in front of the next, one song choice laid down at a time, one transition before the next one was how to do it. Solve each problem as it came along. I believed I could do it if I made daily progress, even though it seemed impossible at times.

And the net did appear. I figured it all out.



Flickr photo by eidur k

How I Learned... "The Devil is in the Details", and ended a lifetime of migraines without meds.

Being a realtor takes an incredible amount of energy.  Your days are long, and it is demanding to deal with the fires we put out, and the changing issues we deal with.  Try doing it with a migraine!

I've had migraines since I was tiny... at least 5. Two to 3 a week. When I didn't have a migraine, I felt crappy - tight shoulders, tight neck, throbbing base of my neck. Generally like I wanted to lie on the couch all day, but I didn't. Yet I was so happy to not have a migraine, I paid no attention.

Never dawned on me it might be something I was eating. But I've discovered 13 nondescript, bizarre little stealth bombers that are the culprits. Things like guar gum, red wine vinegar (not balsamic, thank god), and whey. Pesky little details... Go figure.

How did I do it? I read a book called Eat Right for Your Type, about what foods conflict with the 4 blood types. Sounds pretty hocus pocus, if you ask me. But I liked the things on my "good for you" list (meat, veggies, fruits, no dairy, no wheat, no spuds... I'm an "O"). I could handle it. I went cold turkey, reading every label thoroughly, and making lists of ingredients that didn't bother me, and those that did. It took 2 years.

I had figured out on my own that whey gave me migraines (and eating betaine enzymes helped with that), but not the other stuff. I started noticing I was feeling pretty good... consistently. Like.. a normal neck and loose shoulders. Like... great! Dang, I liked it! I didn't know people could feel this way. WooHoo, I can tackle the world. I'm raring to go!

First I noticed guar gum.. WHAT IN THE HECK'S THAT!. Then, capers... pffffuuhh... I love capers. Then sunflower oil, red wine vinegar, all cheeses except mozarella, feta and farmer's (yeah, so pizza's mostly out), and arabic gum, for crying out loud. Who ever heard of that? But my blood had, and they were mortal enemies. My blood went into attack mode, bringing out the heavy artillery to fight off the invaders, wreaking havoc in my brain.

So how did it take me 57 years to figure this out? I honestly never had a clue it was what I ate. From the time I was little, they poked, prodded, hooked me up to needles, you name it. "Oh, your daughter has a mild brain anomaly,... a short circuit, so to speak. Let's put her on phenobarbital, see if that helps." I was 10.

Other drugs and mumbo jumbo came and went, all to no avail. It was still 2 - 3 a week. There was no test that gave a definitive answer. Fortunately Imitrex came along a relieved the migraines, but nothing stopped the funky feeling. The sad part is how I would never commit myself to anything where I would need to be counted on, because I didn't know how I would feel. I'm amazed I tackled college, but remember sitting through finals on the verge of puking, and dropping my grade a whole notch in a class I adored and should have aced.

Today? I'm Queen of the World!!!!! I feel great! (cept when one of those pesky little details slips into my food). I have so much energy, I'm exhilarated, and so charged up I can barely stand it! The down side?... I'm a real hit at dinner parties - I don't eat it if I can't read it. Otherwise I pay the price for 1-1/2 days. And going out to eat is no fun any more. Small price to pay, however, for finally finding bliss.

Woo Hoo..... Big time!

flickr photo by joana roja-left hand/arm & migraine chick

Kids these days... They're AWESOME!

"What's this world coming to... kids today don't want to work, they want it handed to them."

Every generation says that... clear back to Plato's time. I bet the cave man said it too, as his cave boy "texted" his pals with smoke signals.

But the attitude is idiotic. And here's a case in point.

Every year Fair Oaks has a number of community service events, like an Easter Egg Roll, a Christmas Party, Senior Luau, Mother/Son Dance, Father/Daughter Dance, the famous Chicken Festival and others. And who puts the shindigs on?... a group of 24 teens from Del Campo and Bella Vista High Schools, called the Fair Oaks Youth Advisory Board (FOYAB). They work all year, for no pay, to benefit our community. How cool is that... these kids are my heros!

Zoom back to '04/'05 when my daughter, Christy, was the President of FOYAB. I attended their Share the Spirit Christmas party for about 50 disadvantaged families. They hosted a huge turkey dinner, crafts, games, a raffle with a gazillion prizes, and a visit with Santa with many presents hand-selected for each child. I helped one Mom load her raffle prize - a fully decorated Christmas tree - into her car... "I'm so grateful. I didn't think my kids would have a tree this year. It's been rough."

But thanks to those 24 Fair Oaks teens who worked their tails off, these 50 families had a Christmas. And they each went home with enough food to feed an army... turkey, dressing, canned goods, ham... wow! All donated and cooked by the kids. Don't tell me they're lazy...

"them's fightin' words!"

Trust me, we will be in good hands with these kids at the helm.

Hell Yeah!... Sally's Foreclosure Song... YEOWWW!

Times are tough... people are losing their jobs, their credit scores and their homes to foreclosure. But this guy gets even. (This is not a typical Wednesday office meeting for Lyon Real Estate, Fair Oaks office, but we do have fun! YEOWWWWWWW!!!!) (And thanks Montgomery Gentry, for not suing me for butchering the great tune of your song, with my cheap rendition!)

So seriously... this was for a talent show, which was a fundraiser for the Salvation Army. Lyon Fair Oaks has been the top money contributer to the Sacramento Association of Realtor (SAR) CanTree, raising over $160K for the needy at Christmas time. This talent show, hosted by the Hostess Honeys (Marg Graf, Patti Nelson, Lyn Gras, Kathy Chigbrow and Mary London, all of Lyon Real Estate), raised over $2,000 in one night of fun, frolick.... and embarassment for some.

This is the song I wrote fpr the talent show, but this version turned out a little better than my live version... so here you have it. File this under: Work Hard, Play Hard.... or Life is Either a Daring Adventure or it's Nothing.... Hell Yeah!

Get Out of the Rabbit Hole, Before it Becomes a Sinkhole!

It was Valentines morning. I had just read two articles in the Sacramento Bee. One about a woman, employed a few months ago, who was just "evicted" from her car for failure to pay registration fees - it had become her only home after she couldn't pay for her rental. She's now homeless.


The second, about a family who moved to Boise after a job loss, hoping to scrape together the money to buy an old RV or trailer to live in, as they couldn't make ends meet. They were hoping to find an affordable trailor park.


I got depressed.... On Valentines morning, as my sweetie was frying up the spuds for a wonderful breakfast.

As my mind went down the rabbit hole of doom and gloom and "the end is near" thoughts, I fa
st forwarded to our losing our house when the entire economy collapses, that I never have another buyer again because they will all be living in Boise in a Happy Trails RV Camp. Life is over... the subprime snafu..... Blah, blah, blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... .Oh My God, STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........


I suddenly swerved to miss this mental pothole, which was beginning to look like a sinkhole.
Then I remembered.... I've got.....


Buyer "A" is biting at the bit to find a home for him and his sweetie - to get out of their cramped apartment. He has saved up over $30K to be ready for this... living at home with Mom and Dad.


Buyer "B" has a giant down payment ready, and is proposing to his sweetie today, then prepared to offer on one of 4 perfect homes we've found, once his soon-to-be-betrothed picks her favorite. His company has a huge pool of money available for employees to get home loans from.... They're pretty strong.


Buyer "C" can't wait to find his perfect home, with room for his 2 RV's, room for his live-in daughter and two kids, and a master downstairs - They are pre-approved and SOOO ready to go. We just need to find the home.


Seller "A" is relocating to So Cal in a few months, and counting on me to sell her home.
Seller "B" has moved to Arizona, and waiting for me to sell their home after the rehab is finished (It almost is)


GET TO WORK, YOU BOZO........


OK.... I'm back to happy land. I've quit licking my wounds about how miserable this economy is. It is what it is. Life goes on. This too shall pass. I can focus on the desperate situations out there (and there's a lot of them), or on the job to be done to help my clients. For the 10% (or whatever) of homes facing foreclosure, 90% are not. (I don't have the patience right now to look up the accurate stats, so just get the point!) For the huge number of homes upside down... the rest are not. Of the 70% of Americans thinking about the interest rate on their home loans, 30% don't even have loans! For every seller losing their home in foreclosure, there's a buyer getting a great deal on a first time purchase or an investment. It's all dependent on which side you focus on.

Every day we choose whether to be productive or whether to get sucked into negativity. Every minute we choose to go down the gloomy rabbit hole of "It's so awful", or HOP up into the sunshine of the positive.

I do peak into that gloomy rabbit hole periodically, but only enough to know I don't want to set up house there. I have buyers to help, sellers to help, homes to go find, statistics to analyse, classes to attend, systems to perfect. Hell, I've even got a song to finish writing for a talent show.

Life IS good... and sometime it's not..... but mostly it IS!

Should you inspect new construction?... HECK YEAH!

It's tempting to save $400 - $1000 when you buy a brand new home by forgoing an independent inspection.  "Heck, it's brand new... what could be wrong?"... Right?... Wrong!!!

A few years ago I sold a 2 million home in Los Lagos, Granite Bay.  Simply beautiful... and built by a well known, outstanding builder.  He was somewhat offended when I had my buyer pay for an independent inspection, but I explained the inspector would be the eyes for all of us, to prevent problems for all of us in the future.

Was it worth it?.. spending $750 (in this case) to inspect something the building department had already approved?  Well.... the beautiful custom box beam ceiling had a fire sprinkler system installed overhead.  However no one had finished connecting the pipes!  A disastrous water leak all over the custom box beam ceiling was just waiting to happen.

The builder thanked me!  Imagine the hassle, inconvenience and potential litigation had the pipes leaked after the buyer moved in.

So, yes... an inspection of  new construction is a good idea before you purchase.  Just think of it as cheap insurance!

Flickr photo by Scott Hargis

Prep Your Home for Sale - Position Your Furniture

You probably have your couch and Lazy boy positioned perfectly to see your flat screen TV, don't you? Yep, we all do! But that may not be the most inviting position for them if you plan to sell your home. "Why not?" you might ask.

Because you want your home to LOOK GOOD when you sell it, which is not the same as WORKING WELL. Sound wierd? Watch the following video... you'll see what I mean.

If you are thinking of selling your home, consider your furniture placement to maximize your home's friendliness, openess and attractiveness.

Don't know how? Call me... I've Got People!

Does Your Lender make a Difference?

When a new buyer chooses a lender, what is their choice based on? Interest rate?, the trust of a referral?, who has the prettiest sign? Often it’s who seems to have the cheapest interest rate. What a mistake!

Consider Captain Sulley. He looked like everyone else who flew. He always landed those planes, so it’s hard to say how good he was. But when disaster hit, he was able to pull off the miraculous, and land a giant engineless jet in the cold frigid waters of the Hudson River. He used his years and years of experience, training, drills, and lessons learned from the inevitable mishaps he must have faced before to pull it off.

Your lender is the same. They all seem comparable… until disaster strikes. And when it does, you want experience on your side. A few months ago I sold a home in a great neighborhood of Citrus Heights, located 1/4 mile from a very seedy street (one of our areas worst). Any local appraiser would have understood to not use comps from the seedy street, as it was insulated from my buyer’s home by geographical factors. But as the crow flies, it’s another story. Our appraisal came in fine… actually above our price. It was the desk review that shot us down. It came in $60K low! Why, because the out-of-area underwriter used a zillow-like process to estimate the value… which included sales within a bull-eye radius. And that meant our seedy street became our comparable.

But my lender has been doing this for over 30 years, and understands the ins and outs of lending like the back of her hand. She whipped into action, and got the loan through. Did she use magic?, coercion?, bribery?... no. She used her experience to know which of the many paths to take to make it work. she could have gone a number of different directions, but she knew exactly the turns to make at each fork in the road, as she led our transaction down the path to a closed escrow.

So don't just pick the lender with the cheapest quote. It could mean the difference between getting your home or not. Always go with experience. Don't know who to call?
CALL ME... I GOT PEOPLE!

flickr Photo by mpflies2

Prep Your Home for Sale - Closets and Shelves

DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR... EVERYTHING MIGHT AVALANCHE OUT! If that's your home... listen up. When you sell your home, you're darn tootin the buyer is going to look in every closet. Afterall, that will be their future storage!

So take a look and see what you should do to make your closets presentable....

To get your closets and the rest of your home ready to sell, call me. I'm brutal when it comes to throwing out YOUR things! Seriously - you will thank me when the buyer makes their offer.

I've sold hundreds of homes where the seller took my advice and prepped it for sale. Let's make you the next one!

Prep Your Home for Sale - Your Bathrooms

Let's take a little stroll into your bathroom and check it out. Sound a little too personal? Well just imagine the buyers who are checking out your bathroom, to decide whether to buy it or not. They don't want to be in there with you OR your personal things... they don't even want to NOTICE you in there, or they get uncomfortable.

Check out the following video and think about how your bathroom looks from the buyers eyes.

Give me a call and let's whip the rest of your home into shape for your buyer. It's money in your pocket, so take the time now.

Prep Your Home for Sale - Personal Belongings

What does "Yo Mama" have to do with preparing your home for sale? Plenty. Take a look at the following video to find out what!




So check out your home from the eyes of a buyer. Do you have a montage of photos on your hallway that will trap the buyer's attention? Get rid of it. And your Mama's wedding picture.... out it goes. At least until you are in your new home and can safely put out all your relatives again... NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE!

Not sure what else to do... I'll help you. Give me a call. We'll get your home looking ship-shape!

A Duplex vs a Halfplex, what's the diff?

Halfplex... duplex... they both look the same. But there is a difference. It starts with the dirt. When you own a piece of land, it has a parcel number. Typically each home has it's own parcel number, which is it's lot.

A Duplex... has one parcel number.... it is one whole "home", and can only be sold as one unit. So if you bought a duplex, you would get the other half along for the ride! The same owner owns the whole thing... always. There might be only one water meter, or one electrical meter, depending on how it was built.

A halfplex... looks like a duplex, but it has 2 parcel numbers.... it's actually 2 separate lots. So there are two different owners, or one owner might own them both. But the key is, that one side can be sold to someone else. Each side has it's own utilities (water meter, electrical meter etc.).

A duplex costs more (like twice as much) because you are getting twice as much. You control the entire unit and control the maintenance as well. So if one side needs a new roof, you make the decision to roof the entire thing. And when you paint, it ALL gets painted.

With a halfplex, if you need to re-roof, you may or may not get the other side's owner to re-roof at the same time. Or what if you want to paint a certain color? The other half may not agree. I've seen halfplexes where each side has a different roof type, and different, and contrasting, paint color schemes. It can get clown-like.

Why do people buy halfplexes?... because they can get into them cheaper (close to half the cost of the entire duplex). They get the feeling of a home, usually with their own yard, but for less money than they would pay for a separate house.

Still confused - let's just go buy one and you'll find out in a hurry what the difference is!

flickr photo by battling apathy

A Walk on the American River, at Fair Oaks

Sacramento Bar is the area just West of the Sunrise Bridge in Fair Oaks, filled with acres and acres of rock cobble left over from gold mining that ended in the 60's. It's one of my favorite places to walk, right near my home in Fair Oaks. You're in the middle of town, yet within minutes, you are deep in nature. Join me as we stroll the American River at Sacramento Bar on a recent winter Saturday...



And just for the record, Lewis and Clark DID NOT raft this river... I just imagine that I'm back in time to when they COULD have.

Prep Your Home for Sale - Put Away Photos!

Your home looks great doesn't it? Friends come to visit and just love seeing your Little League team pictures, your expensive wedding portrait, and your historical gallery of your great-grandparents. It tells them all about who you are. And they love it.

But buyers could care less! They aren't buying YOU, they want to buy YOUR HOME! Do you really want them to walk through your home like this.... "How many kids do you think they have... didn't you go to school with her?... what do you think they do? EWWWW, what an ugly man this is - I'ld die if I had an uncle with a schnoz like that?"

Think they don't talk like that? Get real! they totally judge and evaluate everything you present them about your life..... so GET RID OF IT BEFORE THEY HAVE A CHANCE!

Watch this video, then contact me.... we'll do what it takes to get your home "SHOW READY".

Walk Through Wackiness...A Hershey Hotstreak

"If the chocolate sauce won't squirt, try this..", said Ryan (FNTPTS - fake name to protect the stupid). With that, he held the bottle and spun his arm like a propeller, in giant circles... the pressure of the chocolate sauce building.

It worked the last time he tried it with ketsup. It squeezed right up to the neck of the bottle, and BINGO.. his hot dog was adorned. No muss, no fuss. Easy peazy....

...but not this time. It was the night before my buyer's final walk-through. The new carpet was spotless, and the stiple texture of the acoustic ceiling was pristine.

The black goo had settled into the bottle for way too long. With a few more rotations, it was sure to break free. Then SPLOOOOOOOSH! The chocolate stream gave way in an impressive explosion. A solid brown stripe was implanted in an orbital pattern from ceiling - to wall- to floor - to ceiling again. A Hershey Hotstreak. And the buyers were coming tomorrow. So much for the pristine acoustic ceiling.

The sellers frantically went into action ... detailing the ceiling, shampooing the carpet, and sweeping out the doghouse where Ryan would spend the next few nights! Miraculously by walk-through time the next day you couldn't tell. You honestly couldn't! We closed escrow a few days later. No worse for wear and tear, to quote Mick and the boys.

Funny thing, however. Just a few months ago the buyers called me to help them buy a rental. I couldn't help but ask, "Ruby.... Have you ever had any problems in your family room with spots or anything?" Then I told her the story. "Ah... that does explain the single drop of brown "paint" we found on the ceiling one time - but couldn't figure out where it came from.... Figured it must have been a heck of a party once."

A Full Day of Motivation...

Yesterday I went to the all-day "Get Motivated" Seminar at ARCO Arena - the one with Colin Powell, Rudy Guliani, Michael Phelps, Steve Phelps, Zig Ziglar and more. It was awesome. People are feeling so down these days, I wanted to share some of the highlights for me.

Steve Forbes - "The world can only end once, and this isn't it". While this is a time of pain and loss for many, it is a time of great opportunity for others. Focus on the opportunity. During this time we will see small players rise to be the big players. Who had ever heard of Oracle, Apple and Microsoft before they became big? Those who sit and lick their wounds are going to miss the great opportunities that are out there.


Forbes also said to quit reading the negative news, because we then believe that's all there is. There are tremendous innovations coming, yet we don't read about them. He mentioned a bundle of fibers inserted in a straw, that has the power to sanitize filthy water by the time it reaches the lips. Life-changing for a 3rd-world country! There's good stuff out there. Let's focus on that.

Colin Powell -What a guy. Very funny... and loose. Whodathunkit? He says there is an emptiness after coming down from such a lofty position as Secretary of State ... so he bought a Corvette. It worked! Seriously, he says he leads his life looking through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror. And though he has met with all the world leaders and had a 747 at his disposal, he focuses on what's to come, not what he used to be. And he listens to his wife!


Zig Ziglar was the emotional hot button for the day. He got a head injury in a fall 2 years ago, and now has short term memory loss and vertigo. But that man has a smile permanently etched into his 82 year old face that lights up a room. With his daughter lovingly guiding him back to the story at hand, and away from his 3rd repetition of others, Zig spoke of how doing the right thing is always what has worked in his life. And how the way to have success is to help other people get what they want. He talked about how money will buy you a house, but not a home... a bed, but not a good night's sleep... a companion, but not a friend. He showed us his "Wall of Gratitude", with photos of those who have inspired and helped him along the way. While it was sad to see his decline, it inspired me to see an 82 year old icon still giving, and sharing his wonderful attitude. And still cracking jokes. When his daughter stopped him as he ramped up into his 2nd rendition of a story, he'ld crack "but there were 3 people in the 2nd row that were sleeping. They need to hear it again."

Rudy Guliani - Spoke about leadership. And he reflected on not letting failure get you down, because it is inevitable. "Leadership is about managing failure". In these times, with so many people being forced to let go of their dreams, this seemed poignant.

And fear? Who isn't facing fear right now... if not for themselves, for someone they love? "If you are not afraid, you should be in therapy", he said. "But use the fear to guide you to minimize your failure." Well said. Build up your preparedness for what you fear. Use it to motivate you, not paralyze you.

Guiliani also spoke of 4 hours of preparation for every hour of performance, so you are equipped to adjust to unexpected events. 911 was not specifically prepared for. But each of the emergency responses he ordered came from a portion of a preparedness plan they had in place for a different disaster. He was an awesome speaker.

And the highlight of the day?... Michael Phelps. My friend pulled her 10 year old swimmer daughter out of school for the day. She wanted to see her hero enough to sit through Rudy, Steve, Zig, Colin and other speakers on finances, the stock market etc. Not fodder for a 10 year old, believe me. But she finagled a front-row seat for Michael, wide eyed and full of hope. Michael spoke of how he trained every day for 5 years without a single day off. How he had wanted this forever, and how the nay-saying articles just became the backdrop in his locker that inspired him daily to do what "couldn't be done". He acknowledged making mistakes along the way, but that he has learned from each one. It was clear he is not one to let adversity stop him. He spoke of the race when his goggles filled with water, so he improvised by counting the strokes he had done a bazillion times. He knew where the end was. And he won gold. It was clear he has the attitude of a champion to take what comes (whether self-inflicted or imposed by fate) and make adjustments to what is. He proved Rudy right... 4 hours (or 4,000 in his case) of preparation will give you the knowledge to make adjustments when disaster hits.

It was an inspiring day... so pertinent to our life. In Sacramento, and the rest of the country, people are losing their homes, losing their jobs, making sacrifices. But, keep looking ahead, and face your fears. Shore yourself up to avoid catastrophe when that which you fear happens. And keep practicing and getting better, so you can shift and make adjustments when the unexpected happens.

Flickr photos by Photograham, xDaniel, GTM Photography, Parker Young Photography, xtrapopp, and Marcopako

One of My Favorite Sales.... Lemon Street, Fair Oaks

This gorgeous home on Lemon Street in Fair Oaks has been in and out of my life many times. The first time I sold it, was for the family that built it. I was so moved by the stories of their life there. Like the Easter egg hunts in the garden... the slip and slide parties down the hill side... the bonfires in the pasture... and prom night dinners in the gazebo.

It was built to house their gigantic family, with amazing thought to detail. Like the deep closet by the garage door, so sports paraphernalia didn't turn into household decoration. And the 7 cubbies lined up just beyond the pantry, so backpacks would have a home somewhere other than, well, everywhere. This was built as a HOME, not for speculation.

I remember sitting in the living room during one open house, a quiet lull in buyer traffic. I absorbed just being there. What struck me the most were the little love notes tacked to the quiltplanning board... sentimental tokens of love for a wonderful Mom. And her quilts decorating the hallways... made with painstaking detail, as these same loving kids looked on. There was a couch set up in the bay window of her quilting room, the favored spot for Dad to enjoy his morning coffee & paper... while she quilted.

It struck me how much love and family life that home had seen, and I have to say it overwhelmed me for that moment. With teary eyes I wrote them a note about it, impressed with the commitment they had made to family. I was careful to point out that I was not an obsessed stalker, but just someone who appreciated and GOT the wonderful family they had created!

I sold the home eventually, happy they would be moving on with their plans, but sad to loose my involvement. It wasn't my buyer, so Lemon Street was gone from my life.

But funny how things turn out. After a number of years, I got a wonderful phone call from the current owners, to help them sell the home. One of my favorite homes was back in my life again!

It was really like a homecoming for me, like meeting up with an old friend. And quilting is still a part of it, as the home on Lemon Street becomes one of the threads that weaves the fabric of my career. It has added to the texture.... to the patchwork of experiences that makes up my career.
...and I still love the home......

Flickr photo by karen