Guaranteed Best Ways To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

 

 

 

Is It Decluttering?

Is It Depersonalization?

What About Staging?

How About Curb Appeal?

 

Is it just one of them?  NO.

To be fair, it’s a combination of them.  

Tried, Tested and True.  These are the most classic ways to sell your home for top dollar.

Decluttering:  ever walked into a cluttered house, the owners are hoarders and you are just overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF they have.  Your focus is on the STUFF meaning your focus is NOT on the home!  Buyers are quickly disgusted by the amount of garbage or stuff homeowners have even if the buyers themselves are hoarders.  Buyers are not Realtors so a majority of them aren’t able to see beyond the junk.

Depersonalization:  have you ever gone to an open house and your eyes just started looking at the homeowners picture frames, “oh that guy looks familiar”, “oh that girl is cute”, “nice, they took a picture with the Canucks”…  Once again, buyers are distracted and they focus on the memorabilia and pictures instead of the home.  That’s why when you walk into a showroom at a developer’s presentation center, the picture frames always have abstract pictures so that you can imagine putting in your own family pictures in those picture frames.

The post Guaranteed Best Ways To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar appeared first on Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC.

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3 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Home Security System

Technology not only enhances home protection, but can also help you greatly reduce home energy consumption. Here are a few ways to make sure that your home security system is as environmentally friendly as possible.

Image Source: Flickr

Below are 3 tips for an eco-friendly home security system:

Use Outdoor Lighting with Motion Detectors
Many of us tend to leave lights on when we’re away from home, to give the appearance that the house is occupied; this is not only a waste of energy, but also causes electricity bills to rise. Rather than relying on leaving lights on when you’re away, it can be helpful to install flood lights around your home, operated with motion detectors. This way, they will only be on if there is movement around your home, rather than all day or night. Many security systems also offer monitoring systems that not only allow you to monitor your home by video surveillance, but also the lights in your home, by your smart phone or personal computer. These monitoring systems can control a variety of systems in your home such as the HVAC, so that rather than leaving your system running all day, you can turn it on shortly before returning home. This is a great way to keep your home secure without using excess energy. Source: PRWeb

Choose a Security System Provider that Uses Recycled Materials
With the current trend toward eco-friendly products, security companies have released their own line of energy-efficient products. Whether looking for Madison, NH Home Security or a security system for another location, most security companies will provide you with eco-friendly, energy-efficient options. These systems are more cost-effective, for they are built out of either recycled materials or environmentally friendly materials. And, because of their efficiency, they cost far less to use than traditional systems. Source: BullocksBuzz

Use Lighting Efficiently While Away
Using multiple light timers on different on/off cycles can go a long way toward making your home appear occupied. It can also help you save significantly over leaving lights on all the time. You can also make eco-friendly choices in your light bulbs. LED bulbs are far more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, using 80% less energy and lasting for years. They’re more expensive up front, but generally pay for themselves after 18 months, and can continue working for up to a decade after that, keeping your energy consumption for lighting down. Source: ProtectYourHome

Contact:
Mr. Locksmith Calgary
555 Maidstone Drive NE
Calgary, Alberta T2A 4B6
Canada
Phone: (403) 800-9185

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New Beginnings, New Opportunities

Leaving a school can be tough.  Switching positions within the same school can also be a challenge.

There are many educators who are leaving one school for another this year, and feel in some way, that they are abandoning students from that school.  Or maybe leaving their colleagues a little too early.  Maybe they are even scared of what a new job, new responsibilities, or new colleagues might mean for them.

Change can be tough.

But just some things to consider…

There is no place in the world that kids don’t need awesome educators.  The same closeness that you felt with your former students, you will feel again.  It might not be the “same”, but it will be similar.  Kids all over the world need to be pushed, have their thoughts provoked, and feel valued.

Also, the work in education is never done.  You may feel that those things that you have implemented at your former school aren’t quite where you would want them to be, but I hate to tell you this, education never “gets” there.  Schools are learning organizations, and if that is true, the target we aim for will continuously be slightly out reach.

This is true for both individuals and organizations.  There is always room to grow.

Finally, new environments, whether that means doing something new, or working with new people, both, or more, will challenge you.  All of the opportunities and people you connect with help to make you better, if you let them.  It is okay to be scared about new opportunities, as long as the fear doesn’t hold you back from embracing what is possible.

Change is hard and new opportunities can be scary, but if you look at the kids in classrooms that change grades every year and are constantly pushed in their own growth, we know that this is something that will only make them better, not hold them back. Same goes for the adults.

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Give More than What is Expected

For the past week and a half, I’ve thought a lot about my last school year.  It seems odd that students have been finished for about a week and a half, yet, I almost feel as though we just started.  In the short time I’ve been done, I have attended ISTE 2016, been home for a few days, and now I am getting ready for NAESP 2016.  I laughed this morning, while getting things ready for my upcoming trip, as I wondered why I had pushed myself into doing so much in such a short period of time, when I could have taken the time to just be at home, get some projects done, and relax after a busy school year.  

I know why I didn’t…and it isn’t martyrdom or poor “work-life balance”. In my early adulthood, I spent some time floundering with what I would do professionally, and after some marginal work experiences, I decided to enter the education profession.  For the past 23 years, I’ve had the great pleasure of working in a profession that I absolutely love, feeling like I have made a difference in the life of children every day I have gone to work.  My previous work experiences not only shaped my thoughts about how important it is to love what you do for work, but they also informed me about the importance of work being meaningful, in the greater sense of the word.

I’m also “wired” to love working.  For me personally, working a lot is actually the balance I need.  I’ve never been one to sit still for long, so even when I’ve not been working, I’ve had multiple projects going on at home, including gardening, painting projects, genealogy research, etc.  There has never been a lot of “down time” for me, however, I am not the type of person that needs that.  Keep in mind, I am not criticizing people who do need more down time, I’m just recognizing my own personal needs, which do not necessitate that. I also keep this in mind when working with colleagues and with educators in my school.

In my busy days since school has ended (for students and staff, not so much for me), I’ve thought a lot about my work over the past year, where education is in general, how I can improve my work in service of students and teachers, and what I can do for the upcoming school year that will continue to add value to the field of education. I’ve also thought of the saying, “Give more than what is expected” and I’ve thought about how that may apply to my work.

As I reflect on my last school year, and then think about the upcoming year, there are some things I know I will do in the spirit of “giving more than what is expected”.  Here’s my “short list” of items:

 

• Push myself to grow professionally in ways that I haven’t in the past, expanding my thinking and being open to new experiences, opportunities and learning.  This includes doing things that I think will be successful AND trying things that may not be successful.
• Collaborate with educators to develop a climate and culture within my school and district where high levels of trust are built through professional working relationships, so that educators truly enjoy coming to work every day and are able to do their very best work.
• Support principal colleagues to carry out the complex work of school leadership in ways that meets their needs as administrators and learners as a result of being my “best self”.
• Continue to hold steady to my focus of placing students at the forefront of every decision I make.  All work must be related to providing the best experience for students, both academically and socially/emotionally.
• Develop greater levels of trust and support with the greater school community around the work my school does to support students through multiple modes of communication which will meet the needs of many of our stakeholders.

While I am sure that many school administrators may have similar goals, I continue to think about the degree to which I will do these things as part of my “short list”, and how I can take each of these items to the “next level” and give more than what may be expected of me, as always, in the service of students.

And yes, I should be packing for my trip to NAESP 2016 tomorrow, and yes, I have a lot of other projects lined up, however, I can’t stop thinking about giving more than what is expected and how that will enrich the lives of my students and create better educational opportunities for everyone I work with in both my immediate school community and the greater educational community.

So if you are like me, and you are still working, or if your personal needs are different and you are taking a short break, I am wondering how will you give more than what is expected for the upcoming school year.  What will it look like?  Will you rely on immediate colleagues, a PLN, classes?  No matter what you do, there’s no doubt that giving more than what is expected will result in a better experience for you and others, whether learning through successes or through situations where you’ve failed.

Be sure to reach out to me via e-mail (tommartellone@gmail.com) or via Twitter (@tommartellone) if you’re thinking about giving more, trying something new, or wanting another thought partner in education.  I’m definitely interested in creativity and risk taking!

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Testing IS the Answer

I am late to the party on this one, but I’ve finally realized it: testing IS the answer! My favorite NFL football team has not won a Super Bowl in decades. I’m not an NFL coach, GM, owner, and have never played in the NFL…BUT I know exactly what it takes to win a Super Bowl: testing.

I think that once the NFL season begins in July, my favorite NFL team should test all its players in the 40 yard dash, shuttle run, verticle jump, and 225 lb bench repetitions. This should only take about a week to do for each cohort of players. Although access to much of the facility’s resources will be prohibited during this testing time, it will only be for a 4 week cycle to get all players tested.

After the 4 week cycle, practice will go on like normal–except for the players who did not score well. They will do extra 40 yard dash, shuttle run, verticle jump, and 225 lb bench repetition activities in addition to their regular football practice schedule and/or do these extra activities in place of parts of their regular football practice schedule. To make sure we are building winners, they will be tested in these areas every 2 weeks or so, in place of football practice, to monitor their progress.

The entire team will then be tested again in September. Again, players will only miss one week of practice, and access to the facility’s resources will be prohibited for only the new 4 week cycle to get all players tested. This testing period (and all testing periods) will provide critical information–hundreds of pages of reports–as to how our players are learning and coaches are coaching. There may be players cycling in and out of extra drills and progress monitoring during this–and each–off-testing phase.

To remain sharp and lock in on the division title, we will test again in November. We will again miss only a week of practice, while prohibiting access to much of the facility’s resources for only another 4 weeks. This will provide valuable progress monitoring data to drive the next phase of practices, as well as continue making big picture decisions for our organization (coaching staff, practice methods, improvement goals, etc.).

To stay sharp during our playoff run, we will test again in January. This final testing period will take us right into the Super Bowl in early February. January’s testing data, along with the previous 3 cycles of testing and data (thousands of pages of reports!), should not only prepare us to play in the Super Bowl, but should also provide a very good predictor as to how we will perform in the Super Bowl.

So, NFL owners, below is the blueprint to winning a Super Bowl this season. You’re welcome.

2016-17 Football Schedule
July 28-30	Camp opens, football practice
July 31-Aug 27	*Testing
Aug 28-Sept 18	Football practice
Sept 19-Oct 15	*Testing
Oct 16-Nov 16	Football practice
Nov 17-Dec 14	*Testing
Dec 15-Jan 3	Football practice
Jan 4-Jan 31	*Testing
Feb 1-Feb 4	Football practice
Feb 5	Super Bowl

*Allow time and flexibility for malfunctioning and incompatibility of equipment to abruptly shutdown testing sessions for hours or days at a time.

Not a football fan? No worries. Here’s an analogy for you…

My home state of Illinois is in a world of dysfunction as it pertains to its budget. If you are not aware, here are some…highlights(?)…including the lack of funding to provide free public education. Nope. Not a typo. The lack of funding to provide free public education: ISBE Estimate of Number of Days School Districts remain open 6.17.16.

Now, I am no law maker. Nor am I a finance guy by trade. Nor did I attend law school. Nor do I teach Economy or Business classes…BUT I know exactly what it takes to balance a state budget: testing.

All lawmakers should be tested on their ability to balance a state budget. Each testing session will only require one week away from the daily work of balancing the budget, and would only prohibit access to major resources in completing everyday work for balancing the budget for 4 week windows (to allow for all lawmakers to be tested). To keep our lawmakers sharp at budget balancing, this will occur 4 separate times during the year. Lawmakers who do not meet scoring benchmarks during testing will receive support in addition to their everyday work, and in many cases, will receive support that replaces their everyday work in balancing the budget. And don’t worry…time will be set aside from the everyday work of balancing the state budget for disrupted and postponed testing windows due to technical difficulties.

There you go lawmakers. The blueprint to a balanced state budget: 4 weeks away from balancing the state budget to assess your budget balancing aptitude, and 16 weeks without access to major resources to balance the state budget so that we can assess your aptitude in balancing a state budget. Problem solved. You’re welcome.

Now, to find a way to apply this to Education and student learning….

  

Standardized assessment hopscotch

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Accelerating Great Teaching and Learning

You are a principal and you have amazing access to see teachers teach, all of the time.  Walking in and out of the classroom, seeing what great teachers do, can make you an amazing teacher, even in the role of the principal.  Great principals take advantage of this.

Yet the process that I have seen shared with many administrators is that they will see something awesome happen in a classroom, and then they will ask the teacher share that practice with others at the next staff meetings.  Sometimes these meetings are two weeks away, sometimes a month, sometimes longer.  You may encourage them to share for ten minutes, but then things come up, and ten minutes, becomes five.  They share that great practice, and we move onto the next thing.

Or you could do this…

See that amazing thing happening in a classroom and ask the teacher if they can share it. Tweet it to a school hashtag using words, images, or a 30 second video.

Amazing practice, shared right now, to everyone.

This creates both a transparency and an urgency for others to move forward.  Still talk and share at your staff days, but this idea is a supplement, not a replacement.

How would we ever expect great practice to become “viral” if we only shared it once every 30 days?

Technology has the ability to amplify and accelerate the amazing things that are happening in your schools. Take advantage.

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Review and Giveaway Winner: Enchanted August by Brenda Bowen

This was a book that wasn't on my radar at all until I received an opportunity to review it and sponsor a giveaway to a lucky reader.  So glad I accepted that review opportunity because this was a perfectly perfect novel to read in the depths of summer.  

Enchanted August by Brenda Bowen is an updated take on Enchanted April (which I must immediately rent and watch this month).  Four strangers rent a cottage on an island off the coast of Maine for the month of August, and the magic that is Little Lost Island and Hopewell Cottage begins to work on the troubles each have brought with them from home.  There's Rose, who is a mother to twins, a frustrated poet, and married to a successful author. Lottie, a mother of a small boy, married to a lawyer who works too much and has a wandering eye; Beverly, an elderly man who comes with his sorrow and grief; and finally, Caroline--a popular young actress famous for her  reaction to losing out on an Oscar who just wants some peace and quiet.  Robert is the owner of the cottage, and he rents it out each August to people who need a bit of a break in their lives, and a bit of magic to sort them all out.  

Little Lost Island is a beautiful island off the coast of Maine, home to many summer cottages (and by cottages I mean very large homes) that have been handed down through the generations.  No cell phone service, no TV's; it's all about nature, seafood, and the beauty of the ocean.  It is the perfect summer getaway from everything, and a place to heal and ponder life.  Four strangers in one house starts out a bit awkward for them, but as the days go by, little by little they get to know each other and their stories.  And Hopewell Cottage works its magic.  

Oh, I wish I could go to Little Lost Island for a month.  Brenda Bowen has built a wonderful setting and her characters are all just regular people with problems just like the rest of us.  Of course, Caroline being a famous actress is a bit out of the norm, but really all she wants is to be left alone and figure out what her next step is in her life.  In the end, that's what we're all trying to figure out.  

And without further ado, here's the winner of a copy of Enchanted August

Kristal, I know you'll love this book!  Enjoy.  

A HUGE thank you to Penguin/Random house for a review copy and sponsoring this giveaway.  

Rating:  7/10 for a summer read that hit all the right buttons: an enchanting setting  that makes me want to travel, likable characters, and a plot that moves along to a satisfying conclusion.  

Available in paperback and e-book. 

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