It's just crazy

Today one of my sellers gets a letter from the lender that the one and only offer they had on the short sale of their home was rejected by the investor. And, an oh by the way, the house has a foreclosure date of May. Gee, thanks for that tidbit dumba** that's why it's a short sale. I called the lender twice to get some sort of direction such as did they want me to counter the buyer? The negotiator didn't even want to speak to me. Great.

I know it can happen. I just don't get it. I have marketed this home for nearly 6 months and not one offer was given until the sellers reduced it by $40,000. But the investor believes he could get it sold for much higher. Whatever, dude. Arizona is ranked #5 in foreclosures, making the outlook bleak for the current homes on inventory.

This is the part of the job that I hate. I did everything I could. The homeowners owned up to their debts and did everything they could. Still, the investor can come back and say, too bad. It's just not a good thing.

A tough week

That's what it seemed like for me. It all started with our dog, Mike. He'll be 14 years old in August, and in the last couple of days, he seriously cries when tries to stand up. It sheer heartbreaking because when you try to help him up, you can tell from the look on his face that it's only making it worse. There is nothing we can do. He's old. This is what happens. It's normal. It still kills me. Then, there's one house I had 5 buyers for 3 months ago. Now I'm down to one, and although I was told that the foreclosure has been postponed, I have no paperwork sayings so. The people that should know can't tell me for sure. There's still a trustee sale date of this week. Yeah. Not looking forward to it at all if the foreclosure goes thru. Forget the loss commission that me and the buyer's agent are out of--a homeowner has a foreclosure on their credit history. We tried hard to prevent it and work with the lender and it still went thru. Maybe Monday I'll have a better idea of what's going on.

Next came another homeowner that I just met. Let's just say that English is not his first language. A single Dad. He made $42,000 a year and bought a house for $247,000. If you do the math, he really shouldn't have bought the house or given the loan. His rates adjusted, property taxes and insurance went up and so he can no longer afford the house. What worries me is that when I asked him what he wanted to do about his house, and oh by the way, a foreclosure has been recorded, he replies, I have someone selling it for me. Um, where's the sign, I ask. He looks at me confused at that simple question. Frankly, I know it's not for sale because I checked. It's not listed on MLS. Then, I ask, who's selling it for you. He gets the business card; lo and behold it's the loan officer that got him the loan. Yeah. Her "friend" is selling it. He has not met this friend. Okay, that's a problem. A licensed mortgage broker is talking about real estate transaction which only a licensed realtor can do. At this point, I know I won't get paid for this and I know that he might not list his house with me. But, I know in my heart I have to help him.

Yes, it's been a tough week.

Today is the day

it's the start of something big. It's the first day of a 12-week program that I've always dreamed of accomplishing. First, it's losing the last remaining 15 or so pounds. Second, it's have a toned and slightly muscular bod. I'm so thrilled and lucky to be having a dedicated partner, friend and trainer, Stacie, my favorite personal trainer, to be guiding me there. It's also the start of her training to compete in a figure competition. Although we'll be doing much of the same workout, our diets are different. Obviously, Stacie doesn't need to lose 15 pounds and build muscle.

This picture of us was taken a few weeks ago at the NPC Competition held in March. Stacie placed 4th in one category, and 5th in another category. I think she should have placed higher, but I'm partial. She's really an inspirational person. Like me, she struggle with weight herself having lost 40 pounds. Hard to imagine when you see her now.

It's hard to imagine I was 22 pounds heavier just 5 months ago.

For the next 12 weeks, I will be eating six small meals a day, drinking at least a gallon of water (with a little Crystal Lite), and working out four times a week. My diet consist mainly of boneless, skinless chicken breast, fish, and whey protein powder. My carbs will be limited as well. I am not taking any supplements other than the protein powder and a multivitamin. This is going to be strict but natural. So far, all is good. I've eaten my six meals, and I worked out. But, we'll see how my attitude is as the weeks progress.

Reasons to exercise

while you're young. These are just a few of the many bottles of medication my mother has to take daily. She's in her late 70s so of course some medication is to be expected. I think she takes 8 or 9 total. This is not all, she's diabetic and has to prick one of her fingers every morning before breakfast to check her glucose level. My husband's parents also take a lot of medication. Thus, we've made it a lifelong goal to make exercising and eating well a lifestyle. One reason is to look good (can't really deny that) and the other is to prevent medication usage. Although the natural process of aging may not completely keep us from taking medication, we do want to limit its number. Off to call the refill line.

two blogs in one day

that's a record for me. I had to post the "love note" my girl drew for me yesterday afternoon and left on my office chair. I don't know how it started or where they got the idea to write love notes. Honestly, I don't care. It's an awesome feeling to know your kid is not afraid to say she loves you first.

puppy eyes

She wanted an entire row of Oreo to bring for snack today. Apparently, the last time she brought them to school her classmates begged for one so she wanted to make sure she had enough to share. She's like: "They give me the puppy eyes. I can't say no to puppy eyes."

Puppy eyes?

And she does this.

Sunrise at the San Tan Mountains

Pictures of the San Tan Mountains taken early this morning by my neighbors. Kim and I use to hike Squaw Peak Mountain on Sundays. But with Open Houses and client visits, we haven't done much of that lately. Balance. I need to somehow find balance between my two worlds. Tomorrow is April 1st. A good time to start working towards the balance I need. It's late and I should be in bed, but I am updating my calendar.

My trainer Stacie recommended that I go back to a paper calendar to get back on track with my eating and training. I've been trying to lose the last 13 pounds for the last month. It should really be falling off of me, but my crazy work schedule has been the problem. One of the biggest reasons I lost weight was feeding my body with the right kinds of foods on a regular basis. I remember losing 6 pounds in one week. It was awesome. I attributed the success to my meal plan and exercise regimen. Though it was no easy task, it was easy because I didn't have any listings or clients at the time. I was home and able to stick to a eating schedule of every 2-3 hours and a daily 45 minute cardio. Now, I'm lucky if I ate every 5 hours!

Balance. I need to find balance and organization to complete all my priorities. Tomorrow is the first day of April. A good day to give balance a try.