"Home"Ward Bound: August 2017
Impactful Real Estate News
YOUR Life Matters
In the news right now there are crazy things going on. Protests, police getting shot, politics with heated rhetoric, seems daily news breaks that breaks hearts.
Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter shouts one group or another. It is difficult to absorb and much of it dividing.
I took the opportunity last week at our company’s daily morning meeting to make sure everyone on our Team was aware of our mission statement. To sum it up for you here in this month’s Homeward Bound: Your Life Matters.
We get up each day and approach work and life with a mission of putting OTHERS first. We go above and beyond to make sure our clients know that their needs come above anything else. I told my team “whoever you are talking to, looking at, thinking about, whoever it is, in your mind say to yourself about them… your life matters”.
Yes! We love selling real estate, but the reason we do it better than most, I believe, is because we approach everyone and each other with that mission in mind: Your Life Matters. This way of thinking means we must go beyond what is required. One of my favorite restaurants, Chic-Fil-A, calls it 2nd Mile Service. I call it a better way to work and live. This may help explain why we also do things differently than other real estate companies, like donating portions of our income to worthy causes. And speaking of worthy causes…
We are still on a mission this year to raise $10,000 for the Second Harvest Food Bank!
As August is the time kids go back to school, Second Harvest has implemented a Backpack Program to deliver nutritious food to children who have very little or no access to healthy foods at home after school and on weekends. BUT, Second Harvest survives on Sponsorships and Donations. So, we make it a point to donate a portion of our income from selling homes to the great work that they do. And this is where YOU come in! YOUR REFERRALS HELP THE KIDS!
Summer Lawn & Garden Guide
August begins right in the middle of the “dog days of summer,” the hottest and most sultry time of the year. Ancient cultures believed that the excessive heat was caused by the alignment of Sirius, the Dog Star, with the sun during the summer. These are the days when everything seems languid and still – except mosquitoes, of course – and the sun threatens to bake lawns, gardens, and gardeners alike. Here are some tips for keeping your lawn in shape over these remaining long, hot days of summer.
1. Water Wisely. Lawns need at least one inch of water per week, and more when the heat is severe. Use a rain gauge or straight-sided can to keep track of the amount of water received from rainfall and irrigation.
2. Raise Your Mower Blade. Taller grass is more drought-tolerant, grows deeper roots, and helps shade the earth to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Warm-season grasses should be mowed at 2"-3".
3. Mow Regularly. Mowing regularly prevents cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This keeps your grass healthier and prevents the clippings from smothering the grass.
4. High Traffic Areas. Consider installing stepping stones to minimize damage to your grass, and to try to minimize traffic on dormant, brittle lawns.
5. Control Weeds. Summer is the season to get those growing weeds removed before they bloom and disperse seed for next year. Targeted post-emergent herbicides are designed to kill broadleaf weeds without harming turf grass, but they must be applied when temperatures will be below 85 degrees for a few days. Keep in mind that during the heat of summer, ANY product can be damaging to already-stressed lawn grasses, so use sparingly or hand-pull weeds instead.
6. Diseased Plants. Treat diseased plants and remove diseased foliage before leaves drop.
7. Fruits and Vegetables. Fall vegetable and herb seeds or starters can be planted now!
Who do you know considering buying or selling a home you could refer to my real estate sales team?
Not only will they benefit from our award-winning service, but we donate a portion of our income on every home sale to the Second Harvest Food Bank. I want to make it easy to refer your friends, neighbors, associates or family members considering making a move, so here are your options:
1. You can go to www.BirdsongRealtyReferrals.com and enter their contact info on line or forward the link to who you know considering a move.
2. Of course you can always call me direct as well at 504-376-7650. You and your referrals mean more than ever to my team and I. As we move forward in this new season, please know we are extremely thankful for you and you being a special part of our business.
With all my appreciation.
Betsy Birdsong,
Broker/Owner
The Birdsong Realty Group
