BRANDIJones
homebody Magazine, Voice, Message, Mission, Community, Home!
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BRANDIJones
homebody TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pg 3: Dear Reader Pg 4: Fun Things Pg 5: Favorite Places Pg 8: Before and After
Pg 13:
Local Artist
Pg 18: 20 Years Pg 24: Market Report Pg 26: Other homes
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LETTER TO READERS
homebody
Where have you been Brandi? I missed you your
finding their authentic self or spark in their bal-
and your
magazine…...what’s up? Well let me
ance between profession and personal life. I
tell you….:) I have been growing. My last year was
am hoping to help women happily find their
a very hard year with many personal and
spark in the real estate sales industry while
professional challenges. However, I wouldn’t take
maintaining a happy balance in their life. I feel
any of it back because as the saying goes “what
that even though women were liberated
doesn’t kill you makes your stronger”.
What I
decades ago and the industry is predominantly
discovered in my experiences this last year was
women sales people, that fact is men are still
that many of us lose ourselves in our kids, parents,
majority brokers and business owners. Women
partners, family, friends, and work and we become
even though they were liberated years ago
less and less of who we really are...our authentic
they were not empowered to being successful
self. I have heard many spiritual leaders say that
business leaders. which makes today’s modern
we each have an individual spark that makes us
woman left with old antiquated ways of
uniquely us. I can see that now how easy it is to lose
defining herself and expressing her leadership
that spark in our busy lives. This coming year I am
skills. It’s not our foremothers fault as they were
focusing on sparkling in my work and my personal
not given a guide book on how to be empow-
life. I also want to help my fellow women realtors
ered. They didn’t even have access to their
find their spark. I have a passion for helping and I
own money, property, or legal representation.
believe modern women are still struggling with the
They didn’t know how to survive. Our mothers
balance of being a leader and not a bitch or
and grandmothers paved the way the best
mom and not a house maid. We women have so
they could with many survival skills we have
much dialog in our brains on who we want to be
adopted. But now it is our time to not only
and often times we are limited by the lack of whole
survive but thrive. I want to thrive and help others
hearted leadership examples, whether it be CEO
as well. My vehicle is real estate. My voice is
of a business or the family. I am hoping to share
this magazine. My touch is my work and
some the newer more refined successful skills for
volunteering at WCR. My mission is uplifting
women leaders that have come out. So I joined
communities through my real estate profession.
Women’s Council of Realtors and have become a
And my home is a reflection of my heart and
board member. I believe we are in the midst of
individual spark! I want yours to be too!
another change in society, where women are 3
FUN THINGS
homebody
One of MY FAVORITE sites these days is ETSY.com. They also have a blog for fun things you can do with friends and family. Here is something I thought would be fun for kids, adults, parties, or reading a book & snuggling. Monogram marshmallow hot chocolate! It comes from the book Candy Aisle Crafts by Jodi Levine. Check it out h e r e h t t p : / / supermakeit.com/. Although the current average temperature in Santa Cruz is 63 degrees in November, maybe you can out fish, beach ball, or surfboard from the marshmallows! However you do it, it will be a fun holiday treat!
To shop for cool creative mugs or gourmet hot chocolate go to ETSY.com MUGS and HOT COCO.
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FAVORITE PLACES
homebody
Believe or not my doctor said I SHOULD
Is light bright and casual. It is hopping on
drink 2 glasses of red wine a day!!!! Ya-
First Friday and any special events going on
hoo. There are so many great wines out
down town. Come talk to Jennifer or Steve
there but our area features some amazing
and they will be happy to pair you and
wineries. VinoCruz downtown features on-
your palate to one of Santa Cruz Mountains
ly local wine and they have a hefty supply.
fine wines!
They often feature a vintner who comes in
www.vinocruz.com
and describes their wine. The atmosphere
2 for 1 wine tasting ticket
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Where everybody knows your name!
I am writing this article again because I want to emphasize how much I enjoy Verve coffee. Not only do I love the flavors of the actual espresso, coffee, tea, wheat free cookies, gluten free bread...as you can see I like many things there...I really keep going back because when I walk in and up to the register someone says…”Hi Brandi, do you want you usual?
A tall
Americano? How is work today Brandi?” That is what I am addicted to the friendly high of seeing people HAPPY to see you.
They remember my name….I am horrible at
remembering names. In the book by Dale Carnegie, How to 6
Win Friends and Influence People , he states that ones name is the most musical sound to someone’s ear. I get nothing for promoting Verve from their company, so this article is purely because I want you to experience
the
same
special
warm fuzzy feelings I get when I go in. It doesn’t matter which Verve I go to, they know my name and they smile at me. reputation
Verve has quit the
and
I
can
see
Visit Verve Coffee Roasters at any
why,
when travel to see my sister in
of their three locations:
Arizona and I tell people at the
1540 Pacific Avenue
coffee shops I am from Santa Cruz
104 Bronson Street, Suite 19
they immediately spit out the sentence “Do you go to Verve?
We
love
see
everyone
there.
WE
816 41st Avenue
vervecoffeeroasters.com
them at coffee competitions.” It
goes
to
show
it’s
not
just
a
quality product Verve serves but also quality personalities. It’s so simple and yet even in my own life, I forget to smile and remember names when I am busy. So here’s to smiling and a good cup
of
coffee
where
everyone
knows name (cue Cheer’s sitcom theme song)! 7
Before and After
320 Braemoor Dr., Bonny Doon
Marketing: what does that mean? To me it means how can I make one feel the product instead of think about the product. There is a saying that “people buy emotionally and justify logically.” I have seen this over and over in my own career and spending habits. I have spent a hundred dollars on the cutest high heals that look like little cats. I saw it in the downturn of the economy. The market was bleak, but if the consumer loved the home they would pay more than anyone else to buy it. WHY? I believe because they fell in love with the home and the story. It is amazing to me in my own industry how we fail to capture the story and emotion of a home. Instead we treat it a punch list….3 bed...2 bath...great neighborhood. Staging to me is part of the story or what marketing experts call 3rd party endorsements. A room is just a room until you 8
put a bed in it...then it is a cozy romantic room simply because that is what a bed may m e a n t o t h e consumer looking at the staged room 3rd party endorsements are key for all rooms. Put a couch and chairs in the living room then you feel everyone gathered around for wine and cheese. Put a desk in an extra room and you feel the privacy of balancing your bills. It’s these feelings that sell a home. I have seen it over and over again. There are also certain marketing techniques with pictures that help evoke emotions. Test yourself. Look at the before and after photos on the next few pages and see which ones you are attracted to. The after photos are staged and shot by a professional photographer and designer. The before photos have no staging and were shot by an average photographer.
BEFORE
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So you can see. The difference between fuzzy dark photos with no 3rd party endorsement items (aka staging) the home does not feel as light bright cozy and warm as the higher resolution, stages, and design element photos do. You are not the only one to think that way. The home was on the market prior with a different company and did not sell. With the different photos and staging this house is pending with a buyer who LOVES it giving the seller more money than it was listed for.
BEFORE
BEFORE
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homebody
LENDER’S VOICE
Buying in the remaining 2014 DO
make
sure
you
have
your
Hi, Ryan it’s the end of the year and
D
you already said loans were hard.
banking accounts set up for online
What do you want to remind folks to
access, if possible.
do when getting a loan now? D DON’T take out new lines of credit Holidays are a stressful time and I
after you have been preapproved
want my clients to stress.
That is why
through to the close of escrow , nor
I have a fulltime team working over-
pull your credit with other financial
time to help during the holiday sea-
institutions.
son.
In order for the process to go
smoothly there are some things the
D DON’T deposit cash, without
client can do as well. Here is a list:
consulting us first.
D DO start keeping pristine records of
D Don’t buy anything big like a car
everything; make copies of all depos-
or boat without consulting us first.
its into your accounts and keep all
It is hard sometimes during the holi-
receipts.
day season to think about your spending but it is really important to
D
contact us first before making any
DO keep copies of all financial
documents,
paycheck
stubs,
major purchases, depositing large
bank
statements, and other documents all
amounts of cash, or giving away
the way through the close of escrow.
large amounts of cash. It is better to be safe then sorry,
D DO send in updated documents to
and we are here to answer all of
my team as you get them if you are
your financial questions. Here is to
in contract on a property.
happy home buying for the rest of 2014.
D DO keep all numbered pages of as-
Ryan Buckholdt
set statements.
Mortgage Advisor DRE 01196245 | NMLS 319442 www.ryanbuckholdt.com 831-425-TEAM 12
LOCAL ARTIST
500,000
homebody
Lorraine Lawson
The artist who can make your beach vacation come to life! 13
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homebody Lorraine is an artist who knows just how to capture wonderful moments through her art.
She a few different themes, but her ocean scenes
make her work highly desirable in the Santa Cruz area.
In addition, to
her colorful and bright tones she also makes the are large and stately.
If you went to the beach of and want to capture lasting memories she will take the sand and shells and make you your own piece that is uniquely yours.
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Abstract expressionism, with an emphasis on “lyrical abstraction” has resonated with me and has become my style of expressing my intent and having my audience relate to it. Lorraine’s art is available to be seen or purchased at
http://onefineartist.com
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homebody Born in Liege, Belgium and inspired by my great-grandfather’s work, I knew from a young age that becominga fine artist was my destiny. Although my style is clearly my own, Gustave Flasschoen has been the motivator in pursuing the life of an artist and finding my own voice. “Art has the power to make us see things from a different perspective” The creative process invites scrutiny of the highest level. To create works of substance and quality that rivals the masters before me requires endless self-examination. As a self-taught artist, defining my style became the ever-evolving quest for identity. “I search for meaning beyond what I see.”
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20 YEARS 335 Coastview Dr., Santa Cruz
Our story began over 20 years ago when we were but a young family living the home of our dreams.
We were on an exclusive street that had
amazing views of the ocean and of a lagoon. our kids are grown and we need to downsize. come to terms with this fact.
And in a blink of an eye This took us months to
Where were we going to go, how were we
going to leave all our memories, and what will the kids say kept us from making our final move.
Until one day we met our realtors and knew they
could help us. We realized we can find a place to go, and the kids will
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Will be fine, but MOSTLY, we wanted our story our legacy to be told.
We wanted the daily
nuances of our life to be showcased in the sale of our home. We spent 20 years of good times and bad times and this house knew all of them. We wanted the right buyer to come and see how this home was part of our family and we wanted to bless it to a new family or group. We were excited and thrilled and patiently waited for the right buyer.
We felt that our
home was presented accurately and showcased beautifully to the public. weeks buyers.
was
incredibly
busy
The first few
with
potential
But as time went on no offers came.
It all of a sudden wasn’t about the money, we felt rejected.
Why didn’t they love us?
What did we do?
Where were all the multi-
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20 YEARS 335 Coastview Dr., Santa Cruz
We kept hearing about? We met with our realtors again and there was one final piece missing in this equation.
WE had the price, we had the marketing, and had the lo-
cation, but we hadn’t let go yet.
So my husband and I spent some time
talking about this one unseen factor and walked around the home saying good bye and thanking the home for all that we have shared together. It was like magic.
Now, lets take a step back, my husband is Mr. Logical.
Let’s just say he wasn’t the most excited about actually saying goodbye
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So some logical things we did for him was start looking for new places to live by look on craigslist, going to open houses, etc.
Ce we
started looking for our new home it was like magic.
WE
got
our
multiple
offers
with
buyers who were ready to make this their new LOVED home.
It happened, we took
control of the situation and it happened. We picked the buyer who we believe is the perfect new caretaker and family member for our beloved home of 20 plus years.
Thank
you Brandi and Josh for making our dreams and wishes come true!
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As with all our properties, Josh and I had a great time selling this home. We had a wine tasting open house featuring local wineries. In addition, we had a chocolate open house featuring local chocolate makers. We also want to say thank you to Lauren Spencer who made the sale a wonderful experience with her buyer. 22
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MARKET REPORT
homebody
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MARKET REPORT
homebody
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OTHER LISTINGS
homebody
Bonny Doon 320 BRAEMOOR DR., BONNY DOON 2 BD/2 BTH
Coming Soon BEN LOMOND, 2 BD 1 BTH
Aptos 130 PASEO BONITO LANE, APTOS 3 BD/ 3BTH $825,000 26
OTHER LISTINGS
homebody
Sold 338 GEOFFROY DR, SANTA CRUZ $2,649,000 4BD/4BTH
Top schools
118 BURLWOOD DR, SCOTTS VALLEY –vacant lot $450,000
Top schools 127 BURLWOOD DR, SCOTTS VALLEY– vacant lot $500,000 27
Jones
BRANDI
REALTOR, cal BRE#01385191 CELL: 831-588-5145 BJONES@DAVIDLYNG.COM WWW.BRANDIJONESREALTOR.COM 2170 41ST AVE, CAPITOLA, CA 95010
SALES ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR ‘10, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13
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