* THE GARDEN IS A YEAR OLD

We have tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, chives mint and basil!!

What to do with old rose petals.....fun!!

Big foot was here!

* PHOTOS FROM SPACE

Breathtaking....sent by my friend, Dolores Thomas in Turlock.

http://www.texasjim.com/NASApix/NASA%20pix.htm

* PRAYER FOR TODAY

This is lovely and was sent by my friend, Aimee. Thank you, Aimee!

Heavenly Father,Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares .

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

* 10 THINGS TO DO WHEN SELLING YOUR HOUSE

Have you ever seen photos of homes for sale where all you see is clutter and mess?

If no one ever comes into your house, your chances of selling it are close to none!

It is crucial that the house be photo ready and show ready before going on the market. Don’t hire an agent who’ll just show up to have you sign on the dotted line and snap some photos without preparing the house first! Well, unless that is what you want, of course!! You’d be surprised to know how many sellers just don’t want to lift a finger to change things. In that case what’s an agent to do? Well, I am trying to change the mind-set of sellers who up to now have given this subject much thought or do not know the impact this may have on the profit of the sale. Statistics show that staged homes on average sell in less time and or for more money.

Did you know that staging does not have to cost much, if anything? Well, it doesn’t!! Knowing this fact would you consider staging your house? I am going to guess that the answer is yes! Most of what you can or need to do can be done with items found already in the home. Oh, and one more thing……the cost of staging is always less than your first price reduction!!! With that being said, here is a short list to get you off to a good start…..

1. Stand across the street and look at your house. Remove anything that seems out of place or that seems to crowd the house or is distracting in any way.

2. Trim all plants/bushes removing any dead, and or, overgrown branches. Mow and edge the lawn. Trim trees bottom-to-top and bushes top-to-bottom. There should not be any plants blocking any of the windows.

3. Add new colorful flowers to any empty spots in borders or accent areas. Purples, oranges & reds are great choices that attract a lot of attention! Be sure to keep all plants watered to keep them looking their best!Or maybe the corner of a room which gives no indication of how big the room IS? Well, that is NOT how you sell a house! An agent ca not make a seller clean or unclutter their home but it will be costly for the seller not to follow an agent’s advise to get the house in shape prior to being put on the market. Now that every listing on the market is on the internet you need to make sure your house can compete with other homes within its class current for sale.

4. Set the mood starting at the front door! This will set the stage for what awaits inside. Potted plants with beautiful flowers, a new wreath reflecting the current season on the door is a nice welcoming touch!

5. Declutter, declutter, declutter, depersonalize, depersonalize, depersonalize! Stand at the door to each room and see what the buyer will see. Better yet, take pictures then take a look. Decluttering and depersonalizing will allow the buyer to picture themselves in the space and will prevent them from getting distracted looking at your stuff. You’re selling your house not your stuff, so put your stuff away!!

6. Clean the house. I am talking detailing here…Q-TIP CLEAN!! Just like you would detail your car if you were selling it, so should you detail your house. In fact your house is worth so much more so it makes sense to do that. But in fact many people clean their cars better than their house when selling it.

7. Allow light into the house. By simply opening all window coverings during showings you'll give your area a greater appeal.

8. Eliminate pet odors if at all possible, or any odors for that matter! Pet & cigarette odors especially turn off non-pet owners. It makes them feel that the entire house is dirty and that the odor will never come off. And in some cases that may be the case depending on how deeply penetrated the house is with the smells.

9. Organize all closets in the house! Plan on removing at least one third of everything you have in your closets. Unless you keep your closets very neatly organized you will need to do this in order to let the space be seen. Overly stuffed closets give the impression that the house is too small and that there is not enough storage space to store things. Everyone has stuff to store and they are looking for space to store it.

10. Make the house smell good by lighting candles often and if possible by having fresh flowers during showings. They can be from your garden or store bought. If you can’t afford flowers you can add greenery from your yard. Cutting from the yard last even longer than flowers and they add a fresh feeling to the home.

There are SO many more tips I have to share with you but it will have to be next time! Other tips include detailed instructions for each room, counters, furniture, what to do with what you decide to leave during the sale and HOW to display it. But I hope that these tips I’ve given here will be helpful to anyone who reads them. Thank you for visiting and visit again soon!! Turn all the lights in every room and have all doors to all rooms open while the house is being shown. There is nothing worse then a scary and cluttered dark house where agent and buyers are scared to open doors to peak into rooms not knowing what to expect!! Once I was showing a house and there was passed out man on the bed! Just weird!!!

Here you see you see that on a vacant house you can pay attention, to say the bathrooms. The kitchen is another room that should be stated if at all possible.

I like including photos with my posts!
Before
After

* JUNE'S NEWSLETTER

I hope you find some useful information in this month's newsletter!

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY! :)

http://www.homewarranty.com/pdfs/signup/6852-English.pdf

* JUNE'S "TIPS"CALENDAR...

...According to Martha Stewart

1st: Pick strawberries to make jellies and jams

2nd: Clean outdoor grills

10th: Send invitations for 4th of July party

13th: Pick young vegetables

14th: Flag Day

15th: Father’s Day

16th: Order fall bulbs

21st: Summer Solstice

23rd: Fill spaces in borders with annuals

27th: Prune roses after first bloom

* BUYER'S FAQs

The information in these answers is given only as a guide and is not a guarantee and may not apply to every situation, as each case is unique. It is the consumer’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with their own set of circumstances.

Q: Will I lose my deposit if I change my mind about buying the house?
A: Usually only if you do so AFTER removing all your contingencies. Per contract a buyer has a specified time allowed to get the loan approval, do inspections & investigations and such about the property. After all that is done and the buyer is satisfied, all contingencies are removed. After that point the deposit usually goes to the seller as liquidated damages if the buyer backs out or is unable to close escrow.

Q: Will my taxes & insurance be included with my payment?
A: That is usually up to each buyer, but in some cases a lender may require that they are.


Q: What is Mello-Roos?
A: Click here for more info: http://www.mello-roos.com/pdf/mrpdf.pdf for California.


Q: What is a Short Sale?
A: A Short Sale, when approved by the lender, is when the current fair market value of a given property is not sufficient to satisfy the current debt owed against the property, and the lender therefore accepts a Short Sale (current market value) as payment of the debt. Every case is unique and each homeowner should contact their lender for specific details pertaining to his or her own situation.

Have more questions? Please send me an email and I will be happy to try and answer them!

* You HAVE to try this recipe!!!!!

Serves 4
Wild Rice Salad with Cucumber & Orange
Ingredients:
1 1/3 wild rice
3 ½ cups water
1 each red, yellow & orange bell peppers, seeded & thinly sliced
1/1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 orange (I use 2), peeled, pith removed, and cubed
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks (I use cherry tomatoes, they last longer!)
1 red onion very finely sliced (I use half)
Generous handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the dressing: (I double this part)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Put the wild rice and water into a large pot or pan and bring to a boil. Stir, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the rice is al dente (firm to the bite). Uncover the rice for the last few minutes of cooking to let any excess water evaporate.

To make the dressing, put the crushed garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and seasoning into a a screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Add extra vinegar, oil, or season as required.

Drain the rice (if needed) and turn into a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix in. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients and serve.

Recipe source: Simple But Perfect Salads recipe book from Cost Plus.

* KEEP YOUR ALLEY CLEAN.....for Safety's Sake!

If you have an alley next to your house it may your responsibility to keep it clean and free of weeds and trash that can somehow mysteriously just happen to appear out of nowhere! Last I checked someone had left a pair of black sweatpants right by the gate leading to my alley!

A clean and weed-free fence line is good for safety, weather it’d be fire hazards, trash to be hidden such as old junk people throw away. An un-kept alley may also give the appearance that no one ever looks back there and may invite idle minds to cause trouble.

With July 4rth around the corner and temperatures rising, it is a good idea to inspect and correct any thing needing attention. This will lessen the chance of a fire getting started.

If you are not sure if you are responsible for keeping your alley clean, contact your local police dept and they will be able to guide you to the right dept. I know that because it was my city’s police dept who send me a notice asking me to clean my alley.

I knew of one side I was responsible for, but then I discovered that I was also responsible for another side between my house and an empty lot next door. The weeds were thriving there! I also found other trash that had been discarded there who knows how long ago. The accumulation of trash/weeds contributes to faster decaying of fences and can also block view of anything going on back there.

Best time to clean is in the morning or in the evening when it is not too hot. Wear long sleeves, pants instead of shorts, and gloves. Some weeds have long thorns that can really hurt!!

Here are some samples of what to expect......AND try to get your dog to help you with the clean up!!

* FLYERS FOR MY LISTINGS

CHARMING HOME WITH POOL IN TURLOCK: 3 BEDS/2BAS $259,000
http://www.postlets.com/res/640378

GOOD BUY IN STOCKTON'S FRENCH CAMP COMMUNITY: 3-4 BEDS/2BAS $149,500
http://www.postlets.com/res/640483

GREAT 2-STORY & MOVE-IN READY HOME IN CERES: 5 BEDS/3BAS $229,000 http://www.postlets.com/res/632776