Christmas Living Room 2017

Hi, y'all! It has been quite some time since I last blogged about where we are in life, our home and our little family. So much has changed, so much continues to change everyday and 2017 certainly has been a challenging but rewarding year for us.

To recap, we sold our beloved home in Florida to a very sweet, southern retired couple who wanted to make it their permanent retirement home. We loved that and really enjoyed working with them. We moved back to NC in April to move into an old family home that needed some work from what we remembered. However, not stepping foot in the home in a decade, we were surprised that it needed more work than what we could afford to do while also renovating it aesthetically. It just didn't feel right for us and although it was a heartbreaking decision because it was my late grandmothers home, I truly feel looking back now that God had a plan for us with our current home all along.

We were homeless for about 4 months total, living with my parents until we could figure out what direction to go next. Fast forward to June, my husband struggled to find decent work outside of the military that had a decent salary. While still looking for employment, he took a low paying job just to help our family. Enter my best friend since middle school mentioned to us that there was a foreclsoure across the street from her & her husband that was about to go on the market she thought. 

We went and visited her but really didn't think too much about the house although I did snap a picture of it in my phone back in May 2017. Little did we know it would go on the market well below what we thought we would have to spend. Enter probably 20-25 offers and a huge bidding war with others vs us and the bank and she was ours. However, if you've ever purchased or sold a home, you know how much paperwork, ins and outs and basically limbs you give up to get in the home. It felt nothing short of that. We worked tirelessly with a lender to make sure this home purchase went through. There were a couple times we thought we would have to back out but we made it happen on our own. Although, things have completely not gone as expected and financially, things have been incredibly different, we felt and still do feel so blessed to be able to have a home of our own on a decent bit of land. So....all the while, a very long year... with lots of stress and tears... but our sweet boy has truly made every dark time, happy, every tear has turned into a smile and every worry is put aside.

This home was built in 2011 and we purchased it as a foreclosure. Now, back in my days of being a real estate agent or Realtor, this was not a typical foreclosure. We didn't have tons of damage or anything crazy happen to the house. It just needed some TLC, some painting incredibly bad & some cleaning. Thank the Lord because those are all things that we can handle and do slowly. We closed on this home and God answered again by anew job for my husband. One that he stated before we even put our home the market that he would be interested in. So, he had an interview and got the job the same day! God is so good and really answered our continuous prayers. He thoroughly enjoys his job  now and feels like he can make a difference and that's what any spouse wants for the other.

So, eventually I want to "brick" the fireplace where the current black tile is. I'd love to use the reclaimed brick veneer tiles, possibly in a herringbone pattern to give the fireplace some color, character and depth. But right now, we are just trying and adjusting to getting back on our feet. For now, we are trying to embrace the imperfection and the in between pretty phases and hope you will too! We are learning what I've said for years is to love the home you're with and enjoy where you are. Someone else might have a beautiful custom dream home but that may be their step 5 while we may be on step 1 or step 2. So, remember progress... not perfection. 

I found the mirror below at Marshalls here locally and had to have it as soon as I saw it! I am sucker for a salvage natural wood look and you will see a lot of that finish in our home.

My husband and I also were blessed enough to find a 9' flocked Christmas tree at our local pottery on sale! I sold a few things and was able to pay for it in full just by selling items we weren't using! 

Every year, I shop after Christmas sales for my ornaments. I obviously will buy something before Christmas if I really love it but this is the time where I get the bulk of my items for Christmas decor.

We also can't wait to lay some laminate or hardwood floors down! It is going to make such a difference in this house & will make it appear twice as big I feel! But since I am not one to do things half way, we are trying to save and do the entire house at once or at least start by finding something we can afford! We've been eyeing the Pergo Outlast 24 hour laminate and also some hardwoods. We also are looking into vinyl planks! That will for sure transform this house.

Anyways, I told myself this year I wouldn't make it about all the "pretty." I would enjoy being in the moment with our almost ONE year old if you can believe that and make some essential time to myself too. I hope y'all enjoyed these photos of our current living room and we cannot wait to share the progress as we start to dig into making this home ours. Thanks for stopping by!

10 things you should know...about real estate.

Something I always have in the back of my mind when I encounter some not so nice folks in our industry or I've been tested to my wits end for the day, I think about writing this post. I never really realized how uneducated the general public is about real estate agents and how we get paid, how our job works and the things we do behind the scenes. Generally and I really do hate to generalize everyone, most folks think its just like HGTV and we show three houses and get this 3% fat check. Man, wouldn't everyone be doing this job if it was really that easy? I WISH for my clients sake sometimes it WAS that easy because I want to make the process for them as painless and simple as possible with as little worry and stress as possible for them.

But then I have these thoughts and I think even if I can help educate one person on this subject, then this post is worth it. Ten things that every real estate agent secretly wants you to know.

1. This is not HGTV. 

As most HGTV shows, (which I watch and love but secretly shake my head at the tv!) the couples have generous budgets, long wish lists and only choose between three houses. In reality, finding your home in three showings or fifty will depend on your local market, the housing that is available and your budget. Unrealistic expectations lead to unrealistic results and no one likes disappointment so it's better to prepare and educate before you house hunt with a local real estate agent and/or do some research on your own.

2. We are not all millionaires & no, I don't make six figures either.

Although I can think of a handful of shows right now where most agents featured drive Mercedes, Range Rovers, etc. that doesn't mean the majority of agents do the same. In all actuality, the average real estate agent makes just $40,000 or less per year, depending on if they are full time or part time. This however can vary dependent upon their expenses for the year as well as many other factors. 

3. The "big, fat" commission check.

Most folks get their final statement at their closing and think we take home that huge lump sum. If we did, can you imagine how many MORE people would be doing this job? But just so you are educated, let me break down an average agents expenses & costs for a regular old listing. 

Let's say your client purchases a home for $150,000 with a 3% commission split. Ok, so 3%... is not ours. Actually, most folks don't even get paid until everyone else does. The 3% goes directly to their brokerage where they have what is typically referred to as the "broker split" between the agent and the broker. This can range anywhere from a 50/50 split all the way to 90/10 depending on the agent. Now keep in mind, this isn't something that is cut and dry. Most agencies who offer a 90/10 split which means 90% you keep, 10% to the brokerage, there will be a catch of sorts. You may have to pa a flat fee upfront which I've seen range anywhere from $7,000 annually to $15,000 annually. Yes, I am serious. For an agent with a higher production volume, this may be a great investment up front to get that split but most agents won't be able to afford that split so opt for a lower split to prevent more upfront costs. Just for kicks, we will say we have a 70/30 split for this transaction. So, 3% of $150,000 would be $4,500. But we have our split, so 70% of the commission would be $3150. Not bad for 30-45 days of work right? But it doesn't stop there. Depending on your brokerage, we have desk fees, transaction fees, document fees & preparation fees, etc. Let's just say for this particular transaction, the fees are a good round number of $300. We are now at $2850. Great! But we still have to pay taxes just like everyone else so let's take away 30% because most agents put away around this amount to be safe. That leaves $1,995. Now if the closing took 45 days, if you wanted to divide that up into let's say three paydays, it wouldn't be anything to write home about. Nothing to write home about but still depending on the complexity of the clients, the house & the process, this could be good money. But we are still not done. Subtract your time spent with the client as well as gas mileage, food expenses and anything else you may have incurred. Not to mention thinking of the fees annually that we incur as well as semi-annual fees and monthly fees. We pay to have access to the MLS monthly and we also pay to have access to homes by electronic lock box monthly. Those fees can vary depending on the company and association. We pay for E&O insurance annually, REALTOR association annually, brokerage yearly fees, any other associations you wish to take part in as well as lockbox fees, printing fees, again transaction fees, office fees, etc. If you were SELLING a property for someone, you would also have photography fees, advertising fees, etc. Please keep this in mind next time online you bad mouth agents and that "big, fat commission check" that we don't receive.

4. You can't afford this house.

We can definitely help you find a house, sell a house and buy a house but we can't make miracles happen and we are not miracle workers. If your budget is $200,000 and you want to see a $300,000 house. Chances are, we can negotiate but would you take $100,000 less for your house if you were the seller? I will go to bat for my clients all day long but don't set me up for your disappointment which in turn, makes me look and feel bad.

5. Are you pre-approved?

To put this honestly, you don't want to invest 15-20 minutes to get pre-approved for a mortgage, that you will have to do anyways if you find something you love unless you are paying cash of course but you want me to spent all day Saturday away from my family, using my gas money and my time to show you 20 houses that you want to look at and may or may not be able to buy.

6. For sale by owner is cheaper.

You want to save on listing & selling fees by doing a for sale by owner... but you follow buyers around your house, making them feel uncomfortable and ready to leave. You take your own photos not realizing about 90% of buyers decide if they want to view the home or not, dependent on the photos. Finally, you accept $20,000 under your asking price... but you saved $9,000 by not paying real estate commissions. There is value in speaking with an agent in your area and the job that they offer. Do your research and find someone you can see yourself working and communicating well with. 

7. Third Party websites with their value estimators.

When was the last time that Zillow came over and had some sweet tea? They can't calculate the local market in your area as well as the upgrades and comparables in each home. Only a licensed agent, broker and local real estate appraiser in the area really has that insight to the market, the comparable and pricing for the market you are in. Off subject, did you know the CEO of Zillow just sold his home for 40% less than his zestimate estimated?

8. If it falls through, we don't get paid.

Please don't open a credit card in the middle of establishing your mortgage and before your closing on your home. Please get your paperwork to your lender and please be honest about all of your monthly costs and bills because they will surface. Remember it is just as disappointing to us when a deal doesn't go through for various reasons, mostly because we are disappointed for you. But also, we don't see a dime until closing if we even get paid at closing. This depends on the agent & the brokerage of course & their rules/regulations. So if we searched 6 months for  a house with you only for you to open a credit card or buy a new car a week before closing & everything falls through, we literally lost 6 months of work. 

9. It must be nice to work your own hours.

Sure, if you count working 7 days a week, definitely on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays and being available on a moments notice, even if its your husbands birthday or your kids soccer game. Not to mention, missing dinner, breakfast, lunch etc, eating on the go, taking calls all hours of the day, emails all hours of the day, etc. Remember most of us are taking out multiple clients a day so if you're our evening client, we may be writing an offer at 11pm at night.

10. You won't get everything you want.

Please be realistic. If I could give you the dream house from Pinterest, sure I would! I'd have one myself. But you will have to compromise somewhere. Please don't complain about every single thing wrong with a house because any house, old or brand new will have issues. I guarantee it. And I guarantee that will be something you don't care for about it. Life is about compromise. What is important is your "must have" lists for your daily lives. 

Basically, just respect your real estate agents profession like you would want them to respect yours. Please remember we are people too and we have families too. Be considerate, use your manners and always remember that people who feel appreciated will always do more than expected. 

The Reading House

As promised when I announced numerous amounts of weeks ago, I was brought on to help oversee the complete house renovation of a property as well as staging. As some of you know and maybe some that don't, we've had such a busy last few weeks including having some family health scares and problems. Thankfully through the power of prayer and love, everything is progressively improving and we appreciate all of the good prayers and vibes!

Also, something else that is new around here and that we are so thrilled and blessed to announce is that we are expecting a little one! We are over the moon with excitement, joy and thankfulness. We are scared out of our minds, excited for whats to come and nervous everyday. Most importantly we are so thankful to be given a gift that is not easy for some to come by, by the good Lord above and we believe that his timing is perfect, even if it is not in our timing. I cannot wait to begin the nursery and I am really excited to bring something so special into this world! God is good!

Now, onto this post... this house had a ton of hidden work to do. And definitely getting pregnant in the middle of it was less than desirable timing but it was a true blessing and surprise! I never really gave thought to having morning sickness or as I refer to it now as "all day sickness" so it never crossed my mind how my body would handle the new changes. Well, enter pregnancy and I've never been so sick in my life. ER visits, barely getting out of bed & vomiting everything and anything, including all fluids including water, bland foods, etc. Yes, I have tried ginger and saltine crackers I'm basically family with. Toast I've tried, peppermints and all the other recommendations from other mamas. So now I have an entire new respect for mamas and the things we go through...Which means that I haven't been somewhat available since the middle of this so I delegated what I could handle from home and we finished with just some subtle touches on HBA instead of a full blown HBA home.

Nonetheless, this is a great home! The home had a good foot print at just under 2,000 sq ft and really offered so much hidden potential that I didn't think was taped into yet. It had incredibly bright colors which while that is some peoples style really didn't let the rooms breathe and speak for themselves. Same goes for the rest of the home, with general maintenance and  some TLC, this house will speak for itself and I feel like as I walk in each time, it thanks me for letting it breathe again. We worked so hard on this house and it really was a labor of love. I'm excited for the next family who purchases this home and the memories that they will make here.

Just a quick run down, the Reading home is located in SE Palm Bay, Florida. It is a 3/2 with a 2 car garage and get ready...a pool.! The home has been completed repainted inside and out and we have fresh white paint on all the moldings and doors. Did I mention we have all new doors, new fridge, new microwave, new water heater and a new AC unit. We really love the hand scraped laminate floors and the lovely new light fixtures throughout the home. All new faucets, doors, vanities, paint, tile and toilets as well! Water softener system, a family room AND a formal living room, large kitchen with two pantries and oversized island with built in 2nd sink! Storage won't be an issue in this house with multiple linen closets throughout. His and hers master closets as well as such a great size master bath with dual sinks, separate tub and separate shower! Large master, all new window treatments and all new carpet throughout all of the bedrooms. Freshly painted pool deck with a pool...yes, a pool! Fresh landscaping, great architectural features and soaring cathedral ceilings, this home has so much to offer! I'll let you decide for yourself in the before and afters.

Here are only a few before photos as we got straight to work. You should thank me for that ;)

What you can't see is the years of grime on the cabinets, the floors coming apart, doors missing on virtually all rooms, dents, dings, just err bad. 

Obviously, mama let the kids have free reign in their rooms which is deserved ;-) 

But nothing we couldn't fix!

And let's start with the afters....

 Hope y'all enjoyed the tour, it's a cute little house! Let me know if you would like more information by emailing me with the above tabs or leave a comment with your email! It is priced at $199,900 and is available for showings now! XO

Endings & Beginnings

Hi!

As some of you may have seen if you are local, I did in fact leave the store where I rented space at, Vintage Living Marketplace. Myself, along with many other vendors, really did not feel comfortable participating & contributing to something that didn't really contribute to us. I definitely will say with 110% confidence it was the right decision and I am happy & proud to move forward! I've always been an advocate for community over competition and always said if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and we have to speak for those who don't or can't speak for themselves. If something doesn't feel good anymore or if you are not having a good time, take yourself out of it. Whether a single vendor, store or mall... something I've learned time and time again is that with the right attitude, communication and hearts, anything can be accomplished and everyone can win. Usually what is right is not easy and what is easy is not always right.

I've really had this in the back of my head for some time... Home by Ally has been a creative outlet for me for years. I thoroughly enjoy meeting all of you who have taken the time out of your lives to follow along in my journey in blogging, decorating, real estate & any other endeavor that I have take on. I really, really can't say thank you enough to all of y'all for that support, the love, the encouragement and the steady support. It really means more than you will ever know... which is why for now, I'm at peace with HBA not participating in a typical store/booth type setting. Quite frankly, I don't really care for the whole set up anyways (And that's definitely not to say that there are not some great stores/malls/booths) but I've always craved different, more unique & curated...

When I first began writing this blog, before Pinterest & before even the sunshine state... we lived in North Dakota. Something I originally came up with years ago was having vintage type repurpose sales literally out of my driveway for folks on the base to come and get my custom furniture, home decor, etc. It was SO fun, SO overwhelming and really made me look forward to the day that I had those sales! My first ever "repurpose" sale was in our driveway in Minot, ND where I had about 50 people waiting at the end of my driveway. I had to walk inside because I started to cry not knowing how, why or should that many people even be into this type of thing? Yes. They were. And so sweet. And so genuine and many who I still get to speak to, to this day.

So, I had a few more sales. Then came a big move to Florida & a few more sales even here! Pure chaos and inventory literally gone in hours. Prices were great, inventory is unlike any other and home decor creations are custom made by myself! My family & I have always been amazed at the support the community has shown for this type of craft and I definitely want you to know, it won't stop. Throw real estate in there and mind you a very busy but BLESSED first couple of years of real estate which I also am NOT going to stop practicing by the way! But there's just something else...

I definitely will miss the faces from being in the shops. I'll miss the messages & the fun just chit-chatting with everyone of y'all! SO, I have decided to have Home by Ally shows 3-4 times a year! I am projecting that my first show will be in March 2016.  At every show, there will always be old architecture and salvage, one of a kind finds, custom decor & furniture, greenery and unique home decor and accessories I've gathered over time...from all across the country and even world if you can believe it! Dates and locations will be announced on the blog and on social media when the time does come for each show.  If you love fresh, simple, effortless finds unique to only your home, you will definitely NOT want to miss this one of a kind curated event which will feature only a few hand selected friends of HBA who will also help me in selling goods unlike anything you can obtain in the area. Old, new, unusual & trendy...something you won't be able to get at this store or that... is my goal. Please know that it won't be like a garage sale but prices will be affordable because I won't have an overhead of rent, commission, etc which in turn can make things really better for y'all so it's a win-win. These shows also give me a wonderful opportunity to catch up with y'all who are constantly supporting and inspiring me to keep doing what I do.

Which brings me to the new & improved logo you see at the top of the page! Home by Ally is going to have a whole new look soon & this all is directed related to my "new/old" beginning. Sometimes an "old" idea is just the trick instead of the latest "new" thing. For 2016, Home by Ally is now available for interior decorating services,whether that be a consult, personal shopping or whole house jobs. I will also be traveling periodically to North Carolina as well as the surrounding states & back down to Florida so if there is a "custom" piece you are looking for, whether it's a custom size, color or item... I will definitely try to supply that if at all possible! I obviously would LOVE to help you with any real estate services you may need in the local Brevard County area but please don't hesitate to ask if I know someone in your area. The great thing about our business is that we have many folks who have become friends all across the country.

So, new look...new shows to look forward to, unlike anyone else & all original to HBA and I am also excited to definitely document more of my clients & friends home tours! If there is one thing I've always loved, it's touring homes and now you will be able to do the same too! As each presents itself, I would love to feature, photography & document others spaces & how they created their spaces right here on the blog! I really have always enjoyed encouraging each other to remember that our homes are OURS. They are a direct reflection of our hearts, our families and our story, not a magazine or someone else's life. There really are a great deal of things to look forward to and I really, sincerely hope you stick around to see!
Remember you are always welcome here.

DIY Entryway Table using corbels/architectural salvage

Well it's been around three weeks since I lasted spoke with y'all! WOW! I've been so busy with real estate which is SUCH a blessing! And I also have more good news coming your way, especially if you're local so you definitely do NOT want to miss out on that! 

I've been searching for the perfect entryway table for some time now. I wanted something narrow, long and a statement piece. And I really wanted it to be old as dirt. I'd rather have something with some history, that's not perfect and that tells a story than I would something new. I searched and searched and searched and came up with nothing. 

Enter these two corbels that I found at HomeGoods of all places! Shout out to HomeGoods! Love that place. I practically stole them for the prize and get this…. I found one here in Florida and took a trip to North Carolina around Mother's Day. Wouldn't you know that I found the MATCHING one in North Carolina?! It was totally meant to be. I may or may not have jumped up and down that day in the store.

I apologize for the sorry cell phone photos! I took this really quick to document what it looked like as the process kept going! I was way too excited to actually get my real camera out! So here is the BEFORE photo of the space and then a few cell phone photos of it as it progressed. I'm not sure why this photo is oversaturated like it is but just try to see past that. To the left of the front door is a longer wall that serves as our entryway which is also open to the front living room.

Here is the cell phone photos I was speaking about earlier. First thing that I did was get my level, some wall anchors with screws and a drill to make sure my corbels were the correct length apart and were anchored correctly to the wall as well as being even since I was making a top!

I got really excited at this point but the balance was a little off with how thin the plywood top was compared to the chunkiness of the corbels below. So what's a girl to do? I found some scrap wood in the garage and created a skirt for the wood top to hide cords and chunky it up!

You can somewhat see under the last picture that I hid the cords with good old tape by taping them to the bottom of the wood top. From standing you can't see it at all and really can't even see it unless you are looking when you are sitting. That makes me happy, no cords that is :)

And here's a view with the new lamps on. I'm playing around with how I want the top styled and I still want to do something creative with the cord in the old crock. But I am really loving the look, especially because no one else that I know has something like this. It is unique to our house! Let me know what you think and if you want to pin this to remember on your Pinterest boards, just hover over each picture and click the Pinterest icon to pin!

SOURCE LIST:

Mirror: HomeGoods

Lamps: Kirklands

Corbels: HomeGoods

Boxwoods: HomeGoods

Chippy bowl: Found

Harp salvage: Found

Crock: Found