Sheron Cardin's Input...: September 2007

THE HOUSING MARKET IS BROKEN SO HOW DO WE FIX IT?

"KICK IT UP A NOTCH" AS EMERIL LAGASSE WOULD SAY ON HIS FOOD TV NETWORK SHOW;  ((((((BAM!))))))  

What does Emeril do when he is given a boring slab of chuck roast? (He would never serve it to his customers like that, ever!) He kicks it up a notch of course! HE ADDS HIS FIVE SPICE, ONION, CARROTS, BELL PEPPERS, GARLIC, BASIL, BAY LEAVES, SALT, FRESH GROUND PEPPER, HOT CRACKED PEPPER FLAKES, A LITTLE BRANDY, AND WHATEVER ELSE IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THIS PIECE OF MEAT ((((((BAM))))) WORTHY!

What do you do when you are given a less than exciting piece of real estate? KICK IT UP A NOTCH AND ((((((BAM))))))

NOW YOU GOT IT!   (((((STAGED!)))))

Do it yourself or hire it done but what ever you do, get it ((((((STAGED!)))))) 

It has been so blazing hot this summer that I have not been able to enjoy the simplest of things outdoors.

I live on a corner and both streets have been under construction and torn up for months and the grape vineyards once enjoyed have been torn down to make way for a subdivision of 125 homes across the street. Gotta love it if you are in this business but not so good when your in the middle of it!

Every day my house fills with dirt if I leave a door or window open, my patio is covered in it and I get my blower out every morning to remedy the situation if only for a few hours. my grass has died from from all the loose blowing dirt and they have only begun. Usually evenings and mornings are the best here in the San Joaquin Valley but not for me this year.

This is the view from my office, my kitchen, my living room, my bedrooms. I am surrounded by earth movers. We have been in lock down for months, held captive by the reality of urban sprawl.

However, yesterday I met one of my favorite Active Rain Home Stagers Ginger Foust at one of my all time favorite hangouts The Elbow Room and the weather was absolutely stunning...we laughed and laughed as if we had known each other forever. Ginger and I grew up in the same neighborhood at the same time and it was fun to share the cruising in our cars stories. We enjoyed our lunch with cool breezes at our backs and had fun talking about the future. The ensuing rain clouds in the distance were a welcoming sight. The sun is friendly again at last.

This morning I pulled my slippers from my closet which have been stowed away for six months and affectionately put them on, grabbed my luxurious terry cloth robe and dusted it off, grabbed a fresh cup of coffee and my new Sunset Magazine and headed for the patio. The rain last night had quieted the flying dirt and settled polluted particles from the air. It was quiet since construction comes to a halt on weekends...I sat back in my comfortable patio chair, opened my magazine, took a sip of my coffee and sighed...ahhhh, life is good again!

It is 10:30 AM on a Saturday and it is only a delicious 65 degrees outside compared to 90...color me happy!

If you have been under a rock then you probably don't know that I have been dabbling in the mysterious arts of Feng Shui personally, with the help and gentle guidance of Carole Provenzale, a few e-books, and some paper books trying to find a starting point of incorporation. 

And as some of you know...my funny bone led to believe that if I followed this path, my home would turn into a Chinese restaurant. A light bulb went off and I thought I could take on the challenge of upgrading the trinkets and bobbles and superstitious behaviors with a decorator's eye and I have managed with some finesse, acceptable replacements for myself.

As I was dancing along the feng shui path of laughter and confusion, I befriended Carole or she befriended me, whichever the case...I am certain she has prevented some unforeseen casualties I was in the midst of creating for myself and took me on as a personal challenge for herself (now that I have gotten to know her better, she did not need another project). But she reached out to me I have done every little thing she has told me to in blind faith and just for the pleasure of learning something new. I am a strong believer in 'learning is in the doing' so how perfect was this new adventure for me.

In no way did I expect the coming events.

I was told to plant a tree, not just any tree but an evergreen, in the wealth sector of my property. I was to follow specific instructions on colors of mulch and ribbons with no leeway. I made sure that the tree was planted right where it was supposed to go before I went to Seattle August 4th for a week. This is where it starts getting good...

While in Seattle and busy with other interests, I returned home to my computer and what did I find? I had more sales that week than any other week since I began my web business two years prior. Could this be a direct result of the MONEY TREE? Woohoo I thought, this is really fun. I shared my excitement with family and friends and I go the proverbial grin and a nod like yuhuh. Carole knew! She was not surprised AT ALL. She was happy and ready to take the next step. 

Oh, it doesn't stop there! August sales increased 25% over any other month, ever. OK, still could be coincidence, timing, bound to happen kind of surge. Could be that home staging is catching on and everyone is wanting forms and instructions? Could be a natural progression of 'things'? Sure...thats fine. 

Nope! It doesn't stop there...this week is not over yet and my sales are greater for one week than 90% of my monthly totals. Yuhuh, now we're talking. What did I work on last week with my extremely profitable feng shui consultant? You want to know, don't you! Well, I will tell you that began working on my HELPFUL PEOPLE sector and I mean barely scratching the surface.  

Being the sales person that I am, and I am not trying to sell you anything here...just sharing the joy and shock, my feng shui consultant paid for herself in the first 6 weeks of her consultation and I am talking about we have just scratched the surface! Did I say that already? Let me say it again...we have just scratched the surface. Now this is not going to happen to everyone the same way and maybe everything will go back to 'normal' but what if it doesn't! What if it just gets better and bigger and brighter? Other aspects of my life not mentioned here are humming along too!

Oh, I have got to calm down. I suspect there will be more to come! Moral of the story? Sleep in peace because your blessings are forever coming to you.

Here is a link to my feng shui posts if you are interested in reading about the stones and the money tree and the blessings, and more.