Monday Morning Coffee July 31, 2017

As mentioned previously, global economic factors will affect your mortgage interest rates. Example - A hint of a taper in the European Central Bank's (ECB) bond purchase program drove European yields higher a few weeks ago, and U.S. yields followed. 

As a result, our local mortgage rates ended that week higher.

Yes, in today's global markets, a change in bond yields in one major region often produces a similar change in other markets. 

Despite these factors, mortgage rates are still extremely attractive!

"A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives."  ~ Jackie Robinson

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing.

He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.
Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed.

He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.
In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on.

His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home.

No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.
One day, Miss White's impatient voice broke into his daydreams.
"Steve!!" Startled, he turned to look at her.
"Pay attention!"
Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.
"You all did pretty well," she told the class, "except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but..." She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.
"...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!"
She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.
After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn't do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.
"Just try it! ONE WEEK!" He was unmoved.
"You're smart enough! You'll see a change!" Nothing fazed him.
"Give yourself a chance! Don't give up on your life!" Nothing.
"Steve! Please! I care about you!"
Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!"
Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering!

He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.
The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.
Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over.

Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn't resist another look at the lovely woman.
Miss White's face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!
From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it! He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life.

Steve began to excel! And he continued this course throughout his school life.
After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude.

During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves.

Steve began a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct professor in a nearby college.
Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.
You see, it's simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared. ~ Alyson Stallings

With the new school year just around the corner, I wanted to say thank you to the teachers who work hard, for not nearly enough pay, in order to change the lives of your students. I'm sure you aren't told enough how important what you do is, but it matters. Most likely, if you are a teacher, you'll never know just how big an impact you have had, but you are changing lives. So thank you.

Buying a Home in 10 Simple Steps

     

     So you want to buy a home? You've saved and saved and finally have enough for a down payment and are ready to find the home of your dreams! Awesome! Now if only buying a home was as easy as buying a new outfit. All you'd need to do was go to the new home store, pick out your home, swipe your credit card and you'd be done. Unfortunately, buying a home isn't that easy, but it doesn't need to be overwhelming either. 

     Below, I'll break the process down into 10 simple steps, so that if you are ready to buy a home, you will know what to expect.

Step 1 - Find an Agent.  You can of course search online, go to open houses and try to do it on your own, but don't. The seller will have an agent working exclusively for their interests so you need one working for you. Ask friends and family for recommendations. Most people have someone they can recommend. Of course, since you are reading this blog, you already know a great agent so give me a call. 

Step 2 - Find a Lender. Not all lenders are created equal. You will be spending a lot of time working with your lender, so find one who fits your personality that you can work with. I recommend a local lender as well. Many times, local lenders know the agents. If you get into a multiple offer situation on a home, an agent who knows and trusts the lender to get the loan done on time can help your offer.
  
    If you chose a good agent in step one, they will be able to recommend lenders they have worked with in the past. If you chose me, of course I can recommend some great lenders!

Here's one I'd highly recommend.

Step 3 - Get Pre-Approved For A Loan.  We are currently in a seller's market with low inventory. That means most homes are receiving multiple offers. In fact, of the 108 homes that sold in Tracy, CA in the last 30 days, 65 percent of them sold in 14 days or less! If you aren't pre-approved for a loan your offer most likely won't even be looked at. 

     Pre-approval and pre-qualified are very different! Pre-approval means a lender has looked over your documents and as long as nothing changes between now and the time you close you will get the loan. Pre-qualified simply means you should be able to get a loan but nothing is really certain. Pre-qualifying is honestly a waste of time. Go the extra step and get pre-approved. (Did you notice above where I said "as long as nothing changes . . . "? That makes this a good time to remind you that once you have been pre-approved for a loan, don't make any big financial changes. Don't apply for a new credit card or a car loan or make a big purchase. Any big change can mess up your pre-approval, so just wait until after we find your new home.

Step 4 - Create a Wishlist.  How many bedrooms do you want? Is there a neighborhood you want to live in or a school you want to be close to? Do you need a pool? How about a 3 car garage, or a large back yard? Do you want a modern kitchen? An open layout? Now is when you start to figure out just what it is you are looking for in your new home. Think about your lifestyle and what type of home would best suit you and your family. Don't forget to think about your commute either. The city you want to live in might only be 20 miles from your work, but what is the traffic like? If you are going to commute, what is the freeway access like? Depending on where in town you live it could add 15 minutes to your commute just to get to the freeway.

     There's a lot to think about, but deciding what you want in your new home can be a lot of fun, so enjoy it.

Step 5 - Search for Your Home.  Here's the really fun part. Get online, drive around town, go to open houses and start looking for your new home. Your agent should be a big help here. Tell them what you are looking for and let them search. A great agent will be constantly watching for your new home and will contact you as soon as they find something you might like.

Start Your Search For Homes Online Here

Step 6 - View Some Homes.  Now that you and your agent have searched online and found some homes you may like, it's time to go see them. Schedule showings with your agent who will be happy to take you around to see multiple homes. Many times these will be private showings which means you get to avoid the crowds at the open houses. Viewing a home is when you can really see it and picture your family living there. Remember, pictures lie. Some agents take terrible pictures (which there is no excuse for) and when you view the home you will be pleasantly surprised. Other agents will do a lot of photoshop work to make the home look better than it really is. You won't know until you go see the home.

Step 7 - Make An Offer. You've searched and found your dream home and now it's time to make an offer. Your agent is a treasure chest of information and help at this stage. They can tell you what the home is really worth. Should you offer above or below asking price? What are some of the contingencies you can remove to help your offer stand out and what contingencies should not be removed? They can tell you what the market is like and if they expect multiple offers on the home. Your offer is much more than just price and your agent will help you navigate the offer and give you the best chance of buying your dream home.

Step 8 - Get Final Mortgage Approval. This is when your loan will be completely approved. As long as you were pre-approved and didn't make big financial changes afterwards, this should go smoothly.

Step 9 - Inspection Time. While you are waiting for your loan to finalize you will also get inspections done on the property. Your agent can recommend which inspections as well as good inspectors. Typically a pest inspection and a general home inspection are great ideas. You''ll have a chance to see if any major issues turn up. If something does turn up your agent can try to negotiate with the seller to have them fixed or reduce the selling price so you can fix them afterwards. The seller isn't required to fix them, but as long as you didn't waive your inspection contingency you will be able to back out of the contract if something does come up.

Step 10 - Close. Congratulations! This is the day you sign the paperwork and get the keys to your new home! Do some finger and wrist exercises before you show up to closing because you will be signing a lot of paperwork, but when you are done, the home is yours! Now all you have to do is unpack!

Buying a home is a big deal and most likely will be the largest purchase you will make in your lifetime. There is a lot involved and it could take awhile, but if you follow the above steps it will go much easier. And of course, the most important step is Step 1 - Hire a Great Agent!

Trivia Tuesday July 25, 2017

I'm not sure I'll be painting my door red, but paying off my mortgage will be a day to celebrate! 

How about you? How will you celebrate when your mortgage is paid off?

With interest rates still historically low, many people are refinancing to a 15 year loan in order to get their mortgages paid off sooner. If you need any recommendations for a great lender to talk to to see if this makes sense for you, call me. I work with some fantastic lenders and would be happy to recommend them.

Monday Morning Coffee July 24, 2017

The Fed now faces a bit of a dilemma regarding current policy. The Fed's stated target for inflation is 2.0%.

Last year, it appeared that inflation was slowly climbing to that level, as Fed officials had forecast.

This year, though, inflation has reversed direction. The release of the core PCE price index, the inflation indicator favored by the Fed, showed that in May it was just 1.4% higher than a year ago, down from a year-over-year rate of 1.8% just three months ago.

While many Fed officials believe that the decline in inflation this year is due to temporary factors, recent comments indicate that some officials would prefer to wait and see if this is true before further tightening monetary policy.

Thus, mortgage rates remain at extremely attractive levels for home buyers!

A Trooper's Story ~ By Jack Graham

(Publisher's Note: This story is sad, but TRUE... about a U.S. soldier who lived in Boonville, NY and was killed in Iraq. It is taken from a letter written by Senior Investigator Jack Graham of  the New York State Police to fellow members of the NY State Police and to the Syracuse Police who, on April 17, 2003, participated in a hastily planned ceremonial escort for the soldier. This is the kind of story that makes you proud to be an American.)

Here is the letter...
On Thursday, April 17, 2003, you participated in an escort detail for GREGORY P. HUXLEY JR who was killed in action in Iraq on April 6, 2003.

On behalf of the entire Huxley family and from me, personally, I want to say "Thank you very much."

Your professionalism, dedication and sincerity meant so much to the Huxley family, that words cannot describe their feelings at this time.
What most did not know was that the US Army had promised the family members that they would be taken to Dover, Delaware to be present when their son arrived from Iraq and there would be a full military ceremony in Dover for GREGORY.

Unfortunately, there was a communication problem and they were not present during that ceremony.
Then they were informed that the body of their son was being flown to Syracuse and that the funeral director could pick up the "fallen soldier" at the cargo area of the airport and that somebody would help them remove the casket from the cardboard shipping container for transport to Boonville, NY.
The funeral director felt that unacceptable for a nineteen year old young man that gave his life for this country and for the freedom of so many others.

As a family friend, he contacted me to see if anything could be done. We now had six hours before GREGORY arrived in Syracuse. Phone calls were made to State Police in North Syracuse and SGT Nick Harmatiuk took over from there.
What you participated in and observed the rest of  that day was truly an outstanding display of what this agency can do in very short time. What happened was just visually and emotionally overwhelming.
The procession left SP North Syracuse led by eight Syracuse PD motorcycles, followed by the hearse, four cars with family members and followed by ten State Police and Syracuse PD cars.

How ironic it was that when the procession was traveling parallel to the runway, the  plane carrying GREGORY landed next to it.
We were able to enter the planes cargo area and remove the shipping crate from the casket and drape the American flag over the casket. When the casket traveled down the conveyor belt, fifteen New York State Troopers and the same amount of Syracuse Policemen lined the path to the awaiting hearse - all at attention.

A hand salute was executed as six State Troopers proudly bore the flag draped coffin to the hearse. After a short prayer, the family was given some time to welcome their son home.
The entire airport was so quiet. I looked up at the concourse windows and saw a hundred or more people. They were all standing, watching, with their hands over their hearts, saluting a young man that they did not know.
Somehow they learned that a fallen soldier had come home and they wanted to honor his sacrifice.
The casket was then placed in the hearse and the procession left the airport in the same fashion as we arrived, only this time with a young hero that our hearts will never forget.
The motorcade was escorted to the thruway entrance by the Syracuse Police Department's motorcycles. All traffic was stopped for the procession and we headed east towards Boonville.

After getting off the thruway, we found that every intersection that the procession encountered was controlled by State Troopers, allowing us a safe, unimpeded passage.
At each intersection, the State Trooper stood at attention, saluting the fallen soldier and his family, giving him and his family the respect that they deserved. How emotional that was to see and now to reflect on.
When entering the Village of Boonville, the main street was decorated with an infinite number of American Flags and yellow ribbons. As we approached the center of town, all of the church bells began to peal at once recognizing and saluting Gregory's arrival.
Hundreds of people holding American flags lined the street, some with their hand over their heart and some weeping for GREGORY for what he sacrificed, for us and his country.
As we drove by the village park, the National Anthem was being played, for GREGORY, and I think, for all of us.
At the funeral home, eight veterans lifted the casket out of the hearse and into the home with the family.

GREGORY had returned home.
GREGORY'S family said to me later that the images I have just described will always be etched in their hearts, forever.

But the one memory that will always be there first, was of the State Troopers at the airport, standing at attention, saluting, with tears running down their cheeks for their son, a fallen soldier. A hero whom those Troopers never personally knew.
Our jobs take many different avenues in life. We hope that during our day or shift that we have made a difference, a positive contribution.

On this occasion you did just that. An entire family knows that you cared to do your very best to honor their son. Their words and expressions told me just that.
You made a difference yesterday, and you did it well.
The rewards we receive for details like this one do not come from anywhere but from the heart. Take pride in what you accomplished, because it was distinct and without equal in this Trooper's eye.
I have had so many good things happen since I have been a State Trooper, but  in those twenty four years, I have never been more proud of the New York State Police as I was yesterday - A fallen soldier, a hero, a son, a brother has finally come home, in grand deserving style, thanks to all of you.

Jack Graham
Senior Investigator
New York State Police 

5 Reasons Not To Buy A Home Without A Buyer's Agent

If you are thinking about buying a home, then I am sure you are already familiar with all of the online resources that are at your disposal. With the internet, searching for a home and finding a loan have become easy to do on your own. Because of that, many people make the assumption that they don't need a real estate agent. While it is certainly possible to purchase a home without an agent, here are 5 reasons that would be a bad idea.

1 - A Buyer's agent will negotiate on your behalf. The seller's agent will always have the seller's best interest in mind. So while the agent might be friendly, they are not on your side. Because a home is most likely the largest purchase you will ever make, it's important to have someone negotiating for you who knows the market and the industry and can get you the best deal.

2 - A real estate agent understands the contracts and paperwork. If you've never bought or sold a home before you might be amazed at how much paperwork is involved. You will constantly be having new forms sent to you for your signature and without an agent, you will be left on your own to read it and understand everything you are signing. An agent can help explain all the paperwork to you because that is what they do every day. Plus, if you want to make a counteroffer or submit an addendum asking the seller to make some repairs do you really want to trust the seller's agent to draw up those papers for you? I'm not suggesting they are unethical, but they have a fiduciary duty to the seller to act on their best interests not yours.

3 - They know people - During the process of buying a home, there will be inspections you will want to get. A general home inspection and a pest inspection for sure, possibly a roof inspection, A/C inspection and others. A good inspector can save you thousands of dollars in repair work or even save you from buying a money pit. Your agent will have contacts that they work with that they can recommend.

4 - They know other agents -  Believe it or not, agents talk to each other. We actually get along and enjoy working together most of the time. Your dream home might not be on the market yet, but your agent might already know about it. It's not uncommon for homes to sell before they ever go on the market. Why? Because the seller's agent told the buyer's agent about a home that was coming soon and the buyer's agent told his clients who loved the home and made an offer that was accepted. All before the home hit the market!

Looking to Buy Your First Home? Download my First Time Home Buyer's Guide FREE.

5 - Your Time is Valuable -  Finally, your time is valuable so let your agent handle searching for homes. Of course, the excitement of buying a new home probably means you will do your own searches, but even if you do, your agent can save you the headache of making the calls to set up times to visit the homes. You agent also has access to lockboxes, which means you don't have to spend your weekend running around to all the open homes. Instead your agent can show you the homes in the evenings, freeing up your weekends! (Another bonus of seeing the home on a weeknight instead of during the open house is you'll have more privacy, plus if you want to place an offer, you can get it in before the open house and sometimes even get it accepted before other offers come in.)

These are just a few of the benefits you will receive by hiring a great agent to represent you. So if you are ready to buy a home, give me a call and let's find your next home.

Bonus Tip - Many people will tell you that a hiring a Buyer's Agent is free. While that is technically true because the Buyer's Agent commission shows as a deduction from the seller, ultimately the buyer is the only one paying money. So instead of saying a Buyer's Agent is free, I prefer to say they won't cost you any more, or that you won't save any money by not using one. If your home is $600,000 it is highly unlikely you will get it for less simply because you don't have an agent on your side. 

Trivia Tuesday July 18 2017

I consider myself a good negotiator and enjoy working to get my clients the best deal possible, but if you ask me to write an offer on a home and you want to offer one red paperclip, we probably won't get the home. 😊

If you'd like to read a little bit about this guy's story you can click here.

Monday Morning Coffee July 17, 2017

The summer of 2017 is living up to expectations. Despite, or maybe because of increases in mortgage rates, home buyers are looking at homes in record numbers. 

Before statistics ever come out, real estate professionals can tell how strong home sales will be in a given time period by the activity in the market. Some examples include open house traffic, buyers looking at new model homes, and agents showing homes to buyers. 

All of these activity based measurements are strong according to real estate agents and new homes agents in the market. The result will most certainly be positive statistics when they are available in 60-90 days.

Thinking about selling your home? Read my blog for

6 Tips To Get Your House Ready To Sale.

Dogs really are perfect soldiers. They are brave and smart; they can smell through walls, see in the dark, and eat Army rations without complaint. -Susan Orlean

In 1966, a German Shepherd dog named Nemo and his handler, Airman Second Class Robert Thorneburg, both survived gunshot wounds while fighting in Vietnam.

A bullet hit Nemo in the muzzle, but the brave dog stayed strong and charged 4 gunmen, giving Thorneburg, who was shot in the shoulder, enough time to call for reinforcements.

Thorneburg and Nemo both survived, but Nemo’s right eye had to be removed.

Nemo was sent back to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, where he had been trained, to recover under the care of the base’s veterinarians.

Nemo lived out the rest of his life in Lackland, in his own special kennel, and served as an inspiration for countless handlers-in-training.

Now to the other end of the spectrum ... Smoky, a four-pound Yorkshire Terrier, proves that war dogs come in all shapes and sizes.

Found in the New Guinea jungle by an American soldier during WWII, Smoky was later sold to another soldier, Corporal William A. Wynne from Cleveland, OH.

Wynne and Smoky stayed together for the next two years of the war, and the little dog survived the heat, limited food rations, typhoons, air raids, combat missions and even a 30ft parachute jump (she had her own special parachute).

Wynne credits his dog with saving his life by guiding him away from incoming fire on a transport ship.

Smoky is also now recognized as the first therapy dog, as she spent many hours both during the war and back home visiting veterans and entertaining them with the varied collections of tricks that Wynne taught her.

After the war, Smoky and Wynne made numerous TV appearances together, performing tricks and telling their amazing story.

Smoky lived in Cleveland with Wynne and his family until her death in 1957 at age 14.

On Veterans Day in 2005, a memorial for Smoky was unveiled in the Rocky Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks in Lakewood, Ohio. The statue features the tiny dog sitting inside a combat helmet, smiling her trademark smile.

6 Tips to Get Your House Ready For Sale

So you've decided to sell your home, you've vacuumed and dusted and now you are ready to show it to the world right? Wrong. 

If you've watched any of those home selling shows on TV you already know that getting your home ready to sale can become as big of a project as you want to make it. Sometimes, major renovations are tackled before listing a home for sale. I don't plan to talk about major renovations in this blog, but there are a lot of things you can and should do to get your home ready to sale, so that you can get top dollar for your home.

1 - Clean, Clean, Clean - This seems obvious, but I'm not talking about your every week cleaning. Your home needs to sparkle. Clean the blinds, the light fixtures, the ceiling fans, the baseboards. Polish bathroom fixtures, pressure wash the exterior and driveway. You get the idea.

2 - Change the Light Bulbs - Replace lower wattage light bulbs with higher wattage ones. (Never exceed the max wattage recommended for your fixture.) I recommend white light over yellow light as well. Bright white light makes the room look bigger and cleaner.

3 - Replace the toilet seat - If you've lived in your home very long, the toilet seat can probably stand to be replaced. It doesn't need to be an ultra fancy self-closing one, just a new clean toilet seat goes a long way to making the bathrooms pop.

4 - Mirrors - Use mirrors in strategic places to make rooms feel bigger. A strategically placed mirror can really help a small entry way or bathroom look and feel bigger.

5 - Scented Candles -  Use scented candles to give the home a fresh clean smell. Make sure to use only one scent throughout the home.

For even more great tips, download my FREE guide

6 - Dress Up A Dining Room Table - Try a new runner or a centerpiece of fresh fruit or flowers. Set the table with nice dishes, fabric napkins, etc

Bonus Tips

     Set the right price - Talk with your REALTOR® and make sure you set the right price. All the cleaning and decorating you do won't matter if the price isn't right. The right price sells a home.

     Hire a great REALTOR® - A great agent will be able to walk through your home and tell you what needs to be done to get it ready to sale. Plus they can help you set the right price, negotiate on your behalf, market your home, handle all the paperwork and so much more. I actually know a guy if you need a referral. RealtorBrianHill.com

Trivia Tuesday

When I saw this piece of trivia, I thought it must be incorrect because how can Alaska be the easternmost state? So I looked up at map to explain it.

As you can see some of Alaska's Aleutian Islands extend into the Eastern Hemisphere making it not only the northernmost and westernmost state, but also the easternmost. Now you know!

In case you are wondering, Hawaii is the southernmost state. Which one would you rather live in?

Monday Morning Coffee July 10, 2017

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the JOLTS (job openings and labor turnover rates) report. Fed Chair Yellen has described this data as being very useful in evaluating current labor market conditions. 

It revealed that job openings rose to a record high level and that the quits rate held steady at an elevated level of 2.1%.

Both readings are viewed as signs of a strong labor market. A high quits rate is viewed as a signal of strength because workers are more likely to leave their jobs willingly when they are confident about their ability to get another one.

This is of course good new for real estate... home owners and purchasers can both feel confident because the labor market is closely tied to the housing market.

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. ~ Peter Drucker

John Maxwell is one of the most prolific authors regarding the subject of leadership. He says there are 3 characteristics necessary to be a good leader:

1. Consensus building: Abraham Lincoln was such a phenomenal leader because he understood the importance of consensus building and bringing together the people around him to help make up for his weaknesses.

“The fallacy of leadership is thinking that if you can lead in one area you can lead in all areas, and you know all the answers,” Maxwell says. “This is simply not true.

The new generation of leaders needs to be consensus builders by walking slowly through the crowd and valuing the opinions of others before making any decision.”
“The demand for leadership always increases with difficult times."
2. Humility: “All great leaders are humble,” Maxwell says. “Instead of talking about their own accomplishments, leaders are looking to give the team the credit.”
3. Risk taking: Leaders are not afraid to step out and say this is what needs to be done. Another of Maxwell’s favorite leaders was Winston Churchill, who stood alone against Parliament, maintaining Nazism’sthreat to Europe when many people considered it a mere nuisance.

“Churchill had the courage to go against the grain, against the trend, against the current,” Maxwell says. “He had the courage to do what he felt was right even in the midst of severe opposition.”

Hot Home Design Trends

   

     Fashion and design trends are always changing, which can make it nearly impossible to stay on top of them. When it comes to design trends in your home it gets even harder because changing a design trend isn't as easy as changing a blouse. New furniture, paint, kitchen remodels can all be very costly. If you are like me, you probably don't change your home design very often. I've lived in my home for 18 years and just recently had the interior painted for only the second time. So when I make a change I tend to focus more on what I like instead of what the current trend is. Of course, it is still fun to look at current trends and see if there's anything I like that I can incorporate in my home. And if there's nothing to incorporate, there's usually something I can look at and say "That's a trend? That's so ugly" 

    Here's a list of the top home decor trends of 2017 according to elledecor.com. I'd love to hear what you think about them in the comment section.

1 - Bright Green - Yep, that's right go ahead and paint your room a bright cheery green because "Greenery" was named the 2017 Pantone Color of the Year! (Honestly this is one of my "That's so ugly" but hey to each their own.

2 - Butterflies - Apparently the butterfly isn't designated just to the kid's room any longer. It is making it's way into the overall decor as well. I'd recommend being careful about overdoing it though.

3 - Mixed Patterns - I've been doing this for years, but it looks like now it is finally ok. ☺ Go ahead and have some fun with that bedroom comforter. Stripes, polka dots, etc, mix them all.

4 - Faux Finishes - Faux finishes can not only be budget friendly, but often times more reliable than the real thing. Faux wood ceiling beams for instance won't rot or bend. You might also start seeing more of the engineered quartz, faux leather and more. 

5 - Navy is the New Black - This can be in an accent color or kitchen cabinets but anywhere black would have been, expect to see navy taking over.

6 - Artisanal Instead of DIY - We all know how Pinterest has taken over the world (almost) and made DIY projects a huge part of home decor. But according to elledecor.com we can expect to see the trend move away from DIY to more Artisanal pieces. Pieces that take a very specialized skill to create. Think blown glass, elaborate wood working, etc

7 - Raw White - Think chalky white and bone white here. Expect to see this in decor pieces such as vases, etc. It looks simple and clean.

So there you go. Some of the top home decor trends of 2017. What do you think? Do you already have a bright green wall with butterflies on it? Or how about Navy kitchen cabinets with some raw white canisters on the counter? What trends can you picture in your home and what would never make it in your home? I'd love to hear.

Monday Morning Coffee July 3 2017

Expectations for tax reform, deregulation and infrastructure spending are certainly generating economic optimism. 

The small business confidence survey is at a 13-year high, terrific for the sector that employs most Americans. 

Consumer confidence is at a 16-year high, fueled by healthy job growth, a pickup in wages, unemployment at a 10-year low, and encouraging housing market indicators. 

Instead of affecting interest rates, both of these surveys are positive because of interest rates. 

"The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; But, he that stands by it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." -- Thomas Paine 1776

With tomorrow being July 4th, I thought you might enjoy hearing John Wayne share some of the many things to love about our great country.