Belladonna Riso Real Estate Video Blog Belladonna Riso

How can the Nonviolent Communication Method by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg improve your life? Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Conflict resolution is a major aspect of my job. I want to share some of the top communication strategies I use to get people working together. Most of the strategies I use are based on the work of Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, a true pioneer who invented the Nonviolent Communication Method. This method has been used successfully for many years to do everything from negotiating peace in the Middle East to negotiating peace between warring couples or children and parents. His method is even used by top hostage negotiators all over the world. “ Using this statement helps you start a really productive conversation. Of course, I can only go over a few tips with you today, so make sure you check out his book called “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life.” Dr. Rosenberg’s method is based on the fact that as human beings, we have the same needs and experience the same emotions. The point of nonviolent communication is to get to the heart of the matter, which isn’t easy. The problem is that most of us don’t have a comprehensive vocabulary for our feelings or our needs. You can visit www.cnvc.org/training/needs-inventory for a free Needs and Feelings Inventory list to get a handle on things. You can even message me and I will email you a copy of each. That is a good place to get started, but how can you use this method in your day-to-day life? Let’s say that you get home from work really late and that your significant other appears to be upset the minute that you walk in the door. You would use this statement: “Honey, are you feeling _____ because you need _____?” Of course, it is up to you to guess what your significant other is feeling and what they need. It can be challenging to use this statement, especially if your significant other greets you by saying, “You are the most insensitive person I’ve ever met.” Don’t get angry. Simply say, “Are you feeling angry because you need to feel important and loved?” This is a magic formula. People immediately drop their defenses before they respond. They will either say, “Yes, that is exactly it,” or “No, that’s not it at all.” Now, you did not agree or disagree with them or rise to the bait; asking them this question helps you strike right to the heart of the matter. What are they feeling and what are they needing? Even if you didn’t accurately guess what they need and feel, you opened up the opportunity to have a really productive conversation. That is just a tidbit of what nonviolent communication has to offer. Check out this video of a workshop by Dr. Rosenberg for more information. He really shows you how to start using nonviolent communication in your everyday life. I hope you found this information useful. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you!

If you have a business or a service you’re promoting, you have to know how to utilize social media properly. Here are five tips on how to do that. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Did you know that—according to a recent study—a whopping 79% of adults are on social media? If you have a business or a service you’re promoting, you should be on there too. Here are my five quick tips for doing social media right: 1. Set a schedule. I’ll admit that I’m the worst at this. It sometimes happens that you log on intending to spend just 15 minutes doing a quick post and checking your messages but end up staying on there for two hours. I’ve gotten into the habit of setting a timer on my phone. Whenever it goes off, that means it’s time for me to log off. I recommend doing something similar. 2. Have a plan. Determine ahead of time which platforms you’re going to post to, how often you’re going to post, and which content you want to put across those platforms. If planning that out for the whole year seems overwhelming, no worries! Just plan it for the first quarter and then stick to it. 3. Set a budget. Pick any amount—whether it’s a $15 Facebook ad campaign or a $1,500 Facebook ad campaign—and set your budget at the exact dollar amount you’re comfortable spending. When the money runs out, the campaign stops. That way there’s no chance of overspending. “ These tips will allow you to take advantage of social media instead of vice versa. ” 4. Track your results. Make sure you know if it’s bringing in the results you need. If not, tweak your content or your message. 5. Have fun! Don’t forget to put some fun content out there, maybe about what you’re doing, what you’re seeing, or just a few fun facts about yourself. You don’t want to hammer your client base with nonstop business messages. Bonus tip: Social media is not a replacement for real communication. It’s a fantastic tool for helping us stay top of mind for our clients, but it’s not a stand-in for making your daily prospecting calls or talking face-to-face with clients. At some point, you still have to engage in a conversation with a real human being if you want them to do business with you. If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email. I’d be happy to speak with you!

If you’re concerned that we might be looking at a new housing bubble, here are some market statistics to put your mind at ease. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Are we looking at a new housing bubble here in Utah? It’s a question a lot of people are asking because—in case you didn’t know—home values in Utah have risen 48% in the last five years. That is absolutely unprecedented, and it has some people worried. The good news is that according to renowned economist James Wood, there is no sign of another housing bubble happening in Utah anytime soon. Why? There are a couple special characteristics of a housing bubble that aren’t present in Salt Lake County and Utah County. That first is a rapid rise in household debt. For example, in the three years preceding the great recession of 2008, household debt rose 35% in our state. That rise was primarily due to the refinancing of existing mortgages, taking out home equity lines of credit, or picking up a second mortgage. There is currently no sign of that happening here. Our debt load is very healthy. “ There are many indicators that prove we’re nowhere near a housing bubble. ” The second characteristic of a housing bubble is a lack of affordability. To determine affordability, we look to the Housing Affordability Index. For a frame of reference, if the index is at 50, that’s considered a nice, healthy market. Right before the market crash, the affordability index in Utah was at 30, which is well below a healthy mark. As of the end of 2016, our affordability index was a whopping 70, which is one of the best in the country. There are two more indicators specific to Utah that prove there’s no bubble in sight. The first is the fact that we’re experiencing a housing shortage. We have a larger number of households in Utah than actual housing units. In other words, there are more people who want homes than there are homes available. This is quickly driving up prices for both homes sales and rentals. However, we’re still well within affordability limits. The other indicator is the condition of our state economy. From 2000 to the middle of 2016, the entire country had a job growth rate of 11%. In Salt Lake County, our job growth rate was 33%. In Utah County, the job growth rate was 35%. I hope that puts your mind at ease. If you’re looking to buy or sell or you have any more questions about this topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to speak with you!

Tax season is right around the corner, so today, I want to highlight some potential tax breaks you should ask your tax professional about. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Tax season is nearly upon us, so today, I wanted to touch on some of the lesser-known benefits of owning a home. Let me start by saying that I’m not a CPA, and I recommend that you get your taxes done by a professional. These items are merely things you can bring to their attention to possibly write off on your 2016 taxes. Interest paid on your mortgage. Everyone knows about this one, but did you know in some cases, you can write off taxes on your taxes? If you pay state or federal taxes, you may be able to include them on your 2016 return. If you have made any improvements to your property for medical reasons, the cost may be a tax deduction. If you use a portion of your home for a home-based business, you can get an additional write-off. I know at least here in Utah, many people have things like a salon or a multi-level marketing business on the side. If you run a business out of your home, be sure to talk to your CPA about it because there is a healthy tax break you may be able to claim. “ If you use a portion of your home for a home-based business, you can get an additional write-off. ” If you purchased a home last last year, part of the expenses of purchasing that home are also items you can write off. You’ll need a copy of your settlement statement, but if you can’t find it, give your agent a call or go to the title company that closed the transaction. If you sold a home in 2016, you might not have to pay taxes on your profits. Did you own the home for more than two years? If you did own the property for more than two years, was it your primary residence, and if it wasn’t, did you at least occupy the home for two of the last five years? If you can answer ‘yes’ to both of those questions, odds are you won’t have to pay taxes on your home sale profits up to first $250,000 worth of profits if you’re single, or $500,000 if you’re married. Hopefully this is some good news for you! If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d love to help!

Want to enjoy some holiday festivities without spending your brains out this Christmas? I have five ideas that are both fun and budget-friendly for families to do this season. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Today I wanted to give you five cool ideas for things you can do this Christmas in Utah that don't involve spending a ton a money. Here are some alternatives that won't leave you waking up on December 26th with a spending hangover: Sledding at Big Cottonwood Canyon. In my opinion, this is the number one sledding hill in the state. It's a ton of fun. The Midway Ice Castle, a short drive outside of Salt Lake City. The ice castle looks simply amazing, and it has a light show and ice skating. It will be up and running again this year. The Heber North Pole Express. This is another close drive just outside of Salt Lake City. You can ride this really cool train with your kids and taste hot chocolate and all kinds of treats. Santa usually makes an appearance, too. Visit Temple Square downtown. It's becoming world famous because of how gorgeous it is during Christmas. Do yourself a favor and take TRAX down because parking gets crazy down there. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Your whole family can take some time to help out for a good cause. You'll feel better about yourself and the holiday season. “ I promise you'll have a great time without breaking the bank. ” If you and your family check out any of these fun things to do in Utah, I promise that you'll have an awesome time this season without breaking the bank. If you have any other questions about these activities or about Utah area real estate, you can always give me a call or message me through my website. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Selling your home during the holidays here in Utah is a great idea. Buyers are more motivated now than they are at any other time of year. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report.   Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale. Why should you list your home right before the holidays here in Utah? Most people think that they should wait until spring to list their home, but this is a mistake. In Utah, our housing inventory levels will fall by as much 30% starting right now. As we know, supply and demand drive prices. Listing now means you will be competing with far fewer homes. The other factor most people forget about is that the buyers in Utah from November through February are by far the most motivated buyers you will see all year. If you think about it for a moment, it makes perfect sense: it’s cold, dark, and snowy, and they’re still out there hunting desperately for a house. These are buyers that are ready and willing to write offers. “ We have a great crop of motivated buyers hitting the market. ” The third thing to remember is that many relocation buyers hit the market in December, which means they have to be moved into their new place come January. So, again, we get this great crop of motivated buyers that only come out during this time of year. As an added bonus, your home will probably look better during the holidays than it will all year. If you don’t like the idea of having to work around all your family plans, you don’t have to. All you have to do is let your Realtor know what dates and times you want blocked out, and they won’t let anyone show the home at those times. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I hope you have a great day, and I look forward to hearing from you!