My Granddaddy's Coffee

Oh man my granddaddy was mean & yet OH SO FUNNY.  He had gotten sick in his latter years and one week my grandmother went out of town and asked me to come down and stay with him.  Of course I said yes.
I get up that first day and start making him the best breakfast EVER!  I'm talking Cracker Barrel ya'll, good stuff.  I had a vision!
So when it gets to coffee, I was not a coffee drinker and dagg on sure wasn't the barista of the family.  Well when I go to make the coffee, Ma-Ma kept it in a container with a scoop on the side and there were no instructions, so like any normal person I called my mom.  She didn't answer, so I looked and thought about this thang logically...you can't possibly need more than one of those for some coffee.  That wouldn't make sense.  With everything that's like premade-ish, you use 1:1 ratio right?

WRONG

The coffee starts coming out & I'm thinking "maybe it looks darker when it's all in the pot together"  The pot finishes and I picked it up, swirled it around, and thought "something about this isn't quite right".

I kept on with the plan, like maybe he won't notice - yeah right.  I set everything up for my granddaddy and went back into the kitchen.  They have a pass-thru window so I was peeking through to see what he thought.  I felt like Celie on The Color Purple watching Mr. cook for Sugg Avery lol

Well...he says "Ay-yesha...I love you honey but if you want Kelly to marry you, never ever make him any coffee"
Good googly I was embarrassed and there was nothing I could do.  I tucked my head and turned away.  We laughed soooooooo hard about that coffee all day and for years to come.

I miss that little man

Police: Realtor used code word to tip off coworker about sexual - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

You know, this hits really close to home.  Agents must protect ourselves at all times and be aware of what's going on.  I'm thankful the office has a safeword and that she remembered to use it and that they caught the jerk.



This is why I went to get my ccw!



Police: Realtor used code word to tip off coworker about sexual - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

Salvation is like Graduate School

So, I was thinking the other night that dedicating your life to Christ is like getting a MS degree....go with me for a second.
Let's say you want to get a MS in Volume at ABC-U.  You meet with the admissions director and they say the requirements for this degree are that you must have a BS degree in Preview, take an additional course called Plug and it costs $100,000 and you can only get help with 20% of the cost.
You think YIKES that's a lot of money even with help.  You tell the counselor, "thanks for your time" and that you need to go home to think about it.
So you start thinking of all the things you could do with your degree if you had it and all of the places it could take you and begin to get discouraged.
You turn on your computer and in your inbox is a message from XYZ-Tech titled "We'll payYOU for getting a degree".  You've never heard of them and the title sounds great so you open it up.  The message doesn't say much other than the title and a phone number.  You call & make and appointment.  When you get there, it's the most beautiful, top-notch building you've ever seen.  Everyone looks like models and in the parking lot there's nothing but $80,000 cars.  The rep says "yes, we'll pay you $2000 when you sign up to go to school, we'll give you an apartment & a brand new car to drive because we don't want you to be worried about money, we just want you to focus on XYZ".
Well, shoot this sounds like the deal of a lifetime!  And you go home to weigh out your options and being the savvy shopper that you are you look for reviews.
Lo & behold, you find that XYZ does pay you the $200,000 when you sign the admissions documents.  They will give you the keys to an apartment with your name on the lease and the keys to a brand new car with your name on the bill of sale.  What they didn't tell you is that, the money is to be paid back at 48% interest, is paid in installments over the next 40 years which is about $400 per month.  The apartment rent and car payment are your responsibility starting the following month and they will cost you about $5000 per month.

You see, the devil makes everything appear so beautiful, easy & fun, yet when you look deeper and talk to someone that walked that way before you, you'll find that no, it's not at wonderful and it seems.

With ABC-U you had to have an undergraduate degree (as to be saved) and then you had to take a course at $100,000 (live according to the WORD) and only get help with a portion of it (others can pray for you & support you by not tempting you).  You paying the 80% is you doing the heavy lifting - not subjecting yourself to areas that encourage you to sin or participate in "weight-y activities".  Now of course you never really "graduate" until after death because this is a lifetime of coursework.  Your cap & gown and ceremony are when you hear

"His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’" Matthew 25:23 NIV

I shared this with my hubby last night and we had a pretty good dialogue.  Maybe I should have started blogging this a few days ago when I had the aha.

...just my thoughts

Yikes My Skin Is On FIRE! Ok, not really but here's some cool info

Ha HA HA! I crack myself up!

So, it's time for that last minute trip to the beach before the weather gets too cold to lay out and here are some tips on summer skin emergency care from my doctor's monthly email.

Tips for 10 Summer Skin Care Emergencies

By Eileen Bailey, Health Guide

Summer acne – Make sure to cleanse with a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide product every   night. If your skin is especially oily during the summer months, try using your cleanser twice a day, but watch for drying of your skin. In between cleansing, rinse your face with water to reduce oiliness. 

Shaving or waxing bumps – Use an astringent that contains salicylic acid. That will help get rid of dead skin that can trap hair follicles and cause in-grown hairs. Use hydrocortisone cream or aloe to help reduce redness and swelling. 

Sunburn – Use an after-sun lotion or gel with aloe to help reduce redness and swelling. If necessary, take ibuprofen which can also help limit swelling. Use frozen bags of vegetables on burned areas to help reduce pain. Make sure to apply after-sun lotions frequently to keep your skin hydrated. 

Peeling – After the sunburn begins to fade, you end up with peeling skin. While it is tempting to pull the skin off, this can damage your skin. Instead, keep it hydrated with moisturizers and allow the skin to shed on its own.

Heat Rash – Find someplace cool to sit and relax, take a cool shower, wear loose-fitting clothing and use calamine lotion sparingly to help your skin recover.  

Blisters – The new sandals can look great, but you just may end up with red, swollen blisters. The first step is to not pop the blister as this can increase your risk of infection. Wash the area and use a bandage to cover the blister. Use an antibiotic cream, such as Neosporin, to help prevent infection if the blister does break. 

Dry hair – Use an intensive conditioning treatment. Apply to wet hair and cover with a towel. Leave the conditioner in the hair for about 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing it out. 

Limp hair – If all the humidity makes your hair look limp and lifeless, turn your head upside down and spray hairspray or styling foam/gel to the underside of your hair. That should give it some lift. Finish by using the same product on the top of hair to make it look fuller.

Bug bites –Avoid popping a bug bite as this increases your risk of infection. Use an anti-itch cream or lotion, such as calamine lotion. If the bug bite is in an area, such as your face, that prevents you from looking your best, try a concealer, such as Boo-Boo Cover Up, which aids in healing while hiding the redness. 

Blotchiness – Overexposure to the sun can cause blotchiness on your skin. Before applying makeup, exfoliate your skin and apply a toner and moisturizer. Mineral-based makeup is best for blotchy skin, and because the pigment is concentrated, it offers more cover. Use a minimal amount of makeup that will cover up without making you look like you’ve overdone it.

National Real Estate Gets a Boost

One of the coolest things about real estate is that it's trends are local.  Local trends some time vary what what is going on nationally.  Our market has been growing and now Forbes is showing the same thing nationally. YAY!  Take a look at the link below!

Steve Schaefer & Forbes

If you know anyone that is thinking of buying a house, selling a house, or investing in real estate, please have them call me.

~Thanks,
Ayesha
336.340.4268
www.GreensboroHousePrices.com

NC Triad Housing Market

What a great time to be in the real estate market!

I got my license when most agents were "heading for the hills" and "getting real jobs".  I have had a VERY steep learning curve to say the least and it has made me one of the strongest real estate agents around.  I have had countless "unique" situations with buyers and sellers and could probably write a very funny non-fiction best seller about them.
This year has been a bit different. While I have still had new experiences in real estate, I've made some pretty good money!  "WHAT?!?! You can make money in real estate?"  Why yes you can.  My husband has been thrilled that what had been a money draining career choice for the past few years has actually brought some cash flow into our house.
While that is good for me, what is really great for those living in, moving to, and moving from the NC Triad, is that every, yes EVERY offer I have made or received in 2013 has had competition.  Oh snap, multiple offers on houses had been kind of the loch ness monster of real estate...I knew people who knew people back 20 years ago who had those, but I hadn't seen one until 2013.
So, what do multiple offers mean for real estate buyers and sellers?  It means a few things

1. People Are Still Buying Houses!  I hear at least three times a week from friends, family, and strangers that "the market is bad", "houses aren't selling", "I can't sell a house right now"...guess what guys, the bottom is gone we are on the upswing!
2. Home Sellers Are Pricing Their Houses Correctly!  I know that on some tv and youtube channels, you've seen houses sell at 20% or more less than list price.  It does happen but not often in the Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, Kernersville area.  If you want to sell your house, don't try to build in "wiggle room", price it right and it will sell, and maybe even for more than list price.
3. If You Like It Buy It!  Gone are the days of 365+ days on market (for properly priced houses).  If you like the house and it meets 7/10 of your want list, pull out the pen and write the offer.  Great houses aren't going to be around long and there are people who lost another house that won't want to miss the one you area thinking about.
4. Banks Lend Money Daily!  If you are qualified to buy, you can get a loan, but you won't know until you talk to a lender.  There are different things that affect credit in different ways and there are specific areas that mortgage lenders look at that others may not.  Pulling your own credit to see isn't always the best way to know if you are mortgage ready, you need to talk to a mortgage lender to see where you are and how to get you where you want to be.
5. House Sellers Can Be Selective!  Gone are the days of just writing up a win/lose offer on a house.  Make sure you are offering a win-win situation not a win-lose.  Even with short sales, the deal has to make sense.  Distressed does not mean Desperate and if you try to send something ridiculously low it will only get rejected by the homeowner and the bank.  The majority of short sale listing prices have already taken into account the condition and stigma of "short sale".  The tactic of "take my offer or I'll walk" won't work because if it's priced right, the real estate agent will sell it quickly.

If you are looking for a house to buy or if you are interested in selling a house in the NC Triad (Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, Julian, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Whitsett, McLeansville, Sedalia, Jamestown, Colfax) let me know.  I'm here to help.  I work with a great group of lenders, inspectors, insurance agents and contractors.

Make it a GREAT Day!
~Ayesha
336.340.4268
www.GreensboroHousePrices.com

Wet Wednesday

Today has been really "sticky", but I got some WONDERFUL sleep this morning...that usually happens when it's raining.  Something about rain/overcast weather that brings out the "cat" in me lol.


Today I got a few things accomplished around Greensboro, NC...

• Phone Duty at Keller Williams Realty this morning and a social media training session
• Got some gas at Sheetz for only $3.22 with my MySheetz card (and a free burger woo hoo)
• Went to A Cleaner World today for the Wild Wednesday special Suits / Dresses are only $7.99!  What a great deal!
• Tonight I'll be at St. Peter's Church in Winston-Salem for Bible Study