döstädning

When one gets married part of the wedding vow includes the words "until death due us part".  As we accumulate much of our possessions throughout adulthood how many items have you saved since this special day:your entire life? Does the thought of downsizing scare you because you have closets filled to the brim?  How much stuff do you have in your home that is never used or just takes up space?  Often when a parent passes away the heirs find things that probably date back to their parents childhood hidden away and unused for decades.  Burdened by their own junk the likelihood of wanting to add more to the mix is low.

In Sweden,  the concept of  döstädning Death Cleaning literally means the process of cleaning out your stuff while you are alive.  Margareta Magnusson explains her approach to cleaning in her new book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning:  How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter.  She writes with simplicity and humor as she walks through the process of sorting things to organize all aspects of one's collective being.   She talks about the physical as well as cyber accumulations we all have.

Magnussan's approach is somewhat familiar if you have read Maria Kondo's book on Tidying Up.  Both suggest separating the things you wish to hold vs the things you no longer need.  I read the Kondo book a few years ago and have followed many of the organization techniques in my current living space.  Magnusson's focus, since she is a bit older, is on downsizing and freeing oneself of possessions no longer used.  She suggests giving things away to loved ones while you can.  She emphasizes that your heirs will not attach the same meaning or share the same taste in your stuff.

Why hold onto things only to burden the next generation? Wouldn't it be much more practical and meaningful to pass items on that your children selectively want and figure out a plan to divest of the rest?  There may be opportunity to transfer all else to a meaningful end user who will really appreciate these items.

In the Boston Sunday Globe yesterday there was a great article about pop-up museums in the local area.  One man has collected telephones and recently opened a Telephone Museum in Waltham, Mass. He is excited to share his love of the telephone and to teach younger children about this passion.  Similarly there are a few other interesting museums that have popped up where collectors are able to share their wares.  Imagine how great it would be if you had a place to divest of your valued collections where others could enjoy and share in your interests.

Not everyone has things worthy of a museum collection but I do believe that "One man's junk is another man's treasure."  There are plenty of ways to repurpose or donate many of the items that you may no longer find useful.  Many things are like new and can fulfill a need for someone who may not have the means to buy them.

When my parents passed away (in Florida a little over two years ago)  we went through each cabinet and donated medical supplies to a local hospice thrift shop,  old towels and blankets to a local animal shelter, old clothing and household items to the Salvation Army and canned goods to a local food bank to begin with.  (Full disclaimer,  I also ended up shipping some items that we weren't ready to depart with back to my home up North). 

As cited in my blog on April 25, 2017  Downsizing,  planning ahead while you can is the best way to approach decluttering .  We all mindlessly accumulate much more than we will ever need and purging is critical to keep your living space under control.  I have spent the past year cleaning my primary home and now have many clutter free rooms.  I actually feel much happier when things are more orderly and get stressed when piles begin to re-accumulate.  I will spend time cleaning my kitchen surfaces each night before I can go to sleep.  I still do have a few target zones to tackle in my basement though and will soon try to resume cleaning during the next snowday this week.  If you would like some guidance as you begin to embark on your own döstädning please feel free to reach out to me.  I have some great resources available and would be happy to give some guidance.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning begins at home

Wendy is a realtor with Coldwell Banker in Needham, Mass.  She has her SRES and enjoys helping her clients in their search for an ideal home.  She also enjoys helping her more senior clients with the downsizing process while advising them on finding an ideal home for no-longer serviceable belongings.  She can be reached for a free consultation at www.wendybcb.com

Need a roomate? Tips for Millenials or those entering the Golden Years

Are you an empty nester?  Do you have an empty room you would like to rent in your house?  Are you moving to a new city but can't afford your own space?  Are you tired of living alone and seeking a living companion?  There are many compelling reasons for seeking a roomate.

In today's NYT there was an article about finding a roomate in the  Golden Years. Although it is traditionally recognized that millenials seek roomates when they are starting out in college or moving to a new city it is becoming increasingly mainstream for older adults to seek a home sharing arrangement.  For an older person who lives alone it may be ideal to have someone younger for companionship and help around the house.  Home maintenance tasks become much more difficult as we age.  (I would have loved to have my kids home to shovel this winter.)

In many cities it is prohibitively expensive to rent an apartment and it may be more practical to have a companion for both social and economic reasons.    Local newspapers and facebook are a good starting point in your search.  There are dedicated facebook groups by demographic that will screen potential roomate seekers.  Craigslist also often has listings of people seeking a roomate.   I would suggest starting with your personal network and then expanding your search if you don't have luck. There are several online matching services.

When renting an apartment or living space a landlord typically has a screening mechanism in place.  When one has a home or apartment and wants to share it often the level of screening may be less stringent.  My son lives in New York with a roomate who sublet his apartment this summer.  Although I cannot attest to the level of screening conducted by his roomate, my son's laptop was stolen on the day the subletter moved out.  It has never been recovered. 

Due diligence is critical for a roomate search.  You MUST fully screen for safety and lifestyle quality.  You may want to request a financial verification, personal references and  CORI check if you are planning to sublet a room to someone.   You can never be too careful especially since this person will be living with you.

Below are some links to help facilitate this search.

Silvernest

Smartasset

If you have a roomate and need to find a place to live,  Wendy is a realtor in the metrowest area of Boston.  She loves helping clients in their search.  For more information visit www.wendybcb.com

Happy 2018

As the new year approaches it is always good to reflect on the past year and think about how you can create a better future.  A New Year is a new beginning and it always  good to take an assessment of where you are emotionally, physically and financially.

I have been thinking about what is most important to me this week and the areas I hope to focus on over the next several months.  Sadly my last remaining Aunt on my Mother's side of the family just passed away this week.  Her death makes me the oldest surviving female on my Mom's family line and now gives me the role of Matriarch.  As such I have created a list of areas where I hope to improve and share my thoughts to make the world a better place for my heirs. (  As we grow older we realize life is like a puzzle with many different components.  )

My short list includes:

Health and fitness-a healthy body and mind are critical to everything I do.  I feel much better if I do yoga and walk when I feel some stress.  This allows me the strength to be in the right frame of mind to engage with my social and business spheres.
Social-my family and friends keep me going and they are the reason I feel the next two areas are vital.  Likewise I thrive as a realtor by building my business network
Knowledge-It is critical to be aware of the world around us and the history that got us where we are today.  I constantly read newspapers and social media to better understand the political and social climate of our environment and demography.  When I am able I take courses in the real estate area to increase my market knowledge to better serve my clients.  I also have been specializing in senior clientelle and have been trying to keep up to date in issues concerning the needs of seniors for housing, healthcare and transitional living stages.
Advocacy-given our current government I find it vital to be aware and make daily phone calls Daily Action and  5calls to elected officials to fight for and preserve our democracy.  I try to watch a variety of newsstations, listen to podcasts and read the NYT, WSJ, Boston Globe and twitter feed of leading issues (liberal and conservation posts)  and the comments to better understand where we are as a country and what I can do to preserve those values I deem important. 
Organization (Business Plan and House/Declutter)-A major goal of mine is to keep my work environment and home clutter free.  I work better when I can focus and need to have my surroundings in a ready "to go" position.

Below are some great articles and ideas that I found helpful with great suggestions and links to kickstart your 2018.

1) NY Times tips for a better 2018
2)Boston Globe-tips for a happy and healthy 2018
3) Family Circle January 2018  Online Pursuit of Happiness
4) NYT-A Year in Fitness
5) Huffington Post- The Best Financial Moves You Can Make in 2018
6) Advocacy - Daily Action or 5 Calls


If you have time I also recommend reading The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin.  It has a month by month ideas to a happier you.  There is also a podcast available now on itunes.  see Happiness Project

I hope you enjoy these suggestions and have a wonderful start to your New Year.   As the "Matriarch" I hope to lead my family by a good example.  Happy 2018.

Wendy is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Needham.  She always feels happiest when she is helping her family, friends and business contacts.  She can be reached at www.wendybcb.com,

The impact of the new tax bill on home ownership

The new proposed tax bill is being marketed as a plan to boost the economy and the middle class. Although I profess not to be an economist or tax expert I am quite nervous about its impact on most Americans who are not in the billionaire class.  Full Tax Plan (500 plus pages) click here.  According to the GOP this is a Christmas gift to all Americans but there are clearly differing perspectives as outlined in yesterdays New York Times article winner or loser?

As a realtor in a blue district I am on the loser list and can ascertain that this bill will not be helping me personally or the real estate market I serve.  For a brief understanding of the plan's impact click Overview.  This highlights the areas to be hit most and I can say for sure that this is a direct way to hurt those of us who live in markets with high costs of living, limited housing and state and local income taxes. 

I predict Home Ownership will likely decrease as it becomes prohibitive to finance a mortgage where the average home exceeds the cap on the new allowable principal.  Existing home owners will be reluctant to move up if they are currently within the allowable mortgage amount as the amount goes from $1M to $750K for new loans after December 15.  The homes that exceed the $1M cap will more likely start to drop in Price as buyers won't be able to deduct mortgage interest.    As noted in the WSJ the plan will hit NY and similiar higher cost regions like a dagger.

The areas where homeowners will be hit specifically include the Mortgage Interest and local property tax deduction.  Home owners will be able to deduct interest up to the first $1M basis of a home for an existing mortgage.  This mortgage had to be on record as of  December 15, 2017.  New loans will be subject to a maximum basis of $750K.  Home equity loan mortgage deductions currently allowed up to $100K will no longer be deductible.  In an area such as Dover and Needham where the median home price exceeds $900K this will surely hurt saleability.   Areas that invest significant tax dollars into public schools and other social services will be further penalized by higher local taxes and less deductibility.  Because the federal government will not have adequate money to fund many "social" programs I fear we may be hit twice.   State and local income tax will be reduced to $10K maximum.

For a brief idea of how the new tax bill will impact you click here.  For those who do benefit from the new plan I will say "Merry Christmas".  For the rest of us I will say may you not feel the burden too significantly in days to come.

Please note that I will continue to post relevant articles to the new tax bill below:



Wendy is a realtor with Coldwell Banker in Needham, Mass.  She loves helping local area buyeres and sellers and also has a national referral base.  Please visit her at wendybcb.com or on facebook @wendybcb.

Relevant articles
click here for estimated Tax Calculator - this was posted today 12/20/17 as result of final bill

Boston Globe 12/19/17 impact on Home Equity
NAR 12/20/17 Tax-reform/the-tax-cuts impact on Homeowners
WSJ 12/27/17 Property tax prepayment
Boston Globe 12/28/17 How to pay if escrow account for Property tax

The importance of staging

Who can remember the feeling of love at first sight?  We all want to look our best when meeting someone new to make a good first impression.  Studies have shown that buying a house invokes similiar emotions and it is often said that a buyer will know if interested within the first few minutes of looking at a home.

Staging is the process of dressing your home to make that first important impression.  There are different ways to prepare your home for entry to the marketplace.  Depending on the age and condition of a home,  work may need to be done structurally or cosmetically to spruce it up a bit.  Little things like painting or decluttering can often go a long way to showcase the space and structural integrity of your home.   A study by the NAR shows that a staged home typically sells much quicker than one that isn't.

From my experience the top priority to preparing a home for sale should first be to declutter.   You want to be able to show the structure of your home and make the unique features of the physical property easily visible and accessible.  I recommend going room by room and getting rid of the junk.  Categorize things by if you will continue using them when you move or not.  Get rid of things you don't want and consider putting things that you don't use in a storage pod until you move.  You want to remove as many personal items from your space as possible.

For a more expensive home it may be worthwhile to hire a professional stager or organizer but even if you are on a limited budget there are easy ways to show your place in the best possible way.  Below are a few links to articles on staging I have recently read.

Tips for hiring a stager 
Staging on a limited budget
How to hire a professional stager
Do it yourself Staging tricks
Decluttering tips made elegant
In our technology driven times many millennials want a home that is Smart staged.

Wouldn't you always want to put your best foot forward when you embark on a new project?   Selling a home requires an even higher level of preparedness.  I hope the above tips give you some insight into this process.  As I find more articles related to staging I will add links to this blog post below.

When considering a move it is a good idea to meet with an experienced realtor who can guide you in the preparation process as there are many things to do beforehand to be well positioned.  Remember your property is only a new listing ONCE so you want to get it right the first time to attract the most buyers.  A realtor has insight into how to do this to be competitive in the market place.

Wendy is a realtor in the metro west area of Boston.  She takes a hands on approach with each client and has built a team of professionals to help with each step along the way to make the process as seamless as possible.  As an SRES she is able to help with downsizing and advising her more mature clients on selling "a well lived in" family home.  If you would like a free consultation on how she can help you sell your home please email her at wendy@wendybcb.com.

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

Owning a home is a huge responsibility and with it comes constant maintenance.  When we bought our first house my mother-in-law always said "a house is like a gonif and robs you blind".   When budgeting to purchase a new home it is always a smart idea to factor in maintenance and operating costs.    For protection against the unexpected repairs, some real estate companies are able to offer a home warranty such as AHS to help mitigate this uncertainty.  No matter the age of a home is it always a good idea to set aside a reserve fund.

Home repairs and maintenance always end up being more expensive than estimated.  I am constantly doing small repairs that spiral into larger ones. See Proactive maintenance tips for preventative care.  Several home care issues can be minimized with proper preventative care but to be honest things always happen and often when least convenient.  Below are some links to common home care tips.

Annual On an annual basis there are things that should be routinely checked as detailed in the article.

Winter is Coming and it is not the next season of Game of Thrones yet.  Here are some suggestions to winterize your home

Spring Forward as it will soon be time to clean the closets and your interior.  Martha Stewart Magazine has some great tips room by room.

Summer Loving, Time to get the BBQ and yard ready for those backyard parties.

Fall as you fall forward here are some ways to ready for winter

Moving Day tips to prepare for move-in day ahead of time

Holidays with Thanksgiving and the Holidays approaching here are some fun suggestions to make your space clutter free and guest friendly.

I hope these tips and links will help you enjoy your property to its fullest and make your house a home for whenever you choose to have family and guests visits.  "You've Got a Friend".

Wendy is a realtor in the Metrowest and lower Cape area.  She has a primary and second home that constantly need to be maintained and is often scheduling appointments on both sides of the Bourne Bridge.  To help her manage her routines she has developed a spreadsheet that she will share if you email her at wendy@wendybcb.com

Empty nest or full hand?

Although figuratively my kids are all out of the house,  they still use our home as their primary address.  This is the permanent home they grew up in and since none own a permanent residence it makes more sense to have one constant address, right?.  

Tied to the home address are driver's licenses and car insurance, health care providers (covered until age 26 on parent plan),  cell phones as part of a family plan, cable access tied to our host plan and a credit card for home related expenses.  Most recently transportation such as Uber and Lyft have been paid by this card in the name of safety ( mom- you don't want me to take the train late at night).  Vacations are taken at our beach house and laundry is brought home in an overstuffed suitcase whenever they visit.

When I moved out after college,  I kept my driver's license to avoid paying NYC auto-insurance rates but other than that the cord was cut.  I remember having to install my own phone line.  Cable TV and cell phones hadn't yet been invented and transportation was via yellow cab, train or the subway.  Trips home were all paid by me.  Life was simple.  

Next on to cell phones-is the last semblance of family life the smart phone.  My kids are on our family cell plan and we can talk, text or face-time.  We post and snapchat if we have a quick funny but not savable moment.  We all communicate and text as things come up.  It is great now that my kids live out of state.  If one of us is traveling we are always aware and keep informed.  If there is a news event we will text and let each other know we are safe.  


In a few weeks I look forward to having my entire family home for Thanksgiving.  The nest will be temporarily filled.  New i-phones are out and my kids already floated the idea of shopping for upgrades on Black Friday.  My husband says the kids are all grown up and can afford to divest to their own phone plans. We will probably have a dispute about when to cut the phone cord.   I will fight to continue the family plan as it somehow keeps our nest in the palm of my hand.

Wendy is a mom and a realtor with Coldwell Banker.  She is always only a phone call, text or email  away.  www.wendybcb.com

I now appreciate the many lectures from my Dad- History Does Repeat Itself

Throughout my life,  I was raised with a very strong sense of ethical values.  My now deceased Dad taught Jewish history and ethics at a synagogue in Newton Massachusetts to 6th grade Sunday School students.  He had an in-depth knowledge of both American and Jewish history and a very strong sense of Judeo-Christian values.  His knowledge of history was mostly self taught and he was very proud to embark both cultural and religious history to both Jewish and Christian students through an acumenacle program with a local church.  As an American he was proud that much of the laws governing our Country were based on the values based on the Ten Commandments.  He always emphasized the importance of history and said it was cyclical.  If people didn't study the past the same mistakes would repeat themselves in the future.

When I was in the 6th grade as awkward as it was I sat in my Dad's class.  As a student I would often appear to zone out to him when I would glance or pass a note to a friend.  He once called me out for not "paying attention" and yelled at me when we got home from class because he thought I wasn't listening.  Perhaps during that one lesson I missed a few words concerning the Pharisees and the Saducees, ancient Jewish sects, but overall I actually was a good student and now realize close to fifty years later that I did absorb much of what he taught.

My parents generation grew up during the hard times of the depression, WWII and McCarthyism as well as the Korean and Vietnam War.   As the country rebuilt itself after these wars,  they experienced a sense of freedom and renewal.  They were proud that they could bring children into a war free world and began to focus on ways to improve the life for citizens within the US.  They were the generation that fought for many of the liberal freedoms and rights many of us share today.  They began fighting for individual freedoms including the Civil Rights Movement and Women's Lib.  They fought hard to ensure that our generation would grow up free from the economic and policy burdens of their generations.

Highly principled both of my parents were actively involved in community and educational programs throughout their middle age and retirement years.  After retiring from teaching at the Temple,  my Dad taught adult education classes in both Newton and later Florida where they retired in 2001.  My Mom was active in B'nai B'rith and Jewish Women International, a large fundraising organization benefitting a Children's Home for orphan children in Israel.  Although they didn't have a lot of money they would always be the first to donate to worthy causes to help people out.  My Mom had a Z'dakah box where she put change every evening and when my Dad passed she bought a special one to put donation money in memory of my Dad.

In addition to teaching,  my Dad was a major collector of historic artifacts and ephemera.  He built a museum quality collection that defined his life.  He was extremely proud of each item and understood the history and original of both his Judaica and Americana Collections.  Each time I would visit him he would have me spend time learning the significance of his latest acquisition.  To him, the collection represented his way of commemorating the past history.  Many items were displayed behind glass cabinets and he had documentation detailing the history and how the item correlated to history.  Some items were commemorative to honor heroes and some were ephemera to not forget the troubled past.  I admit my brain was not able to absorb each of his lessons but their significance was part of who my Dad was and he was able to use his collection as a tool to impart his knowledge.

Sadly many of my parents generation are starting to pass away.  I have lost both of my parents over the past three years.  As I watch the changes going on in the country they had loved and found hard to build for us I am saddened to see the world they built disappear.  Many of the hard fights that defined their generation are being reversed.  There has been a strong move back towards conservatism and many of the current government policies are reversing the progress of the past 50 years.  It is a challenging time and I am hopeful that I am able to carry on my parent's legacy as best I can by continuing to stand up and confront the challenges to the values they fought so hard to embrace. 

Welcome to my coffee house

Those who know me know that I am a coffee drinker and I confess that I do have a daily addiction.  I actually get a headache if I go a prolonged period of time without a cup of joe.  How did my "habit" start and why do I continue,  you may ask?

In today's Wall Street Journal there was in interesting article on the history of the coffee house and its evolution since ancient times.  My history does not have such longevity but I would suggest typifies many amongst my peers.

Coffee and I go way back to childhood.  As a kid I hated to drink milk.  I was not into the fake syrupy additives like chocolate syrup or coffee-tyme.  Instead my Mom used to give me a glass of milk that was half milk, half Maxwell House.    Since that was also my brother's first name I came to think this was common place.  I gradually began to add more coffee and less milk as I aged through high school.  Once I began college,  my true love for coffee began.  It became a way to stay up late at night and study for an exam.  It became a way to take a quick study break at the Campus Center and an easy inexpensive way to meet up with friends.

As I moved through young adulthood and parenthood,  the local coffee shop became an easy venue to meet up with friends and other new parents.  It was a place to sit, talk and sip a warm drink when it was too cold to be outside.  As the Coffee Connection and soon Starbucks emerged into my geographic area this quickly became part of my daily routine.  Since that time there have been many new entries to the coffee shop market but I have consistently looked forward to each visit to the nearby Needham or Wellesley Starbucks.

To this day, Starbucks is still a place I visit frequently.  I have expanded my geography to also now include the Starbucks at Mashpee Commons during my summer months on the Cape.  Particularly in the warmer months it is a welcoming place to sit outside and schmooze with my dog.  She too enjoys our little visits and gets very excited when I bring her water in a Starbucks plastic cup.  I also admit I love the Starbucks App as when it is just the two of us I can preorder a coffee, run in, grab it and stake a table outside.  I also use it often if I am in a rush to take a cup to another venue.

Of late I have been sitting at my local Starbucks to do work on my laptop.  As a realtor it has become the perfect offsite office for me.  Instead of sitting in an isolated cubicle it is a great place to meet with potential clients and colleagues to network.  I have in fact spent hours scheduling back to back meetings.  I will often have a few work related meetings and then a few social catch-ups back to back.  An additional hidden benefit of  this venue is that it allows me to be in the midst of conversation about the local area and trends.  I like to always be aware of what is going on in my marketplace.

If you see me sitting by myself at Starbucks always feel free to pull up a chair and say hello. Likewise if it looks like I am in a meeting a quick hello is always welcome in my coffeehouse.

Wendy is a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Needham.  She shares her time between her base office in Needham and Mashpee/New Seabury on the Cape.  You can often find her at the local Starbucks.  For more information on how to connect with her click here .wendybcb.com

Decluttering today, less stress tomorrow

Since writing this original blog in November 2017 professional organizer and author Maria Kondo has created a Netflix series "Tidying Up with Maria Kondo".  If you don't have Netflix don't worry, many of the tips can be found in today's Washington Post article reviewing the show or by continuing to read this blog.

Admit it, we are all guilty of becoming packrats.  My husband often says if there is an empty surface I will fill it.  A home full of stuff becomes overcrowded and the process of purging can be daunting.  It takes discipline to keep a home clutter free.  Little inactions and bad habits can lead to a messy cluttered environment.

Studies show that clutter and disorganization decrease productivity and efficiency. To learn more about the health impacts of clutter click here. Another thing my husband always says is that "everything has its place".  He gets upset with me if I take something out and don't return it to the cabinet or drawer.  I know he is correct as I have often misplaced my keys or forgotten where I last left an item.  This seems to happen when I am in a rush or desperately need to get out the door.  Sound familiar?

After going through decluttering and organizing my deceased parent's home last year in Florida,  I came to realize how burdensome the disarray of accumulated papers and things really is.  There were so many things acquired and held on to that were totally useless and unpurposeful.  I came home from an intense period of deep cleaning and made a promise that I would not do the same with my own home.  Over the past several months I have been in a constant tug of war of keeping up with cleaning and avoiding unnecessary new acquisitions that just take up space.  I think to myself "do I really need this now" before making any purchase.

If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you may also share this problem.

*Do you grab your mail from the mailbox, give it a quick skim and set it aside on your kitchen counter?

*Do you have to dig to find your dining room table before hosting a dinner party?  How about your workdesk?

*Do you throw everything in a pile in your garage when you need to make space?

*Do you have all of your kids art projects from their first day of school through college graduation?

*Did you save magazines but never get around to reading them?

Fear not, there is great advise out there on how to declutter.  To start you may want to check out these articles:

Tracy McCubbin, a professional organizer from dClutter has five easy areas to tackle in your house.

Vermont mother and author, Eve Schaub recently published a book called Year of No Declutter for advise on how to keep your children's things organized.

Lastly, Japanese organizer Maria Condo's book shares advice from her book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up  on  You Tube.

If you don't have the time or energy to tackle organizing on your own or need a jump start there are professional organizers available to help.  As a realtor, I have a network of great resourceswww.wendybcb.com 

If you can't find my contact info in your cluttered address book you can simply contact me at wendy.bornstein@nemoves.com.