Like A Breath of Fresh Air...

I wanted to share an interesting article written by Amanda Barker.  Professionally, Amanda is a designer, home stager and a life coach here in Jonesboro.  Personally, she is a wonderful woman and a great mother to two special boys, Beau and Blane.  Blane is my precious four year old grandson and is one happy, bright, and well mannered little boy.  I attribute a lot of his well being to his home environment...a relaxing, soothing and peaceful atmosphere and of course lots of love.  In the below article, Amanda writes how you can achieve a positive energy flow & over all “feel” of your space.  As stated above, I've seen the results and highly recommend her advice.  Enjoy...

Living Free with Feng Shui
by Amanda Barker

For a long time I have resisted teaching & sharing Feng Shui for the worry that some people would see it as just plain weird. Having practiced it fervently for the past two years I can no longer keep quiet. It has been a life changing experience & one worth sharing. There are depths of the teaching that I too do not fully understand quite yet. As a matter of fact, there are people that have dedicated their lives to learning it & still may not be masters. I challenge you that if you have thought “that’s just too much to learn” or “I don’t have time to read all the books”…. Don’t let that stop you. There are benefits to applying even some of the minor methods. Over a period of time I will share more & more, but just for today I’ll share a getting started point.

Like a breath of fresh air, with a little time & care you can improve the energy flow & over all “feel” of your space… I definitely recommend it for home & work, but lets start with home. What your eyes take in the moment you awake or walk in your door sets the tone for your inner peace or lack thereof. Of course, I’m not referring to a spiritual peace, that can only come from God. I am referring to the internal stress or aggravation we feel when things are out of order. If you do not feel that, then you may have gotten use to it & I would be willing to bet that your surroundings are chaos. In this case people are blocking the feeling & that is an even deeper issue.

Lets begin with clutter. Never underestimate the effect of clutter on your life. Whenever I meet people that need my help in decor & they tell me they are “stuck” & just don’t know where to begin, they are usually inendated with clutter. Where clutter accumulates, energy stagnates. If you are wanting to go on the journey to a more peaceful, more serene you, then I urge you to begin clearing today. In the first effort you should have an awareness of how many things you are moving & either move or discard twenty-five things. Don’t mull over each item, just getting moving with them….. Grab one… On to the next & so on! Moving energy is healthy energy. Just think what happens to a pool of still water… Soon it becomes murky & begins to smell. A lot of times people with all this “stuff” say that they can’t find the desire to begin. They constantly feel tired. No wonder you are tired. You are sitting in a box of stagnant energy. Just begin to move these things…especially the things that have no meaning & you will marvel at how light you will feel in body, mind, & spirit.

You can check out both Amanda's websites at http://www.consultamanda.com/ or http://www.designthathouse.com/

Jonesboro Makes List For Market Improvement

23 Housing Markets Show Big ImprovementDaily Real Estate News

Double the number of housing markets moved into the “improving” category this month compared to last month, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index, which debuted last month.

Twenty-three housing markets qualified as “improving” compared to 12 last month. Metro areas are considered “improving” if they show an improvement in housing permits, employment, and housing prices for at least six months. Texas cities appear the most frequently on the list. (Arkansas and LA are 2nd).

"Both the number and geographic diversity of improving housing markets expanded this month, with Iowa, Illinois, and South Carolina all newly represented by one entry or more on the list," Bob Nielsen, NAHB chairman, said in a statement. "This is further evidence that, despite the tough conditions that persist in many cities, pockets of improvement are emerging in local housing markets across the country."

The following are the 23 markets labeled “improving” in October, according to NAHB’s index:

•Alexandria, La.

•Amarillo, Texas

•Anchorage, Alaska

•Bismarck, N.D.

•Casper, Wyo.

•Fairbanks, Ark.

•Fayetteville, N.C.

•Houma, La.

•Iowa City, Iowa

•Jonesboro, Ark.

•Kankakee, Ill.

•McAllen, Texas

•Midland, Texas

•New Orleans, La.

•Odessa, Texas

•Pine Bluff, Ark.

•Pittsburgh, Pa.

•Sherman, Texas

•Sumter, S.C.

•Waco, Texas

•Waterloo, Iowa

•Wichita Falls, Texas

•Winston-Salem, N.C.

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Daily News

Did you notice there are three cities in Arkansas that made the list?  Great for Arkansas!

5 Reasons To Build a New Construction Home

1.  Peace of Mind – New comes with a warranty
2.  Floor Plans – Floor plans meet today’s family needs
3.  Energy Efficient – Save on utility bills
4.  Choices – Choose your own paint, flooring, cabinet finish and upgrades
5.  Investment-  New homes tend to appreciate at a faster pace than their resale counterparts