Does Your Home Make You Smile?

Live in the now, not in the future.  Does your home make you smile?  There are many known benefits to smiling.  Smiling can improve health, reduce stress and help you live longer.  Research shows that smiling is the ONE THING that universally makes us happier, so why wouldn’t you want a house that makes you smile when you come home?  A home that makes you happy should be a top priority when choosing where to live.

First rule of buying a house is “if Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”  Why shouldn’t the second rule be “does it make you smile?”  When it comes to deciding which home to buy, ask yourself the question, “which one makes you smile?”  Then the smile becomes effortless.

If you are going to stay in your current home for a while (and we’re all spending more time there lately), then consider doing something to the home today that will make you smile when you come home.  Why wait until you’re ready to sell to make changes that you could be enjoying now?  Some of the things I’ve seen people do is dress up their home’s curb appeal with new paint and impressive landscaping.  One client ungraded his 3-car garage with climate control and a tent inside for his office.  It makes him smile. You may not need to do any more than place a picture of your favorite person or pet at the entrance.

When you are choosing a new home, find a Realtor that understands how you want to feel in that home.  Anyone can figure out how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want.  Find a Realtor that can understand you and what makes you happy and go get that house.

Houston home sales are strong and inventory is down.  For the moment, the trend is towards the “burbs.”  Anything just outside the Beltway from I-45 to South of Katy that is a nice home and goes on the market in the 180’s most often sells in a day.  It is almost amazing.  I think the flight to the suburbs will persist for another year or so, and then things will normalize with a good balance of inner city living and suburban living.  If you are in the $750,000 and above range, it is still time to consider moving up.  Check out my “move-up” column here.  There are great opportunities out there that would put a smile on your face.