Recently at a leadership conference I listened to David Horsager. If you haven’t read his book, it is a “must read”! (The Trust Edge). Regularly it is good to be reminded that our success in life depends upon trust. Do others trust us, or do we trust ourselves? (continue reading - Trust and Leadership)

As we rush around at this holiday time it’s easy to forget the fundamentals of living a happy and peaceful life. I found a lot of meaning in this quote:

“Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

I failed to jot down the author’s name. May I claim it? (continue reading - Holiday Peace)

Over the many years as a professional real estate agent my growing list of friends is the biggest prize. A quick phone call, the chance meeting in the grocery store or seeing one another in the mall (trying to get that much needed exercise) brings me a lot of joy. New technology has changed our industry and I intend to “keep up”. Facebook, twitter, all the new avenues of communications will be a special focus in the next few months. (continue reading - Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy my job?)

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be involved with folks that are at their greatest stress levels? Every real estate agent can go into great detail about helping people through tough times. Packing, making tough decisions, maybe adding others issues to the mix, i.e., down sizing, illness, death or divorce–we have seen it all. (continue reading - Real Estate Stress)

While driving around our city (taking pictures for spokanepics.com) I have been excited to see some new development. Financial news hasn’t always given us the warm & fuzzies, so I am pleased to see some progress! (continue reading - Development... could it be?)

Previously I have commented on the condition of homes I had seen recently. Come on sellers….clean ‘em up! What makes you think, Mr. Seller, somebody is going to love your dirt? Enough ranting….let’s talk to buyers. When you, as a buyer, view a property that is less than perfect, try to see the house scrubbed and painted. You might be losing out on a great house when you quickly cross it off the list of possibilities. (continue reading - Observations in a buyer's marketplace.)

Life sometimes catches us off-guard. It’s not unusual for family situations to change suddenly and a move becomes necessary.  So many times I have discussed the need for regular updating to a home.   When it’s time to sell (and there will be that time) the job of preparing for the marketplace is easier, and less costly, if there has been regular maintenance. (continue reading - Be prepared with regular maintenance.)

While it is uncommon for me to quote statistics, this is the question I am continually asked; “how’s the market”. Here is a recent report from the National Association of REALTORS. (continue reading - "How's the market?")

Happenings in a real estate agents life can vary from hiking around vacant land, going in old or new houses, or sitting with clients as they sign documents to purchase their new home. Personal lives get set aside while focusing on the needs of the client. Everyday I do the same thing, but I add another dimension to my role as a REALTOR. My additional focus is to try and find areas where all real estate professionals can improve and then create educational material on that subject. (continue reading - Good advice from dad.)

Some of us are anxious to get out and dig in the garden. Here are a couple of ideas that will make the gardening experience smarter and fun! First, know your space and have a plan. It’s so exciting to head off to the store and pick from a wide variety of flowers and plants. I have come home with the pretty, unique and simply yummy flowers—only to find no place in my yard to plant them. This year, I have a plan before I shop. (continue reading - Get your garden off to a good start.)