Photos from Sarah Reinhart-Friendship Based Real Estate®
Spokane is surrounded by water. No, we are not by the ocean, but....lakes abound!Located in: Spokane, WA
I know I sound like a broken record here, but join LinkedIn. LinkedIn will open doors for you that you never thought possible. Originally started as a professional networking tool, LinkedIn is now being used by employers to seek out job seekers! How do they do this? They type in the keywords of candidate characteristics in the search box. If their words match up with the keywords on your profile, guess what? You have officially become a contender. You can also research companies online, network with employees that WORK at that company and look for current job openings. Utilize LinkedIn as much as you can. You will be amazed at the results you get.
As with anything, there are a few rules to keep in mind when doing your online networking. NEVER ever say anything you wouldn't want a perspective employer to know. Remember that hiring managers ARE GOOGLING YOU and an unsavory post on any of your networking sites may come back to haunt you. And PLEASE do not post any pictures that you wouldn't want your Grandmother (or an employer) to see. Be smart. Keep it professional.
Join Twitter? If you are an entrepreneur, have a small business of some sort or are a job seeker, Twitter is a wonderful way to connect fast with all sorts of people. You build your network by following others who in return, follow you. It sounds strange at first until you get going. I created my profile in November, but didn't see the value of Twitter until the following January when I started really connecting with colleagues and job seekers, plus all sorts of other interesting folks. You can spread the word that you are job searching. The bigger your "follower" list is, the more people will know this and keep their eyes and ears open for you.
Oasis of Calm
However, maybe your personal style runs the opposite direction, and you want the bathroom to be a calming place. To create a calm oasis for yourself, start by decorating the bathroom with lighter colors. Lighter colors make the bathroom appear to have more space. Also, lighter colors can often modify a person's mood. Use pale shades of earth tones, blues, greens, rose and lilac shades in your accessories. If you do not have an allergy to it, keep the theme of the bathroom being a calming place by adding lavender scents to the bathroom. This can be in the form of decoration, or it can be in the form of various kinds of soap. Decorate with natural materials such as rattan and stone, and add real or fake plants.
If you're planning to apply for a reverse mortgage, your home's value is probably the most important variable used to determine how much money you can get out of your home.
An official appraisal conducted by a licensed appraiser tells your prospective lender how much your home is worth, which helps them calculate how much your payout will be.
Here's how the home appraisal process works:
As the borrower, you're responsible for paying the appraiser. Most appraisals cost between $350 and $500, and you may have the option to pay for it up front or have it taken out of your reverse mortgage payout.
The official appraisal covers several things:
Interior: An appraiser will take note of the size and style your home, the materials used in your cabinets, countertops and flooring, and any upgrades you might have made, according to Alan Tuchfeld, a certified residential appraiser at Integrity Appraisal Services in Littleton, Colo. For instance, carpet is standard. Hardwood is an upgrade. Oak kitchen cabinets are standard, and better wood like maple or cherry is an upgrade. Formica countertops are considered standard, but ceramic, granite, slate and marble are a plus.
Structure: Your appraiser will also take into account your home's air conditioning and heating, the electrical system, whether your basement is finished, the condition of your roof and attic, the size of your garage, your foundation, yard, and your proximity to water and sewer lines.
Condition: Your appraiser will look at the condition of your home, see if you've remodeled and take measurements and pictures, says Bonnie Nach, an appraiser at Sullivan Appraisal Services in Oakland, N.J.
Neighborhood: Information on your neighborhood, including your town's unemployment rate, gentrification and nearby residential and commercial properties also go esinto an appraisal, says Mark Marden of Marden Appraisal Services in Washington, D.C.
Safety: Reverse mortgage paperwork going to the Department of Housing and Urban Development may require more detailed information, including whether your home complies with certain HUD safety requirements, such as the presence of handrails by stairs. Some appraisers may charge more for this.
If your home does not comply with safety requirements, your appraisal amount may only be valid if you make certain repairs before you get a reverse mortgage.
At the bottom of the appraisal report, we'll say the value is either as-is, or it's subject to repairs and list all the repairs that need to be done for appraisal to be valid.
Saving the World from Ordinary Service™
At Friendship Based Real Estate ® we live outside the "Box"! We excell at professionally caring for your real estate needs while creating cutting edge marketing to give you the advantage as you sell in this tough environment.
The days of hiring an agent to simply hang a sign, wear a nametag, and wait for the phone to ring is over! We will create a fresh, new and memorable advertising plan that showcases the most marketable aspects of your home. Bad advertising costs you money! We promise to treat you with the respect and care you deserve while giving you a reason to smile!
Have you ever had a experience that only took a moment of time, but changed your life forever? I have....
Here is the story: My adopted grandfather, Ray Murphy, passed away last year in Spokane, WA and I was the one who ended up packing up his belongings and cleaning out his condo. My children were aged one and two and I was already tired to the bone. (With children only 19 months apart...I had not had a full nights sleep in several years.) The stress and grief of the situation combined with my chronic sleep deprivation to create a brittle and ugly layer over my mood and attitude.
So, here I am surrounded the natural chaos of small children packing and cleaning the home of a ailing loved one. They are running through the 50 years of accumulation and clutter while howling like two monkeys on steroids. To escape the noise, I closed myself in his bedroom and started cleaning out his dresser. Among the many bits of paper and mismatched buttons, I found a men's wedding band. I stared at it in the light of that autumn afternoon and time stood still....It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at. My grandfather had never married until he fell in love with the love of his life, Dorthea, in his late 30's. Dorthea had passed away in 2000 and I had forgotten that Ray had stopped wearing his wedding band.
As I stared at that ring, my life focused. I saw a flash of the future and envisioned my daughter holding my wedding band in her hand as she was organizing the final details of my life. In a moment, I knew mortality. I knew death with a finality that was stunning. I was forever changed.
I decided in that moment to live. To truly live. To stop focusing on the parts of life that are stressful, mundane, and unproductive, and to live a live of focused purpose. To laugh with my children and chase them around the living-room with their toothbrushes rather than stressing that they are past their bedtime. I decided to be brave and try a career I could love rather than one I worked 7 years going to college for. I made a determination with myself that I would find beauty and joy in the small moments of magic that everyday life creates. That I would sing and dance without being embarrassed, and cry when I wanted to.
Since then, I have always worn Ray's ring on the pointer finger of my right hand. There have been many times that I have been in the middle of the drama and chaos that is residential real estate that I have consciously looked down at my right hand and re-centered myself.
I know now that the moment that I am in now will be lost in the next. I choose to live.
Sarah Reinhart with Friendship Based Real Estate is one of the most energetic, pleasant and delightful REA's I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I have worked with several through the last few years and none has ever been this delightful and with it. She's efficient and quick she has a knack and what seems to be a God given ability and special talent to work with people as well as very smart and extremely creative. It seems even though one would need money to pay the bills she will most assuredly put the interests and special needs of her clients before hers. My husband & I had one of the most creative and difficult needs as far as combining a residence and a special commercial business property. We had to make sure it was presentable, complete and allowed for a reputable business to be ran from. I believe with the help of the almighty and Sarah who was given direction, grace and favor pulled this off. We found a much desired very peculiar piece of property and it had some extra extra special needs and requirements that had to be full filled in order to get a loan and get it acceptable and wow with her expertise we all did. So hats off to Sarah and her team. She would be an excellent Real Estate Agent for anyone needing or wanting any type of property and I believe she will accomplish it for you. Thanks again Sarah you are great!!!!!!!!! Sincerly, Brenda Liggett.
Sarah is outstanding! She has a unique combination of "caring" and "competence" that makes her shine. She sold my house in 3 hours at full price! -G
Sarah put my worries to rest. She talked me through my concerns and then held my hand through the process. We got full price on our home and sold it in less than a week! -CB
Sarah is a wonderful example of Christ in her business. She follows the golden rule and puts others before her self. She truly cares about my well being and goes the extra mile for my sake. Don't settle for just any agent. Choose wisely. Choose Sarah! - Pastor Mark Hamilton
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