Susan's Blog

So you think blogging is hard? You think making phone calls is hard? You don't have the energy to go door-to-door to meet people or to invite neighbors to open houses? Or it's just too scary?

What if this was your job?

Or maybe this was your way to get to work?

You have been told by most regular bloggers here that they didn't know if they could be good bloggers either, but they just kept at it anyway, picking up tips and learning as they posted.

You don't believe that practicing a skill can make you better? What if these girls thought that?

Those of us in the real estate profession can make our jobs easy and fun, or depressing and hard.  We can be afraid to try new things, or we can embrace the challenges and take on the adventure.

If you are new to blogging or have wondered if you should even try, please join us at Active Rain and share your thoughts, ask questions, and read and comment on others' posts. You will be inspired, you will learn a lot, you will make friends, and you WILL become a great blogger!

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

What a difference one comment can make - 100,000 points at last!

As I sat down to the computer tonight and checked in at active Rain, I noted that I was just one comment short of breaking 100,000 points!  Knowing that I can always count on Sally Cheeseman to brighten my day (or evening), I popped on over to her blog, and sure enough.  A great post as usual and easy to comment on.  Back here and there is the magic 6 figure number that I've been working toward.  Now on to 200,000!

Those of you with just a few points may wonder how high point scores are earned.  I can't speak for others, but I know that in addition to posting advice to buyers and sellers, and tips for other real estate professionals, I enjoy posting things about my personal life, my pets and local events and businesses, as well as posting to Localism and entering some contests that have been a lot of fun.  And I read and read others' posts and comment on them.  Points are awarded for up to 10 comments a day, and I usually make at least that many comments each day.

I don't blog for points, but I certainly do enjoy the points that come with blogging.  For some time I have been #1 in Fair Oaks and in the top 10 in my county (I was #7 last time I checked).  The reason this is a good thing is that when buyers and sellers are looking for an agent in Fair Oaks or Sacramento County, and they check the Active Rain site, they will find me at or near the top of the list.  Due to this placement, I get enough calls to keep me pretty busy most of the time when combined with the Google juice and other benefits of being a blog leader in my area.

So if you are wondering what all the fuss about points is for, I hope this will give you some ideas, and blog away.  The more you write, the easier and more fun it grows, and I know you will enjoy the benefits as I am.

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

Comedy Under the Stars is back in Fair Oaks, Friday September 25 !

Come join the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District for a night full of laughs! It's Comedy Under the Stars in Fair Oaks.  Sacramento's "Laughs Unlimited" comes to Fair Oaks for an outdoor comedy show you don't want to miss, featuring some of the hottest comedy acts in the business.

The show is recommended for adult audiences only, and will be at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 7991 California Avenue (in Fair Oaks Village).  If you haven't been to the amphitheater for awhile, you should see it now.  Many upgrades have already been made, and there will be even more in the future - it is a great venue!

Open seating begins at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance or $15 at the door.

What a great way to start the weekend. A Beautiful Friday night in Fair Oaks, laughing under the stars!

Because of show popularity of Comedy Under the Stars, it is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance.  They can be purchased at the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District or can be bought at the gate (based on availability).

No outside food or beverages allowed into the show. Food and Beverages will be available for purchase at the event. A portion of the proceeds will help the Fair Oaks Theater Festival fundraising efforts. 

A fun night and a good cause.  Can't beat that!

  For additional information, please call (916) 966-1036

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

I was reading Jim Frimmer's post about people taking out their pools, and when I started writing a comment, I realized that my comment was way too long, so I decided to turn it into a separate post instead (didn't want to hijack his post).  Read his post as well as this one, and let me know what you think on the issue.

When we bought our home, it had an old pool that badly needed updating.  It had been drained, and the surface needed work.  It was 20x40, 10 feet deep, had no floor drain and only one skimmer - very inefficient.  There were a diving board and metal ladders.  The insurance company came out to do their inspection and insisted that we fill the pool with water or dirt to get coverage, which meant it was a top priority.

We found that it would be almost as expensive to take out the pool as it would be to turn it into the pool we wanted.  They took off the old surface and found there was solid concrete beneath the gunnite.  Now we have a beautiful 20x40 pool with no diving board, beautiful formed stairs, darker gunnite surface, a very efficient system with floor drain (we put the plumbing in the floor of the pool and made it 8 feet deep instead of 10), two skimmers and all new decking and pool equipment.  We use very little chlorine and our pool is always sparkling.  We have enough shade to reduce some evaporation, and we wouldn't trade our pool for anything.

All of this for a mere $36,000 (gulp)!  Needless to say, it moved some of the other upgrades down the to-do list a bit.  With the 100+ degree summers we have, it is an asset that increases our property value.  I think having a lot of huge trees helps with water evaporation, and it also allows us to use less water for our lawns.

I happened to catch the new Dr. Oz show in TV a couple of days ago, and he had several experts on the program to discuss the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and ways to protect yourself from it.  I took some notes and here is what I learned.

It has clearly become a pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  The flu pandemic of 1918 killed 40 million people worldwide (including my mother's mother).  One million people in the United States are already infected with H1N1, and WHO is predicting that up to 90,000 will die of it in the U.S. 

They've determined that it began in Mexico, and is just one of those flukes of mutation.  Somehow the human strain of flu and the bird flu combined in a pig and mutated into a new strain, which became H1N1.  The difference between this new strain and the seasonal flu we get every year is that it spreads much more quickly and attacks mostly younger people.  They believe that is because it is similar to a strain that hit in 1957, and people who may have gotten exposed to that flu may have some degree of immunity to this one.

Be alert for these symptoms as to the progression of the disease:

Day 0-2, there are usually no symptoms at all; day 3 aches and pains; days 4-6 fever, cough and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea; and days 7-10 you will either start feeling better or suffer breathing problems.  If there is shortness of breath, seek medical attention, as it may be going into pneumonia or other complications that could be deadly.

If someone in your family gets sick, treat it as contagious like you would for a common cold.  If you are caring for them, make sure that you don't get sick.  They should wear a mask, but if they are having difficulty breathing so that they can't wear one, or if it is a small child, then you should wear a mask.

Very small children may have difficulty breathing, have dizziness or confusion, vomiting, bluish or grey looking skin, not waking from sleep easily, or seeming to get better, then worse.

To prevent complications: make sure to get seasonal flu shot AND the H1N1 shot.  It takes about 2 weeks after the shot to have protection from the virus.

Other steps you can take to protect yourself and your children:

•  Have basic cleaners and keep surfaces clean.

•  Make sure that you and your children wash their hands frequently through the day and use sanitizers and wipes when you can't wash

•  Probiotics and prebiotics will nourish the bacteria in your system that protect you against viruses (these include garlic, yogurt)

•  Take basic supplements, and make sure to get vitamin D and North American ginseng

•  Have regular emergency products, such as fever reducers, thermometer, aspirin (not for children), masks and electrolyte replacements.

 Since you will be asked to self-quarantine, make sure that you are prepared not to have to go out in public while you are sick.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you have 1 month of supplies, including key foods and any medications that you take regularly.

 And get your flu shots!

I hope you will spread the word and that we can make the predictions of WHO be wrong - the numbers can be reduced if everyone does their best to follow these recommendations. 

 Stay healthy!

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

There are many things a seller can do to fix up a home for a quick sale, but most are expensive and time consuming.  Major repairs may be nice, but many upgrades will not bing a return on investment equal to the cost.

This post lists a number of things that cost little or nothing, yet can make a great difference in how soon your home sells and at what price.  And non of them take long to do.  If you are considering selling your home, use this checklist for some quick fixes to put a happy face on your property.

What do you know about the praying mantis?

I stepped out my front door the other night and was greeted by this little guy – a praying mantis.  I have always thought they were so cute with their big eyes and the pose that makes them look like they are praying.  They are out at night, so you don’t see them much during daylight hours, but I remember being outside after dark on some late summer nights as a child and finding them in the bushes next to our house.  I haven’t known very much about them, though, so I thought I’d see what Wikipedia has to say.

While they look so innocent, it seems that in their world, they are both prey and predator – to some little bugs, mantises are probably fearsome monsters, and not the cute little critters that I see.  Here is part of what Wikipedia says:

“Mantises are masters of camouflage and most species make use of protective coloration to blend in with the foliage or substrate, both to avoid predators themselves, and to better snare their victims. Various species have adapted to not only blend with the foliage, but to mimic it, appearing as either living or withered leaves, sticks, tree bark, blades of grass, flowers, or even stones.

“Some species in Africa and Australia are able to turn black after a molt following a fire in the region to blend in with the fire ravaged landscape (fire melanism).  While mantises can bite, they have no venom.  They can also slash captors with their raptorial legs. They do not appear to be chemically protected; nearly any large predatory animal will eat a mantis such as Scops owls, shrikes, bullfrogs and chameleons.”

That fire melanism trick is pretty interesting.  Funny how nature develops ways to protect its species in seemingly impossible situations.  I used to play with them when I was little, and have them crawl all over my hands, and they never slashed me with their “raptorial” legs!  Just lucky I guess, or they knew somehow that I wouldn’t hurt them.  I know I was probably an unusual little girl, but I had pet bugs all the time as a child.  I never kept a praying mantis, but I enjoyed them in the yard.

Now what do you know about the praying mantis?

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.