Since it's the last day of the month (seriously, that went fast!), I've spent the morning figuring out what I managed to accomplish this month, and planning what needs to be done next month.

I think January is always the toughest for this little project. We all seem to have this LONG list of what we think we can do, want to do, and should do, especially this month. You know, those silly resolutions, lol.

Much to my surprise, I actually did take care of more of my list than I thought, and, I'm going to focus on that. Not on all the things I didn't get to....like the great January Junk Detox.

Like Corey says, "Kitten Steps" all make a difference.
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So, new month, new list. Bring on February!

For me, selling a home is more about the client than it is about the business of the transaction.

Late last year, I worked on an Estate sale, that was very close to my heart. It didn’t start out the way most Estates do. I actually met with the lady twice before she passed away. She knew it was coming, and she wanted to be involved in the process. She wanted to know how her home sale would be handled. She wanted to supervise the staging. She wanted to leave a good legacy for her three daughters. She had a plan.

This lady also happened to be the Mother of one of my oldest and bestest friends.

My job is to guide my clients through the legalities, the strategies, the market, the money, and often most importantly, the mental process involved in making that move. It’s an honour, a privilege, and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly.

In this case though, instead of ME guiding HER, SHE guided ME through my own emotional process, and she did it with amazing grace.

Not only will I cherish this extra special experience, but, she gifted me with one of her beautiful paintings that will forever remind me of her creative free spirit, in life, and in death.

I know you've all heard that here in our area, the real estate market is heavily favouring sellers right now, and, we do expect that to continue for most, if not all of 2021.

Traditionally, the first week of January is a bit slow for new listings, as people get their new year started, but, throw in a lockdown order, and, things really slow down! As of this morning, there are a total of 208 active MLS listings in the City of London. That's extremely low for a City with a population of roughly a half million.

As you can imagine, that means that it's pretty easy to sell a house right now.

Given the current SUPER low mortgage rates, it's also pretty easy for buyers to afford to get into the market. The difficulty for them comes with the competition ~ there are more buyers than inventory.

But, having said that, as a seller, you still want to present your home in it's best light! That's going to translate into the highest dollar possible, and, given your home is likely your biggest asset, isn't that the goal?

If you have no plans to sell, the fact is, we are all spending WAY more time at home than ever before. "Home" has become the centre of our lives, literally. So, it stands to reason that we want it to be the most comfortable place in the world, especially right now.

In light of all this, and, after the chaos of this first week of January 2021, I thought we could all use a bit of an escape. Why not check out the latest design trends? It's interesting how our wish lists have changed over this past year!
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Whether you're selling or not, there's some great ideas in this video ~ either to prepare for market, or to prepare to snuggle up at home this winter. Enjoy!

www.houzz.com/houzz-tv/see-a-houzz-editor-discuss-key-design-trends-emerging-in-2021-stshtvvw-vt~143785575?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u15328&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery3_3&newsletterId=15328