Monday Mornings with
I am so excited to announce my blog, Monday Morning with Martha! This blog is intended to share and talk! I am so looking forward to sharing time and thoughts with you, my family, friends, collegues, clients and new acquaintances.........please join me.....
If you have an idea for a topic or questions about real estate, Contact Me.
April 12, 2010
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond...
Finding your PASSION is something I was fortunate to discover one afternoon in 1981 when I made a decision to pursue a career in real estate..... I will never forget closing the hood of the Chevette sitting on North Parkway and drawing the strength from within that I COULD pursue my PASSION.....
I found an article, that made me think of that day and I wanted to share....
1. Find Your Joy Factor Look at the whole of your life history. When did you experience the most sustained period of Joy? What were you doing then? Where were you? Who were you with? How did it feel?
2. What Are Your 3 Most Favorite things to do? If you had a free day with NO commitments, where would you be found? What would you be doing with whom?
3. In what area do you excel? (NO MODESTY ALLOWED HERE!)Truly, what are you complimented on a lot? This could be ANYTHING.
4. What do you most want to be remembered for? If you were designing your epitaph, what would you want it to say? (NOT what your Mom wants, or your SPOUSE wants or your third cousin twice removed, but what do YOU want your headstone to say?)
5. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your life TODAY? How would it look compared to how it looks now? Which aspects of your life ARE changeable, both short term and long term?
6. How does your Joy factor overlap with your favorite things and the areas in which you excel? Do the areas in which you excel bring YOU joy, or are they really for someone else.....do you see which are obvious matches, and which do not fit? Those that overlap, that bring YOU the most Joy, are most likely the things that would bring you into Passionate Living.
7. What is the first even teeny tiny step you can take to living out your Passion as you have defined in #6? Take some time to really think this one through... concentrate and focus, and then you will be able to start the next step...BUILDING YOUR ROADMAP.
By Julie Jordan Scott
MORE TO COME NEXT WEEK..............
Until Next Week...................
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Visit us on facebook and lets share.... (The Martha Webster TEAM).......
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March 29,2010
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond....
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Do you know we offer a service (free of charge) to you, where we will come out and walk thru your property and make suggestions on the best things to do to get the
house ready?
A house that "sparkles" on the surface will sell faster.....
- how much should you spend
- exterior and curb appeal
- preparing the interior
WE ARE HAPPY TO HELP YOU MAP OUT THE BEST STATEGY TO GET YOUR HOME THE BEST FIRST IMPESSION!!
Until Next Week.....
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March 15,2010
Good Morning Tennesee Valley and Beyond...
Spring Break 2010 has begun!!
Felix and I took our grandson, Colby on a ride over the weekend and I was reminiscent of Spring Breaks gone by... I can remember when the boys were young, some Spring Breaks spent making clients dreams come true and others spent in family time. I so enjoy the time with family and the TEAM... life is filled with many small moments that shape our future...
My thought today can be illustrated in words and a simple photograph..
Whether you are focused on family, a dream, a career... whatever it is, plant your roots deep and live each moment to the FULLEST, this week and ALWAYS....
Until next week.......
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March 8, 2010...
Tennessee Valley and Beyond....
Still the thought crosses my mind this week, Will you be one who asks the
question, WHY DIDN'T I WHEN?????
New homes are listing everyday, in all price ranges and SPRING IS COMING!!
We have had an incredible 9 weeks of listings and believe everyone
deserves the HOME OF THEIR DREAMS!!!
So this week, to add to the thought.....
7 REASONS TO OWN A HOME!!
1. TAX BREAKS- The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on
your mortgage, your property taxes, as well as some of the costs involved
in buying your home.
2. APPRECIATION- Real estate has long-term, stable growth in value. While
year-to-year fluctuations are normal, median existing-home sale prices
have increased on average 6.5 percent each year from 1972 through 2005,
and increased 88.5 percent over the last 10 years, according to the
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. In addition, the number of U.S.
households is expected to rise 15 percent over the next decade, creating
continued high demand for housing.
3. EQUITY- Money paid for rent is money that you’ll never see again, but
mortgage payments let you build equity ownership interest in your home.
4. SAVINGS- Building equity in your home is a ready-made savings plan. And
when you sell, you can generally take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a
married couple) as gain without owing any federal income tax.
5. PREDICTABILITY- Unlike rent, your fixed-mortgage payments don’t rise
over the years so your housing costs may actually decline as you own the
home longer. However, keep in mind that property taxes and insurance costs
will increase.
6. FREEDOM- The home is yours. You can decorate any way you want and
benefit from your investment for as long as you own the home.
7. STABILITY- Remaining in one neighborhood for several years gives you a
chance to participate in community activities, lets you and your family
establish lasting friendships, and offers your children the benefit of
educational continuity.
Until next week.....
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March 1, 2010....
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond....
Beginning my career in Real Estate in 1979, I have experienced many markets and market conditions... with this thought in mind brings me to our topic today....
Have you ever asked yourself, why didn't I or why didn't I when? As we get older, we often pose the thought, if only I knew then what I know now......
SO Tennesse Valley I ask....are you going to be one of those buyers who ask themselves... WHY DIDN'T I WHEN??
Why didnt you buy when interest rates were 5 and below? (I have seen rates at 18%.. can you imagine that payment? 18% versus 5%)
Why didn't you buy when there were $8000 incentives to first time homeowners and $6500 to existing homeowners stepping up?
SIMPLY PUT... There just could not be a better time to buy!!!
Until Next Monday.........
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February 22nd 2010........
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond!!
I wanted to share a thought today............ over my lifetime I have always believed with all that I am, that YOU can be, do and have what you desire if your heart and your mind are right... and if you are committed to rolling up your sleeves and doing what it takes to accomplish that success, (this is the desire I have had for Real Estate for as long as I can remember)....
So with this in mind let me share a thought.....
YOUR life will follow the course that you set in your mind! Think about it, we are who we think we are, we become who we think we are in our minds. Successful, defeated, beautiful, ugly, goal achieving... the choice is ours and our life will follow that course where our minds take us.....
So I ask, friends, family, collegues and to you the people reading this we have not yet been honored to meet.....
What course have you set in your mind?
Until Next Monday.....
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February 15th 2010.....
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond,
Happy President's Day!! Another snowy day in our area, we hope you and your family are safe and off the roads!
This morning, I wanted to take a few minutes to say that there are many properties coming on the market! As tax refund season is here, Government Stimulus Opportunities are being offered and (although we cannot feel it today), spring is soon to come!! We are experiencing what typically happens at this time of the year, people who have been waiting thru the holidays to put their properties on the market are now ready. So with that thought in mind, lets talk about a CMA...
WHAT’S A COMPARATIVE MARKET ANALYSIS, (CMA)?
The CMA is the only market based means of measuring value. When buying, selling
or refinancing, a CMA is essential in setting price and in choosing advantageous
timing. Still, there are numerous other reasons to run a CMA - to obtain a realistic
picture of your networth, to provide adequate replacement insurance, or to leverage
your equity.
NEED A CMA?
Or do you know of someone who may need to know to their home is worth? Perhaps you would like to know what the home down the street sold for? Regardless, give us a call and we'll get right on it.
Call us at 256-533-4900 or send us an email and we'll call you right away.
Of the people that you know, who do you think will be selling or purchasing a home now or in the near future? It would be our pleasure to help them with service beyond what they would expect. Please call us at 256-533-4900 or contact us through our email.
If you are looking to buy a home what does this mean to you?? Inventory is increasing and when looking for a home rememeber, the best ones sell first!!! We watch for new listings each day and many times we know of properties that are about to be put on the market and can let you know about them before a sign goes in the yard!! WHAT A TRUE BENEFIT AS A BUYER!!
Contact us at 256-533-4900 or thru email and we will be sure you know of the newest properties!!
Until next Monday........
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February 8th 2010.....
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond,
I may have been born in Detroit, but I was raised in the South and the SNOW IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT I SURE CAN'T DRIVE IN IT!!!!! As a matter of fact....I can't drive "IN" it..."ON it" or "THRU it" I know all the MEN on the road wanted to run over me as I was going 20 mph!!!!!! Got a lot of dirty looks for going sooooooooo slow and it wasn't like I could hide who I was because the TEAM name is ALL OVER THE VEHICLE!!!!(one of those times you wish your were not in a marked vehicle).....but I also saw a lot of people just like me that were scared!!!!
Its going to be an exciting month in Real Estate, the Market is improving and we are selling homes!!! If you think that SPRING is the ONLY GOOD TIME TO MARKET YOUR HOME...Call and let us give you some statistics on first quarter sales, year after year, I am amazed at how many homes sell in January, February and March and 2010 is not going to be an exception....Excitement is in the air!!!
If you are a buyer, you need to buy NOW!!! Between the tax credits and the low interest rates I can tell you that waiting will be a mistake and will cost you thousands.....If you are one of those buyers that think you can't buy or have been told you can't....call or email me and let us help you by showing you that you CAN BUY NOW....or.....showing you the necessary steps to make so you can buy soon!!!!
Have an AWESOME WEEK and if you have a snow story email me, as I would love to know that I'm not the only one that is scared to drive in ice and snow!!!
Until next Monday........
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February 1st 2010......
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond,
Almost 31 years ago I became a Very PROUD REALTOR. Along the way, early on, a very respected LADY in the business told me to "take your eyes off the $ you can make in this business & focus on EVERY person, EVERY couple and EVERY family....one at a time and HELP THEM get what THEY WANTED and that I would get what I WANTED.
With her advice and with a loving, giving, helpful heart I started serving North Alabama (now Tennessee as well) in 1979 and my business began to grow and eventually because of the volume of business eventually became a TEAM.
I can honestly say that our TEAM today, almost 31 years later, serves our Communities with the same loving, giving and helpful hearts. God has and continues to bless our TEAM and the people we try to help.
Today, "WE" are still that same PROUD Realtor........TOGETHER WE ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH MORE......
Until next Monday.........
March 1, 2010....
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond....
Beginning my career in Real Estate in 1979, I have experienced many markets and market conditions... with this thought in mind brings me to today's topic...
Have you ever asked yourself, why didn't I or why didn't I when? As we get older, we often pose the question, if only I knew then what I know now......
SO Tennesse Valley I ask....are YOU going to be one of those buyers who ask themselves...
WHY DIDN'T I WHEN??
Why didn't you buy when interest rates were 5 and below? (I have seen rates at 18%.. can you imagine that payment? 18% versus 5%)
Why didn't you buy when there were $8000 incentives to first time homeowners and $6500 to existing homeowners stepping up?
SIMPLY PUT... There just could not be a better time to buy!!!
- how much should you spend
- exterior and curb appeal
- preparing the interior
Until Next Week.......
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- how much should you spend
- exterior and curb appeal
- preparing the interior
Good Morning Tennessee Valley and Beyond....
Today I wanted to touch on the quotation, "YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!!!"
As spring is coming, we are seeing the signs in nature and Real Estate. We have had many calls over the last couple of weeks from people who are beginning the process of getting their property ready to sell.
So let me ask you...
