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At the services for both of these truly gentle men, who also personified the word "gentleman", time after time friends and family members stood up to offer a few words. And time after time they talked about how much they loved their wives and their families, people told funny stories of how both men interacted with friends, and how at the end both men, knowing the end was very near, talked about how much they would miss their wives and their children.

Not once did anyone talk about how these truly wonderful, and successful men, wished they had spent more time away from their family working at their jobs.

The stories of devotion to family and sharing their time with the communities they lived in made me wonder how important is it not to be at a child's birthday party because someone really needs to see a house they truly won't buy on Saturday afternoon. Should a really successful Realtor invest a full day driving people around to look at as "many houses as I can see today" so they will know what is available. We don't often do this, since we usually can give our customers more than enough information to make informed decisions before even getting in the car. Do you do it?

How many agents give up their family time, especially on a weekend, in the hopes of getting a commission? We have set boundaries for our customers, and are thinking about re-setting them. Even a Realtor has the right to quality of life. The market isn't as bad as the media makes it out to be, people are still buying houses. Set the expectations of your customers up front and it is amazing how almost all of your customers will accept them. If someone wants you available 24/7, just maybe you don't need that particular commission check. Think about what is the real value of your profession, and your life.

I always plug in a hotlink to my website to promote a listing. For this particular message, I am simply asking you to visit our website, www.SunBayAssociates.com.

Are you living to work, or are you working to live? Have a great week.

What many people don't yet understand is that as of now, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 will expire on Dec. 31, 2012. What this means to the homeowner in a short sale situation is that if they do a short sale that closes after Dec. 31, 2012, under current law, the forgiven debt may be taxed as income. Presently, if an owner has done a short sale for their primary home, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act has allowed taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt, which means the forgiven debt is not taxed.

Before the Mortgage Debt Relief Act was put in place, the IRS considered forgiven debt as taxable income. Since 2007 and thru 2012, forgiven mortgage debt, for a primary residence, has not been considered taxable. Here is the issue, if Congress does not extend the Mortgage Debt Relief Act, or amend it in some meaningful way, any debt forgiven through debt restructuring, or short sale, may be considered as taxable income. An example would be a homeowner is forgiven $50,000 in mortgage debt when their home sells, in February of 2013. That $50,000 could be added directly to the homeowner's taxable income!

Now, if you are a homeowner who is considering a short sale, or if you feel that in the next several months you may be in a short sale situation, and if you believe that the Congress is going to agree to extend the Mortgage Debt Relief Act to 2013 or beyond, relax. If you have a hard time believing that Congress can agree what time it is, then you should be concerned.

Short sales happen for numerous reasons, mostly as a fact of life that our real estate market has suffered enormously in this recession. In the Tampa Bay area, almost every home purchased between 2004 and 2010 has a lower market value today than when it was purchased. Reasons to sell vary widely, from job transfer, to the kids have all moved out, to a death, a divorce, job loss or whatever else happens in life.

Before you do anything, consult your financial advisor and your attorney about the situation with your mortgage. Find a professional Realtor who is expert in short sales to guide you through the complex short sale process. Because of the backlog of short sales the banks are already processing, a short sale can take many months. So if you are considering selling your home and may be in a short sale situation, don't wait. Act now. You just might not have the tax relief next year that is available today.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."

- Robert Frost

FORGET THE LEADER!

On the playground of any school, and on any day, you can witness examples of children playing "follow the leader." One hops, skips, or jumps, and all the others follow. As adults, however, many of those children play a variation of that game - called "follow the follower."

On the job, they look around, see how someone else is doing their work, and duplicate the effort. What they don't realize is that their fellow employee is also watching someone else. A circular game of "follow the follower" evolves, resulting in a mediocre work force. The same can be true in marriages, education, hobbies, and sports.

Consider the story of a telephone operator in a small town. Every day she received a call from a gentleman asking for the correct time. Finally, one day, she asked the mystery caller who he was and why he called every day. His answer? "I'm the one who blows the whistle at the factory each day at noon. I like to be right on time!" The operator laughed and then responded, "Here at the telephone company, we set our watches and clocks by the noon whistle at the factory!"

Tired of playing follow the follower? Want to rejuvenate your life? Begin acting like the unique person you already are. See what everyone else is doing . . . and do something different. Strike out in the direction of your own imagination instead of theirs.

In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."

In our area, one brave Realtor, Liane Jamason, sent an email to senior bank executives about a short sale that had been stuck on hold for a year.  It got done.  Her action made the front page of the St. Pete Times today.

Why can the banks' "negotiators" send routine requests to the sellers every 30 days for bank statements, pay slips, etc. and not take the time to look at the information so they can make a decision.  If they are looking at hundreds or thousands of short sales everyday, they can tell quickly that a seller is in dire financial straits or not.  Many banks still refuse to consider a short sale until the homeowner is delinquent on the mortgage.  If a homewoner is foregoing food, medical care, insurance, general lifestyle and still making payments, why cannot a bank accept the facts and review the short sale possiblity?

We cannot ever get the housing industry out of the doldrums until the banks actually take action on short sales to help the millions of families who are barely hanging on, the realtors who can't make a living because it often takes a year to complete a short sale, the contractors can't build new houses or hire people, because there are so many undervalued houses lingering on the market, and on and on.  Then,  the banks stall for months, and after doing a BPO, come back and say they want 30% more than the contract price of the house, which was the market value six or nine months ago.  This kills the deal, the house has to go back on the market and the stupid cycle starts all over again.

Who is going to fix this??  Realtors have invested time and money to gain expertise in short sales, including the Certified Distressed Property Expert designation.  We know how to present a complete short sale package to the banks.  Our sellers know what to expect and gather the requisite documentation.  The buyers are told to expect the process to take months.  Yet the banks continue to drag their feet, "reviewing" the same files over and over and over and over, until the seller is frustrated, the buyers walk away in utter frustration, Realtors lose months of time and energy and the bank loses even more money on the property because no one is capable of making the right decisions to get that bad debt off the books.  All it takes is for someone to do the right thing, is that so hard?

Can someone please offer a solution!?

"When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen - there will be something to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly."

- "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach

LEARNING TO FLY!

In the 1930's and 1940's, there were numerous women's magazines.  Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping were two of them.  They showed women in the role of the day - housekeeping.  They suggested the number of times per week the home should be dusted, scrubbed, organized, and otherwise kept spotless.  They suggested ways to look good when the "man of the house" arrived home from a tough day at the office.  In short, those magazines and their publishers set up an impossible regimen of expectations for their readers.

Many of us know women who have spent much of their lives trying to live up to the model housewife role prescribed by those magazines.  The trouble is, many of them have (or had) dreams of their own, like wanting to write, or to travel, or to participate in the freedoms only men then enjoyed.

Today, any of us can achieve our dreams.  All too often, however, we are still denied our destiny by the expectations set by others.  We are bombarded by radio, TV, CD, DVD, and WWW messages that insist we follow their example, their guidelines, or their models.  We allow our dreams to wither and die - waiting in line for their turn to blossom - never receiving the water of encouragement needed to grow and bloom.

What about your dreams?  Need some encouragement to help you "think outside the box?"  Begin by spending time with others who have already achieved their dreams. Leave your nay-sayer acquaintances behind.  Read inspiring biographies.  Pick up a copy of "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."  If you haven't yet learned to "fly," pick up "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or "Illusions" by Richard Bach.

As Jonathan says in the book, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you.  All they show is limitation.  Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly!"  

The average days on market was 269.  Days on market is how long it takes from the time a house is listed until it goes under contract.  The shorter the days on market, the more accepting the market place is to the listed price.

In Crescent Oaks Country Club, of the five sold houses, one was on the market for only 35 days.  At the other end of the spectrum was a home that sold for $345,000 and had 623 days on market.

There are currently 12 houses with active listings in Crescent Oaks Country Club.  The prices range from a high of $873,233 for a 5,783 square foot pool home, to a low of $199,500 for a 3 bedroom villa.  The villa only has 5 days on market.  The higher priced home has 951 days on market.

If you would like to follow listings in Crescent Oaks Country Club, visit Sun Bay Associates search site, enter the name of whichever subdivision you want to search, and get the info you want.

The very best news is that the Crescent Oaks Country Club has re-opened the golf course.  So take a look at the opportunity to own a home in a golfing community, with a newly opened and excellent golf course.

Golf carts can go to the golf course from home.  Another bonus to Highland Lakes, Palm Harbor is access to Lake Tarpon.  The community has a secure boat storage area, a launch ramp, and clubhouse near the ramp.  Take advantage of Lake Tarpon and the launch ramp, cruise the lake, go to lunch at the restaurant on the lake, then return to your home and relax.

We have a bran new listing in Highland Lakes, Palm Harbor.  It is in Greenview Villas.  To see more about this great listing on 104-D Tartan Drive, visit this link to Greenview Villas.

Check it out, there are a lot of good reasons to look at this area, especially if you want to live in a community that is vibrant and has activity for everyone.

December 3 is the Dunedin holiday boat parade.  This favorite Olde Fashioned Christmas event starts at the Dunedin Marina and lasts from 6 - 9 pm. Come see the boats that are decorated with creative holiday lighting as they sail across the intracoastal waterway. Everyone has a great time. Also, on Dec. 3 the Dunedin Youth Group hosts the Holiday Tour of Homes.  See these beautifully decorated homes in historic Dunedin.

Then, on Dec. 4 there is a concert by the Dunedin Pipe Band in Pioneer Park at 1:30. Come listen to the bagpipes, then visit the many nearby restaurants for a bite of food or perhaps an adult beverage.

And on December 10, from 4 pm to 9 pm, there is an Olde Fashioned Christmas and Holiday Parade in downtown Dunedin. The theme is Christmas from days gone bye. There will be children's games typical of a century ago. There will be carolers, food and beverage, shops will be open to welcome those who want to remember perhaps a less commercial Christmas. And there has been in the past - SNOW!!  Right there on Main Street in Dunedin.

Not only is Dunedin a fun place to visit and find things to do, Dunedin is a wonderful community to live in. So, mark you calendar and plan to visit Dunedin for an Olde Fashioned Christmas. You will be glad you did.

The distribution of ownership can also be interesting.  Of all homes in East Lake, Palm Harbor, 73.24% are owned, 12.56% are rented and there is a vacancy rate of 14.2%.  The higher the vacancy rate, the greater difficulty there can be in selling homes.

If you would like to learn more about what is available in the area, visit our Sun Bay free home search link and find a perfect home.

For serious home buyer, the first thing to do is to be pre-approved by your lender.  That is, unless you are paying with cash.  Trying to purchase a home before being pre-approved can be very difficult.  Many times a homeowner that is trying to sell his home as a For Sale By Owner will get an offer from an unqualified buyer, think he has a deal, and often pass up on subsequent legitimate offers.  Then, when the buyer goes to apply for a mortgage, they don't qualify, can't buy the home, and the seller has lost time and possibly a buyer who could have qualified. 

A professional realtor will insist that a buyer at the very least be pre-qualified, although being pre-approved is much better.  Even when a buyer brings a realtor a pre-qualification letter, it is a very good idea to have that buyer go to a known lender for another pre-qualification letter, whether or not the buyer uses that lender.  This will confirm that the buyer can afford the house.  Pre-approval is a valuable tool to let the buyer know what price range he can afford.  If the buyer is qualified for $250,000, there is no point in looking a $500,000 houses, this will only lead to frustration.

The more information a buyer has the better the chances for a successful home purchase experience.

By the way, now is a great time to be looking for a house.  There are not as many buyers on the market right now, sellers may be willing to look at offers that don't quite come up to their hope because there is less activity.  Why wait until after the holidays when everybody and his brother will start looking again.  Take advantage of the lull and go out and find the perfect home now.  Beat the holiday crush.

So to all, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Of course, being on the Gulf of Mexico, Palm Harbor has terrific parks and water recreation.  The fishing in Palm Harbor, actually in the water off Palm Harbor, is great.  This time of year some of the fish being caught are spotted sea trout, redfish, sharks, BIG flounder, Spanish mackeral, kingfish and many more.  The boating this time of year is wonderful.  The weather is not too hot and the water is still pretty warm.  Many neighborhoods in Palm Harbor have direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, making all water recreation very convenient.  Baywood Village is one of several such neighborhoods.

Golf seems to be a great recreation for our visitors from the north.  There are numerous golf courses in Palm Harbor, for all skill levels.  We even have one of the most beautiful, and toughest golf courses in the country, right here in Palm Harbor.  It is the Innisbrook Golf Resort.  This November 11-13, Innisbrook is hosting the LPGA Legends Tour Championship.  Not only can our golfing fans enjoy their golfing recreation, they can watch some of the best golfers in the world play right here in Palm Harbor.

Palm Harbor has its own YMCA, its own library, ball fields and so very much more.  The recreational opportunities are almost limitless.  Couple all of this with the current prices in Palm Harbor real estate and it is easy to see why so many people come to Palm Harbor as snowbirds, or as full time residents.

For the past 60 days in Country Woods Palm Harbor there are two houses listed for sale.  One home on Beagle Path Way is listed for $329,900 and has 128 days on market at this price.  It is a beautiful home with a great layout for entertaining.  The other home in Country Woods Palm Harbor is on Turtle Terrace, is listed for $409,000 and has 364 days on market.  It too is a wonderful executive home and has a pool.

For the past 60 days in Autumn Woods Palm Harbor there are three houses listed for sale, one under contract and one sold.  All three listings for sale have pools.  One, priced at $799,500 has a 3 car garage, 4 bedrooms and 5,327 square feet of living space.  This house has 237 days on market.  Another listing at $389,900 is a 4 bedroom pool home with 2,850 square feet of living space and has 107 days on market.  The third listing in Autumn Woods Palm Harbor is listed for $330,420, has 2,292 square feet of living space and has only 56 days on market.

The one house under contract in Autumn Woods Palm Harbor is listed for $487,000, has a pool, 3 car gargae and 4,152 square feet of living space.  This house had a total of 712 days on market.

Finally, the one house that sold in the last 60 days in Autumn Woods is a pool home, with 2 car garage, 4 bedrooms and 4 baths, and has 4,120 square feet of living space.  This house had only 54 days on market.

So that's all for the last 60 days in Autumn Woods and Country Woods Palm Harbor real estate.  For additional information on these areas, visit our website, www.SunBayAssociates.com and click on our listings tab.  From there, you can search numerous communities and find the perfect home for you!

Happy House Hunting!!

Today there are 10 condos for sale in this 55+ community in the Dunedin real estate market.  Two of these are one bedroom condos and have 302 and 184 days on market.  This simply means that they have been listed for sale for that many days.  The prices for the 10 condos listed for sale range from $89,000 (with 316 days on market) to $209,000 with 240 days on market.  The longer a property is on the market, whether it is in Royal Stewart Arms or anywhere else, is a very good indicator in today's market that the price is too high for the buying market.

There are 2 condos under contract in Royal Stewart Arms.  Both have covered parking.  Of course all condos have ready access to Honeymoon Island state park as well as the amenities of Royal Stewart Arms, including the fishing pier, fitness center, tennis courts and more.

And in the last 60 days, 6 properties have sold in Royal Stewart Arms.  The average sale price per square foot for the three 2 bedroom/2 bath condos that sold is $109.  The sold prices for these condos were $155,000, $120,000 and $110,000.  There were three other condos that sold in Royal Stewart Arms, and these other three are one bedroom units.  The sold prices for the three one bedroom condos were $118,000, $100,000 and $92,000.

For more information on Royal Stewart Arms or other areas in Dunedin or elsewhere in the greater Tampa Bay area, visit our Sun Bay Associates web site and click on the search listings tab.

Happy House Hunting!

He truly felt that realtors have lots of time and was taken aback when I told him just a little about a typical day.  Any realtor can show a house or write a contract.  How about the hours of studying the market so that when a customer asks for the value of her house the agent can actually respond with an informed opinion, instead of relying on what the neighbor sold his house for, two years ago.  Fully understanding the real estate market, whether it is in a specific neighborhood, or a town, or an entire county, takes a lot more than just reading the local papers and taking the opinion of a reporter for gospel.  How many non-realtors actually understand market dynamics, price fluctuation in micro markets, how many houses have sold in their specific areas in the last week, month or year?  This is serious research and can take hours. Driving customers around looking at houses does take time, however it is far from the most important part of a realtor's day.

Then there is the small detail of letting a buyer write an offer that is credible.  Should the buyer take a guess at the value of a house, or rely on an educated realtor who knows the current market value of that specific house, or at least that neighborhood?  Again, there can be hours of research into responsibly representing your buyers so that no one wastes time making offers that are ridiculously low, or high, and that banks will simply not consider when it comes time for financing.  As a professional realtor, our job is to protect our clients from making huge financial mistakes.  Whether that means protecting the buyer from over paying for a property, or protecting a seller from pricing their home incorrectly, whther it is too high or too low for the market, our job is to look out for the best interests of our clients.

Getting the offer is just the beginning of the job.  There are the ongoing negotiations with the other side, getting the proper documentation in order, making sure the right inspections are done in a timely and professional manner, lining up title companies, lenders, repair people when needed, and more.  All the while this has to be done in strict compliance with the realtor code of ethics and applicable local and state laws. 

In short, I would say to my CEO friend, a professional realtor is at least as diligent in performing his/her duties as the most responsible employee who works for that CEO. 

As an example, in Clearwater, FL in Pinellas County, in the $200,000 to $25,000 price range there are 86 houses for sale.  According to the statistics published by the Pinellas Realtor Organization, in this price range county wide the absorption rate is 7.5%.  This means that for Clearwater, of the 86 houses for sale, 7 will sell in the next 30 days.  If you assume that the house is priced right, one of the next best advantages is to have the house staged by a professional stager.  Some interesting statistics, from houses in the greater Tampa Bay area, show that of 9 properties that recently sold, the average days on market was 150.  Of these, 6 were not staged for over 100 or more days.  Three were listed and staged at the outset.  The three that were staged from the beginning sold in 29, 3 and 28 days.  All told, the 9 houses averaged 150+ days on market, however the time to contract after each was staged by a professional stager was 20 days on market.  Even one house that had been on the market for 9 months went under contract in 21 days after being staged.

The bottom line is price your house right for the market and then to have an almost unfair advantage, have it staged by a professional stager.

Of the 9 homes for sale in Baywood Village, five have been on the market for more than 4 months, with four of these houses having 523, 709, 960 and 1010 days on market.  That amount of days on market is a strong indicator that the market is rejecting the list prices of these homes.  The prices for all nine homes on the market in Baywood Village, Palm Harbor range from $799,000 to $150,000.  The house listed for $799,000 has the 1010 days on market.

Of the five houses listed as under contract in Baywood Village, two are short sales and one is a foreclosed property. 

Two houses sold in Baywood Village in the last 60 days.  One, at 350 Westwinds, on the water sold in only 45 days.  This is an example of the market readily accepting the list price.  The other sale was sold in 164 days, a completely remodeled home on the water. 

As time allows, we'll look at the days on market for various neighborhoods to see how the numbers compare for active listings and houses that sell.  In the case of Baywood Village, Palm Harbor, the days on market for active listings is 392 and the days on market for houses that have sold is 105.  This indicator suggests that the sold houses were priced at market value and the houses that are active listings are still above the market value for the community.  Do yourself a favor if you are selling your home and price it at market value.  You will sell it quicker and realize more money in your pocket than if you list it high with "room to negotiate".  Listing your house too high for the market will only cost time and because of the still declining market, the value will continue to go down, as much as 1% a month.

Here are a couple of examples.  In an executive community in Palm Harbor, FL there are only two houses listed for sale, both are very nice homes that the owners appear to have overpriced relative to what the market is willing to pay.  One is listed for $409,000 and has been on the market for 336 days.  The other is about the same size only without a pool, is prices at $329,900 and has been on the market for 279 days.  It would appear that the real estate marketplace is saying, loud and clear, that both of these houses are overpriced for today's market.

In another community in Oldsmar, FL, there are three houses listed for sale, one under contract and two sales in the last 60 days.  The average price per square foot of the sold houses was $110.  The average price per square foot for the houses listed for sale is $121.  These houses are also executive quality homes.  Although the three houses listed for sale have been on the market for 90 days or less, the indications are that the prices for them is above market value.  If they are not generating offers, the prices are too high.  The average price for the sold houses in this community is $242,500.  The average list price for the houses listed for sale is $297,633.  A $55,000 difference is another clue that the listed houses are higher than the real estate market value for this community. 

If you would like to get a feel for the market value of your home, click on the photo of deer in the community of Bay Arbor, FL and then visit the Market Snapshot on the right side of the page.

An example of what can happen when a good house is priced correctly is this.  We listed a short sale, in very good condition, at the lower end of the real estate market value yet still within the market value range.  Within a weekend, there were four competing offers and the seller accepted an offer 8% ABOVE the list price.  Considering it is a short sale, and selling it so quickly for more than the list price, the seller is very happy.  Of course the caveat here is that the bank needs to understand it is a good offer too.  Had the seller listed this property at the high end of the market value, it very likely would linger on the market with few if any offers, and the offers might well be far below market value.

When a seller gets an offer from a buyer that is "not what I need to get", and refuses that offer, the seller is effectively buying their home and beating out the competition.  If a seller has had 5 offers, and declined all of them, that seller has simply repurchased his house 5 times over and is sitting on the sidelines while the real estate market is continuing to drop.

The message is, do not overprice you house or you will end up either sitting on a white elephant (as far as the real estate marketplace is concerned) or when you eventually do sell the house, you will net much less than you would have had the price been correct in the first place.

In the last 60 days, the real estate activity in Baywood Village, Palm Harbor has seen on home sell for $89,000.  This was a Baywood Village foreclosure with rights to the Baywood Village 5 boat ramp.  Three other homes are under contract.  The average days on market for the houses under contract is 307.  The Baywood Village foreclosure had only 82 days on market, because it was priced so competitively.

This is the canal view for one of the homes in Baywood Village that is currently under contract.

There are 4 houses listed as active in Baywood Village.  The list prices range from $799,000 with 987 days on market to $289,000 with 113 days on market.  The average active listing in Baywood Village, Palm Harbor is 2,095 square feet, has 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, is listed for $220 per square foot and has over 600 days on market.  This indicates that the active listings are priced above the market.  The average price for the houses under contract in Baywood Village is $266,600 with an average of 307 days on market.  This indicates the list prices are still above market price, however the final price will not be known until the houses actually close.

So, if you are looking for a waterfront house, with access to the Gulf of Mexico and convenient to excellent water-related activities, good restaurants and the Pinellas Trail, Baywood Village is a place to look.  Realistic offers tend to make sellers become realistic.  So make an offer on the house of your dreams and live on the water in Florida.

BE IMPULSIVE! 

There seems to be a lot of anger in the world today.  Forget the national and global squabbles, and just take a look closer to home - on your TV, in the schools, among fellow employees - right in your own backyard.  

There's another attitude issue that could stand some help - disrespect.  It seems like the days are gone when youngsters (even 20-somethings) value their elders, social customs, even the laws of the land.  Common courtesy and politeness, even among adults, seems non-existent at times.

Want to be a changing force in your personal world?  It's easy, costs nothing, and goes a long way towards making a meaningful contribution for the better.  It's accomplished with an electrical impulse.  Really.  Consider your brain.  Everything you think of, each idea you have, each action you take begins with an electrical impulse - a single thought.  The thought required to cause change is called an "expectation."

Teachers use this thought daily in their classrooms.  They EXPECT students to listen, to observe silence, to walk single-file, to not cut in line, and to learn.  They EXPECT not to be challenged, disrespected, or ignored when they speak.  The best among them EXPECT nothing less than excellence.  Know what?  Their students respond positively to those expectations.

The electrical impulse called "expectation" is simple to enact, yet more difficult to enforce.  You have to really mean it.  As a country, a people, even families, we've grown soft on expectations - and it shows.  Fear of offending someone seems the rule.   Why not be "impulsive" for the next 30 days with those you love by setting a new, higher standard of expectations.  The results will both amaze and delight!

GIVE IT AWAY!

Here's a "feel good" idea that pays big dividends to both giver and receiver: "Give something away every day!"

We all get caught up in our day-to-day routines and responsibilities. Between family and home, work and leisure, our daily schedules are usually packed with the things we do for ourselves. Managing to squeeze in a little time for others is often out of the question.

In the big picture, however, it is not what we do for ourselves but for others that really matters in life. We're not just talking about those who are "less fortunate" in this context. The world of "others" includes family members, associates, the elderly, those experiencing illness, those in our geographical, social, or church community, or the less fortunate.

So . . . what do you give away? Are we talking big money to charities or an endowment to the local university? Nope! What you give away is up to you. It might just be your time - something as simple as taking your grandchild for a walk, offering to take an aging neighbor grocery shopping, or donating a Saturday to Habitat for Humanity. On days when you lack ideas, just give away a smile, a compliment, or some encouragement.

Maybe you give away some of your material possessions. That might include a piece of furniture, an antique, a piece of family heirloom jewelry, or the like-new clothing in your closet that never fit right. Why not donate some of the kids' toys to a day-care center?

Whatever you decide to give away, do it quietly - and anonymously when possible. Make it a habit. It will bring you the special joy of knowing you've made a difference.