How Organized Are You Really?

I used to pride myself in organization...and then something happened - it flew out the window. If you saw my desk right now you'd understand. I used to keep things organized and everything had a spot when I was younger (or maybe I thought I did) but as I get older that skill went bye-bye.  I find myself about once/week cleaning up my office and/or my desk after I can't find something I need. Click HERE for the site that I "borrowed"the following article from. It gives 5 apps that will help me, and you, keep our lives organized.

5 Game Changing Organization Apps for 2016

Getting more done in the day often requires leverage. Technology has given us many new means of leverage, and apps are chief among them. Since we carry our smart phones around with us everywhere we go, apps are a great way to keep organized at home, in the office, and on the go.

Evernote and IFTTT are the go-to organizational apps, but we’ve found a few more that can help you get everything on track in 2016 and make your ONE Thing a reality this year. 

Trello – The All-Around Organizer

After more than 52,000 reviews Trello has garnered a nearly perfect rating. Why? It’s a solid all-around life organizer that blends tools for both work and home. The company describes the app as a “whiteboard with superpowers”, and it’s just as easy to use. The best part is that this powerful app is free to use.

What it can do:

Create dynamic checklists with “to-do” cards

• Create boards to organize projects
• Share and collaborate with co-workers, friends, or family
• Assign tasks to anyone on a project
• Attach files or media like photos and videos
• Syncs with the cloud to update all devices automatically

Devices it works on: iOS and Android 

Snupps– Keeping Your Items and Inventory Organized

If you have a lot of stuff at home or the office the Snupps app is an easy way to keep a record of everything and organize your inventory. Whether it’s your closet or a massive warehouse, all you have to do is take a photo with your phone to make a record of an item.

What it can do:

• Add items to “virtual shelves” with a snap
• Follow other users that have stuff you love
• Get product recommendations from other users
• Share organization tips
• Share your “shelves” with other users
• Keep track of inventory
• Makes moving a breeze by helping note what is in every box
• Keep track of donated items for your taxes
• Record gifts received for birthdays, graduations and showers to send out thank you notes

Devices it works on: iOS and Android 

BrightNest – Putting Your Domestic Tasks on Autopilot

Now the honey do list is easy and automated. The BrightNest app is made specifically for getting organized at home and keeping it in the best shape possible.

What it can do:

• Get reminders on what needs to get done and when
• Find practical, custom tips for house cleaning, maintenance and more
• Access local offers from vendors
• Set the app up to include kids and pets in the house
• Track home maintenance so everything stays on schedule
• Create schedules for regular home maintenance

Devices it works on: iOS and Android 

30/30 – Organize Your Daily Time Blocking

Earlier this month we discussed how breaking your schedule down into 1-hour blocks can help increase productivity. The 30/30 app takes it one step further by helping you create daily calendars that are broken into 30-minute increments.

What it can do:

• Create tasks in 30-minute blocks or set your own time for tasks from one minute to an hour
• Get notifications so that tasks don’t go undone
• Fully customizable task lists

Device it works on: iOS 

Week Menu – Organize Your Diet

The majority of people list eating healthy as their number one resolution at the start of the year. Easier said than done – unless you have the Week Menu app. This app will make it easy to plan out your meals for the entire week.

What it can do:

• Create a weekly menu
• Create your own recipe book
• Add notes to recipes for future reference
• Make grocery lists based off your menus
• Add ideas and recipes that you find on the web
• Get suggestions based on ingredients

Device it works on: iOS (if you use Android try the Food Planner app)

There you have it - Download these 5 easy apps and Voila - your life gets better!

Can I really buy a home?

Have you ever thought this to yourself?  Have you said "I can't afford it" or "I don't have enough to put down" or "They are just too expensive?"  Well, according to Realtor.com there are 6 reasons, false reasons, people say this.

1. I don't have enough for a down payment.  Very few people have 20% to put down. The average price of a home in the low country is around $225K so that would be $45,000.00 in a down payment. I don't know about you but I sure don't have $45K sitting around.  There are so many types of loans out there and this is a perfect time to reach out and talk to a mortgage lender about options. One great option out there is a FHA loan where you only need 3.5% down in order to buy a house. Even with a conventional loan you still only need 5% but remember that a lot of this will depend on your credit score.

2. I can't afford a mortgage payment.  Right now in the Charleston area most rental costs are more than a mortgage payment. Realtor.com has a great Rent vs. Buy calculator on their site you can use to compare and contrast.  If you can pay rent - you can start to build credit and equity and pay a mortgage payment - plus you get tax breaks too.

3. I don't have enough credit history.  So, you have a rough credit score and you're sure you won't get approved. All you need for a FHA is a score of 580 (some lenders require a 620).  You can start today paying down your credit cards, keep a steady job and you can get an application approved.  If not today start working on it now so in 6 months you may have more options. If you have a lower credit score this usually is accompanied by a higher mortgage rate.  It's best to get your score as high as possible so you get a better rate.

4. I don't have a credit history at all.  Maybe you're fresh out of college, just not used credit cards or made a large purchase such as a car. There are ways to start building credit so purchasing a house may not happen today but if you build healthy credit it won't take too long. If you are a renter you can ask your landlord to report your payments and establish credit that way. Experian makes it pretty easy to do.

5. I have not been at my job long enough.  Most mortgage lenders tell me they want you to be steadily employed at one place for 2 years.  Work history is very important to lenders because it shows stability and lenders and banks want to make sure they get paid if they lend you money.  If you are out moving jobs every 6 months there is an issue there and they won't lend you anything. If you move jobs though in the same field and industry and your income has been steady this will be taken into account.

6. I can't find a home I can afford.  One thing I am seeing with buyers in our market is they feel the need to buy a home in perfect, move-in condition.  You do not need to buy your final home right now. Start small and maybe even a fixer upper. Be less picky!  It's better to own a small, starter home now than throw away money as a renter.  Working with a Realtor who is experienced (like myself) will walk you through the process and help you find the right home.

MUSC

You want to know one of the great things about Summerville?  It's close to many hospital systems, including MUSC.  Just up the road at Carnes Crossing are even more medical facilities coming in.  I, for one, though am happy that we are close to MUSC.  I just spent 8 days there after having found squamos cell cancer for the 2nd time in my left ear. The first time it was a relatively minor surgery but after it returned with a vengeance the second time it got a bit more involved.  I usually joke my middle name is Murphy, short for Murphy's Law because whatever seemingly can go wrong will.  In 2008 I underwent a double lung transplant and have been on immunosuppressant drugs ever since.  These medications cause my immune system to be squashed so I am susceptible to pretty much anything and everything under the sun, including cancer.  To fix my 2nd bout of cancer the docs at the Head and Neck Department at MUSC decided to take a large skin graft out of my right leg and use that tissue to fill in the gap they cut out from my ear and neck.  In order to have the best chance at beating this cancer they removed my entire ear canal, the lower 1/2 of my ear, bone in and around my ear, salivary glands, lymph nodes and other glands.  They then took my leg tissue and blood supply and filled in the gaps around the ear so right now I look and sounds like a mess.  Of course there were complications so I ended up being intubated (tube down my throat breathing for me) for 5 days which meant I was in the ICU for 5 days also.  This caused all kinds of throat and vocal cord damage so as I type this I cannot speak above a whisper and can only swallow soft foods.  There's a lot more to this story but let's all be glad we are close to a top-rated hospital system that has the docs and means to treat just about anything.

A huge thanks to all my docs, surgeons and wonderful nurses that cared for me during my tenure in the hospital. The staff was great and I appreciate all of them!

-Jason

Let's welcome the Harrell Law Firm to Main Street Summerville

     Let me start by saying if you live or work in Summerville or Dorchester County you should really consider joining the Chamber of Commerce. It's very reasonably priced and most of their events are free once you're a member.  It also provides great networking opportunities and is full of resources.

     Yesterday I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony welcoming the Harrell Law Firm onto Main Street right next to the square. They did a great job renovating their offices and when you enter it feels very welcoming.  Of course it did not hurt that Eva's catered this event and there was all kinds of great food.  I have a feeling John Harrell (owner) and the staff may be eating bacon for a long time to come. We were also welcomed by the Mayor, Wiley Johnson, who cut the ribbon and Rita Berry, the president of the Chamber.  I ran into some great people there and met new ones as well and they were all so welcoming that I did not even want to leave (I did leave though to sign a contract - Yeah). John Harrell and Shawn Bevans are the attorneys that will be working in Summerville and if you decide to close with them (which I recommend - I used these guys for my own closing and they did a good job) you're in good hands. I also met Sarah, Anita (the Liaison/concierge) and Jennifer all of whom are eager to be a part of the Summerville team. I gave them some great restaurant recommendations which you can also find under the "Information and Dining" tab here.  As a Realtor one thing I really like about the Harrell Firm is they provide us agents a liaison/concierge (Anita Holly) whose responsibility is to be the middle person between agents and attorneys. Anita will answer questions, make sure documents get to the right person on time, is full of great information and very helpful. Closing can be very stressful and produce a lot of anxiety and their concierge service alleviates a lot of that stress.  For more information you can click http://www.hlfpa.com/.

     There are a lot of options in Summerville for attorneys and I'm not telling you to choose one over the other but at least take a serious look at Harrell Law - I don't think you'll be disappointed. Plus, after your closing you can walk to one many restaurants for lunch/dinner or a drink to celebrate your new purchase or your home sale.  Call me with any questions regarding listing your home or purchasing one.  I specialize in one thing - Customer Service.

(Left to Right)
John Harrell, Mayor Wiley Johnson, Me (Jason Gregg)
www.liveinsummerville.com

-Jason

843.696.8627

Legend Oaks

Legend Oaks in Summerville, SC

Legend Oaks seems to be really popular.  It's located on the other side of Summerville (away from our downtown district) but has the appeal of young and older families alike.  Currently (and I mean right now) there are 30 homes for sale and they range from $140K for a condo up to $775 for a  6,000 square foot home with 6 bedrooms.  You can pretty much find what you are looking for but you should act fast because in our market nothing lasts too long.  Yesterday I did an open house there and I had over a dozen families come through (that is really good for an open house).  HOA fees for Legend Oaks is between 300-350.00 depending on what street you are on. Also, costs to join the club house/pool/tennis will run you around $600 for the year but this does NOT include golf but will get you a reduced rate. Here is a link to 120 Carolinian Drive which is listed under $250K. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2100+ sf and a finished bonus room up stairs. Click here to see the short video.

Looking to buy, sell or invest - now is the time. I'm going to be listing 4-6 homes in the next 60 days and they will go fast. Honestly, it's a sellers' market.  Anytime we have less than 6 months of inventory (which basically means it takes a home, on average, 6 months to sell) it's considered a seller's market and right now we are 2-3 months of inventory. There are so many more buyers than homes available.  Need to act - call me at 843.696.8627!

I-26 ALT

Transit area being studied
From the Town of Summerville to Charleston

     Did you know there are current studies being done right now to determine more efficient ways to get around town.  There are meetings scheduled tonight and Thursday for the public to weigh in: tonight (1/26) from 6-8:00 at the Charleston Museum Auditorium or Thursday (1/28) in Summerville at the Bethany United Methodist Church (118 W. Third Street) from 7-9:00.  The best way to access this information is click HERE.  This site will provide more information on the current research studies being done regarding mass transit options from Summerville to Charleston.

     One of the options being studies is called the Bus Rapid Transit which allows for buses (such as CARTA) to have their own designated lanes thereby allowing them to miss the traffic and congestion. I've seen this in Pittsburgh and it works very well.  Here is a link for more information on the BRT - https://www.itdp.org/library/standards-and-guides/the-bus-rapid-transit-standard/what-is-brt/

    This is a huge area of need as it affects over 600,000 people.  I heard a statistic today that our metro area will reach 1 million people by 2027 and that 43 new people move here every day.  That's over 15,000 people/year coming here and Summerville is in the top 10 fastest growing cities in SC. As a Realtor I love this (how do I find these 43 people every day?) but as a resident I get worried about the congestion and my daughter driving here.

     What do you think? If you ever drive 26 or 526 in the morning or later afternoon you agree with me that we have an issue. I'd like to see a commuter train arrive on the scene as I think it's more efficient but that's just this writer's opinion. I'm open to any remedy that will alleviate traffic.  I also think we should build an overpass that will avoid the restaurants and shops around Azalea Square so that if people are heading to 26 they avoid all that congestion.  It just makes sense!!!

He Had a Dream!

Instead of writing a post about about the life, history and sacrifice of Martin Luther King Jr. I decided to post his "I have a dream" speech.  Have you ever read it?  Until today I had not read this speech but today I realize and learned it's an amazing piece of history and poetic writing.  I hope you take 5-10 minutes to read it here and I think you'll walk away with a "wow" feeling in your brain.  I'm grateful for his actions, motivation and behavior invoking change he brought about within our nation.  It's a shame it took 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and his death to incite major change. It's also very sad that racism is very real today and I personally see that it's generational in nature. People are not born racist - they are taught it.

This speech was delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!



And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.



But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.



And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

* = text within asterisks absent from the above audio but verified as originally delivered

1 Amos 5:24 (rendered precisely in The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible)

2 Isaiah 40:4-5 (King James Version of the Holy Bible). Quotation marks are excluded from part of this moment in the text because King's rendering of Isaiah 40:4 does not precisely follow the KJV version from which he quotes (e.g., "hill" and "mountain" are reversed in the KJV). King's rendering of Isaiah 40:5, however, is precisely quoted from the KJV.

3 At: http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/free_at_last_from.htm

Also in this database: Martin Luther King, Jr: A Time to Break Silence

Audio Source: Linked directly to: http://www.archive.org/details/MLKDream

External Link: http://www.thekingcenter.org/

U.S. Copyright Status: Text and  Audio = Restricted, seek permission. Image = Uncertain.

Copyright inquiries and permission requests may be directed to:

Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Intellectual Properties Management
One Freedom Plaza
449 Auburn Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Fax: 404-526-8969