Gary@
MyInvestmentServices.com
*My Investment Services*
*800-931-2605*
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On a Personal Note
Remember to be open to receiving! Abundance is a continuous loop. It requires giving AND receiving in order to grow. Too many of us, once we become givers, all too often think it is wrong to receive. Think of a light switch. If you turn it off the flow of electricity doesn't get to the light bulb bringing forth light. It's the same thing with Abundance. You have to have the light switch on to receive and the more your receive the more you can give!
Helpful Hint: Remember, you can use the information contained here to share with your clients!!!
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Why Waiting Until After the Holidays to Sell Isn’t a Smart Decision: https://goo.gl/6yH6LH
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Win a Free Coffee Card
It’s easy to win! Find the quiz question inside this newsletter, then email me your answer. Each month, all correct entries have an equal chance of winning.
- Last month’s question: How many days are in November during a leap year?
- Answer: 30, the same as in any other year!
Congratulations to Last Month's Winner: (This is the 1st month for this contest!)
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Thank You Friends!
Welcome new clients and Thank You to friends who’ve trusted me to work with you, your friends, family and coworkers. Special thanks this month to...
Christine Jennison, Lori Nelson, Karen Rose
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Xmas, a Respectable Abbreviation
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Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, you may still be curious where the term 'Xmas' comes from as shorthand to refer to Christmas. Here's a brief explanation.
Rather than being a rough abbreviation, the history of the word Xmas is actually more respectable than you might think.
The abbreviation predates by centuries its use today. It was first used in the mid-1500s. X is the Greek letter “chi,” the initial letter in the word Χριστός. And Χριστός translates as “Christ.”
X as a representation (rather than abbreviation) of the word “Christ” is known as a Christogram. In the same vein, the terms Xpian and Xtian have been used in place of the word “Christian.”
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Consumer Report
5 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Selling Your Home
According to some studies, selling a home can be as stressful as getting a divorce or going through bankruptcy.
You can't eliminate stress when selling, but you can minimize it by taking the steps described in this report. Ask me for a copy and share it with a friend.
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“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they’ve started.” ~ David Allen
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Home Ownership Oddities around the World
Switzerland has the lowest level of home ownership in the world, partially due (according to a 2010 study, “Why Do the Swiss Rent?” by Steven C. Bourassa) to an odd policy of taxing owners based on the rent they could charge themselves if they were renting their own homes.
In France, inheritance laws were originally created to keep properties within bloodlines. That means if a widower wants to sell her home, she must get her kids' permission.
In Ireland, there is no shared commission between real estate agencies, so buyers must pay their own agents for help finding a home, or they must negotiate directly with the listing agents.
In China, when a city expands, the government offers compensation to home owners. But if owners refuse to move, rebuilding of the area continues, simply surrounding the leftover homes, which are dubbed "nail houses" because they're like a nail that refuses to be hammered down (see image above).
In North Korea, buying and selling a home is illegal. But according to Reuters, many people secretly buy their homes in private markets using US dollars or Chinese yuan. Buyers and sellers then bribe housing officials to approve the agreement by falsifying paperwork. The regime tolerates this, because officials are involved as well.
In some US states, hauntings and the presence of ghosts is a "material fact" that must be disclosed by sellers, but in many of the same states, there is no requirement to disclose a death on the property.
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Relocating? Get Referred to a Great Agent!
I belong to a network of real estate professionals who specialize in helping people relocate. Let me know your future location and time frame for moving, and I’ll send you some agent names.
*|LIST:PHONE|*
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The Truest Gifts…
What ancient philosopher first said “The meaning of life is to find your gift; the purpose of life is to give it away”?
According to the website The Quote Investigator (quoteinvestigator.com), the saying has great philosophical significance, but the specific quote is fairly recent. Here’s what they found:
Far from being the quote of a famous philosopher or writer, such as William Shakespeare or Thomas Aquinas, the earliest mention of the specific quote comes from 1993 in a book titled “Finding Your Strength in Difficult Times: A Book of Meditations” by David Viscott.
The author was a psychiatrist who hosted a radio talk show in the 1980s and 1990s during which he provided counseling to callers. Viscott’s statement was composed of three parts instead of two:
- The purpose of life is to discover your gift.
- The work of life is to develop it.
- The meaning of life is to give your gift away.
But the sentiment is far from new. The Quote Investigator cites an 1843 essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, titled “Gifts.” In the essay, Emerson argued that a gift is only worthwhile if it is integrally related to the gift-giver:
Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself. Thou must bleed for me. Therefore the poet brings his poem; the shepherd, his lamb; the farmer, corn; the miner, a stone; the painter, his picture; the girl, a handkerchief of her own sewing.
Something to keep in mind as we strive for balance in this hectic holiday season.
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My Advice...
“We’ve outgrown our home. Should we sell it or keep it?”
One reason we encourage young people to buy a home is to have equity they can use to buy up later. But there are reasons to consider not selling that first home, and instead keeping it as a rental. If you or someone you know is thinking of moving up, here are some possible reasons to hold onto that starter.
1). By keeping your home as a rental, you start building a real estate portfolio without having to come up with an additional 20% down payment to buy a separate investment. 2). If you have a lease in place before you buy your next home, your mortgage broker may be able to count a portion of the lease as income. 3). You could get a depreciation tax benefit; but check with your accountant, as laws vary widely by location. 4). Knowing a home inside and out makes it a better rental than one you buy on the open market.
Of course, if your starter is in an area that has low rental demand, you may have more vacancies or lower rents. Also, if you need your equity for a down payment to afford your next property, you may need to sell.
I’m available to help you weigh the options! *800-931-2605*
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December Quiz Question
How many Ladies Dancing did your true love send to you?
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Mini Procrastination Hacks
There is evidence for something called the Zeigarnik Effect, which is an intrusive cognitive “need” to complete a task once it has been started. The uncomfortable cognitive struggle is only terminated once a person returns to the task. Now you know why you feel distracted when you procrastinate; it literally causes a physiological drag on your consciousness. If you tend to procrastinate, here are two often cited “hacks” for getting on with it:
- Start using a timer. If you avoid tasks like cleaning the house, set the timer on your stove or phone for 10 or 15 minutes, then make an agreement with yourself to clean like mad for just those minutes. The timer has a way of making the task more bearable because it has an end point.
- Use the Just 5 technique. If you avoid boring, difficult, or icky tasks, commit to doing just 5...just 5 push-ups, 5 dishes, 5 minutes, 5 clothes folded, etc. By committing to just 5, you start your task without feeling like you’re going to be stuck with it for a long time. Once you get started, it’s likely you’ll continue.
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See you next month!
Please call me or forward this email to friends in need of real estate help.
~ Thank you!
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*My Investment Services*
Gary@MyInvestmentServices.com
MyInvestmentServices.com
*My Investment Services*
*800-931-2605*
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