What should you offer on a home you want to purchase? This post gives you the results for the Past 7-Days for Redwood City.. This proprietary information is provided by Cliff Keith, of SF Bay Homes with data from the local Multiple Listing Service, (MLS) MLSListings. The criteria use for these numbers is based on Year to Date, (YTD) figures.
MLS’s numbers are for the past seven days for housing in Redwood City, CA. They are keyed how they compare to the previous weeks with an up or down arrow. The ± symbol is for numbers that were unchanged week over week.
Real Estate Market Update – November 16, 2019
↓ 05 new homes brought on the market for sale ↑ 14 homes went under contract as pending sales ↑ 11 homes closed escrow and now have new homeowners ± 23 Average days on market ↓ 2.5 Months of inventory available ↑ $ 1038.00 Per square foot for sold homes ↓ 2.5% Above asking price was average selling price ↑ $1,619,442 Average Sale Price of a home in Redwood City
Cliff’s Viewpoint:
Seller’s Market
Redwood City CA: is seeing softening of the list price for homes. And the length of time on the market for homes to sell is moving down. These trends still favor home sellers. The Sale Price vs List Price ratio is down from 2018 and is hovering in 2.1% – 3.0%. Last week it mirrored previous months at 2.5% The months of inventory available for homes continues to be less than 2.4 months. Which translate to more scarcity of homes buyers can choose.
Other indicators:
The number of new homes brought on the market for sale was 5 while those homes that sold numbers was 14. The growth of new homes is almost nil. For most of 2019 the average sale price (ASP) of home continued to be around $1.8M, however, for the past 60 days we are seeing an ASP between $1.4M – $1.6M. This demonstrates the caution home buyers are showing in their offers. This is also the time of year when activity slows down and remains so until after the Super Bowl. Especially, if the 49ers are in the Super Bowl.
Do you talk with others?
When you are in a conversation with a friend, neighbor, work associate, or your loved ones and they mentioned they are thinking about selling their home would you please tell them about me and my team? Tell them about our 44 years being a Realtor in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. They will thank you for years to come for having their best interests at heart.
Forty four (44) years of experience helps in many areas, i.e. market place including all the nooks and crannies not know by most agents, negotiation skill which brings the best results for all, and knowledge of the paperwork to make sure they receive the best deal possible.
What to do next?
It as easy as counting 1-2-3. First of all pick up your cell phone. Second look up my cell phone number. (hint: 650 346-7366). Third call me immediately.
When you call we will discuss what the best way it would be for a friend, neighbor, work associate, or your loved ones and I to get into a conversation about what is their needs in real estate. I will listen to what they have to say and I will be able to tell them if I can help them or not right when we talk. If I can’t help them I will tell them immediately and explain why I can’t help. If they need to change something I can’t control I will try to refer them to someone who could help them.
Posted on: November 1st, 2019
| By Cliff Keith
| Blog |
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The stale hoax about time…
The stale hoax…
Here are a couple of site which address the stale hoax about time… You may want to read them to enlighten your concept about time. It will give you a prospective most will never tell you. Don’t be controlled by the mass media and government who both want you to believe what they tell you. They are wrong, by the way, when it comes to time! If you would like further proof please contact Gabe Gross who is an authority on the subject according to him. Thanks Gabe.
I am not going to remind you about your clocks because it really doesn’t matter. Your clocks only provide a concept you have been trained to believe. It doesn’t exist. Isn’t it reasonable to stop this hoax and throw all our clock out the window? I think you will agree once you read this informative information that my good friend Gabe Gross shared with me in March. I should add this to my newsletter, Cliff’s Notes on real estate…
Here is an explanation by various authorities on time. What? I just said that word again. It doesn’t exist, why do I use this word? I use it almost daily, but why?
[Tweet “The stale hoax about time. Read more…”]
[wpseo_address show_state=”1″ show_country=”1″ show_phone=”1″ show_phone_2=”1″ show_fax=”1″ show_email=”1″ show_url=”1″ show_logo=”1″ show_opening_hours=”1″ comment=”The stale hoax about time…the truth. How everyone has been fed a lie all their lives.”]
As of October 25, 2019 what is the offer on a home to make? This post gives you the results for thePast 7-Days in Redwood City. Additionally, there’s a link (Click here to see other communities updates), which provides a monthly picture of ALL communities in both San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. This proprietary information is provided by Cliff Keith, of SF Bay Homes and the local Multiple Listing Service, MLSListings. The criteria use for these numbers is based on Year to Date, (YTD) figures.
Friday Real Estate Market Update, October 25, 2019
↑ 20 new homes brought on the market for sale
↑ 20 homes went under contract as pending sales
± 13 homes closed escrow and now have new homeowners
↓17 Average days on market
⇓ 1.9 Months of inventory available
↓ $ 1039 Per square foot for sold homes
⇓ 2.1% Above asking price was average selling price
↓ $1,884,366 Average Sale Price of a home in Redwood City
Cliff’s Viewpoint:
Seller’s Market
Redwood City CA: We are seeing changes in the average sale price for homes move up only $400 last week. And the length of time on the market is stable since the beginning of April. These trends favor home sellers. The Sale Price vs List Price ratio is down from 2018 and is hovering between 3.5% – 4.5% for 2019. The months of inventory available is staying under 2 months. The number of new homes brought on the market for sale is equal to the homes sold.
We are seeing home prices being reduced in price or cancelled and being relisted at a reduced price. This has been unheard of for the past few years making home buyers happier.
10 – Homes under $1M of the 81 listings available – (12.34%)
Basic Real Estate Truism:
Question: When is the perfect time to purchase your home?
Answer: Today is the correct answer! If you said yesterday you were correct, however, too bad those prices are gone. I don’t see any let up on the current strong demand for homes either. I believe this trend will continue to be supported of upward, at least for the rest of 2018.
Open Houses stay alert.
When you go to a Sunday Open Houses in Silicon Valley you will see Redwood City real estate agents, and many home buyers looking at the homes along with you. The home buyers from the tech industry like Oracle, Electronic Arts, Google, Facebook, Intel, Box, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Buffer are out in full force, along with the bio-tech home-buyers from companies like; V Biosciences, Abbott Vascular, AbGenomics, and Genotech ready to place offers on their new homes. And, they all seem to have large sums of discretionary income to spend too.
As you can see the real estate market in Redwood City is still very strong and homes are selling faster and receiving higher priced offers.
What is the “get-around”?
If you are looking to purchase a home in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties Cliff Keith and Team have many homes for you to choose from.
Some of these homes are not in the MLS and some are in MLS. The point being if you are trying to buy or sell a home we would love to help you find that perfect home. Especially, if you have not found a home and have been looking for one over 3 months.
What to Do Next?
Call Cliff (650) 346-7366
To find your new home all you need to do is an easy3-Step Process.
1.) Pick up your cell phone,
2.) Look up my number (650-346-7366),
3.) Call me immediately.
When you do call, we will discuss the best way we can meet so you can get the best information you need that will help you locate and purchase your new home as quickly as possible and receive the highest value possible at an amount of money you want to spend. Do it now. It’ll be the smartest decision you’ll ever make.
We may also discuss with you the idea of looking at a duplex for sale in Redwood City as a suitable alternative.
Posted on: October 9th, 2019
| By Cliff Keith
| Blog |
No Comments
A Second Chance
It was long past bedtime, but one little girl could not sleep. Sophie climbed out of bed and quietly crept back to the living room where her tired mom sat, reading with a huge smile on her face and a basket of unfolded, clean laundry on the floor at her feet.
She heard the little girl pad into the room and said, “A book by Erma Bombeck,” already anticipating what Sophie was going to ask because moms are like that. (They know everything.) She patted the couch next to her, then started to read aloud to the little girl…
“If I had my life to live over, I would spend more time listening and less talking. I would spend more time on loved ones – and less on work. Spend more time living in my living space – and less cleaning it. Spend more time learning from the older people in my life – and less trying to convince them I already know it all.
You can count on Mom…
The mom reached over and patted Sophie’s shiny curls. “I would spend more time with the windows rolled down – and less worrying about mussing my hair. I would spend more time having fun – and less being practical. Spend more time finding joy in each moment, spend more time on love and forgiveness- and less on anger and insults. Most of all, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it… live it… and never give it back.”
She glanced over and saw that her daughter’s eyes were closing on her, but instead of putting her back to bed, she pulled her little girl close and breathed in the moment. The laundry could wait.
~ Cliff
Lowest Interest Rate Home Loans For High-Income Professionals At
Did you know that October 4th is World Animal Day? There are a multitude of animal awareness and educational events happening all over the world, but here are a few ideas for a local celebration with the children in your life… none of which require so much as a passport.
Have them bring a favorite soft toy animal and make or draw a bowl of “food” for the animal guests. Stock up in advance with plenty of drawing materials, fabric scraps, etc. Get the children to think carefully about their guests’ seating arrangements – would it be fair to seat a cat next to a mouse, for example, or a tiger next to a rabbit? How might they entertain their guests?
Create fantasy pets out of junk model materials.
Allow the children to be as fanciful as they wish, for example, an animal with ears like a rabbit, a face like a fish and the body of a horse. Get them to think of a name for their animal. What would it eat? Where would it live? How would they care for it?
Spend an afternoon on animal-related games that are fun for all ages.
For example, label each child’s back with an animal name, then challenge them to guess what kind of animal they are by asking the other questions. “Do I eat grass? Can I fly? Do I have four legs?”
Give athletic kids a fun twist on practice by adding an animal slant to drills.
For example, ball drills could become “Sharks and Minnows”, swimmers can play “snake in the water”, etc.
Engage older children.
Guide teens through organizing a fundraising event for a local animal shelter or favorite animal charity, such as planning a local, sponsored dog walk.
Organize a pet party for younger children.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.
It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
~ Steve Jobs
Moonquakes
Moonquake data may help future lunar landings. The moon, long considered a dead world, may be livelier than we thought. The Science News website reports that seismometers left decades ago at the Apollo landing sites have detected thousands of moonquakes over the years.
Scientists believe the quakes are caused by faults mapped by NASA’s lunar reconnaissance orbiter. Eight quakes have occurred within some 30 kilometers of step like cliffs on the lunar crust. Called scarps, the cliffs indicate that one side of a fault has pushed up or slid down.
The data suggests that the moon is still tectonically active. It also will help scientists pinpoint the best places for future spacecraft to land – and what sites to avoid.
How Low Can You Go?
A Texas explorer has gone lower than anyone ever before, taking a submersible to a depth of 35,853 feet in the Mariana Trench, according to an article on the UPI website. It’s a new record, beating the previous by 52 feet.
The team behind the dive believes it has found at least three new aquatic species living under the sea, one of them an amphipod with long appendages.
The explorer, Victor Vescovo, said, “We feel like we have just created, validated, and opened a powerful door to discover and visit any place, any time, in the ocean – which is 90% unexplored.”
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” -Albert Camus
A Freshly Brewed Idea
Before Facebook Live videos, Skype and videoconferencing, there was sometimes an empty coffee pot outside a computer lab at Cambridge University. Because necessity is the mother of invention, that empty pot led to the creation of what we know as the webcam.
In 1991, computer scientists at Cambridge found a way to connect a camera to a computer and transmit images across their lab’s network. They decided to focus the camera on the coffee pot in the break area because most of them had felt the sting of disappointment that occurs each time you enter a break room only to find the pot empty.
The camera was dismantled in August 2001. By then, we were already sharing images and video online. We’re guessing there was also a strong coffee culture in place at Cambridge, and that coffee pots were never left empty for long.
Fear Can Be Good for You
Entrepreneur and philanthropist, Vijay Eswaran, believes fear can be a good thing. He recalls a time many years ago when he was vacationing with his family in Australia and they embarked on a snorkeling excursion to the Great Barrier Reef.
Eswaran was enchanted by the beauty he encountered while snorkeling through the coral canyons in the shallow warm water. Then things seem to get darker and a little colder. He’d lost track of where he was and realized he was being drawn out to sea.
He swam to the surface to get his bearings and saw he was only about 10 feet from the reef. Swimming back to safety, but the incident made an impression on him.
Finally, he realized how close we are to being drawn into the abyss at any given moment of our lives. For Eswaran, this experience serves as a reminder to always be mindful as you go about each day and to always stay focused on the things that truly matter.
Provide the Best
When asked what’s “extremely important” for a father to provide, a recent telephone survey of 1,004 American adults resulted in far more than financial support.
According to a Pew Research Center report:
58% Mentioned values and morals.
52% Said emotional support.
47% Included discipline.
41% Mentioned
The results follow a very similar trend for mothers, with “values and morals” at the top and “income” coming in last.
Looks Like Bamboo… Tastes Like Salad?
It’s drought-resistant and thrives in poor soil conditions. Though it is considered ground-cover, it has been known to overtake trees, utility poles, and buildings, and it grows at a rate of a foot a day. What is it? Kudzu.
This non-native plant species first arrived in the U.S. in the 1870s from subtropical regions
of Asia. At the time, it was believed that the plant could help farmers prevent soil erosion. People also began growing it on garden structures and even their homes to provide shade and ornamentation. By the 1940s, government subsidies helped farmers plant about 3 million acres of kudzu.
During the years that followed, people began to realize the impact to the ecosystem this transplant caused. Without native insects and other flora and fauna around, kudzu became impossible to contain. In 1970, the USDA declared Kudzu a weed. Today, it is estimated more than 7 million acres of kudzu are spread across the U.S.
Next year that figure will be higher – but there is hope. Kudzu is edible and the roots, flowers and leaves are all packed with nutrients. Some folks believe you can use the leaves in a salad or cook them like collard greens, as long as the plant hasn’t been exposed to any chemicals or herbicides.
Financial Priorities
A family budget can help you control your expenses, because a budget helps many people free themselves of uncomfortable feelings that they won’t stick to a budget long enough for it to become a habit. It can be done even for you however, it will take some planning A great place to start your planning is in the U.S. News & World Report website has some advice:
Bring everyone together. You should all be on the same page. If not, have an honest discussion about your individual and joint goals.
Establish a consistent way to track income and expenses. This is a crucial first step. Figure out how much money you bring in every month and what bills you have to pay. This helps you set priorities.
Evaluate your spending. Look at everything you all spend your money on – bills, food, entertainment and everything else. Look for areas where you can keep expenses down.
Build your savings. Set aside a certain amount of money every month to put into savings. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Looking for the end game will allow you to see substantial results even with modest monthly sums.
Reduce debt. Don’t carry a balance on your credit cards. Pay down your mortgage and any other loans as fast as you reasonably can. The less debt you have, the more breathing room for the future.
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Abstract Thinking
The key to innovation and creativity is to train yourself to look at questions from different angles. Opening your mind to innovation and creativity by looking at questions from different angles can be hard to do at first, but here are a few practice questions from the book Warmups For Meeting Leaders, by Sue Bianchi, Jan Butler and David Richey:
Do you know the shape is a wish? What would happiness look like if it were something physical? What color best represents today? Have you ever wondered what does blue look like? What does a rainbow feel like? Here’s and odd one, what color is the smell of your favorite dessert? Say your favorite sense?
Here’s The Fall Home Security Checklist… as your guide to protect your family from possible home break-ins with these simple safety measures. If you don’t have your home secured this post is for the average home owner to show areas where they could take action to improve their home’s security.
These are just a few of the steps you may take to decrease the likelihood that you or your home become victims.
Home Security Checklist Exterior Doors:
Lock all doors at night and every time we leave the house—even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Doors are solid hardwood or metal-clad.
Doors feature wide-angle peepholes at heights everyone can use.
If there are glass panels in or near your doors, they will shattered if the are not re-enforced.
Spare keys are kept with a trusted neighbor, not under a doormat or planter, on a ledge, or in the mailbox.
Garage and Sliding Door Security:
The door leading from the attached garage to the house is solid wood or metal-clad and protected with a quality keyed door lock and deadbolt. A good locksmith I have had good luck with for many years is Lockworks Unlimited in Redwood City
The overhead garage door has a lock so that we do not rely solely on the automatic door opener to give security.
Garage doors are all locked when leaving the house.
The sliding glass door has strong, working key locks.
A dowel or pin installed will secure a glass door to prevent the door from being shoved aside or lifted off the track.
Lock your sliding door every night and each time we leave the house.
Every window in the house has a working key lock or is securely pinned.
Make sure windows are always locked, especially when opened a few inches for ventilation.
Outdoor Security:
Trim shrubs and bushes so there is no space for someone to hide.
There are no dark areas around out house, garage, or yard at night that would hide prowlers.
Every outside door has a bright, working light to illuminate visitors.
Floodlights helps to make sure effective illumination.
Outdoor lights are on in the evening—whether someone is at home or not. One way is to install a photo cell or motion-sensitive lighting system.
Our house number is clearly displayed so police and other emergency vehicles can find the house quickly.
Adding security cameras are now an inexpensive and efficient way to see who comes on your property.
Security When Away From Home:
Arrange at least two light timers to turn the lights on and off in a logical sequence When you are away from home for an extended time period. Homeland Security has a PDF on proper lightening, which you can read by going to their site.
Turn on the motion detector or other alarm system (if you have one) when we leave home.
Stop your mail and newspaper deliveries or arrangements for a neighbor/friend to pick them up when we go away from home for a your vacation or business trip.
Ask a neighbor to tend the yard and watch your home when you are away. The Neighborhood Watch Institute has a good website to help Redwood City homeowners.
Outdoor Valuables and Personal Property:
The most forgotten security measure is to check gate latches, garage doors, and shed doors to make sure they are all locked with high-security, laminated padlocks.
Some items we use regularly like grills, lawn mowers, and other valuables are best out of sight in a locked garage or shed. If that is not practical and they need to be left out in the open, make sure they are hidden from view with a tarp. To add a help touch securely locked to a stationary point.
Lock every bicycle with a U-bar lock or quality padlock and chain.
Make sure you always lock your bikes, even if we leave them for just a minute.
Store firearms unloaded and locked in storage safes and secured with trigger guard locks.
Inscribe your valuable items, such as television, stereos, and computers with identifying number approved by local police.
Our home inventory is up-to-date and includes pictures. Keep your inventory work sheet in a location outside of the house. There are various ways to mark your possession. The one I like best is forensic marking.
Home Security Checklist – Redwood City – San Carlos Real Estate, … is only a guide to help you. Thieves are difficult to stop 100%. Be careful out there. Please use caution and think it through to protect yourself and your family.
Want to reprint this post? You may do so. Subscribe to Cliff’s free newsletter at https://www.sfbayhomes.com.”
Summer is hitting its stride and most of us are enjoying some vacation time. For that reason, this month’s newsletter is devoted to time off! Here are some of the fun articles you’ll enjoy as you sip your lemonade in the shade:
• A heart-warming story about an Irreplaceable Summer
• Wilderness Survival Tips
*• Unique Vacation Ideas
• A simple and easy recipe for a Summer Pie
• And an informative article on how to Help Children Gain Perspective
Remember that late summer and fall are excellent times for real estate moves. Home buyers are pushing to get into a new home before winter and home sellers are anxious to make a deal before the start of school.
If you’re thinking about selling, please contact me now, (650) 346-7366 so we can work towards a smooth transition. Talk with you soon.
Ava was newly married. She and her husband had just moved into their first home and she had decided to plant a garden like the one her Grandma had planted years ago in the house where she grew up. All her life, she’d been the one to help take care of that garden and she was excited to keep the tradition alive in memory of her Grandma.
As part of the garden, Ava planted a little tree at the base of a stone wall in the corner of her garden and spent the entire summer coaxing the seedling into growth. Finally, the baby tree began sprouting green leafy vines that climbed the wall, but to her disappointment, no flowers bloomed.
One morning Ava stood in her garden and wondered whether she should just dig up the tree and start over with something new to bring some life to the dark corner.
Then she heard a voice from over the wall. “Yoo-hoo! I just wanted to thank you for the beautiful flowers!”
Confused, Ava went next door. Her neighbor, an elderly woman, opened the garden gate and showed her into the backyard.
To her surprise, the young woman saw that her tree had not only bloomed, but had also sprouted flowers all along the vines that had crept over the wall into her neighbor’s yard
Her work gave her neighbor so much pleasure that Ava decided never to cut the tree down. She realized that what she had really planted were the seeds of friendship.
~Cliff
Please don’t keep me a secret…
The next time you’re in a conversation with a friend from work, your neighborhood, church, your gym or country club and they mention that they are interested in selling their house or rental property please, don’t keep me a secret. Pick up your cell phone, look up my number, (hint: 650-346-7366) and call me immediately. When you call we can talk about what would be the best way for you to introduce them to me.
Do Pets Make Us Happy?
Almost 60% of U.S. households have at least one resident dog or cat, reports The Washington Post. Do our pets make us happy, though? The General Social Survey asked questions related to that in 2018. The results may be surprising to dog and cat owners.
Dogs and cats don’t necessarily make us happier, for one thing. The survey found that among pet owners, slightly more than 30% in both groups identified themselves as “very happy,” while the number describing themselves as “Not too happy” was in the mid-teens for both groups.
However, dog owners are about twice as likely to say they’re very happy than cat owners, making dog owners slightly happier than people without any pets. People who are owned by a cat understand that the cat is not-so-secretly in charge and are generally very happy with that situation. All jokes aside, people owning both dogs and cats tend to fall in between the two camps, enjoying the benefit of both pets.
What creates the difference? The General Social Survey notes that dog owners tend to be older, married and own their own homes, which can contribute to overall happiness and satisfaction with life in general.
Cost to Buy a Home…
Do you know what the your costs when you buy a one-million-dollar home with 20% Down? Including what your mortgage payments…
Escrow Fees:
Down Payment (200,000.00)
Origination Fee (8,000.00)
Title Insurance (2,000.00)
Settlement Fee (250.00)
Escrow Fees (2,200.00)
Sub Escrow Fees (125.00)
Loan Tie-In Fee (100.00)
Recording Fee (60.00)
Tax Service (75.00)
Appraisal Report (350.00)
Credit Report (250.00)
Monthly Payments:
Mortgage Payment 3,819.32
Hazard Insurance $291.67
Property Taxes $1,000
TOTAL $5,110.99
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Mooove It On Over
Two men were seated together on a packed train heading into the city. One of the men remarked on the pretty country scene that stretched out on either side of the tracks.
“What a lovely bunch of cows,” he remarked.
“Not a bunch; herd,” his mate automatically replied. “Heard of what?”
“Herd of cows.”
“Of course I’ve heard of cows.”
Throw a Great Summer Bash
Throwing parties can be fun for the whole family, but they require ample food and beverage planning so everyone can have a good time. Keep these simple hints in mind so there is plenty on the table:
Time the Food: Prepare appetizers ahead of time. Heat up baked snacks just before serving.
Drinkability: Most guests at parties will consume 2½ drinks each. For every two guests, you should buy one bottle of lemonade, soda or whatever else you’re serving.
Keep it moving: Place your serving table well away from walls. Guests will be able to serve themselves from both sides and have room to move around it.
Music and Convergent Thinking
According to an article on the Pacific Standard website, reporting on research conducted by psychologists at the University of Central Lancashire in England, listening to music may help you relax, but apparently it can impair your creativity.
In several studies, participants were given three words, such as “dress”, “dial” and “flower”, and asked to come up with a fourth word that paired naturally with each. For example, “sun” compliments each of those words. Thirty university students did the exercise while listening to a pop song that had been translated into Spanish while the others performed in silence. The group working without music solved significantly more problems. In a similar experiment, subjects listened to instrumental music or nothing at all. Again, those working without music performed better.
The study appears to contradict the results of an earlier experiment, in which fast- paced, uplifting classical music like Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” appeared to enhance divergent thinking— the ability to come up with new concepts or hybrid ideas. That study, however, found no musical effect on convergent thinking, or the ability to narrow down ideas until finding one that works—an important part of the creative process.
Consider putting your headphones away to stimulate creative thinking when looking for innovative ideas.
Sweet…
The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. ~Harriet Ann Jacobs
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How to Get Out of a Slump
From time to time, even the most successful people fall into a slump, like a batter who can’t get a hit or a salesperson who can’t close a deal. Someone dealing with a slump can’t imagine the possibility of
overcoming it. However, ballplayers and salespeople who don’t give up usually manage to work their way out of a slump… and so can you. Try some of these strategies:
Take some time off. Instead of increasing your frustration, back away for a while. Go to the movies or visit a museum. Taking your mind off the problem can give it a chance to recharge. Also, you might hit on a new idea when you’re looking at something
Talk to people. Don’t isolate yourself. Go out and talk with friends, family members, or even strangers. You don’t have to ask for suggestions or advice. Just open yourself to other conversations and ideas, and your mind will shift out of the rut.
Engage all your senses. Approach the problem from a different angle. What would a solution feel like in your hands, sound like as a song, or taste like if it were a beverage? Don’t limit yourself to what you can see. Extend your mind in different directions and you may find a dimension that you hadn’t considered
A Tingling Idea
A mild dose of electricity might improve memory in older people, according to an article on the U.S. News & World Report website. Working memory declines as we age because brain regions fall out of sync with each other.
Researchers at Boston University devised a special EEG cap that delivers electrical stimulation to the neocortex and frontal lobes to synchronize brain waves, which play a big role in working memory. They tested the caps, which produce a slight tingling sensation, in 42 participants age 54–76 who were asked to perform working memory activities on separate days, sometimes with the cap and sometimes without it.
With the caps delivering electrical stimulation, participants’ working memory improved to the level of a control group of adults 20–29. The scientists tracked participants for about 50 minutes after the electrical delivery, but believe the results last longer. Electrical stimulation is already used on patients with Parkinson’s disease, but doctors caution that more research is necessary before anyone can walk into an office and get a dose to the brain to improve his or her working memory.
Good Ideas
Dream On
Some people think daydreaming is a waste of time, but it can be a powerful tool for sharpening your creativity. Entrepreneur magazine website spells out why:
Motivation Daydreaming about something you’d like to do can increase your motivation to go out and pursue your goals, and also helps structure your thoughts.
Visualization Use your daydreams to go into detail about your goals so you can identify possibilities and options. You can mentally narrow down ideas.
Problem solving. You can’t always attack a problem with logic and brute force. Spend some time letting your mind roam. Daydreaming relaxes you and reduces stress, so it might help you spot a solution you’d otherwise
Productivity. This may seem counterintuitive, but daydreams can help you focus. By daydreaming about a problem or opportunity, you give your brain a chance to concentrate on your goal without clutter or pressure from the world around you.
The Final Note
The great composer Igor Stravinsky once wrote the music for a ballet.
According to one story, after the ballet opened, a dancer sent Stravinsky a telegram: “Ballet great success, but if you would allow the violin to play the solo instead of trumpet, it would be a triumph.”
Stravinsky, known for his dry sense of humor, cabled back: “Satisfied with great success.”
August is the happy, lazy Sunday of Summer.
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Imagine me as your real estate consultant. What I do for you is invest my time consulting, negotiating, and organizing the details of your transaction because I want you to have a superb experience that will cause you to want to introduce me to the people you care about most.The purpose of my business is referrals, which means I must bring the type of value that makes you feel comfortable introducing me to the people you know that need my help.
After all, a referral is sending someone you care about to someone you trust. Cliff Keith
You may not know for sure what you think you know. Experiments conducted by Swedish psychologist Petter Johansson reveal that a simple sleight of hand can influence someone to change their mind.
In one trial, participants were shown pictures of faces and told to choose one or two of the photos in the series. After their answers were noted, participants were asked why they made a particular choice.
However, in soliciting those answers, Johansson deliberately referenced the photos that the respondents had not selected.
More than 80% of the participants offered detailed explanations for pictures they’d actually never chosen.
When they were shown the original series of photos
for a second time and asked to select their preference, these
respondents selected the pictures they’d been tricked into thinking they’d picked.
More structured research will have to be conducted in the future to determine the validity of this theory. Until then, though, you might want to observe if you, too, show “choice blindness”.
The Final Note
The great composer Igor Stravinsky once wrote the music for a ballet.
According to one story, after the ballet opened, a dancer sent Stravinsky a telegram: “Ballet great success, but if you would allow the violin to play the solo instead of trumpet, it would be a triumph.”
Stravinsky, known for his dry sense of humor, cabled back: “Satisfied with great success.”
August is the happy, lazy Sunday of Summer.
“We’ve all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.” ~Robert Wilensky
Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You Or Someone You Know?
I wrote a great article on “Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You Or Someone You Know?” Here’s the answer you have been asking yourself or in a conversation with a friend, For the answer to most questions people may have. Please let me know and I’ll pass it on to you so you can read it or give it to them.
Financial planning experts recommend having an emergency fund in case something unexpected like a layoff or injury interrupts your paycheck. Your safety net should cover at least six months’ worth of living expenses. Here’s how to calculate what you need to save:
Gather your financial records for the past 12 months. Include bank and credit card statements, ATM receipts, and canceled checks.
Create a 12-month grid. Down the left-hand side note all your fixed monthly expenses: mortgage or rent, insurance policies, car payments, utilities, medical expenses, etc. Then add other major spending categories such as food, entertainment, etc.
Do some arithmetic. Use the financial documents you collected to calculate the amount you spent in each category during each month of the past year. Total the expenses for each month and then add them together for a yearly figure.
Divide the figure by 12 to determine average monthly expenditures. Then multiply the average by six (or eight, for a more comfortable safety net). This is how much you should put aside.
In addition to your emergency fund, you should also have on hand an emergency credit card with the largest credit limit you can qualify for. Apply for this card before an emergency hits, as credit card companies are less likely to give you a line of credit when you are without income.
Quotes
Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him. —Booker T. Washington
If you empower dummies, you get bad decisions faster. —Rich Teerlink, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson
Everybody in life gets the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summer and the poor get it in the winter. —Bat Masterson
If you want a thing well done, get a couple of old broads to do it. —Bette Davis
What should you offer on a home you want to purchase? This post gives you the results for the Past 7-Days for Redwood City.. This proprietary information is provided by Cliff Keith, of SF Bay Homes with data from the local Multiple Listing Service, (MLS) MLSListings. The criteria use for these numbers is based on Year to Date, (YTD) figures.
Other indicators:
It as easy as counting 1-2-3. First of all pick up your cell phone. Second look up my cell phone number. (hint: 650 346-7366). Third call me immediately.
A Texas explorer has gone lower than anyone ever before, taking a submersible to a depth 
of 35,853 feet in the Mariana Trench, according to an article on the UPI website. It’s a new record, beating the previous by 52 feet.
Then things seem to get darker and a little colder. He’d lost track of where he was and realized he was being drawn out to sea.
more than financial support.
Warmups For Meeting Leaders, by Sue Bianchi, Jan Butler and David Richey:
Outdoor Security:
period. 
