Author Archives: Vicki Reed

Wish # 5

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My fifth wish is that society curb their consumerism…do we really need a bigger TV to be happy?  Does constantly accumulating more “things” make you happy?  I’m the first to admit…I love shopping!  I love nice clothes, purses, coats…and oh the shoes!  But do I need them to be happy?  Probably not, but the right shoes with the right outfit makes me happy and these red ones, they just make me feel great…Red Shoes

I see people every day, working hard and spending more for things you wonder if they really need or more likely, do their children.  Growing up, we had everything we needed, sure there was plenty of stuff we wanted, but I couldn’t tell you now what any of those things were.  My favorite things are the experiences we had as a family.  My Pappa was a school bus driver and a farmer (goes hand in hand more often than you would think).  His route took him past our house for a drop, then he would come back by…we would yell to Mom where we were headed, he’d pick us up at the end of the drive-way and take us home with him.  Mamma would add more plates to the table and after Dad got home and finished feeding (we too lived on a farm), he and Mom would come to retrieve us.  There was always ice cream (sometimes homemade that we had to crank!) or watermelon and cantaloupe, sitting on the front porch, laughing, talking enjoying the breeze and each other before jumping into the back of the pick-up and heading home.

With Christmas just around the corner, it is a great time to take stock, look around at what you have, decide what you really need before making that Christmas wish list, think about what you have, what you don’t use any more and donate usable items to your favorite charities…Goodwill, Salvation Army, Red Cross…the list is extensive.

My friend (and Co-Blogger) Mary O has a great solution – she has 3 sons, all married, 2 with kids, (1 with dogs) – instead of shopping for things…she takes each family to dinner and an event.  Plays, the Circus, Children’s Museum…she is making memories that her Grandchildren will remember for a lifetime…that’s what life is about, not the “things” you accumulate…

What could you live without?  What are your wishes for positive change?  Please share!

Vicki Reed

Wish # 4

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In light of the recent tragedies, my fourth wish is that we, as a society, remember the victims of these senseless acts of violence and make changes in how we treat ourselves, our loved ones, and one another.

On Christmas Eve, 1989, my 16 year old brother was killed in a car accident.  He was the youngest of 4 and the only boy and our lives have never been the same.  I look at my beautiful nieces and think how much fun he would have had being their uncle, I wonder who he might have married, if he would have had children and what they may have been like…to those who have lost loved ones tragically and unexpectedly…the pain subsides in time, but will never leave you.

Despite how you feel today, life does go on and as hard as it is, you must move forward…create a credo to live by and to honor your lost loved one:

I will tell those I love…that I love them on a regular basis.

I will be purposeful in my life and take responsibility for the results.

I will stretch myself past my limits daily, I will not wait for perfection, and I will act now.

I will learn from my failures and my successes.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and community of Newtown, CT.

 

Vicki Reed

 

Wish # 3

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My third wish is that everyone remember to be human, not just during the holiday season, but all year long.

We are people…we need food, rest, friendship and love.  We can’t work all the time and we can’t rest all the time, life must be balanced.  As we go through our daily lives, we should treat each other with respect, understanding that we all bear our own struggles, usually silently.

Slow down, look around you, acknowledge the next person you see with a nod and a smile.  Compliment a stranger, hold the door for person coming in the door you are going out…all it takes is a little effort on your part and it can make a difference in how someone feels, even how they see themselves.

The Golden Rule says:  “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt. 7:12)…it is my wish that we all remember this and put it into practice for next year.

What are your wishes?  Call, text, email or comment here!

Vicki Reed

Wish # 2

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My second wish is that everyone feel loved and valued.  I am very blessed in my life…I have family who is supportive and encouraging in everything I do, and friends (The Group) who listen to frustrations and celebrate the victories as they come.  As an adult, I was fortunate to have known all of my Grandparents, the last to pass only a month ago and just before her 98th birthday, despite her diminished capacity, we made certain she knew she was loved and valued by those whose lives were touched by her generous and giving spirit over the years.

I believe one should feel this way in their career as well, I have been a Realtor for 2 1/2 years and moved to Keller Williams Realty (Indy Metro) this year and have truly found a home, I have never worked with a more genuine group of people, received encouragement for ideas that are a little out of the box for Realtors (MAX T Agents!), and the care and support of other agents.  We are all working toward the same goal to build careers worth having, businesses worth owning, and lives worth living.  Click here (Wi4C2TS_poster) to view the Keller Williams Belief System.  If you are thinking about a career change (or Company change if you are a Realtor), contact me, let’s talk.

As I said, I’m blessed with great family, great friends and career I love…tell me your wish…email, call or text me!

Vicki Reed

Wish # 1

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Where to start, where to start…where do you start your list of 12 Wishes for Christmas?   Remember, the wishes are to be for positive change...

I wish for my family and friends to find happiness and success in their everyday lives.

Okay, so what does this really mean?  Those closest to me have struggled so much in the last year, from the financial to the emotional…deaths (some unexpected and some prayed for), home loss, job loss, accidents, unexpected care for loved ones, the list goes on and on.  It it my wish their pain eases, jobs are found, and bodies and hearts heal.

What are your wishes?  Email, call or text me!

 

Vicki Reed

 

12 Wishes of Christmas…

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Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is behind us, everyone is in overdrive for Christmas…the Hallmark, Family  and Lifetime Channels have been running Christmas movies nonstop, some since before Thanksgiving!  ION Television has added one to their line-up that sounds intriguing (bear in mind that I have not watched it yet!), “Twelve Wishes of Christmas” Lately things haven’t been going right for Laura, an aspiring fashion exec. With her professional and personal life crumbling, and willing to try anything to help, she follows her best friends suggestion and sets up a session with a life coach, who tells Laura to return home and make a list of twelve wishes for positive change in her life.

If you had 12 Wishes for Christmas, what would they be?  Would you be selfish and wish for just yourself? Or altruistic and wish mostly for others?  I suspect that most of us would have a little of both on our lists…

Between today and Christmas, I will be working on my list and will share them, one at a time, with all of you.  Will you share with me?  I’m easy to reach – you can comment on this blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or my website…

# 3 on the 10 most affordable cities for homebuying list!

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According to CNN Money, Indianapolis ranks # 3 in the 10 most affordable cities for homebuyers (click here for the whole list)…here’s what they have to say about us:

Median income: $62,600
% of homes sold that are “affordable”*: 92.6%

The capital of Indiana is an important auto industry supplier, with transmissions, starters, gaskets and other parts still manufactured here.

As the auto industry has revived, so has the local economy. The city also has benefited from having diverse industries: Pharmaceutical makers (Eli Lilly), financial services firms (Conseco), the state government, and communications companies (Brightpoint) are all major employers. And the job market is improving: Unemployment fell in September to 6.4%, 1.5 percentage points below the national rate of 7.9%.

That’s great news for job seekers, but home buyers may not be quite as happy. A few years ago, Indianapolis regularly led the affordability index; it’s since slipped a couple notches. Still, Indianapolis is the largest metro area of the 10 most affordable cities.

Ready to buy or sell?  Let me help!  Click here for my website and let’s get started!

More good news in housing market!

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This article was released today on MSN…ready to make a move?  Click here to visit my website, I offer FREE market analysis for your home and can also help you get the best deal if you are ready to buy!

Existing home sales climb, housing recovery gains traction

Nationwide, the median price for a home was up 11.1 percent from a year earlier as fewer people sold their homes under distressed conditions.

WASHINGTON – Home resales unexpectedly rose in October, a sign that slow improvements in the country’s labor market are helping the housing sector recovery gain traction.

The National Association of Realtors said on Monday that existing home sales climbed 2.1 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.79 million units.

That was above the median forecast of a 4.75 million-unit rate in a Reuters poll.

NAR economist Lawrence Yun said superstorm Sandy, which slammed in the U.S. East Coast on October 29, had only a slight impact on home resales. The only region where the pace of sales slipped was the Northeast. But Yun said the storm could temporarily hold back the pace of sales in November and December.

Nationwide, the median price for a home resale was $178,600 in October, up 11.1 percent from a year earlier as fewer people sold their homes under distressed conditions compared to the same period in 2011. Distressed sales include foreclosures.

The nation’s inventory of existing homes for sale fell 1.4 percent during the month to 2.14 million, the lowest level since December 2002.

At the current pace of sales, inventories would be exhausted in 5.4 months, the lowest rate since February 2006.

The price increase last month was measured against October 2011, and since then distressed sales have fallen to 24 percent of total sales from 28 percent.

The share of distressed sales, which also include those where the sales price was below the amount owed on the home, was flat from September.

By Jason Lange of Reuters

Ladies, want auto service and not be made to feel “stupid”…

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…because you don’t know anything about cars except how to fill your tank?  Take your vehicle to the guys at Indy Tire NW, Ron and the other gentlemen who work there are so fantastic that even though I no longer work in their area, I make the trek from Beech Grove for my tires, rotations, oil changes and just about anything else my car needs.  When I had transmission problems (which they don’t handle), they directed me to the another shop and I was treated with the same respect I receive from them.

I recently needed new tires and called and spoke directly with Ron (the manager) and we discussed options – I’ve been taking my car to them for a long time and he knows I’m a Realtor (click here for my website!) – he presented me with 2 options and we discussed everything allowing me to make the best decision for myself.  Never once in my dealing with this shop has anyone made me feel “stupid”, my budget, time and safety are always taken into consideration.  Need to leave your car? they will take you to your office and pick you up later in the day.  They’ve even driven me to an appointment and picked me up after…now that is service!

Please everyone, if you want great auto service, visit the shop of Indy Tire NW!

 

Where are home prices going?

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I am often asked where I think home prices are headed over the next year.  Reality is that we don’t know, with the election behind us, we can only hope it continues to improve!

Recently, several groups have stepped forward and given their projections as to what level of appreciation we can expect by the end of 2013. Here is what they said:

Demand Institute Study: 1.75% appreciation

Urban Land Institute: 2%

Home Price Expectation Survey: 2.44%

National Assoc of Business Economists: 2.8%

Wall Street Journal’s Survey of Economists: 3.25%

All five groups are calling for home values to rise through the end of next year. However, none are projecting that we will hit historic annual appreciation levels (3.6%) that existed prior to the housing bubble.

Think it might be time for you to make a move?  Call, text or email me – click here to visit my website for contact information!