Buying a Lakefront Property? Here Are 4 Things to Consider Before You Buy

Buying a home is always a big decision, but if you are considering a lakefront home, you have additional factors to consider. Make sure your home purchase will meet your needs and lifestyle by asking yourself a few important pre-purchase questions.

How Much Do You Love the Property?

While features of the home can always be updated or renovated, the property itself should be your primary concern. Do you have a pleasing view of the water, easy access for swimming or boating, and does it offer the amount of privacy that you desire? Make sure the location you are considering suits your preferences when buying a lakefront home.

Can the Home Stand Up to the Weather?
Lakefront homes are subjected to more harsh weather conditions than homes on other properties, so look for features that help keep your home protected, like storm shutters and stainless steel locks which are corrosion-resistant.

Are You Working With a Lakefront Property Specialist?

When buying a home on the water, it is vital that you work with someone who specializes in the area and can guide you towards a property that is right for your needs. A lakefront property specialist will be able to give you helpful information about average water level fluctuations, water quality, and any shoreline erosion issues. He or she will also be able to tell you about any construction restrictions on a property before you buy so you can ensure that any docks or piers you may build will be permissible.

Will You Need Additional Insurance?

Lakefront properties often require additional insurance coverage due to the potential for flooding and weather damage. Make sure you understand what the insurance requirements are for any property you are considering.

For many, buying a home on the lake is the ultimate real estate dream. The home shopping process may be a challenging one, but with a little forethought, you can make lakefront homeownership your reality.

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Cheers to the Moms! I hope everyone – especially all of the moms – had a great day yesterday. I hope all moms had a wonderful and special Mother’s Day. Moms do it all, and they do it without complaining (most of the time!). When I think about Mother’s Day, I think of the many times that my own mother sacrificed or did without so her family could do something or have something it wanted. I remember the countless times when we asked where we had left something, and she always seemed to know exactly where to find it. Most of all, I remember that I didn’t realize how smart and insightful my mom was until I became an adult. We all have different memories and emotions when we think of the word “mom.” Sometimes mom was a grandparent, sometimes mom was that special person who raised you from a small child for a variety of reasons, but the word “mom” has always had a special feeling attached to it. The character traits of a mom are too many to list but include teacher, negotiator, mentor, nanny, housekeeper, gardener, cook, nurse, counselor, rule enforcer and friend. Not all moms are perfect, but I think every mom does the best she can with the circumstances she has. Moms instill values and lead by example because they care. Many of my friends didn’t have the opportunity to spend yesterday with their moms. For some, they could only celebrate the memories and, for a few, their relationship with their mom is strained. The message I would like to end with today is this: If your relationship with your mom is strained, for whatever reason, forgive her and try not to judge her. We can all choose to forgive. We don’t have to understand, but she’s your mom, and she probably did her best. For everyone else, just keep loving your mom, and don’t forget to show her you care… every day of the year. Something to Think About Moms are human, and they have the same challenges we do. However, moms, like dads, don’t always show what they’re feeling, discuss what they’re worried about, tell us what they fear or express what they need because they don’t want their children to worry. Check in with them often, with love, and enjoy them while they’re here. Weekly Activity Pull out your calendar, and put reminders throughout the year to call your mom or someone special in your life, and invite him or her to visit you, go to dinner, see a movie, watch the kids’ sports game, etc. We all get busy, and it’s easy to let too much time go by without seeing those we love Words of Wisdom “When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” – Sophia Loren “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children.” – Jessica Lange “My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.’” – Pablo Picasso “I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.” – E. M. Forster “Mothers and children are human beings, and they will sometimes do the wrong thing.” – Maurice Sendak

Monday Wake Up call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Stress Less! Welcome to the Monday Morning Wake-Up Call! I hope you had a great weekend! According to EnSite Solutions CEO Toby Thomas, entrepreneurial stress is like a man riding a lion: “People look at the man and think, ‘This guy's really got it together! He's brave!’ And the man riding the lion is thinking, ‘How the hell did I get on a lion, and how do I keep from getting eaten?’” While it’s widely accepted that managing stressful challenges comes with the territory of running your own business, what’s lesser known is that stress can hit entrepreneurs harder than most. In 2013, the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index showed that entrepreneurs were more likely to be worried and stressed than other workers. Entrepreneurs have innate character traits that put them at higher risk of experiencing stress and mood swings. People who are energetic, motivated and creative are more likely to be entrepreneurial and more likely to have more stress. Does that sound to you like the description of a real estate agent? When you push yourself and abuse your body, you trigger mood swings. Even though you’re bound to encounter stress as an entrepreneur, you can overcome its detrimental effects with the right tools. Stress is actually normal; it’s critical for our survival. The core element of stress is fight or flight syndrome. Without fight or flight, we would not survive as a species. However, today our stress response, which used to be triggered only occasionally, now gets triggered more frequently – sometimes far too much – which can have a disastrous impact on our health and mental well-being. There are several triggers that can activate stress, but let’s just look at a few. The most fascinating fact is that we can transfer the stress we feel to others (or pick up someone else’s). A 2014 study found that seeing someone else experience stress is enough to activate our own stress response. 26% of people in the study who were just observing others under stress took on that stress themselves. There was no difference between genders in the study, but the closer the observer was (emotionally) to the person under stress, the more he or she exhibited an empathic stress response. Being around a highly stressed friend, partner, spouse or co-worker can affect your body just as much as it affects theirs. One solution is to control whom we spend time with, when possible. Spending time with successful, positive people helps you feel more positive and less stressed. Another solution is laughter. Laughter has been proven to reduce stress and promote a healthier life, but did you know that the anticipation of laughter has been found even more effective when it comes to reducing stress? Researchers found that anticipating watching a funny film decreased three stress-response hormones. Participants who weren’t anticipating the funny film didn’t see a significant decrease in their stress hormones. The great thing about this finding is you don’t even need to find anything to laugh at to see a benefit – simply anticipate something positive and fun, and you’ll feel less stressed. Another solution is exercise. Galanin, which has been proven to reduce the effects of stress, is released in your brain when you exercise – meaning the more we exercise, the easier we’ll be able to handle stress and bounce back from it. If you want the stress-diminishing benefits of galanin, exercise is your answer. My favorite stress reducer is to hug someone. A study published in Psychological Science found that greater social support and more hugs “protected people from the increased susceptibility to infection associated with being stressed and resulted in less severe illness symptoms.” The study questioned 404 healthy adults about their levels of social support. The participants had phone interviews 14 nights in a row to assess how often they had interpersonal conflicts and how many hugs they were getting. Finally, participants were exposed to a common cold virus and kept in quarantine for observation of their symptoms. Those who felt supported and received more hugs remained healthier than those who were not supported and did not receive hugs. So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, hug your stress away! And in times of woe, when all else fails, you also can hug the nearest dog. Multiple studies point toward the health benefits of dog ownership. Dogs listen without interruption, love unconditionally and do not judge. Therapy dogs are used to reduce depression and anxiety. They also are used in nursing homes and in some hospitals where patients are terminally ill. Something to Think About  Stress is something that we all deal with on an ongoing basis. You can’t escape stress, but you can lower it; you can reduce it, you can control it. Make this the week you take control! Weekly Activity When you’re feeling stressed this week, try one of the techniques listed above. Words of Wisdom  “Letting go helps us to live in a more peaceful state of mind and helps restore our balance. It allows others to be responsible for themselves and for us to take our hands off situations that do not belong to us. This frees us from unnecessary stress.” – Melody Beattie “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James “Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life.” – Marilu Henner “There's a lot of stress out there, and to handle it, you just need to believe in yourself; always go back to the person that you know you are, and don’t let anybody tell you any different, becauseeveryone’s special and everyone’s awesome.” – McKayla Maroney  “It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” – Hans Selye

Syracuse, NY: A Great Place to Live and Play

Whether you're thinking about relocating to Syracuse or buying a home in the area, you'll soon learn that Syracuse is one of New York’s best places to live. From charming, historic neighborhoods to downtown living, there’s no shortage of affordable housing in Syracuse.

City Overview

Syracuse is known for many things: being home to Syracuse University, being a great place to raise a family (recognized by Forbes in 2010 as one of the top ten places to raise a family), and for a strong sense of art, culture, and history. From our Polish Festival to the Syracuse Shakespeare Festival to the M&T Syracuse Jazz Festival, there is a little something for any audience. Additionally, Syracuse boasts a number of scenic parks, the Onondaga Creekwalk, 40+ museums and galleries, and the Syracuse State Fair. So, ff you're looking for a city with great public transportation, a wealth of real estate options, and exciting attractions and events, Syracuse is the right place for you!

Syracuse Homes

Syracuse has plenty of affordable housing—a large percentage of it available for rent—with homes available to fit the budgets of everyone from college kids to dual-income families. Syracuse offers a relatively low cost of living, with rent prices on par with the rest of Central New York. But rentals aren’t the only housing option; those looking into buying a home will find there’s plenty of inventory as well, especially when looking at listings with John Arquette Properties.

Things to Do

Before buying a home in Syracuse, it’s important to get to know what the community has to offer. There are plenty of parks and natural areas in and around Syracuse that offer beautiful scenery, walking and running trails, sports facilities, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Plus, Syracuse’s geographic location makes it ideal for road trip lovers, offering access to Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and other destinations within just a few hours’ drive. Outdoor adventure lovers will enjoy skiing, sledding, and snowboarding in the winter, and Syracuse University’s athletic events draw residents and visitors alike throughout the year.

Accolades

If you need more proof that Syracuse is a great place to live if you’re thinking about buying a home, listen up! The metro area has made a number of “Top Cities” lists for its security, crime rate, eco-friendliness, and the low stress levels of residents. Most locals would also add that the region is one of the best places in New York, if not the country, to settle down and raise a family.

When you’re planning on buying a home in Syracuse, contact us for the best inventory in the area at affordable prices!

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead Welcome to a new week! What best describes your laugh? Did you know there are actually 10 types of laughter?   When someone slips on a banana peel, do you release small machine gun busts of laughter, or do you burst out with a belly laugh? Maybe you’re a giggler, or one of those silent laughers who keeps their mouth shut. Or maybe you’re at the top of the laughter tree: a snorter.   Have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach hurt? The human body can only increase in laughter so much until it starts to implode into itself – just like a black hole in space. Signs of your approach toward hilarious doom include tears, aching stomach and, ultimately, the snort. The snort is like a safety value: When a person begins to approach the critical point of laughter, a snort, or “Sus scrofa release,” as scientists refer to it, releases pressure. Everyone will snort when they reach this critical point of no return. Some never reach this critical point, and others max out their threshold very quickly.   Laughter also has been proven to reduce pain. Norman Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. “I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep,” he reported.   When we laugh, our brains also release endorphins that can relieve physical pain and create a stronger immune system.  A 2000 study found that people with heart disease were 40% less likely to laugh and be able to recognize humor in a variety of situations, compared to people of the same age without heart disease. Time to start watching more of those funny movies!   Something to Think About Laughter appears to burn calories, too. A researcher from Vanderbilt University conducted a small study in which he measured the amount of calories expended in laughing. It turns out that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter burns 50 calories. But don’t be too quick to ditch your exercise routine – one piece of chocolate has about 50 calories, meaning it would take roughly 12 hours of concentrated laughter to lose a pound!   Weekly Activity  Look for ways to bring laughter into your life and the lives of those you love this week. Whether you call with a funny joke, forward a funny email or post a funny video to Facebook, see how hard you can get them laughing.   Words of Wisdom “Laughter is an instant vacation.” – Milton Berle “There is little success where there is little laughter.” – Andrew Carnegie “Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.” – Norman Cousins “Laughter is important, not only because it makes us happy, it also has actual health benefits. And that’s because laughter completely engages the body and releases the mind. It connects us to others, and that in itself has a healing effect.” – Marlo Thomas “I'm happy that I have brought laughter because I have been shown by many the value of it in so many lives, in so many ways.” – Lucille Ball

 

 

Monday Wake up call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Happy Earth Week!

This week we celebrate the conservation of our most precious resource: Earth. I would like to pay tribute to the Earth Day Network, working with more than 50,000 partners in 196 countries to build environmental democracy.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement, including passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. This year, the focus is on trees.

Why trees? Trees help combat climate change. They absorb excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the average car 26,000 miles. Trees help us breathe clean air by absorbing odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.

What I enjoy most about trees is the trees themselves. There’s something special about having a picnic under a tree or children laughing with delight as they swing on an old tire hanging from the large oak out front. I love trees when they bloom in spring, and I love the shade they provide in summer. I love the autumn colors, and I even love the bare branches covered with snow in the winter.

It’s hard to imagine a world without trees. So do your part this week: Plant a tree, support an organization that plants trees, or just take the time to really appreciate the beauty they provide. Happy Earth Day!

Something to Think About

1. An average-size tree produces enough oxygen in one year to keep a family of four breathing.

2. 3 trees planted in the right place around buildings cut AC costs up to 50%.

3. Houses surrounded by trees sell for 18% to 25% more than houses with no trees.

4. Trees generate jobs and contribute raw materials for buildings, newspapers, books and more than 15,000 other forest products. Trees are renewable, biodegradable and recyclable.

5. By planting 20 million trees, the earth and its people will be provided with 260 million more tons of oxygen. Those same 20 million trees will remove 10 million tons of CO2.

6. Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife such as birds, squirrels and bugs. Groves of trees provide food and cover for larger mammals, such as raccoons and deer.

7. Trees make people feel good. Workers are more productive when they see trees along their commute and from their office windows.

8. Hospital patients who have a view of trees heal faster, use fewer pain medications and leave the hospital sooner than patients with a view of a brick wall… and spend 8% fewer days in bed.

9. Consumers spend more money in shopping districts with trees, pay more for products in a shopping district with trees and are willing to shop longer when there are trees.

10. Trees in the landscape relax us, lower heart rates and reduce stress.

Weekly Activity

Plant a tree in memory of or in celebration of someone. It’s easy. Just go to one of these sites and make a donation: http://shop.arborday.org/content.aspx?page=Commemorative https://www.nationalforests.org/donate/plant-trees

Words of Wisdom

“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir

“Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now.” – Jackie Speier

“One billion people in 175 countries will mark Earth Day. That puts tea parties in perspective, doesn't it?” – Greg Dworkin

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

Monday Wake up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead  

No Complaining!

Good morning! Did you have a great weekend? If not, don’t complain about it! Did you know that – according to science – complaining is terrible for you? Wallowing in negativity has serious consequences for your mental and physical health.

Most people don’t complain with the intention of torturing others; rather, they just feel the need to “vent.” Although we think we’ll feel better by getting our emotions out, science proves otherwise. Not only does expressing negativity tend to not make us feel better, but it also makes listeners feel worse.

Steve Parton, author and student of human nature, outlines three ways that complaining harms your health:

1. Synapses that fire together, wire together! This is one of the first lessons neuroscience students learn. Not only do repeated negative thoughts make it easier to think yet more negative thoughts, but they also make it more likely that negative thoughts will randomly occur to you and make you more negative. Through repetition of thought, the thought that wins is the one that has less distance to travel. Gloom soon outraces positivity.

2. You are whom you hang out with! Not only does hanging out with your own negative thoughts rewire your brain for negativity, but hanging out with negative people also does much the same. If you want to strengthen your capacity for positivity and weaken your reflex for gloom, “surround yourself with happy people who rewire your brain toward love and a positive outlook,” Parton explains.

3. Stress is terrible for your body! According to Parton, “When your brain is firing off these synapses of anger, you’re weakening your immune system – you’re raising your blood pressure, increasing your risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes and a plethora of other negative ailments.” The culprit is the stress hormone cortisol. When you’re negative, you release it.

Something to Think About

We all know “those people” and have them in our lives. Try to limit your time around them and, whenever possible, keep turning the conversation toward something positive. Let’s help rewire their brains!

Weekly Challenge

Each week, you should be sending this email to friends, family and clients to stay positioned for referrals, repeat business and top-of-mind awareness. If you have not yet started sending this email each week, today is a great day to get started – especially if you have any of “those” clients, friends or family members on your list. But YOUR activity this week is to go seven days without complaining – not even once. If someone tries to complain to you, just tell him/her that you’re not allowed to complain or listen to anyone complain for seven days. You’re busy rewiring your brain!

Words of Wisdom

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” – Joyce Meyer

“I think it's important to get your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state – meaning surround yourself with positive people, not the kind who are negative and jealous of everything you do.” – Heidi Klum

“Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” – Allen Klein

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you and, in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” – Brian Tracy