Recently, I had one such meeting with Jacqueline Collins, the founder and owner of Partnering for Performance, Business Coaching and Advisory Services.

We met at Panera Bread at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham – by the way, a great place to network.  During our conversation, we discussed her journey (both business and personal), her successes, and how she overcame adversity.

Being entrepreneurial, she started a cleaning company first, sold that, then opened a retail store in Merchants Row Marketplace in Hanover, MA. While working with the retail store, she also started a career in financial services. Thirteen years ago, she founded Partnering for Performance, and in time sold her retail business.

I find Jacqueline to be caring, hard-working, resourceful, and forward-thinking: an entrepreneurial woman who is true to her core values.

What struck me most as she described her journey were her determination and drive.  In a very matter-of-fact way, she mentioned that during part of her journey she was faced with a divorce.  What she then said gave me pause as a Realtor.  She explained that what kept her motivated during that time was her determination to “keep my house”.  She added that her career path was her “roadmap to keeping and maintaining the home I loved.”

How interesting!

The comments and determination of one successful entrepreneur and her attitude towards home ownership reflect the findings of recent public opinion polls.

One survey conducted on January 2-5, 2012 on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders found that “Americans Place High Value on Homeownership.” Key findings:

• 96% of homeowners are happy with their decision to own a home.
• 84% who are ‘underwater’, or who owe more on their mortgages than their home is worth, expressed the same sentiment.
• 78% of respondents said that owning their own home is very important to them.
• 7 out of 10 voters who are not currently home owners said it was their goal to buy a home.

Another survey  conducted in June by New York Times/CBS News found that 89% of respondents said that “homeownership is an important part of the American Dream.”

The American Dream! Home Ownership! The polls measure it! I experience it! So clearly expressed in Jacqueline Collins’s story.  So clearly expressed in my clients’ eyes on “closing day”. Their piece of land; their home; their dreams fulfilled.

For more information, click here or visit www.nahb.org/homeownershippoll.

Here’s where we start … our checklist:

1. Inspect the furnace: Have the furnace cleaned and tuned annually. Schedule an automatic cleaning (we have a standard appointment to have the furnace cleaned every August  – makes it easy). Stock up on filters and change them monthly. Consider switching your thermostat for a programmable one.

2. Check windows and doors: Weather strip around doors. Caulk around windows.

3. Check the fireplace and chimney: Cap or screen the top of the chimney. Have firewood stacked in a dry  place and away from the house. Hire a chimney sweep –  we don’t do this every year, but this year is time for us.

4. Check that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working: Replace batteries as necessary. Have a fire extinguisher on hand – replace if you have one older than 10 years (also a must for us this year).

5. Service weather-specific equipment: (My husband is really good at this.) Drain gas from the lawnmower. Put away summer gardening equipment and furniture. Tune up the snow blower. Have snow shovels, bags of ice-melt, and window scrapers handy.

6. Prevent plumbing freezes: Know where the shut off for the water main is located. Drain the garden hoses. Insulate exposed pipes.

7. Emergency readiness: Have candles and matches/lighter nearby. Store extra water and non-perishable food – canned tuna, nuts and raisins, and chocolates are a few that I like to have on hand. Use surge protectors for computer and electronic equipment.

I can hardly wait for spring – those balmy days have been a tease! But in the meantime, we’re ready for winter!

Throughout the year, I had the pleasure of helping both Buyers and Sellers – each is special, each had specific dreams, each had specific needs, and some had to work through incredible adversity.

As I helped them, it became increasingly clear that there is a common thread in the market place. For the most part, the properties that are on the market are homes that are in a short sale position, are facing foreclosure, are dealing with the issues of a divorce, or have been inherited due to a family member’s passing.

From my recent experience, those who face a short sale are hard-working people who dreamed of home ownership and then found themselves unemployed, were unable to sustain the mortgage payments, and were unable to refinance because the market value of the home had declined. And what is little known in the market place is this: I can speak to those homeowners who took their responsibility seriously and struggled to make payments against all odds for long periods of time before they came to the realization that they could no longer sustain increasing debt.

On the other side of the coin, the market place provided opportunities for the Buyers who were qualified to buy – first-time buyers, investors with cash, and relocating families.

On the supply and demand side of the real estate market, there is very little new construction available, and I sense that there is a growing demand. Those developers and builders who have projects under way or are in the process of readiness are well-poised to capture that market.

From a business perspective, I analyze the real estate market at the end of each year, recognizing that all real estate is “local”. As I review the data provided by MLS-PIN regarding single-family homes sold in Plymouth County, MA and compare the first half of 2011 with the second half, there appear to be several stabilizing trends. Those stabilizing trends include: the number of single-family homes sold increased by 19%; the number of days on the market decreased by 8%; and the average sale price stayed somewhat steady.

While these are indicators of positive trends, real estate is always in flux due to local, economic, and environmental factors that impact it, and it would be foolhardy to predict the future. However, all in all, I anticipate that Buyers will continue to take advantage of low mortgage rates and opportunities that the market provides.

I’m also optimistic that the stabilizing trends in Plymouth County – an increase of the number of homes sold, the decrease in the number of days on the market, and steady pricing – will continue into 2012. Certainly, there will be bumps along the way, but the promising trend for 2012 appears to be “slow and steady”!

This story warmed my heart – here’s the true meaning of Christmas!

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa got some help this year. Anonymous donors paid off strangers’ layaway accounts, buying Christmas gifts other families couldn’t afford.

The benefactors generally asked to help families who were squirreling away toys and children’s clothes. They often paid a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stayed in the store’s system.

“It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year,” said the Kmart V.P. of layaway.

“You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people,” said the assistant manager of one store.

Isn’t it heartening to know that the true spirit of Christmas has infected so many people, despite our difficult economic times?!

Click here for the full story.

Developed by Pricegrabber.com, a leading website for online comparison shopping, these apps allow you to scan barcodes, compare products, read reviews, and create a “favorites list” all from the palm of your hand.

SnapTell  (for iPhone and Android)

ShopSavvy (for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry)

“We can always go down, but we can’t go up.”

Have you ever heard or said that?

Most experts would advise that the best way to increase your odds of a successful sale is to price your home at fair market value. But for many sellers, it’s still tempting to tack a few percentage points onto the price to “leave room to negotiate”.

Here are some tips on how to avoid common overpricing mistakes by staying away from the seven deadly sins of overpricing:

1. Appraisal Problems

If your home won’t appraise for the purchase price, the sale will likely fail.

2. No Showings

If your home is overpriced, today’s sophisticated home buyers won’t bother looking at it, let alone make you an offer.

3. Branding Problems

If your home is branded as “overpriced”, reigniting interest may take drastic measures.

4. Selling the Competition

Overpricing helps your competition by making their lower prices seem like bargains.

5. Stagnation

The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stigmatized or stale.

6. Tougher Negotiations

Buyers who do view your home may negotiate harder because the home has been on the market for a longer period of time and because it is overpriced compared to the competition.

7. Lost Opportunities

You will lose a percentage of buyers who are looking in the price range that the home will eventually sell for but don’t see the home because the price is currently above their pre-set budget.

Click here to read the original article on Trulia.com.

Expanding the Spaces a Family Really Uses, More Practical Doesn’t Have to Mean Smaller

A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed the imprint our ailing economy is having on home design.

Just as the housing boom stamped a distinctive “McMansion” style on neighborhoods, tougher recent years are causing a shift to more practical features in new construction and remodeling, rather than the aspirational.

Rather than formal living and dining rooms, two-story foyers, and second staircases, families are opting for more space for shoes and sports equipment, schoolwork and textbooks, wrapping paper, and scrapbooking supplies – and in some cases, even an elevator shaft for grandparents.

Here are some of the fading features, and the new designs that are replacing them:

THEN: Grand Foyers
NOW: ‘Drop Zones’

Today, double-story entrance foyers with cathedral ceilings are seen as a waste of space and energy-efficient. Instead, a so-called drop zone is becoming popular. Bigger versions of mud rooms, these are places to unload clutter before it’s deposited throughout the house. They are often built into hall closets or basement walls, and can feature baskets for mail, hooks for backpacks and coats, and storage for shoes and winter wear.

THEN: Formal Living Rooms
NOW: Open Family Rooms

These days, there’s no need for the separate great room, a cavernous bonus room for the piano or wicker furniture. Home owners are comfortable with having their great room serve three functions: kitchen, family room, and dining area. They separate spaces more with furniture than with walls.

THEN: Second Staircase
NOW: Room for Elevator

In the past, a spiral staircase out front with a secondary staircase off the family room or kitchen was common. But as more homeowners plan to grow old in their homes, they’re realizing they won’t want to climb stairs as they age. So they’re asking builders to put a bathroom and full bath on the ground floor, or in some cases, install an elevator shaft.

THEN: Dad’s Office
NOW: ‘Lifestyle Center’

Mobile technology allows work to be done all over the house nowadays.  Many homeowners are opting for a ‘lifestyle center’ – a multifunctional room off the kitchen where parents can work from home, students can print school assignments, and family members can do crafts and wrap presents.

THEN: Soaker Tubs
NOW: Steam Showers

Jacuzzis are becoming a thing of the past, as they were rarely used according to many. Instead, bigger shower stalls are being installed, allowing men and women to shave comfortably and steam their pores. Lights and music can be added. If people still want tubs, they are going for the gentler hydrotherapy bubblers rather than strong water jets, or are installing tubs with walls that can be lowered, allowing elderly bathers to easily enter and exit.

THEN: Breakfast Nook
NOW: Outdoor Living Space 

As the kitchen has opened up into a dining area, there’s less of a need for a separate small table just for breakfast. Instead, builders are installing sliding glass doors at the back of homes to extend the living space from indoors to outdoors. Patios and fire pits out back can make the home seem bigger.

Click here for the full article.

A mortgage is often the largest debt that one undertakes and as a result, many homeowners look to pay it off as soon as they can. In addition to reducing overall debt, paying off your mortgage early enables you to purchase a second home or investment property. Try one of these strategies to reduce your mortgage principal:

• Make bi-weekly mortgage payments

• Increase your mortgage payment

• Make additional payments

• Refinance with a shorter-term mortgage