Well, my cousin wasn’t the only one keeping up with me by blog! I can definitely say that is motivating, but where does a week go? I am so impressed with some bloggers I follow, like Seth Godin, who blog almost every day…how does he do that? Each one is interesting and seems relevant, somehow. Impressive.

Habits. I always hated them and thought I could outrun them. Not. They have caught up in a myriad of ways. Like the teeth I hated to floss have now decided they may leave the premises before I am done with them. Or the back exercises I didn’t think were necessary or sit ups to strengthen my core…which now resembles that of an old apple left lying by the side of the road. Could be better.

Glass half full, things could be worse and it isn’t too late to improve my chances, but everything takes the form of routine and habits. When did I decide that creative people don’t need routines? Writers write every day, usually at the same time. Painters paint, not only when the mood strikes. And people everywhere are flossing and taking their vitamins and doing their crunches. C’mon girl, get with the program and live!

I was just talking to my Mom, and found out indirectly that my cousin keeps track of me by my blog. There probably is a way that I would know if someone besides me is reading this thing, but I don’t know what it is. Over a year ago my son suggested I start practicing by writing in a blog as frequently as I could, because he thought I would be a natural. I have many other friends who over the years have encouraged me to write a book or two. While I do think I will get to that eventually, you can tell by my lack of discipline in writing every day (sometimes it’s weeks, or more), that I have a long way to go.

I never stop to consider that someone may be reading it although every once in awhile, especially concerning the short sale mess, I would get a wonderful note from a reader for whom it seemed to make a difference to know they were not alone in their experience. I even had one from a therapist who recognized, as I did, the need for support in dealing with the emotional ramifications of losing one’s home.

Mostly for me, it is a way to keep track of various thoughts and happenings that someday may flesh out a book, or serve as my notes to myself of my life in and around real estate. I have found, as one friend recently told me, ” Joan, I think you could leave real estate, but real estate will never leave you!” And that is because, as I look back over almost twenty years, it has been all about helping people where they live, with an important foundational block of their life, their home.

Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on the mission statement for the non-profit I have been nurturing for thirteen years. I have laid it on the back burner many times, most recently for about two years. I always recognized that this was something God put on my heart as I was living through it, and that if it was to grow it would be in His timing, not mine. Lately people have come forward saying they felt they were supposed to fund-raise for it, speak about it, get local attention  for it….so I have pulled out the corporate documents, reconvened the Board of Directors, and begun to file for 501 C-3 recognition so it can move forward. More about that soon….

By the way, if you’re out there, Hi Cuz!

Timing refers to anything that is necessary to move the contract along to closing on time, as in “time is of the essence” for the buyer to do a timely home inspection, making specific application with a lender for that house,  getting your paperwork and documents in on time,  and ordering your home insurance. For the seller, it may involve ordering the title insurance and the survey, getting repairs done so they can be re-inspected prior to closing, and making sure their closing agent stays  on top of everything.

In the larger picture, the timing begins with the Contract for Purchase and Sale, and the terms laid out for a closing time. This is where a quick closing of thirty days or less can be a key element of why a contract is accepted initially by a seller. If that sale doesn’t close within that time frame, it can cause undue stress on the parties involved, because everyone has lined up their future plans based on it. This is often where emotions begin to get heated.

The old saying “time is money…” begins to really make sense when you put it in the context of a real estate deal!