2013 was a great year!

2013 will definitely be a memorable year for me. There were highs and lows of course, but resulting in an overall amazing year! Here are my top 3 highlights:

1. As a Realtor, it was my best financial, educational and sales year. The year began with me moving real estate companies. It's a stressful and time consuming task when switching your entire business, but it was an important move and I'm glad I made the change.
Sales in the area started out slow, but once March came I was busy listing and selling homes throughout the 5 counties!
My increased sales volume inevitably resulted in many learning experiences. Our area saw bidding wars, appraisal issues and very low inventory. Having started my real estate career in the housing downturn, some issues came up that I had never encountered before. I also had my first foreclosure and short sale transactions. Yikes!

I learned a lot over the last 12 months that will help me succeed for years to come.

2. As of the first week in January 2014, I will have no family in Pennsylvania. It still has not completely sunk in yet...
In the fall, my parents moved out to Denver Colorado area to serve a 23 month church mission. We sold their home in the Summer and they headed west in October. It was sad to see them leave, but I know they are doing something they've planned and wished to do for years. I'm very excited for them!
My sister Linda and her husband Toby are headed out west too. They took a job opportunity in Los Angeles, CA and are moving this week! Them not being in PA hasn't completely set in... We had a going away party on the 28th which definitely made me realize they are leaving. I'm truly sad to see them go.

The fact that my 3 other siblings and their families have always lived far away makes this change a little easier to handle. Although, I've always lived with or close to Linda my whole life, so it will be an adjustment!
Even though I do not have my parents or siblings near by, I have my husband-- which leads me into my third memorable event for the year.

3. The most amazing part of my year was getting married to the most wonderful man on August 10th! I can't wait to grow old with him and have many holiday memories as a family!
Our wedding brought his family from South Africa and New Zealand to the states as well as my 3 other siblings, nieces and nephews. We spent about 2 weeks in August with the families here in the Philadelphia area. In addition to our wedding at the Kimberton Inn, we went to Knoebels amusement park, Ocean City, downtown Philadelphia- all over.

 It was so wonderful to see everyone in one place- we realize it will not happen often. 

We are truly blessed to have them in our lives, near or far. 

Discover your "Big Why"

Whenever I'm having a rough day, I ask myself "why do I do this?"
Being a Realtor isn't always exciting- there are a lot of late nights, weekends and impromptu meetings- so at times I need to reflect on why I do what I do.

My broker office recommends discovering your "Big Why." This can really pertain to any profession or goal you have. Think about why you do what you do- what makes you wake up in the morning and go to work?
A personal example is; I want to have control of my schedule to visit my immediate family that live far away.

I started my real estate journey in 2006 with my first "real" job after college. I worked at a title insurance company handling settlements and sensitive documents. I didn't particularly like the job, mostly because there was not a definite starting and ending time and I like to have some sort of schedule. But there was some positive-I learned so much about the transfer of real estate and started to grow out of my shy shell.
I then transitioned to new construction home sales. My office was a model home and I got to help so many people obtain their dream home. I really enjoyed it, but to be honest I hated sitting 8 hours in the living room decorated office anticipating clients to come in.
In 2010 I lost that job due to builder bankruptcy and restructuring. I was young & scared which actually resulted in the ideal time (mentally) to transition into the residential real estate market. I was eager to learn, grow and genuinely help people purchase ANY home out there- not just the new construction community I previously sold.
The last 3 years have been a roller coaster. Starting a new career in an unstable industry is not easy, but it's been a good ride.

Early on I had to determine my BIG WHY to keep me motivated. It's important to have a clear vision of your goal and dreams so you can achieve them. 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to discover your Why:
- Why did I go into business to begin with?
- Why do I want to grow the business and increase my personal income?
- Why do I want to improve my health?
- Why is all this so important to me?

Home Inspection

A few days ago I had a post on my business Facebook.com page stating in a recent homebuyer survey, 77% of buyers had an inspection prior to closing on their home.

I'm a huge advocate of an inspection and having an inspection contingency in offers and agreements. It's not only a good way to find any defects, but it's an education about the property and how to maintain things. Whether you're a first time buyer or have purchased before, every home is different so getting a professional to walk you through the home is well worth the money!

**Click the link below for the full article and survey results.
www.parjustlisted.com

**For more tips and information about the home inspection process read this:
http://www.kellykneeland.com/marketinglinks/C835F259

Celebrating the Holidays in Philadelphia

I love the holiday season for so many reasons! Giving presents, Holiday lights, parties, sweet treats, volunteering, I could go on and on! However, I often feel overwhelmed by all of the things to do!
VisitPhilly.com  is helping us (me) out! They put together a great "To Do" holiday list for this year.

Whether looking for the best shopping, family fun or light show, they have the information listed on their site. Take a look and make your plans!

http://www.visitphilly.com/holidays-in-philadelphia/?utm_source=eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=December2013