Real Estate News Radio with Rowena Patton

Celebrating Mother's Day with Home Selling Wisdom and Decluttering Insights

• Rowena Patton

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As we raise a toast to mothers and the mirth of Mother's Day, join me, Rowena Patton, in a witty expedition through the realms of social media satire and the resurgence of vintage charm among the youth. We chuckle over viral skits that hit close to home and take a pensive stroll through the alleyways of silent film fascination, igniting a longing for authentic cultural experiences.

Strap in for a homeowner's dream guide, as I lay out the blueprint for selling your sanctuary with wisdom only years in the real estate trenches could teach. Discover how to showcase your home's worth, discern which renovations are golden tickets and which are fool's gold, and learn why the aroma of your abode could make or break a sale. Amid the bricks and mortar, we'll also traverse the poignant paths of parenting, from the bittersweet joys of children's milestones to the cathartic art of decluttering your nest.

Closing the curtains, we'll wrap our arms around the company we keep, reflecting on how personal circles and the clutter we accumulate can shape our lives. Whether overcoming real estate hurdles or seeking the tranquility of a decluttered home, this episode is a treasure trove of strategies and stories to empower your next move. So, pour yourself that coffee and let's embark on this journey together, one sage insight at a time.

Speaker 1:

This is the Plain English Real Estate Show with your host, rowena Patton, a show that focuses on the real estate market in terms you can easily understand. Call Rowena now. The number is 240-9962 or 1-800-570-9962. Now here's the English girl in the mountains, the agent that I would trust, rowena Patton.

Speaker 2:

Good morning and welcome to the show. This is Rowena Patton on the Real Estate News Radio Show. We are live everywhere you can listen in from Mars. Just go to realestatenewsradiocom. Realestatenewsradiocom. Click on link to listen live. Or, of course, you can tune in locally at WNC 570 AM and we're live everywhere. Good morning Randy. How are you?

Speaker 4:

I am doing great. It's good to be here with you on Saturday morning of Mother's Day weekend.

Speaker 2:

Isn't that wonderful. Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere. And guess what? You don't just get one day a year, you should get more than that. Forget all these like flowers on the day. On the day, I nearly said the word, but then I get sued by the company so I won't. That's a holiday, right? So I didn't even get close, which is good, right I'm going good you reminded me to turn on the delay Holiday.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it's one of those. I might need it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, really you might need it. Yeah, really you might need it today because, well, yeah. So those of you who know me know what's been going on. It's been quite a ride for the last couple of weeks. Oh my goodness.

Speaker 4:

You know it's good to have you back.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's good to be back. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 4:

She's live and in living color this morning, oh, yeah, definitely.

Speaker 2:

Well, the nice thing about that is it always makes you realize what's important. So any of you that are into social media and it's so funny, the 20-year-olds think that people who aren't 20 are not into social media those who are over 20, over 30, over 50, usually the ones that are, and we might have a bit more time on our hands, which is really scary, because the average teenager spends an hour and 50 minutes on social media every day, which is really scary.

Speaker 4:

An hour and 50 minutes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I'm sure we don't do that Right. That's what's funny. It's like we're all talking like our parents. Oh, that's outrageous. And then if you actually track your time and there are apps for that you might be a little bit surprised. There's one that's circulating right now. That is so funny and it's gone viral and people keep copying it. You know how now on Instagram or TikTok or Facebook or whatever, you see these little short videos. Youtube as well now has shorts. And little short videos.

Speaker 2:

They're like skits on SNL or something. It's the new reinvention of it and it's only about 15 seconds. Um, it's the guy of the house holding two babies, you know, or a baby, or whatever, going. What do you mean? You want something special for mother? Have you seen these? No, I haven't. Oh my gosh, it's hilarious. You have to look for them, guys. Um, what do you mean? You want something for special for mother's day? That is absolute nonsense. Blah, blah, blah. Like I'm great to you all of the time. And and the next, um, and then it, you know it transitions over to a clip that's um, an rip and like angel music, with their face in it. That says rip and Andrew, you know, 1965 to 2024. It's hilarious.

Speaker 4:

He didn't survive.

Speaker 2:

All these different people are making them too. It's hilarious.

Speaker 4:

I'm addicted. I can sit and watch those little short videos and sometimes I'm laughing in a room by myself until tears come. Yes, they're hilarious.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and that's the. You know. We all like to say, oh, social media sucks and it's bad. And there are definitely bad parts of it, Same as the Internet. You know, when the Internet first came out, it's like, oh, it's really bad and all these terrible things are going to happen. Has it done bad stuff? Absolutely, Is it all bad? Absolutely freaking?

Speaker 4:

not, you know it's not Exactly, it's not All of Elvis's music wasn't bad either. It didn't cause us to go crazy.

Speaker 2:

I like Elvis. What do you mean by that?

Speaker 4:

Exactly.

Speaker 2:

You better be careful, Sunshine.

Speaker 4:

Our parents said you know?

Speaker 2:

You better be careful.

Speaker 4:

Elvis's sign of the end of time.

Speaker 2:

Don't you be dissing Elvis, and I hope you realize too that many people like Elvis and many young people now, generations, yeah, generations, especially young people who live in the country more so, but actually that's not true either. Young people are turning to old music in the droves.

Speaker 4:

They really are. They really really are.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Searching for authenticity.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 4:

And finding it in classic music from great singers like Elvis Presley.

Speaker 2:

And black and white films. Honestly, I've been a little shy. I've had a little time on my hands over the last couple of weeks so I may have been on social media a little bit more than usual and I've been finding these sites that are all about silent films and, um, finding, you know, like obviously 25 year olds or younger that know all about this lost movie. I didn't even know about lost movies. So there's lots of pictures from lost movies of the greats and the movies lost, like the film disintegrated or something you know, and the movie's now lost right, and they feature those and just all kinds of beautiful, uh, pictures of movie stars.

Speaker 2:

You know, like gretta or whomever from you know, the last century well, last century, that's funny 24 years ago and the century before that, um, like looking at how weird is it we're talking about two centuries um, uh, looking at what these people in their lives and what lives they span through and how beautiful they were right and how now, as, how now, brown cow, as when we were young, we think that everybody's an old fart. Of course, even when we're in our 30s we think everybody's an old fart, or 40s, or 50s. It gets less old, fartish, once you get into your 50s. I think it's like, oh, wait, a second. Um, but the interesting thing is, when you look back at those pictures, especially of the 20s and then the late 1800s actually actually too, there's lots of salacious pictures. We all think that our grandparents, you know, weren't having children out of wedlock or experimenting with drugs, or they're just called different things, that's all it was just had a different title.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and you know what's the different consequences, of course, but life hasn't changed that much. We all think it has and, honestly, if we could only get over that fact, then I think life would be an awful lot easier. I agree.

Speaker 4:

I agree.

Speaker 2:

Because we'd listen to older people with wisdom. Well, and let's be honest here, as a young person, you're listening to those old farts, and some of them don't have any wisdom at all. Well, they can't give you any logic whatsoever about why you shouldn't do X, you don't want to be doing that, blah, blah, blah. Why not? Then it's just crickets.

Speaker 4:

But the wisdom of the white-headed people. You know that's a sign of wisdom. The white hair, gray hair, isn't a sign of a senior citizen's discount. It's a sign of some wisdom that you can glean if you listen.

Speaker 2:

You know. What's funny, though, is a lot of. I knew a girl in her early 20s that was white. Not only that, a lot of particularly men in their 30s have got half a head of gray hair, if not all gray hair.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So they must be getting their wisdom fast, or something.

Speaker 4:

Exactly. I wonder what that means. There you go. Yeah, gaining it faster.

Speaker 2:

What's it mean if you've really got gray hair but nobody knows that? How's that work?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, if you want to see my little doggie and a beautiful, beautiful golden hair and you want to learn how to, if anybody's remotely interested, take that candid shot where they show the little whites of their eyes looking at you. I figured out how to do that on my phone and it's so easy. And if you want to see the results, oh my gosh, she's so cute. She's going to take over the whole radio show. Her name is Sophie, she's six. You can see the little whites of her eyes and I'll tell you how to do that and set it up in about one minute. Just look up Rowena Patton, r-o-w-e-n-a-p-a-t-t-o-n. On Facebook and if you're looking today while we're live, you will see it on there. It is the 11th of May today. You may be listening to this on a rerun, because they're all podcast as well, but if it's the 11th of May, am I getting the date right, randy?

Speaker 4:

You. Let me look at my watch.

Speaker 2:

Randy's not sure either. That's funny. So you will see Sophie as the last picture and I will tell you how to get that candid shot. You know how you're always like clicking your fingers and trying to get your dog to look up at your fingers to show that little white of the eye. And of course, when you, when you go Sophie, she looks at the camera and there's no whites of the eyes anymore. It's so easy and I'll tell you how to do it, so go look at the picture.

Speaker 2:

You can also post any of your questions like have you lost your mind? Or any of those kind of questions or real estate questions anywhere in the country. I can't necessarily answer for different states. I'm not licensed everywhere, obviously. I do work with literally thousands of agents. We run Cash CPO, the cash offers, obviously around the country. So I have lots of agents who can answer your questions from that state perspective and I've gained so much experience around the country because of working with these amazing agents that, yeah, I can help you. I got you. Don't look too far down my Facebook page. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Anyway. So of course, everybody's going to look at my Facebook page. Why on earth did I say that? If you would like any more information about what we're talking about today if we ever get to talking about it you can go to realestatenewsradiocom. Realestatenewsradiocom that's also where you find your link to listen live. It's where you find the value of your home. Quit, guys. Please quit listening to the values on Zillow. If you want to go test it out on there, fine. If you're thinking about selling your house, fine. You want to know what Zillow says. I know that that's where most of you go to check your value. Please have it checked out by a professional realtor. That's what we do. We have experience. You know, guys. You know Zillow used to value houses and they stopped buying them because they lost a gazillion dollars doing it. They couldn't value it correctly to where they could actually make money in this process. You know the biggest controller of data in houses. This is who you're trusting to give your value. Go to realestatenewsradiocom, click on value or give us a call. You can give us a call.

Speaker 2:

Leave some details about your house. That's an even better way to do it. We've got people standing by 24-7,. 828-333-4483, 828-333-4483, 828-333-4483, anywhere in the country. Get your full address in there. But remember, it's not just about your address, it's about what you've remodeled, so leave. You know it'll be probably at this time because we've got people out showing houses, we've got people doing open houses, we've got people doing all kinds of stuff this morning, but we have people to take your message 24 7, literally at two o'clock in the morning. So leave details about your house.

Speaker 2:

Have you, in other words, have you remodeled the kitchen in in the last year? I mean, don't, don't hold them up for half an hour because they'll get bored of listening honestly, but just be very clear with not not that you've painted the whole house. That doesn't matter. It's cosmetic. The key things are how have you added value? Have you remodeled the kitchens or bathrooms? If so, what year? Because, honestly, I hear from so many people yeah, I remodeled them when I moved in. When did you move in? Well, we bought it in 2014. That's 10 years ago. Now you might just say, oh, buy on that.

Speaker 2:

If it's 20 years ago, 2004, it may feel like yesterday to you, but things look very different now. For example, in 2004, we were probably I have to be careful what I say here, we were probably buying the box vanity from the big box store and that's how we were remodeling. That's probably not what we're doing now. Or the big box store has much prettier vanities for about the same money actually, because it's been such a common upgrade for people to do. Also, we weren't using and I'm not suggesting this necessarily, but we weren't using gold or matte gold hardware. Well, now they're coming with that, so you don't have to switch anything out and pay even more money. Or, for example, matte gold hardware or shiny gold for that matter has become commonplace. That hasn't been the case for 20 years, hasn't been the case since the 80s, so, or 90s really. So now it is commonplace again. That means prices have come down because it's become very popular and a lot more people are using it. So you know.

Speaker 2:

Just just be clear about when the remodel of the bathroom, the kitchen, were done. Do you have matching floors throughout? If not, what kind of? Do you have matching floors throughout? If not, what kind of floors do you have? They could be 200 years old and beautiful, nothing wrong with that at all. But if you've got some peeling lamina over here, some carpet over there, you know, some tile over there, some hardwood over there, that's not a problem.

Speaker 2:

However, it is going to alter the value. You know, if you're in a 2,000 square foot house, we're looking at 15,000, 20,000 for new floors, depending on what you've got in there already to do it outright. If you're in a small space, it's even more important. Why? Because having continuity in the floors and not having big, you know, transitions between the rooms is very important. It makes your space feel bigger. So there's all kinds of tips and tricks we can do. Invite me out, just give us a call 828-333-4483.

Speaker 2:

If you're thinking about doing all this work, think twice, because you don't necessarily need to. Sometimes it adds money, sometimes it doesn't. Usually, if you're a couple, one of you is all about a honey-do list and one of you is all about the doing list or supplying the money to do the list. I'm not even kidding. That's how it is much of the time, and the person who's putting the pressure on to do all the work usually has at least half of their list, which is a good idea. But guess what? Half of the list isn't and I don't want you wasting your money. So get me out there, let me take a look.

Speaker 2:

Please take out your glade plugins. I can't deal with them. Um, quit trying to cover up any smells. We're realtors, we, we know, uh, people live in their houses and sometimes we have doggies or I don't know. Sometimes we have smelly feet or we use we use a perfume that we've been using for 20 years and we don't even realize we've overdone it, or I'm not gonna say the one that men use and spray on way too wildly.

Speaker 2:

We can't smell, you know, when you use the same scent over and over again it's a trick, guys, so just go ahead and switch up your scents just for a few months, here and there to another one that you like, because suddenly you'll be like, oh, this smells really good, because you can smell it, you'll put your own perfume or scent on. You know, whatever it is you wear and you know, all the young guys are going back to Old Spice, really, yeah, it's Old Spice everywhere- that's amazing, just keeps. It's like gold hardware, I guess you know.

Speaker 4:

Silent movies yeah.

Speaker 2:

So here's the thing If you're thinking about selling, first of all, you don't want to be covering up those smells. Secondly, when you use a smell to cover up a smell, everybody goes what are they trying to cover up? Yeah, um, the the common ones. I'm not going to say the brand names again so that I don't get sued that everybody knows what the brand name is that you spray around. Actually there's lots of them now. Um, they're usually fake chemicals. Quit doing that.

Speaker 2:

Lots and lots of people are allergic to it. Not that you're focusing on a scent rather than focusing on the bones of a house. This is all as you're getting ready to list your home, but it also may help you when in your own health. Honestly, a lot of people don't even realize this stuff. I didn't realize it for the longest time. Honestly, a lot of people don't even realize this stuff. I didn't realize it for the longest time. So there's also the um issue of this is a great one and it's very common and people don't realize it.

Speaker 2:

The scented stuff it's getting even worse now, now they've got those. The scented stuff that you put in your wash to make it even more scented or in your dryers to make it even more scented when you're getting ready to sell your house. Quit using any of that. Here's why you're wrapping your house in a usually a fake scent. It might say natural oils just keep reading yeah, if it is great, have at it. But some people are allergic to natural oils as well. So you are wrapping yourself and your family in clothes that are scented and that's not a scent like peppermint oil, I mean. I guess sometimes it is because you know the natural people do the natural stuff. I'm not meaning to be a woo-woo here, guys. Lots of people are allergic to it. And when you don't use that same scent at home, all the big manufacturers have them of washing detergent.

Speaker 4:

It has to be very strong on your clothes and on your body, because I live in a condo community and I step out my front door.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

And I smell it sometimes.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 4:

It's coming from somebody else's condo. You smell the laundry. Exactly, I smell the dryer running, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And the reason they don't smell it is because, apparently, it's like perfume, right. Once you get used to smelling it, you don't smell it anymore. Well, guess what Everybody else does. So you're walking into your house and that's all you can smell. It has to be Because you're washing everything in that, you're washing your pillows in that, because you're getting it ready, you're washing your throws, you're washing your clothes, you're washing your bedclothes. So you're sleeping every night in sheets and pillows that are washed with a scent that most of you have no clue what's in it.

Speaker 2:

Go look at the bags and, by the way, because of the big problem with this and it is a big problem the every single manufacturer I know of right now that makes washing detergent makes a free and clear there's no scent in it. Why are you putting scent in your bedclothes? It makes no sense. You're sleeping in it and then you go, oh, I've got allergies. And then you're using all these allergies. You know how much allergy pills cost? Now you're all on allergy. Oh, I've got allergies. Well, guess what? You pile on all those scents and then you've got pollen out there right now. That you know gives you a problems with problem with breathing. And, by the way. Guys, you need your oxygen and so do the people who are going to buy your house. So get rid of all that scented stuff. You won't even notice it.

Speaker 2:

And if you do love that fresh scent of you know it coming out get a. Get a natural oil, because I promise you, if you love lavender, go get natural lavender oil. Put it on your pillow at night, or something. Get one of those little. Well, make a little pillow. Or go get a little pillow. Quit spending all this money on special lavender pillows. Just go get a little pillow. Or put a little drop on a tissue you might like that just as much. Or put a little dab on your you know wrist or something, if you're allergic to lavender. Sorry, disclaimer, disclaimer. Blah, blah, blah. This is not an attempt to diagnose or did, did, did. But that's fine, especially, you know, if you desperately need some scents in your house, natural oils are a much better way to go I like that, yeah, and fabric softeners.

Speaker 4:

I I mean, I know I'm a guy and I live alone and I don't put that stuff in my, I don't put fabric softeners. I don't do it, don't throw the thing in the dryer. Nothing. I don't got none of that.

Speaker 2:

I don't either, so you probably throw it on the chairs all around your table, don't you? You probably throw it on the chairs around your table.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that's true Me too.

Speaker 2:

The chairs on the back. Actually, randy came to pick me up this morning because my car's out somewhere and actually you didn't see my clothes this morning, but normally you would. You'd have seen them all hanging inside the house because it's nice and warm in that room and they're dry in half an hour. Yeah, anyway, so that's one. Nobody gives you that tip like quit using scents. People complain about perfumes. I'd love to hear your stories. By the way, you can call in if you're listening. On May the 11th, between 10 and 11 am, we are live right now. This is podcast and we get thousands of listens for years afterwards. However, if you're listening live, well, I'd love to have your questions. Anyway, you can go look me up on facebook rowena pattern, r-o-w-e-n-a, p-a-t-t-o-n or just uh. Dm me on there. I will read your question out. The next saturday we come on, or um, you can call in now at eight to eight. Uh, actually, let's give you the 800 number, 800-570-9962. That way you can call him from Mars, 800-570-9962. That's the number to dial in on.

Speaker 2:

You know, a lot of you hate perfumes. I've heard this so many times. In fact, I've heard people ask to be moved in restaurants because the person that sat down. Well, guess why, again, when you've been wearing that perfume. Well, maybe it's the first date and you've gotten a little overzealous. It could be that too. Or you've been wearing it so long you can't smell it. Um, I suffer. I just switched. So I wear a really nice perfume, but it lasts me for a year. It's outrageously expensive, but it lasts me at least a year. I just switched it up because I just went through um you know judy free so I bought another bottle I haven't bought one at least two years to a different scent, and I feel overpowered by myself now because I'm smelling it again. That's all you have to do.

Speaker 2:

Um, but the nice thing is usually when I get around people, they go you smell so good. Occasionally I've forgotten my around people. They go, you smell so good. Occasionally I've forgotten my perfume. And then they go did you shower this morning? That's a whole other story, and that's because I've invested in it. It's important to me because I love the scent of it and it keeps me in like a happy bubble. But here's the other thing. The higher end perfumes go, look this up, guys. The cheap versions, the knockoffs you're seeing them all over social media right now are not necessarily made. They're made with chemicals. Yeah Right, that's the more expensive perfumes. So if your grandma gave you one or something that she's had for years, go check that one out and if you just put a little tiny bit on, which is all you need of no de parfum, it's all you need, and they tend to be just ask people who wear good perfume like they tend to be less offensive because you're not breathing in chemicals.

Speaker 2:

I totally agree. I totally agree. And that's another thing. You know, if you wear a cheap perfume or you're wearing a cheap aftershave or you've got these, oh my gosh, how do you think they put a good scent in a $12? What do you call those? A stick, an underarm stick for men? How do you think they put an expensive scent in those? Like, we stick a bit of chemical in there and then you rub it under your armpit and then you sweat and it smells disgusting. And this is what you're putting in your house that you're listing. It's not because you smell bad, it's because you're just putting all these chemicals in your house. So that's such an easy one to switch out, unless I guess you could be addicted to the scent or something. So don't do that. We had a caller in right before we went on air. Somehow we mixed our hours up this morning and we had a bunch of people call in, so can we go ahead and play the first one? Randy, I know you recorded them for me. Here's one of the questions Hiro.

Speaker 5:

I do have a question for you. Great to meet you, so I'm wondering what to do, kind of feeling paralyzed about selling my house. So much stuff, so many things. Brandon wants to keep everything, so am I stuck missing the market?

Speaker 2:

So I think that was a great call. I did actually get in on that one this morning but of course we didn't record my answer because I wanted to go directly to Brandon and you're welcome to call in again and that's for all my callers that I had this morning. I wanted to go directly to Brandon and you're welcome to call in again and that's for all my callers that I had this morning. I want to go directly to Brandon this morning, Like Brandon wants to keep all his stuff and I can tell you that there's lots of guys out there listening right now that go. Oh, that's my wife. It's always the wife that wants to keep all the stuff. It's actually not true, I've seen it, but you know we're at over 3,500 sales now. All Star Powerhouse is the firm we're brokered by EXP. It's Rowena Patton here, if you just dialed in, and we just had the question around feeling very overwhelmed about selling because Brandon, her husband I'm sorry for calling you out Brandon Brandon I talked to Brandon a little bit as well wants to keep all his stuff.

Speaker 2:

It's common, Especially when you know this is when I say younger couple, they're in their late 40s and their kids are away. They're, you know, finishing college. One of them's working already and it's tempting. I mean, you all who listen every week have heard this so many times. It's really tempting to hold on to your stuff. Life is short guys and stuff doesn't make your life. Memories make your life, and memories are what you hold in your in your head. Um, there's other ways to display those, those memories too.

Speaker 2:

I'm trying to think where I saw this. I have a good friend. I'm not going to call her out, but instead of keeping all the trophies actually she's on vacation right now so she won't be listening, but I'm still not going to call her out instead of keeping all the trophies, she had daughters who, um, got those lots of trophies. A athletic family. Daughters are grown up now. Um, she took the little badges off the trophies you know the name of her daughter, in the year it was and whatever it was and she put them in a case or some kind of box or something I don't remember. But now, instead of having this whole wall of trophies of course her daughters don't remember but now, instead of having this whole wall of trophies of course her daughters don't want she's got all these little badges, things in a box. So one day when they have kids, you know, there'll be this whole box of the little tags. So I thought it was lovely Used to be in that business, Randy.

Speaker 4:

And I used to come to work in the morning sometimes and there would be a cardboard box sitting beside the front door of old trophies. I had no idea where they came from, but we would repurpose them. But you're spot on man. That used to happen all the time.

Speaker 2:

So people still get. I mean, you know me, I can't help it. I always want to make a business out of something, so I'll always be the entrepreneur. I'll be on my deathbed and be the entrepreneur. I think I'll be in the coffin going. How can we capture these memories? So you know, it's interesting because everyone has that problem. Yeah, and they want to keep hold of the trophies and they're in the attic or they're in the kid's bedroom downstairs and when I say kid, that kid is now in their 50s, right.

Speaker 4:

You know.

Speaker 2:

So there must be ways you and I should talk about this off air to capture those memories. We should come up with it.

Speaker 4:

Well, that taking the tags off and making a photograph, putting them all together and then photographing them, you know, and emailing them to the kids and take the dang trophies to the store and we're over with.

Speaker 2:

you know Well, but I think we could also make a hardback book. Those things are only about 40 bucks.

Speaker 4:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

And put a picture of each trophy in and a picture of the kid winning it, or something like that that's a great idea, right. So how cool would that be. That would be very cool A hardback book where you follow your kid throughout school or college or whatever.

Speaker 4:

That's genius.

Speaker 2:

Right Right with a picture of their biggest trophy for the year or whatever, I don't know. Or it could be a 200-page book, a hardback book. It might cost you $100, but imagine that hardback book for the rest of your kid's life.

Speaker 4:

And the entrepreneur in you is the person who does that and advertises the fact that they do do that. We do it for you. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

All you have to do is upload your photo and your story and then it coaches you through what the story should look like and it gives you an example, and so it could be a book um, it could be on a podcast that celebrates your kid that you can share. It could be, um, a canva post that you make a template for. It could be a hashtag, right, or it could be graduation. It could be all kinds of things where you capture it, but you don't have to carry all these trophies around.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you could do the same for pictures, old family pictures. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

But you have to. You know, some people naturally want to research all of that. Maybe you've got ideas on it too, how you capture all those memories, because that's how we get your stuff out of the house so you can actually sell it and move yourself into a clean, beautiful, crisp space that you enjoy. Brandon, you're going to enjoy it more because you're holding on to those memories and and I know a little bit, because you, you know you still have those kids around. You're feeling like you're getting older. You're feeling like you're moving into the next chapter of your life. It's very hard.

Speaker 2:

I have a lot of friends right now whose kids are now I'm going to age myself, um whose kids are graduating school, um, or graduating college. More so because I'm a little bit older. They're graduating college and they're really feeling it. They're feeling a lot of heartbreak and they're they're loving the memories. You know there's a little. For years they've been saying, oh, we're gonna have this kid out the house soon and then we're gonna travel and we're gonna do this, and now the reality is setting in. A lot of you who are grandparents know this because you're talking to your kids. Well, you went through it with your kids, probably, or you like. Thank god they're out of the house, which is probably more common in our parents.

Speaker 2:

Um, you know, generation yes but now, though, a lot of those parents go oh my gosh, I can't believe they're all grown up and and um, a friend of mine posted this morning on facebook actually, I can't read what she posted, but it was something along the lines of it was a beautiful picture. Well, I'll just say it's clarissa. So Clarissa's uh, child, just child, just graduated, and it was just beautiful. They, you know, it's a picture of them together, and it's like I can't believe that yesterday I was nursing you and then I was brushing your hair and I'm paraphrasing I'm not reading it, so I don't remember exactly what she she wrote um, and uh, now you're all grown up and and graduating, and going out to carve out your own independent life. It brought a lump to my throat, even paraphrasing it, now reading it, and that's what a lot of parents are going through. So it's hard to let go of the stuff.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

The trophies, the pictures, and the truth is, most kids don't even want it, or they want you, as the parent, to hold it for them.

Speaker 4:

That's what they really want. Yeah hang on to that. Don't get rid of that, Dad.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and the funny thing is they might have a house that's three times as big as you when you've downsized. Or maybe you've gotten divorced and you're in a little condo or an apartment or something like that, or you've moved somewhere else to be by the grandkids and you don't have all that space anymore. And be by the grandkids and you don't have all that space anymore and they still want you to and you feel guilty.

Speaker 4:

you know it's like letting your kid go or something like uh, throwing away the pictures and when they when the kids were in school, you know the school pictures they'd bring home the school pictures and you only chose. You know you got to choose one or two poses. That meant the others were thrown in the trash. How do you throw pictures of your child? Into the trash yeah, that was always.

Speaker 2:

I guess you don't, do you, Randy?

Speaker 4:

No, and you got them in boxes Exactly, have you?

Speaker 2:

finally thrown them away of your daughter.

Speaker 4:

No, no, no See, this is real life, it is so.

Speaker 2:

I think, again, what we should do is come up with a niche thing and release them one by one, because all those little pictures could be at school. You do one a year, right? I'm sure they still do that. In fact, the photographers still use the same backdrops, like the library or the horse. What do we call a horse here? It's a piece of gym equipment and it's got a piece of suede leather on top and you jump over it. What do we call that?

Speaker 4:

The vault, the trampoline?

Speaker 2:

No, no, it's a piece of wood or it was in my day and it had a piece of leather on top that was slightly cushioned and you sort of leapt over it.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Anyway, that thing, whatever that thing was.

Speaker 2:

Walking in the playground on the asphalt right and they're like tilt your head, walk. They're all the same poses. Now, it's hilarious. But what about a book all set up with the templates for that, to drop your pictures in Perfect? It's awesome, isn't it? It really would work. And then the 12 pictures just drop into the cover yeah. And the thing costs you, I don't know, $30 or something, and it's all captured in a book and you make two, one for you, one for them.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that in a book, and you make two, one for you, one for them. Yeah, that's genius, it would work and you can sell your house without all that junk.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and you've got the series and everybody would want them and we're going to become millionaires and you won't hear us on the radio, on saturdays anymore actually you would, because I love doing this. I'll be doing this when I'm not doing real estate, honestly, oh yeah because I love it I love it that much yeah because, it's not about real estate.

Speaker 2:

It's about. What we're talking about today is that Brandon is holding on to all this stuff. And how? How do we get it so you're comfortable capturing it? Actually wouldn't in a million years. You rather look at a, at a hardback book that's got a big picture of your daughter on. You know all those ones you've got, and even the missing ones. Like you'd be so sad because one year is missing and under that we'd put missing photos. Something really exciting must have been going on that year. You know, or I don't know, make a montage, because it's so easy these days to montage all that stuff in that year.

Speaker 4:

There's always ways around that stuff. It's a coffee table book.

Speaker 2:

It would make a great coffee table book well, except it's a series, so it's, it's there'd be more than one it's the uh, different poses, right, and then, and then it's the um, you know what about the parties? If you give parties to your child, which most people do, so right, and then you've got the party book. And then you've got, and you could do one big book. That's hundreds of dollars, but you could pull the one party one out, be so fun, yeah, and it's also for you grant. So then they have their own kids and they go and visit grandma and grandpa and you pull out there. You know, hey, your birthday's coming up. Do you want to see what your mom did, what we did for your mom, for her parties?

Speaker 2:

and it starts when they're a baby, and it goes through to oh my gosh you know they, the kids, would love that yeah, exactly, and then their grandkids would look at it and you've got it in, not. You know, we rely way too much now on digital photos, um it, takes it back to hardback.

Speaker 2:

So it's, it's very fun. Um, you know, I've written a couple of books now and the first one actually the second one too has a lot of embarrassing photos of me and I put them in on purpose and some of them are not embarrassing, like their trips to Thailand when I was, you know, knee high to a grasshopper I was like 22 or something. And then there's pictures of me in the 80s running a business with, with, um, big, awesome shoulder pads. In fact, it almost looks in fashion again now. Umaded glasses, remember the shaded? Yes, I'm not talking about sunglasses, I'm talking regular glasses that had a color on them.

Speaker 2:

Yes, kids, that was a fashion.

Speaker 4:

Maybe they are again now I don't know Rose-colored glasses.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they were rose or they were amber-colored or something. I almost had big hair. Actually, my hair was kind of the same as it is now because it's just naturally big. I can't help it, but there's a bunch of them in there. And when I give people my book because I'm talking to an agent or somebody that's interested in the different ways to sell a house isn't just all about I want to make my commission check I give them that book and I say, by the way, you might want to look at the back because there's lots of funny pictures of me. That's how my pictures are captured now in the book, because it's a real printed picture I got you. That's why the Polaroid camera came back, yeah, and kids went crazy for it. It was like the you know number one seller a few years ago, at Christmas, for kids Something in their hand.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Because it prints out the picture right away and we just, you know, we rely, heck, we rely on social media, and we see what happens to that. We can barely even log into it sometimes for our pictures. Very true, it's nuts. So anyway, that's how you get rid of your things. Can we fit? I can't believe we're almost through an hour, randy. Can we fit in another couple of questions? I know we had like four lined up.

Speaker 5:

If I decide to buy a new house, I'm kind of lost. Thank you so much and sorry if this sounds stupid.

Speaker 3:

Is there like a best season to sell your house? My mom is going crazy throwing stuff away. She says we have to do it now because of the flowers. Should she stop drinking? I don't want to move. She's got this new man in her life that she married a few years ago and they want to move to a bigger house.

Speaker 4:

Hi Ro Okay whoa.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, okay, we've got a couple in there, so thank goodness Randy had them all recorded on voicemail this morning, so we had somebody that I call. I only want to do the ones that I called back and actually spoke to. So I'm not going to mention the. It sounds like a child and it's not, but sort of just of age and talking about mom, and I did crack up when she said we were going to edit that out actually, so my mom stopped drinking. Sorry about that. Sorry about that, mom, but mom has actually moved on with her life and I think her question was the best season because her mum's throwing all the stuff out. I won't tell you what she actually said and she's basically ticked off with her mum. It's kind of what we're talking about.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Because mum's throwing all the stuff out. But mum just didn't meet a guy. You know, last week Mum married a guy three years ago and he's been living at that house but has another house and they both want to sell their houses now and move in together. And we're talking about I'm trying to make sense of the years 2040. Somebody in their late 40s. Mum is in her late 40s so and daughter is ticked off. So it's like is there a best season? Because basically she doesn't want mom to sell the house because all the stuff's in there, don't move it, just stay here.

Speaker 2:

Mom's going nuts and trying to get ready and you know, can they wait. A year is the upshot, and this is a tough one, and it's a tough one for the children, obviously, when parents have gone through a divorce or lost a father and now has met somebody new, and often in that case you've got two dual incomes. So you know you want to buy a house together. That's honestly the usual progression. Now, does it all have to be normal and what normal people do? Of course not. Normal people do, of course not. However, if you're in a relationship at any age and it's gone on two or three years and you're not at that next level and you want it to be at the next level, then you're probably wasting your time. Sorry, now I've said it, right, because sometimes the other person doesn't want to move to that next level and you're a placeholder what about you? But I don't want to be a placeholder for somebody. That's not fun, it's a waste of time, right? If indeed you, you want to get to that next level.

Speaker 2:

And I'm talking to people. Listen. People date in their 60s. People date in their 70s, people I. I spoke to a good friend the other day who's in her 80s. In fact she's been on the show before joni. I'm going to give you a shout out, joni. Joni's now in her beautiful condo in Atlanta and dating. There's a restaurant downstairs where she can go. It makes it easier for her. She's by one of her daughters, she's dating and she's in her 80s.

Speaker 1:

Good for her.

Speaker 2:

She's a cougar because he's in his late 70s. Yeah, people date at all ages. So if they're not ready to move on at that point, maybe when you're at that age you're just happy to have your own spaces, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But if you've had that conversation and they ain't moving on with you, then you know it's your life, your stage. You're the director. Change the scene, it's all in your power. But I love him, but I love her. Well, ok, get ready to have your heart broken in a couple of years or five years or ten years. Um, you know you it's, it's your own play, this is your life, um, and you are out there creating your own life and your own play with. Surround yourself with the best people. If they're doing things that aren't with your values or you know things that you don't agree with, then they're probably not the people to have in your life. They're not going to change. You can't change people.

Speaker 2:

No, no, no so surround yourself with people who are fantastic, you know To you.

Speaker 4:

Yeah exactly In your eyes. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So I had a friend recently who a year before had dated a married woman and it just didn't sit right with me. And there were lots of excuses like, yeah, well, she wouldn't leave her husband and her husband didn't care, and her husband thought that she could do anything she wanted. That was the story that was being told to the guy that I was friends with. Yeah, you know, she can do anything she wants because her husband doesn't care, because he always treated her badly, and blah, blah, blah. Well, of course she's gonna say that isn't she. But it didn't sit right with me that I had this friend that was dating a married woman for two years and I said, well, why did it end? And he said, well, I got tired of her not being around for the holidays, for birthdays, for everything else, and apparently he just chucked in the towel a couple of years ago and now they're back together again.

Speaker 4:

But is she still married?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Wow, I'm sure she's telling stories like he's on his last legs and she couldn't leave because of all the money involved. And I'm like what money is worth that?

Speaker 4:

really yeah, that's not, that's not a good reason, no, it's just ever you can't make this stuff up and this is not a young person. In other words, they're over 50 yeah, so don't have a lot of time for a reset button here.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly and honestly, you've never got time for a reset button because you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

That's right we all forget that when we're younger, when we're in our 20s, we think, oh, we've gotten. Well, some dark people think we're not going to live past 30. But most people go, oh, we'll deal with that down the line, yeah, anyway. So yeah, sort of yeah, sort of Got my message there. So stuff and things, we've got all kinds of creative ideas to get those. We should probably focus more and more on this, because it is the number one question I get asked, Even if it's a quiet question like she's just got a whole basement full of stuff. Or you know, the guy friend I was talking about, actually that is dating the married woman. He has a basement full of stuff and says I'll never be able to leave this house. I'll be in this house until I die.

Speaker 4:

Because of that stuff.

Speaker 2:

Because of that stuff, because of the stuff. Yeah, that stuff Isn't that awful.

Speaker 4:

You're going to hold yourself prisoner by that stuff.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and it sounds like a minor thing and it isn't. So you are the director, you are the writer of the play. That is your life. People are going. I don't like my job. Get out of your darn job. There's so many ways to make money now. What is it you love? Oh, I don't know. You know you can't be bothered. I'm sorry, you know, get some more sleep, drink a bit less, and I'll see you on my platform today. We've all been there.

Speaker 4:

Listen there, listen, I'm not goody. Two shoes, oh, we, we all have. I've had so many comments in my lifetime about my work in radio. It's a fun job I've laughed and had fun for over 50 years and and I say that and you don't know how many times I get the response from I wish I had, I wish I had a job like that. I wish I was happy at what I do. Oh man, that's. It's a pity party. It is a pity yeah, and it's.

Speaker 2:

It's. Sometimes it's about, um, how do I get sympathy or affection, or I don't know attention, I don't know what it is, I don't either. Um, however, and some people, yeah, but I'm disabled. Or yeah, but yeah, but look at the people around you, that which blows me away every single day, that have no legs, that managed to go on. Go look at Tunnel to Towers and watch the videos. You know so. Tunnel to Towers we are endorsed by because we help veterans, we help teachers, police, firefighters. We help a lot of people who don't necessarily earn as much as the. How sad is that when we're talking about veterans, toronto Towers pay off mortgages for people who you know widows or widowers of police, for example, who are killed in the line of service. Same thing for veterans, same thing for firefighters. It's an amazing organization. Go watch those videos and then tell me you've got a problem.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, it's called Stinkin' Thinkin'.

Speaker 2:

It is Stinkin' Thinkin'.

Speaker 4:

Stinkin' Thinkin' Get rid of it.

Speaker 2:

And you can Stinkin' Think to keep Stinkin' Thinkin' for the rest of your stinking thinking life. Yeah. You can, or you can, quit stinking thinking. Quitting stinking thinking is the next book.

Speaker 4:

It's a switch, you flip off. I ain't going to think like that. No more Boom, throw that switch.

Speaker 2:

Well, and you know I tell this story with love because it's not a tension-getting thing, otherwise I'd tell the story all the time. I didn't tell it for the longest time and I learned when I was teaching. Um, so I was teaching at 50 different offices, real estate offices around the country, but most of it was mindset, because all of this stuff is mindset, right and um. So I'd say, okay, we're playing the assumption game. So in those days my ego was still bigger, or I had an ego, I think it went out the window a long time ago. So I was driving around in my fancy BMW and because I felt like that's what I was supposed to do, because I was listing all these luxury houses. Now I learn that I list luxury houses and everybody's like I love that you're driving up in that and they're driving their Volvos and their Subarus and everything else, because you know, fancy pants, people don't spend all their money on silly cars. But anyway, that was, you know, a lifetime ago. The problem was I'd go to these real estate offices and it was full of real estate agents who were struggling because they're the ones who can be bothered to go to class. Not always the successful ones go as well. So they'd sit there and I knew they were thinking A, she's got an accent. You know, I was teaching all over the country, this country, usa, in other words, she's got an accent. She'd drive up in a fancy car, she was the rookie of the year for Keller Williams internationally blah, blah, blah. You know, I'm sure she.

Speaker 2:

So we'd play the assumption game and they'd say you went to ivy league colleges. Um, you grew up in a castle, blah, blah, blah. And I'd say, actually, uh, my dad put me in hospital on numerous times, beat me from the time I was child and I left home when I was 15 and you would hear the room go so quiet. So I'm sorry, anybody that's sitting out there I can give you a run for your money with woe is me. My parents did it to me. You know I haven't lost any legs or anything. Almost lost my leg. I got a rod in my knee down to my ankle, almost lost my leg once, but I'm all intact. I'm the bionic woman. I keep coming back from things that I shouldn't come back from.

Speaker 2:

Um, you know, hey, you will you do, you do it's nothing I mean you're, I'm gonna keep going until you don't need me anymore, and there is not enough time in this lifetime to get out of me what I've got to give um, and I've never given it to make money.

Speaker 2:

I hope one day I might make some money. That'd be awesome, um, but you know that that's what we're here for to give. The more you give, the more you gain. Amen and um. There's there's an awful lot out there to give, and I sell houses like I'd sell anything else. What does it really mean? Because it doesn't mean a roof and some walls, and you know whether your kitchen's blue or white, that's not what it's about at all, especially when you're selling. So there are so many steps, guys.

Speaker 2:

And don't, don't miss the market. We had lots of questions about that too. Missing the market, you know you'll see things like oh, the market's going up this year because they're trying to keep the economy stable by saying that we're not having a problem. But any of us that has half a brain think that we have no problem in the economy. You can say we're the strongest economy in the world. Until you're blue in the face, it doesn't matter. So what Economic cycles are normal? We can't go a week without saying Clem on shoe glass, I'm going to do it. 1860, he laid out the economic cycle and it's seven to 11 years. We are years and years overdue, guys. We're five years overdue for that cycle. Well, guess what it's here. We actually crested here a year and a half ago. Are we still finding multiple offers? Absolutely. In fact, we just got one last week, which has been very rare, actually, but we priced it correctly, we marketed it correctly. We had multiple offers in a matter of days, so it's still possible.

Speaker 2:

Here's what I want you to do. If you're a friend down the street and you're a realtor that has tons of experience, mad love to you, absolutely. If I can ever help you reach out, I'm more than happy to do so. I'm talking to agents now. If your friend down the street is an agent and just got their real estate license, it's probably not the way to go right now. You need a lot of experience. You need somebody that understands the ins and outs and how just not to let a deal fly or drop through the cracks. I cannot tell you how many stories maybe we'll do that. Actually, we need a whole show on that how deals fall through the cracks, because it's happening all the time and it breaks my heart. This is your biggest usually 99% of people. It's your biggest asset, guys, biggest asset, right? So it's not that your, if your friend has tons of experience. Have at it because they know what they're doing. When I say tons of experience, I don't mean they've been 20 years in real estate. They might have done two deals a year, right. So they need lots of experience to keep up with where the market is at and what you can do.

Speaker 2:

We have one right now where we're negotiating chopping off part of the parcel to get it sold. We have numerous full market value cash offer tools to be able to get you out in 12 days. If you're going into assisted living, we have a specific tool for that. If you're worried about payments that you're making late, we have a specific program for that, and I could go on and on and on. If you're building a new home, we have a specific program for that. We have the experience of years, but also, I don't know, some crazy mind that came up with all these programs that are now being used by agents across the country. We do have a book on it. Just look up Rowena Patton on Amazon.

Speaker 2:

I don't say this to toot my own horn. I say it because I want you to get the education you need to get your home sold, to buy a home without all this stress? It is not necessary. It is not necessary.

Speaker 2:

I've heard the stories. I've been part of your stories. I am the story. I've been through big house scare, scares. I've been through cancer diagnoses 10 years ago. I've been through even more, which I'll be sharing about with you in the next few weeks. So I've been part of the stories. I understand how stressful it is, but there's nothing more stressful than staying stuck and not doing anything about it and being surrounded by stuff and things that give you a lot of stress. Guess what stress does? Kills you faster. So stay here longer. Get rid of your stuff and things. I don't care if you're selling your house or not. Stuff and things, we've got to get them gone. That's how you get past that stressful piece, right? Thank you so much for those of you listening today. Can't wait to hear you again on the radio next week. Rowena Patton, give us a call. See you next week.

Speaker 1:

This has been the Plain English Real Estate Show with Rowena Patton. Visit Rowena and post your questions at radioashvillecom or call her at 828-210-1648.

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Rowena Patton, NC, FL, DC, CA

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