I just read about this online - I know that we can all sort of make this assumption,

but sometimes it helps to refresh!

Apparently some studies have found a link between stress and illness.  

 
            Experts who study stress are seeing how it connects to illnesses.
            Stress affects your heart, weight, and skin.  It's also linked
            with poorer wound healing, an increased risk for depression,
            the common cold, and influenza and associated with increased symptoms
            among those with chronic illnesses.  This list of possible risks comes from

Dr. Sheldon Cohen, a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

            The good news is, in emergency situations, stress can save your life!  

When confronted by sudden danger the body responds by giving you 

additional strength, speed, and stamina.  Like for example, every hear

about that 100 pound Mother, who lifted an entire car off of her son when it 

fell on top of him while changing the oil...???  

            But, the most common type of stress, ongoing stress, influences your ability 

to function, and may lower your immune system.  

Luckilly, there are various ways to cope with stress in our lives.  For example, exercise, 

or calming techniques like meditation and biofeedback.  

Hope this helps!!

Here Are 10 Good Reasons to Sell Your Home During the Holidays:

1. People who look for a home during the holidays are more serious buyers.

    

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the holidays, so you have less competition.

    

3. Houses "show better" when decorated for the holidays.

    

4. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays.

    

5. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays.

    

6. Many people want to buy before the end of the year for tax reasons ($8,000.00 Tax Credit).

    

7. January is traditionally the month for transfers. Transferees can't wait until spring to buy. You must be on the market to capture that market.

    

8. You may still restrict showings during your personal family events.

    

9. You can always sell now, but specify a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year if you so desire.

    

10. By selling now you have an opportunity to buy during the spring, when many houses are on the market.

Help For Selling Your Home During the Holidays

Bottom line about selling your home? By listing now, you may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated buyers.

The Reason. You have less competition, resulting in a quicker sale and a better price for you! Call me today and we'll get started.

Hi All,

I just had a scare the skin off me, "heart attack" moment, and I desperately needed the help of a certain local General Contractor.

What had happened...

I listed a home for sale, and my Seller had forgotten to disclose that there had been some water intrusion (pipe burst) 3 years earlier. It was a vacation home, and the Sellers didn't even think of the details because it was 3 years earlier, and the tenant (their son) had primarily dealt with it.

It was the day before Docs, and the Buyers were demanding proper disclosure (the construction contract, receipt of payment, insurance check paid out, etc.) - or they would not sign their Loan Docs!! I had to frantically hunt down this man who did the work 3 years ago, and hope that he still had all his paperwork from this job, was available to talk with me, actually cared - etc.

Well, this man is worthy of an Award as far as I'm concerned. His name is Oscar Garcia, and he is a Licensed General Contractor in in Ventura County. Oscar not only met me at my office today with his own laptop and portable printer, but got on a conference call with me, the Buyers and the Buyers Agent. He explained exactly what his crew did, answered all of the Buyers questions, and even explained the reason for the original pipe failure. Then Oscar wrote us a letter on company letter head - right there - stating from memory, all about the job. He even promised to still try to dig up the old records when he went back to his office.

This man owed me nothing and he certainly didn't need to stop his day and spend an hour in my office, trying to help our deal to close. He showed genuine concern for our clients in common (the Sellers), consideration for our time urgency, and total professionalism. I could feel in my Spirit that he is a very "good person," and I would feel very comfortable referring him to my clients and colleagues. I know that he is someone that can be counted on!

Be sure to give Oscar a call the next time you need any General Construction services:

Cell: 805-797-8253 / Email: OGconstruction02@yahoo.com

I recently read an article about asking clients for referrals. It contained scripts and role-playing scenarios for phone conversations. When I was done reading it, I realized that in spite of having all the tools to teach me to ask my clients for referrals, I still felt afraid and hesitant. This realization was frustrating and painful - and I didn't quite know why I was stuck like this! I knew that I was a good Realtor, one who worked tirelessly, and one who gives each client my very best effort to protect them and guide them... So why was I so afraid to ask for referrals??

Well, after some more reading, and listening to today's sermon on www.Joelosteen.com, here's what I came up with.

The reason that - today as an adult, I am feeling afraid to ask for referrals, is because I have some old self-beliefs that, well, are just plain ridiculous. Many deeply held beliefs that we have about ourselves are completely erroneous and untrue. I realized that what was holding me back today, were some untrue beliefs about myself, that I had from the past.

We all have "core beliefs" about ourselves in each category of our lives. For example, our finances, our family, our education, our intellect, and our friends... So, you have a core belief around money, and your belief gets communicated in your actions - around the subject of money. We even have a belief about our ability to change and learn and grow.

Our behaviors, are based upon our emotions. Beliefs begin as mere thoughts. A thought becomes a belief because we practice it in our minds over and over again.

Why don't we change what we believe?

The reason that most people in our culture don't deal with limiting beliefs is, in order to change, you must uproot the old belief. In the process of uprooting our old belief, you'll experience emotion - most likely very painful emotion.

Here is a list of steps that helped me to work on my own limiting beliefs:

1.) AWARENESS: Choose a limiting belief you have. Awareness is the step where you end the cycle of acting from old patterns of thought, that no longer serve you.

2.) DESIRE: Make sure that you want to change your belief! If you're working on this with a partner or friend or Coach, give them permission to change your belief! Confirm that you actually want to get rid of the old belief.

3.) OWNERSHIP: Say your current belief aloud and with passion. You have to do this because, you cannot change what you do not own.

4.) DISCOVER: Think back to your earliest memory of your limiting belief. *Mine was when I was shushed as a talkative child* Remember, Reunite, and Reconnect with you! The memory will be painful, but this is the origination of the limiting belief.

5.) EMBRACE: One you have a picture in your mind, like a freeze-frame of the memory, next, embrace the scene. Be in it. Re-live it. Associate with the scene. Go back into the moment, and realize that it is not reality, it is just a memory from the past. Speak out loud, what is happening as if it is happening again right now, in "first person." Let it happen to you again, but let it happen to you right now. Feel the emotional charge associated with it. This step can take some time to fully process. The *secret* is to feel it in the core of your being.

6.) WITNESS: Witness the scene. Disassociate from it. Stand outside of the freeze-frame in your mind, and look at it from an outsider's perspective.

7.) ACCEPT: As you witness the scene, find something about it that you can love. For me, it was that my Parents "shushed" me because they were trying to teach me manners. Now, release the old belief by releasing the energy stored in this old memory. You do this because this old memory is controlling your life, and it's a childhood memory doesn't serve you. The easiest way to to bring love into your life is to nurture the little kid that holds the wounded memory. (What would your adult say to your inner kid right now?)

8.) CREATE: Create a new belief. Like, "Asking for referrals is no big deal."

It's pretty funny actually. Limiting core beliefs are misbeliefs about ourselves, usually based on early choices and youthful decisions that we've long forgotten. The process of recognizing our core beliefs is a hard thing to do, because it's a challenge to be honest with ourselves. It takes brutal honesty, but you can, can, can, uproot an old, crippling, core belief, and install a new reality-based one!

changing your core beliefs.

Just read that lawmakers are trying to extend the $8,000.00 homebuyer tax credit!


Apparently, the U. S. Senate is considering a plan to extend & expand a stimulus-package
provision, giving first-time homebuyers an $8,000 federal tax credit!!
The stimulus-package credit allows first-time homebuyers to reduce their
federal income taxes by 10 percent of the price of a home, up to a maximum of
$8,000.00. This is exciting to read about because currently, it's set to expire 12/1/2009.

The proposal would extend the credit to June 30, 2010. Also, it would remove
the "first-time homebuyer" requirement, and raise the eligibility income limit to
$150,000, or $300,000 for a couple!! Fantastic!!

The U.S. House of Representatives is also looking into extending and expanding
the popular tax credit, which according to IRS data has drawn more than 1.4
million applications from first-time homebuyers for houses in 2008 and 2009.

Here's where I read about this...
http://mailgate.ventura.courts.ca.gov

Have a super Saturday!!!