Smile and they will think You are Smarter

Want People to Think You Are Smart?

Smile !


This is what I’ve learned from an article I read from Christopher Ingraham

　
People think they can tell how smart you are by looking at you….


Researchers had 40 men and 40 women take a standard intelligence test. They then photographed the subject’s faces telling them to use a neutral ‘non-smiling’ expression and not to wear cosmetics or jewelry.

Next they had 160 strangers review the photographs. Half of the reviews rated the photos according to how smart the subjects looked, and the other half according to their attractiveness.

The researchers found a strong relationship between how attractive the people were and the assumption of intelligence….. The more attractive the smarter they thought they were…. Especially with the females.

There was a significant difference in gender perceived intelligence and actual intelligence. They were pretty good at guessing the intelligence of the men, but were lost when guessing which were the smart women. Therefore judging on intelligence rather than attractiveness seems to be not as well practiced.

When researchers compared attractiveness of various subjects with their IQ scores they found no relationship at all. They said that it suggest there is absolutely no connection between brains and beauty,

So, what do you think? Even though there is no real connection between beauty and brains, opinions are formed… having real consequences.
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All this to say that research did suggest one thing that everyone can do to boost other’s assessment of our intelligence—— Smile !

Because there also seems to be a correlation between the outward appearance of emotions such as joy or anger to the perceptions of high or low intelligence. Suggesting that High intelligence faces seem to smile more than low intelligent faces.
Not sure I'm buying that either.   Just smile--- it will raise your spirits --- and that ought to count for something!!  Make a smile and give it away, they can be contagious.

8D　

　
　
　

Home Prices Likely Continue to Rise

Most homeowners across this country have been enjoying an upswing in their home values, and home-sale prices.  And--- they are expected to continue rising for at least the next several months, according to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index Report.
CoreLogic  analyzed the  data through February, showing home prices—including distressed sales—were an average of 12.2% higher compared to the same time last year. Present home prices show the highest annual appreciation gains in these five states:

• California – 19.8%
• Nevada – 18.5%
• Georgia – 14.2%
• Oregon – 13.8%
• Michigan – 13.5%

The CoreLogic's report predicted home prices, when including distressed properties-- would see a rise of 10.5% from March 2013 to March 2014.  Excluding distressed properties, the prices were expected to rise 9.3%.
Prices are expected to continue to rise over the next several months, leveling off by the end of the year.
Homes have increased  for the last 24 consecutive months, although by the end of February,  were still 16.9% below the peak levels reached in April 2006, according to CoreLogic.
Realtor.com®’s National Housing Trend Report for February 2014 showed home sellers’ growing confidence in the market as the number of homes for sale increased,-- traditional sales out-numbering  short sales and REO's did not dominate the market.
“The number of properties for sale in February rose 10.1% above February 2013 levels, to 1,744,032 units,” the realtor.com® report said. “The median list price at $199,000 increased 7.6% compared to the same month last year, and the median age of inventory increased 6.5% above year-ago figures, to 114 days.”
The top five areas showing the highest number of active listings in the realtor.com® report were:

• Chicago
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Los Angeles-Long Beach
• Atlanta

“Although prices should remain strong in the near term due to a short supply of homes on the market, price increases should moderate over the next year as home equity releases pent-up supply,” Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic, said in a statement.
Finally, homeowners who struggled to build equity in their homes during the recession may be able to breathe a sigh of relief  as the market continues to stabilize and buyers and sellers continue to gain confidence.
Homeowners looking to sell their homes have adequate time to prepare their home, find a REALTOR®, and start the selling process, based on based on CoreLogic’s report, which  expects month-to-month price growth nationwide until at least the end of the year.

As I am blogging this, there are just shy of 26,700 Active Listings in the Phoenix area, Normal for this area is about 30-33thousand...

Joanne

www.REhomehelp.info

St Joseph to the Resue!!!!??

St. Joseph Statue

Help From The Great Beyond

Saints alive, it’s true!

When the housing market slows down, sales of Saint Joseph statuettes go through the roof.

According to the Wall Street Journal, where analysts crunched data about slow housing sales and the rise in sales of statues of the patron saint of real estate, there is a correlation.

St. Joseph, in the Catholic tradition, is the patron saint of home and family, and has seen a boom to real estate sales. All you need to do is send out a little prayer as you bury a little statuette of the saint.

But this superstition has a few rules: Bury him upside down, and near the for-sale sign on the property you’re trying to sell.

If you need one of these St. Joe’s sale-booster statuettes, I've heard that  Amazon has a whole St. Joseph Home Selling Kit for less than $10. But the garden spade is not included.

It's said that the statue-burying tradition likely started with buyers, not sellers, Nuns during the Middle Ages buried St. Joseph medals on land they hoped to get for a  convent

But in these modern times, there’s still a call for them. In fact, despite the fact that real estate agents may be among some of the most practical groups of sales pros in the world, they’re more than willing to indulge sellers in whatever it takes.

Seattle area agent Ardell DellaLoggia of Sound Realty said she remembers seeing cases of the little statues under agents’ desks during downtimes in the market. As a Catholic, herself,  she’s even been known to bury them with or without the seller’s permission.

“Sometimes the seller asks me to do it, but they don’t participate because they don’t believe in it, and it’s bad juju,” she said. “It’s like a seance or something, like a Ouiji board, right?”

According to the Journal, between 2009 and 2010, when home prices were stagnant, the sales of St. Joseph figurines more than doubled at Catholic Supply of St. Louis, Inc. And then when prices rose, the sales decline

As the housing market recovers, more home-sellers are going it alone: in 2013, St. Joseph figurine statues sales fell 10.6 percent from the year prior.

But DellaLoggia thinks there is still a place for St. Joseph even in a hot market. She has a current client competing among multiple offers on a home in Seattle. It might give her client the edge if she pays the property a visit and tucks a St. Joseph statue under the grass in the front lawn, she said.

“I have a spot in mind,” she mused.

 

I've had a client of mine do this, go figure it sold in no time...

What do you think??? Good idea??

One of the worst things a Seller can do

One of the Worst things a Seller can do when listing their house is price it too high.

 

Why? Because it may sit on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) for a longer time, and be subject to price reduction upon price reduction.  And after setting on the MLS, the buyer will then think that there is something wrong with the house.  The longer it sits, the worst they think it might be, and the first thing on their mind is to offer a really low offer.

 

When Listing a house the agent will do ‘comps’ of the houses that have sold in the area, with the same square footage and room count, to give a good idea what is selling.  Yard size and upgrades are a plus, but not always relevant enough to raise the price thousands of dollars.

 

The longer there is a “For Sale” sign in your front yard, the more your anxiety levels rise, the more the buyers wonder what is the matter with the house, and in the end unless the price is lowered to that of what is selling around your house, it will continue to sit.

 

The listing agent should take the comps of the area and along with the time frame that they have sold in, the time frame the seller wants to sell in, and come up with a price that will move the house –usually within 30-60 days.

Staging can help sell a home

 What can you do???

A home seller has about 15 seconds to make a good impression to a potential buyer.

 

Staging or styling is about the smartest move a seller can make. Styling is a little different than staging and involves minor remodeling, unlike common staging -- moving personal items to storage and adding neutral touches,

Decorating would be where the goal is to put your personality into your home.

 

This can be done by re-purposing  some of the things you already have,  Maybe the lamps you have in the living room would give the bedroom a new look without putting too much of any style into it.  Putting a rug in the room in front of the fireplace,  with a couple of throw pillows. Move a mirror to a different room.  New towels in the bathroom, with a fake plant.

 

Removing dated wallpaper, and spiffing up the floors,  clean the carpets, or refinish the floors.   Paint the brightly colored walls to a neutral color--- something that you love dearly may be the reason the buyer walks away.  Clear out personal stuff, buyers can't see themselves in YOUR house-- give them opportunity to see themselves living there. 

You may have a beautifully decorated home, but it's your identity.... keep it simple

 

Replace or paint bathroom vanities, Bathrooms need to look updated and clean.  If you can’t replace that pink bathtub,you might see about having it professionally painted or use it as an accent.

Kitchens are another important room to make sure  looks inviting,   Clear off the counter tops- make sure pantries are neat  and  everything smells wonderful.

 

This is becoming a market where the buyer has many choices, The better yours stands out the easier their choice will be.  Set a budget and be creative with it.... 

Dodd Frank

So my head is swimming from the two classes I have attended in the last two days on how this is going to affect me as a REALTOR.   And it will, but not as much as it will the loan end of buying a house.

 

I understand it is to protect the consumers, and rightfully so, but the fact that the overseeing governing group has to write and enforce some 460 new laws seems like an unattainable feat.

 With this new act, there is a box of must haves, that they, the loan originator, has to fit you into.  It is a lot like it has been in times past, proof of employment, tax records, and the like, but with a few added details that may put some harder to fit in that box.

 They have said that there will be other programs coming back, for those who don’t fit in the box to qualify for the loans.  Of course, it’s at a higher rate.  They said that those who are self employed and affordable housing would be the ones who would probably not be able to fit. (great, that would be me)

 
It will work out, usually does; it’s just the hiccups in the beginning that are hard. This is just my option--- it, and several dollars may buy coffee somewhere.....

For an overview of why this is happening you can go to:

http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/_files/070110_Dodd_Frank_Wall_Street_Reform_comprehensive_summary_Final.pdf

Pinterest

 I   LOVE   PINTEREST  ! ! !

 

I have found so many wonderful ideas and DIY's on it!

There are dinners that we have tried that are quick and easy, ---projects that are fun and handy.

Like how to make your own laundry soap http://www.pinterest.com/pin/560135272375153694/ 

And gift ideas for every occasion.  Like the one I used to give my granddaughters money for Christmas.   My youngest is still talking about it, and it wasn’t even for her.  I took a jar alittle smaller than a pint canning jar, took an empty tp roll and sliped it in inside the jar, and carefully poured M&M’s around the outside, and put money in the tp roll.    They loved the M&M’s but then when they opened it up to eat them they seen the money.   I t was a double treat for me, and them

The pictures on there of places in the world are beautiful and the animals  range from beautiful to strange--- very strange.



I would invite you to visit my site – I don’t post  or “pin” as much as I look at, if I did, I would have thousands of them.   Mostly I just look, smile, and move on.
http://www.pinterest.com/jmcglivinlarge/