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Death, Estate Planning, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key Death, Estate Planning, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key

Are Your Affairs in Order?

DEATH...ok, I said the big bad word and now that the shock is over, let's chat about it a little bit.  We all do not like to think about it, but it's just a part of this wonderful journey called "LIFE".  I know some of you would like to live forever but the fact of the matter is, we don't.  Now I am not going to get into a spiritual debate on this subject, that is not it's purpose.  The purpose of todays post is to discuss having your affairs in order for when you are no longer here.

I have helped a few families with estate sales in the past.  Some have been completed with no issues and others have almost torn families apart.  The easy transactions were because someone took the time to plan and execute the correct paperwork needed to assist their families in wrapping up their affairs.  There is nothing more sad than to witness chaos and fighting among family members when no plan has been established.

Do you own a house? Have you written a will for your heirs? Do you know if you die and leave no will what could possibily happen? Are you married? Do you have children? Have you always wanted to donate your estate to a church or university, etc.  Estate planning is not just for the "stars" and "wealthy".

Yes sir/ma'am...I got you thinking huh?

I am in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM an attorney. I respect the profession but it's not for me!  But I have to share with you that I do see some "not so pretty" sides of Real Estate when there is a death in the family and members are left behind to put it all back together again.

There are so many online resources to start your initial search of this subject.  Just "google" What happens to my property when I die" and you get a ton of educational articles.  Remember each state and even each county can have different rules on estates, so I advise  you to call an Estate attorney, create an estate plan and once that is done you can get back to living, knowing you have taken care of your loved ones when you are gone.

Here are two good sites to start your research. http://wills-probate.lawyers.com/wills-probate/What-Happens-if-I-Die-Without-a-Will.html and http://legalities.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/benefits-of-estate-planning-and-trusts-in-the-us/

I always end with saying "blessings and love" and this time I want you to show  your love and share your blessings with your loved ones by starting the process of your estate affairs.

Follow me on this blog, facebook, google+ and foursquare.  I hope I make you smile, laugh or just relax for a few moments in your day.  Love and Blessings from the Realty Goddess. 

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Denver Rentals, Landlord, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key Denver Rentals, Landlord, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key

Other Side of the Coin Pt. 2....Realty Goddess Turns Landlord

Alright, I must admit, the shaking and sweating has not really stopped since my last post.  Now that I am on the other side of the coin, I can REALLY put myself in my client's shoes.

Let me tell you where we are.  I have made a virtual tour of my home. Wanna see it? http://www.zingding.com/856585 There you go!  Ok, so I am advertising and showing my precious little home.  Being in the business, I know how important it is to have a good property manager.  Little did I know just how hard that would be.  We have interviewed four and three out of the four actually followed up with us.  Every property manager sees things differently and only two of the four belong to NARPM. That's the National Association of Residental Property Managers. http://www.narpm.org/

When working with Property Managers, it's important to know they will be working for YOU.  So ask for a copy of their property management agreement before signing anything.  Ask questions, do your research, do NOT just pick the first one you find.  Do they run credit checks, what are the up-front charges, do they handle payments electroncially, can they handle evictions if things go wrong, will they help in finding good repair people for issues and if so is there a cap on getting those done with your approval...(whew, see what I mean?)

You will need to make sure all possible tenants are screened appropriately.  It's important you know the rental history and credit history of the person living in your home!  I get conflicting info on this but I feel it's important to do a background check as well, but that's the HOMEOWNER SIDE OF ME! 

Will you take pets? If so, will there be limits to what kind, size, how many? Will you require a full months deposit? Will the tenants be responsible for utilities? These are just a few of the questions you will have to answer if your decide to rent your property out.  Be prepared!

Alright, so we are showing our home now.  I have had about 500 hits on my virtual tour.  (yes rental vacancy rate in Denver is about 1.4%; VERY LOW) I have now shown my home to about 15 people but I have no applications as of yet. That's ok, it's only been advertised a few days.  In my case, I am the one showing my home.  That has been an interesting adventure.  Tenants want to tell your their background and negotiate immediately but I have to step back, take a deep breath and say, you will have to fill out an application, write a letter if you want to explain anything that might pop up and do the proper procedures for an application.  I show leasing property all the time but now I have to remember that the same procedures apply even though this is MY home.  I am still Laura  Key, REALTOR®, (that's Realty Goddess to the world) and that means I have ethics and housing laws to uphold.  I stand by my profession and I will uphold all my duties. I LOVE my job and I want to keep it, nothing unethical is worth risking my license.

So bring it on....it's a new journey and a new adventure. I shall keep you updated as we go along.

To be continued.....

Follow me on this blog, twitter, facebook, google+ and foursquare.  Maybe I will make you smile a little during your day, maybe I have some education for you or maybe I can just allow you to take a little breather from your hectic day!  Love, blessings and peace from the Realty Goddess!

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Landlord, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key Landlord, Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key

The Other Side of the Coin...Realty Goddess Goes Landlord

I have been in Real Estate for five years now. It's had it's up's and it's down's but I really can't see myself doing anything else (besides singing of course) I love people! I love helping others start new chapters in their lives. My clients become my "friends" and I have experienced wonderful things in this career. I've seen babies born, marriages, retirements, and everything in between that cause changes in other's lives. I pride myself on repeat business and referrals! I have counciled people on the hardships of facing foreclosure, living through a short-sale and relocations. 

One thing I have just “dabbled” in is rentals.

Enter the “Jaws” theme song……

When I joined my current company, Cliffdwellers Real Estate (www.Cliffdwellers.net) I came in with a STRONG wind!  I think I might have frightened my managing broker, Tony Cline.  I am pretty wild in spirit!  Cliffdwellers also does property management for the Denver Downtown area and manages over 200 properties.  With that being said, one thing I was not too excited about was doing leasing.  I never really wanted to try it, I only wanted to be a listing and buyer’s agent. 

In the last year, I started doing leasing reluctenly.  For some reason “renters” and I just did not have the “relationship” that a buyer or a seller and I experienced. I'd make appointments, confirm them and find myself standing outside for 30 minutes waiting for people who just did not show up! Ah, yes, leasing is a different type of beast in real estate. 

However with the housing market being what it is right now, there are more renters than buyers.  Long story short….I jumped in the renters pool - both feet first.  Slowly I got my groove, I had a plan and before you know it I was helping renters find a cool place to live and opening new doors in my business. I am proud to say I have opened another door to my future and have also created more friends in this new avenue.  Why are some things so scary at first, then you conquer them and look back and say….Oh, what was I so afraid of?

Enter a NEW ROAD!  (Now you must sing “follow the yellow brick road” in your head) Can you see that music is the soundtrack of my life?  But I digress….

As everyone knows now, we are moving to Los Angeles in just a few short weeks.  We currently own our little red brick home.  We have made memories here, we have touched every single room and made it ours.  We take pride in our house and LOVE our neighbors. So, what to do, what to do????

It would not be wise to sell our home in this market, so now the Realtor becomes the Landlord!  Time to rent!  Now my knees are shaking, I’m wiping sweat from my brow and I am a bit sick to my stomach.  It’s so easy to guide others in my business.  I’ve worked with investors many times over.  Fix and Flip (no problem) Fix and Rent (no problem) BUT MY HOME….PROBLEM!

(To be continued….Tune in next time for the adventures of the Realty Goddess turns Landlord)

Make sure you follow me through this blog, facebook, twitter, google+ and foursquare. 

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Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key

Not enough time...bucket lists

Isn't it amazing that when you live in a city you do not take the time to really go learn what is going on around you?  I was born and raised in Prospect, KY (Louisville) and I never attended the Kentucky Derby.  Oh sure, I enjoyed the other activities such as "Thunder Over Louisville" the "Chow Wagons" the "Parade, and other fun stuff, but for the actual Derby Event, well...I kept putting it off.

It's the same with Denver.  I got here, I got excited, I saw a few things such as the dinosaur footprints, Buffalo Bill's Grave, etc, then I got busy and just put things off.  I was working 40 hours a week at my secretarial job and the weekends were full of cleaning and restocking the fridge.  Time kept rolling, I started to put off things I really wanted to do and now the time is near to leave for a new adventure.

Today, I decided to take a walk in the sunshine.  Really, I was FORCED to take a walk in the sunshine.  I was slaving away at a file, minding my own business then the air conditioning kicked on.  EEEEK!  Enough already....I needed some warmth.  I digress...back to the walk.  I decided to drive until I found a nice spot to bathe in the sunshine.  I ended up around the St. Lukes hospital area.  Lots of great homes to look at, still downtownish and some nice little spots to sit outside and breathe a little bit.

As I sat in the sun and let it wash warmth all over me, I decided I would just walk down the street and grab some lunch at Thai Basil on 18th.  The walk would prove to be so much more than a quick run to grab lunch.  The restaurant was about five blocks away and I decided to walk the neighborhood to increase my "steps" for the day.

When you are in the "hustle and bustle" of the day you tend to focus on your task and ignore everything around you.  Something was different for me today.  I decided to look up and be totally aware of my surroundings.  Oh the beautiful things I saw. There is an apartment house located near 18th and Williams that had so such style I had to stop.  Old film cameras surrounded the building and you got a sense of "style" and what it would look like inside.  I let my imagination run wild.  I imagined Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and all the beautiful silent stars in their glory walking the grounds in a 1940's 1950's era.  Who cares if it was true or not, my imagination was awakened.  When we grow up, we tend to forget we have imagination.  Why?

I walked a few more blocks and my nose was rewarded with the scents of roses and lilac from all the beautiful flowers that aligned the sidewalk.  Due to all the rains our trees and grass are bright green and stand tall and strong.  In just a short 30 minute walk my spirit was uplifted, my imagination was active and I felt a gratefulness wash over me.

I only have two weeks left in "The Mile High" city.  One of my regrets is that I never got to do some of the things I wanted to do on my personal list.  Even though I have done more than I imagined, there is just so many wonderful things to experience here.

So, what lesson have I learned to take on my journey to Los Angeles?  Well, I think I am going to be a tourist for a while.  A good friend gave me a book called "Top 10 Los Angeles" I have flipped through it already and started planning my list.  Every since I was a little girl I wanted to visit the LaBrea Tar Pits.  I have decided to make that one of the very first things I will do!  The feeling of knowing a "bucket list" item will be so easily accessible is stimulating! Oh the things I have on my list!

You want to know why I feel this move will be different? I have YOU to hold me accountable!  I know you are following me, I know you will expect the reports and I know if I don't do them you will ask me why!

For now, my next two weeks are filled with kissing friends goodbye, packing, studying and winding down business.

I am no way a "writer" but for some reason knowing I have things to share with you makes this a brand new adventure and I look forward to sharing this journey.  It will include a little bit of this and a little bit of that but it will be honest and forthcoming!

Thank you to everyone who called, emailed and commented on my announcement of moving to Los Angeles.  Your kind words and encouragement are a blessing!

Remember....We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.-- Teilhard de Chardin

Make sure you keep in contact with me through this blog, facebook, twitter, google+ and foursquare.  Maybe I will make you "laugh or smile" in some way!  Blessings from the Realty Goddess!

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Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key Life Changes, Real Estate Laura Key

The Realty Goddess is Moving from Denver to Los Angeles

Just a few short weeks ago I was very content and happy in Denver.  Business is good, family is well, life is....well...LIFE! Then out of the blue "change" hit me.  There are many reasons for my move to Los Angeles.  I am going to miss Denver very much as well as all of my clients. (I will not leave you without guided hands! - more to come) As I reflect upon this change, I see it as a wonderful adventure.  Most of you know I am just a little ole' country girl from Prospect Kentucky with an accent to match.  When we moved to Denver in 2000 I thought I would never get use to the "big city".  At the time "T-REX I-25" project was starting and the traffic scared me half to death!  Somehow as  time moved on things got better.  I worked as a secretary in Genesee for about five years then "change" hit me hard and I decided to become a Realtor.  That change was one for the better.  I love people and that makes my job a perfect fit for me.  Even though I got in when the "bottom" started to sink, I survived!  I have been in the business for five years and out of about 12 people who started with me at the Real Estate School, I am the only one left in the business.  I am pretty proud of that! I have made many wonderful memories here in Denver.  One's I can share with my grandchildren one day, but now it's time to move on. Los Angeles is going to be such a huge change for me.  I am currently packing, working, and studying for my California real estate license.  Change can be good.  I look forward to running with the big dogs....only I will be running in heels! (wink)  There are some things I am a bit afraid of, but what is life for if you don't face fears and grow?  I'm ready for the challenge and I plan to take the lessons learned here in Denver and put them to wonderful use there.

I have picked which office I will align myself with.  More on that to come!  But for now I want you to share my journey, join me on this new path and watch me grow.

I want to say "THANK YOU" to all my clients, friends and mentors. As I reflect over the past 10 years, I see I have made WONDERFUL friends in all of you! Your support has been so fabulous and I am forever grateful!

So here we go...just a few more weeks of packing, renting the house, finishing business and studying....then this Realty Goddess is going to join the City of Angels!

Share my world!

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