Category Archives: Real Estate

November Hearts

I know it has been a long time since I have blogged (June to be exact), but because it isn’t my “job” it usually gets thrown to the wayside as other priorities pop up and need to be handled first, but it is overdue–a post about things I am currently hearting (loving/liking).

heart-cinque-terre(this is from one of my fav places in Italy, Cinque Terre)

{I really need some kind of voice to text while I am driving, so that can eliminate the time spent actually sitting and typing and uploading pretty photos, ha}

Being that it’s that time of year–You know, the “giving” time, but also for me–it is a time of reflection and goal planning for next year (personally and professionally). A lot has happened since my last blog post (the one where I blogged all month about being on Whole 30) and I am feeling grateful, in a great place and have a few things to share with you!

Things that have happened in the last 5ish months…a few Summer parties, my co-hosted All White Bday bash, my client appreciation party, a 3 week Europe trip, remodeled my guest bathroom (that is a whole other blog topic I plan to cover) top agent for September (which is crazy) closed 22 houses, rented out my personal home and bought a flip house that was in the middle of construction, somewhere in there I managed to sleep. Whew, I am exhausted, but somehow still have the energy to share with you, something I haven’t done in a while–My Hearts for November.

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(Client appreciation party @ Lustre Pearl East= Success!)

Without further ado…

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(This one is from Budapest-one of my fav Euro cities I visited this Summer)

Here is what I am currently Hearting!!

  1. SOUL CYCLE

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As you may know I try to keep as active as possible. One thing I do know about myself is that I do NOT do well working out on my own. So, I joined a pal and tried out Soul Cycle….LOVE IT. Now, I can’t only do cycling, I do like variety for workouts, but I will say–the music, the energy, being in that dark room and sweating your a$s off, is a nice change up from your workout routine and a possibly a great addition to whatever else you are doing. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. I am fortunate enough to live close to the Domain location. I have almost tried all the instructors and my advice to you would be to try a 3 class pass, and change up instructors each time. I prefer mornings (shocking I know, as I am not a morning person) but I find parking and less traffic and kicking off my day with the class refreshing. What’s it like? A Dark studio, instructor on stage, rows and rows of bikes facing the stage, and a tight fit-but in a good way. Then each time, different music and you dance on your bike, you pedal to the beat and there’s also some upper body incorporated and dumbbells. Nothing has ever made me feel like I don’t have rhythm like a Soul Cycle class, but practice makes perfect! Last Thursday they had a Rihanna v Drake class. The change up of the music is nice and keeps you motivated. I have had everything from Ellie Golding to John Denver (remixed), Mumford and Sons to Weezer, so again-the instructor’s music choice varies. Check it out.

2. THANKSGIVING

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(please enjoy yourself for Thanksgiving, it’s one day)

Being it is November and I leave for Memphis to visit some family, as I do every year, I have to say THANKSGIVING IS THE BEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR!! Here is why–NO presents, only time spent with those you are thankful for (hopefully). That’s right. I think the present giving commercialized Holiday Christmas has become is ridiculous and never ending. There were a few childhood Christmas’ my family and I were in arguments over stupid presents (like the time my mom got me black Dr. Martens and not the brown ones all the cool kids had…I was so ungrateful). Anyway, for me, Thanksgiving is a time to really, really reflect on what I am thankful for. If you had to list what you are thankful for-and you had to take out the following: family, friends, health and a roof over your head–what else would be on your list? Thanksgiving in my family also means GAMES! My competitive nature is practically genetic…our traditions often consist of Michigan Rummy, laser tag (yes, laser tag), a game of Horse in the driveway, and Pictionary (but on a huge dry erase board like that old game show Win Lose or Draw). Last year it was Bean boozled (ps you must watch this video of football players playing this game here) and I have another one up my sleeve for this year that Amazon delivered just in time! Thanksgiving for me also means lounging around in sweatpants, sleeping in, running in the turkey trot, watching football, catching up with family and food. Did I forget to mention food? Mmmm sweet potatoes, turkey, stuffing, and pie. Can’t wait. I hope you feel the same love for Thanksgiving as I do, but I also hope you start a tradition of some sort–whether it be a particular game, or going around and saying what you are thankful for, that you look forward to every holiday. Make it a good one!

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(these are called crack cookies in my family and they have cake mix in em…soo good!)

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(Turkey Trot in the AM!)

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(My sister getting serious during Pictionary)

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(If you haven’t played Michigan Rummy it is the longest game ever…but strategically fun)

 

3. ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS

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This year (like I mentioned above, I have had a lot of reflection time lately) I was fortunate enough to be in not one, but two accountability groups. One met once a week on Monday mornings, and it was a great way for me to start off my week–in the office, focused and ready to work. For those of you that do HAVE to be somewhere dressed presentable on Monday mornings-you may not be able to relate. But as an independent contractor, sometimes half the battle is showing up…or waking up, ha. I am grateful for an organized co-worker that kept us on track, on topic and on time. The weekly group was from a seminar/training I had attended earlier in the year to keep us focused and practice particular skills, discuss items we are or are not currently implementing into our business. The monthly group was a larger group and we would discuss goals, how to get there, bounce ideas off one another etc. If you are a goal oriented person (like myself) you may want to try and get friends or like-minded individuals together to help you achieve those goals. Did I meet my 3-5 goals every single month when we checked in? No, but often times I exceeded them or took something else away from the group that I executed into my business plan. I will add that I think it is important that whatever group you join–that they be positive people or influences on you. There are times when you get a group of professionals together it can be easy to get off topic and start complaining about this or that, however…it is wonderful to have a group that will tell you “don’t be so hard on yourself” or “it will pick up if you continue to…” and keep you in high spirits–and you them. Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on all we have and give, but hopefully you have already been doing that year round (and keeping up with your “good things in 2016” jar). I will say I have made a conscious effort of being more grateful this year and it has made all the difference. Happiness is a choice.

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(The happy jar I started last year, in addition to positive journaling this year, I read it on New Year’s Day)

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Have a wonderful holiday and make it a great day. Thanks for reading!

 

Ch-ch-chaanges! A Few of My Favorite Things In March-ch-ch in the ATX

Hello, hello my little Austinites and then some! How are you??!!

Fantastic, I hope!

I wanted to share with you: Things I am Hearting: The Spring Break Edition

From Austin developments and Spring flowers…to staying indoors and pretending you have cable. Here we go.

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(a collection of a few of my favorite hearts from all over)

Because there are some ch-ch-changes, as we transition from Texas winter to Spring…

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(in honor of the late David Bowie and #sxsw RIP, David!)

 

  1. That Texas state flower.

Yep, it’s that time of the year. SXSW is in town, traffic lightens up for a week during March, and the blue bonnets-yes, that pretty Texas state flower adorns MoPac, 360 and random spots among our neighborhoods and parks. We pull over on road trips and take photos in them…they may be cliche, but ya know what?!?–I don’t care. Embrace it, Texans!

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(Molly 2015-when I first got her)

Blue bonnets are the first sign of Spring! Which means for Austinites: patio drinking weather, a trip to the beach with the kiddos, Spring Break, Sxsw, outdoor home projects, June bugs and mosquitos, Air Bnb and Home Away making a ton of money and my yard is so green (though most of it is weeds, ha), but the flowers are in bloom.

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(Molly 2016, on our walk the other day)

 

2. Rock Rose.

As most of you know, the Domain is blowing up! I have always enjoyed the Domain, as I have lived North/N. Central for some time and it was a quick stop for a new outfit or dinner at North, a Starbucks date or The Park happy hour.

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(Girl’s Night with my Northie gal pals)

I could do without California Pizza Kitchen and Maggiano’s and some of the other chains (but they do well, so what can ya do?) It is now “uptown” in our growing metro. #Rockrose is the street developers decided to ask popular, LOCALish businesses to expand a second location here for the most part. We have West 6th’s Dogwood and Kung Fu among a few other bars expected to open-as well as Lavaca Street + a Surf N Turf restaurant. Finally bars “up here” so we don’t have to trek downtown with Lyft and Uber surge pricing and all the craziness at times.

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Also…A fancy cocktail bar called St. Genevieve, that just opened, looked swanky (I still need to try-who is in?) Sway (oh sweet mother, thank you, thank you!!) is opening their second location. Then you have: East side King’s Thai Kun, which I tried last weekend (be prepared spice lovers! It is melt your face off spicy!) I also had the opportunity to try Mia’s, a tapas bar that finally has small plates (we ate too fast to take photos)–but not just four choices, but like fourteen. Also has pizzas and a few Italian entrees on menu, but portions and atmosphere were perfecto!

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(Wings on left as an app, the Larb to the right (one of the spiciest dishes on menu–not mine!)

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(crab rice)

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(Cheers–at Jack and Ginger’s)

{Sidenote: My biggest complaint as Austin turns into more of a foodie town is how proud some places are…meaning overpriced with these tiny little plates and they aren’t even that spectacular (anyone else miss the good ol days when ALL my Austin restaurant favorites were under $10 and low key?…or am I just getting older now so I can afford more/have better taste?? ha)}

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(Kung Fu set to open 3pm 3.15.16, I happened to be in the area 3.14-Pi Day! and snapped the last minute project finishing up)

There’s a Colorado chain opening up a Mad Greens. A Dallas chain opening up Velvet Taco. And you can also find Tarka Indian kitchen (already open) and Salvation Pizza–hurry up and open already, that’s been a tease for a while. You won’t just find food either–CorePower Yoga and Bird’s Barber shop as well as a Men’s Clothing boutique called Weathered Coalition that will have a wifi lounge and coffee and whiskey bar…oh and a barber shop–say whaaat?! And I wish my hair girl lived North so she would be up here as well, but at least I will now have a Jose Luis Salon toward the end of 2016 as well (their third location and highly recommended by yours truly) woohoo!

3. Hulu’s New Mini Series

Just a shout out to Hulu for making me feel like I have cable again. I wait every Monday for the new show with James Franco time traveling to stop the assassination of JFK each week. It’s called: 11.22.63. As much as I wish they would just release all of them for me to binge watch like House of Cards and other Netflix originals, I now have something to look forward to (after Sunday’s Walking Dead of course). J.J Abrams + Stephen King. It’s a bit eerie, a bit romantic, a bit historical, and I like it. Check it out.

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(I do not have James Franco or Hulu’s permission for this image, but hopefully they like me promoting their show, thanks Google!)

 

How Dating is like Buying Real Estate in Austin Tx (a seller’s market)

So, I have been meaning to write this blog for a while…each time I sell something I can associate it with dating in a way. And while I have been trying to cut down the dating blogs…well it is inevitable and apparently you people like reading it (at least that’s the feedback I get) so hear me out!

I also heard from a friend (after I told him my next blog idea) that Deb (Jason and Deb on 101X recently talked about this on their podcast). Dammit! She stole my idea! Or maybe I am not original, either way…here we go…

How Dating is like buying Real Estate in an Austin Seller’s Market.

  • The older you get the pickier you get.
    • You have dated enough people to know what you can and cannot be with. ( So, you can’t date a short, messy Liberal who doesn’t have ambition). Same goes when home buying, you have lived in enough houses to know your must haves and deal-breakers. (You need more cabinet space in the kitchen and a bigger yard, but not East of Lamar– got it)

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  • Do you have enough to offer?
    • You see the one you want, look over from your friend circle at the bar, smile, and make eye contact, give ’em that; Hey I would totally be ok with you walking over here and making conversation look, BUT they don’t respond well. Perhaps you lack that initial physical attraction they need. You’re blonde. They like brunettes. Same as a house: It’s cute! It’s perfect! It’s remodeled! But your offer just isn’t strong enough and you get beat out by another attractive (higher price, more money down) offer.

   multiple offers

  • Coming to the Market Soon!
    • “I hear ___is having problems with ___, probably be single in a week, trouble in paradise…” says your office mate. You get excited, now here is a good one that you really like! You wait a bit before you make any moves—be cool. Be subtle…Boom. Taken. In real estate you put a “Coming Soon” sign in the yard, you call on it ASAP, you see it two days later when you can finally make time…Boom,  already under contract. Sigh. The good ones go off the market quickly.

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  • If only…
    • After you date a few people you sometimes wish you could combine all the features to make the perfect significant other! (“He is so nice and good to me, if only he was as funny and tall as my ex.”) That’s equivalent to when you see the remodeled house of your dreams with the pimp master shower and awesome backsplash with cute kitchen island… in the ghetto… surrounded by sex offenders… next to a crack house.                IT’S NOT GOING TO WORK.

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  • What’s the catch?
    • “Meet _____, educated, ambitious, funny, attractive, successful, happy, works out…” (I could go on–all the buzz words that make you attracted to a person. BUT they have been single a while. “Wait how many years since their last relationship?! What’s wrong with them?” Same with a home. You see the photo of only the outside and 60 days on market, two backed out contracts, “there must be something wrong with it, it’s been on the market so long…SKIP!”

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  • Slim pickens…
    • The older you get the circle seems to get smaller and smaller of people you’d actually be willing to go out with, everyone starts to have children around you, getting married, and you are enjoying life doing “you” but slightly on the desperate (or what I like to call “open minded”) side where you accept dates with those you’d never really pictured yourself with…or perhaps doesn’t quite meet your “checkboxes“–but hey, you ain’t getting any younger!! That’s like 2012 as the articles start to float around “Austin next best city...” for this and that, says Forbes…everyone moves here, traffic worsens, restaurants improve and now: there is nowhere to live! You start looking in places you’d never thought you would end up. You increase your budget. You search further out in neighborhoods you used to complain about your friends living in (“they live so far!!”) Over paying for 900sq ft for a home…in the ghetto…surrounded by sex offenders next to a crack house. “But it’s remodeled and this area is getting hot!” you say.

Anyway, perhaps you can relate, perhaps you can’t but hopefully you liked the read. As a real estate agent I do have to add that sometimes I feel as though I am breaking up with my clients after their home closes. No more weekends and evenings spent together. No more guiding you through your lost-ness (of home buying ha). No more riding around in cars, complaining about traffic together. No more criticizing paint colors of homes. No more listening to your wants and needs and trying to understand you. “I miss you, Saturday afternoons aren’t the same without you.” I send them monthly postcards and e-newsletters of their neighborhood stats like an ex sends a text when I hear “our song.”

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Anyway, that’s all I have right now. Hope you enjoyed, and as always-thanks for reading! ~Ashley