We all know there are many different seasons to life. There are the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Each brings it’s own challenges and often time with the more blessings you have, the larger your stress load can become. When a mother first brings her baby home...
Author Archives: LivingInSouthernOregon.com
Spring Has Sprung
Spring is probably my favorite season. Just as bulbs bloom this time of year is seems like hope does too. There is hope for new dreams to blossom and the tides to turn into ones favor. It is so enjoyable watching people venture outside and soak up the sun on...
A Little Grace Goes A Long Way
I can’t think of a time where showing a little grace was ever a bad idea. The last few weeks have been downright brutal in the real world, at least from our perspective. Escrows are falling for reasons that simply don’t make sense. Appraisals are coming in at 15-25% under...
Let the Dice Roll
We had the absolute honor of celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday in Las Vegas this past weekend with our husbands. Six couples ventured out of the gray skies of the Rogue Valley and into the sunny skies of Nevada. One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to...
A Good Name Is More Desirable Than Great Riches
In late December, Jackson County found itself with a vacancy for the position of Sheriff. Corey Falls, the Sheriff elected from 2014 had accepted a new position in the Portland area and our county faced an incredible uncertainty. Who would fulfill the remainder of his term, how would that appointment...
Much to be Thankful For
With 2016 behind us, it only seems appropriate to reflect on the last year. The real estate market experienced some incredible activity and as of mid-December the Medford and Ashland John L Scott offices have closed more than $720 million for 2016. That equates to over 2,350 transactions by our...
What We Need is Love
Some would say, “All We Need is Love” and while I am not convinced it’s ALL we need… it’s is definitely needed, particularly in times like now. The world as we once knew it has changed and don’t think for a minute it happened on a Tuesday night a few...
“You may not have much…but you do have your time.”
I have found myself searching through the crowds lately to find hope. Hope that humanity isn’t all in just for themselves and for their own gain. I search for the light among the darkness. For people who give more than they take. I am often drawn to individuals who not...
Marriage…it isn’t for the weak
This past week my best friends celebrated their 14 year wedding anniversary. DeAnna’s husband had the most beautiful and obnoxious flower arrangement delivered to our Ashland office. There were 14 gorgeous dark pink roses and another 14 of the most stunning double lilies. The darn thing was so big and heavy...
Great Expectations
We don’t think it is any secret that along with interest rates, the inventory levels are still quite low. This undoubtedly creates an increase in “value” because the demand currently exceeds the supply. However, as real estate professionals who have been in this business a combined 25 years we caution...
Blessed are the Peacemakers
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke Instead of pouring time into a space reserved for our thoughts on the current real estate trends, we are dedicating this space to those who paid the ultimate price. Five men...
We See You
Do you ever wonder if the world notices when you’re kind? Do you wonder if your little baby steps of doing your part are really making that much of a difference in our world? Among all the chaos and tragedy, we want to reassure you that we see you. The...
It Must Be Nice….You’re So Lucky
If I had to guess, I overhear someone mention how lucky someone else is on a weekly basis. Or I will hear of a friend’s planned vacation, and another person chiming in “Wow, it must be nice.” These two simple phrases make me cringe. I understand that sometimes they are...
Where Did All the Houses Go?
We have been patiently waiting for the spring inventory to hit, and typically we see a large influx of new listings just after Spring Break. As we have touched upon in the past, our local sellers believe that the spring is the best time to sell… Once the flowers start...
Humble and Grateful
I recently celebrated my 40th birthday on a fly fishing trip to South America. Knowing how difficult it can be to ever truly disconnect from the hustle and bustle of raising a family and running a business, my husband spoiled me with a gal pal trip to Argentina. My buddy...
FSBO – To Be Or Not To Be
Many of us know someone who knows a person who has tried to sell their home without the help of a Realtor. Heck, why wouldn’t you give it a shot… after all, Realtors are so expensive! Seems logical, right? Well… maybe not. Without the help of a Realtor, you very...
Leaving Behind a Legacy
We had the honor of attending a retirement ceremony this past month. After 38 years of service, the Medford Chief of Police hung up the handcuffs and emptied his office. For those of you who have never attended a police or military retirement celebration, they are quite an ordeal. Parts...
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Another year has come and gone and what an incredible year it was. We often reflect on our many blessings, and in this new year we will be doing much of the same. In 2015, our closed sales volume more than doubled from the year before. We aren’t exactly sure...
A Thankful Heart
This holiday season, it’s hard to not look back on the past six years and smile. So clearly that I can see myself walking through the back door of my home after a long shift at the police department. My husband had just put our daughter to bed and he...
There’s No “I” in Team
With another record month on the books, we have recently been approached a number of times from people wanting to know, “What’s the secret to your success?” Most of the inquiries were from other agents hoping to pick up a few pointers for improving their production, but a few were...
Keeping It Real Estate
There is Still Time! We can’t count the number of times in the early fall when we have had clients say, “I know we missed the selling season….. but, we really would like to try and sell our home.” It seems there is a false illusion that spring and summer are...
Bigger Is Sometimes Better
By DeAnna Sickler Over the years, we have all heard the saying “bigger is better,” and we are starting to think that whoever came up with that just might be on to something. There was a time when being at the top was our only goal, but as we grew as...
John L. Scott Real Estate – Living in Southern Oregon – Golden Rule
Golden Rule By Deanna Sickler As mothers of young children and wives of police officers, it’s fair to say we have thick skin. Without it, we simply wouldn’t survive. Mainstream media and the uninformed population consistently offer their “Monday morning quarterback” commentary to every law enforcement move made across the...
The Time is Now
No matter how much you brace yourself in life and no matter how much you try to prepare for the future, life throws you curve balls and on occasion it even knocks you off your feet. Sometimes it is news you never expected and sometimes there are experiences you didn’t...
A New Year…A New Hope
This past year was filled with such joy and precious memories. I look back and I can’t even begin to count all my blessings. It’s not like there wasn’t heartache, tragedy and obstacles to overcome because there were. But I surrounded myself with people who rallied behind me, who lifted...
There is a New Face in Town
Most of you have noticed the beautiful brick building taking form over the past year and we have to say, the corner of Lithia Way and First Street has never looked so good. Rumors over the past year have circulated giving the impression the entire building was SOLD and there...
Gratitude
With Thanksgiving around the corner it seems fitting to reflect upon our many blessings. Just the other day, while cruising down Siskiyou Boulevard, I found myself reminiscing about the last 15 years in real estate. The fond memories certainly outnumber the not-so-fond and when I stop to think about it,...
There is the Easy Way and Then There is the Right Way
We are faced with many decisions throughout our day, both in our personal lives and our professional lives. As we make these decisions the outside world begins to place labels, expectations and predictions on who we are and what we will accomplish. The older I get the more I realize...
List it Now!
Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone, but the best time to sell your home is in the fall. Yep, that’s right and the proof is in the puddin’. Most Sellers believe that the spring and summer are the prime months for selling their homes and why wouldn’t they? Flowers are in bloom,...
You can Lead a Horse to Water…
As we journey through life we are reminded time and time again of the adage, “Jack of All Trades, Master of None” and throughout our lives we have learned the importance of surrounding ourselves with our village. As professionals we find those who can guide us in the areas they...
The Golden Rule
The theory of Karma is something we have touched upon in past columns and as we head back into the crazy world of multiple offers, it reminds me again that in fact, Kindness Matters. If you’ve been in our office, you will see this proudly displayed on our wall. It’s...
The People Behind the Curtain
I am often told, “I don’t know how you do it.” I am asked, “How do you balance owning a business, working over 40 hours a week, raising two small children and keeping your husband happy?” I quickly respond, “It isn’t pretty.” But the truth is I am spoiled by...
Honor Thy Mother
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it seems only fitting to talk about a special lady in my life. I am certain I didn’t ever realize the heart and soul that goes into parenting until I had a child of my own. I will never forget my Ah-Ha moment...
Mercury in Retrograde?
We have heard the saying once or twice before but this past month it became a slogan of ours. We were working our tails off only to find that we had made no forward progress. It felt like we were hamsters on a wheel, expelling a lot of energy only...
Turns out there is more than one way to skin a cat….
As most of us know there are many roads to success. We are strong believers that we must each find our own path, our own passion and that no one’s “plan” is better than the rest. We found this to hold true a few weeks ago when surrounded by some...
Reap What You Sow
Countless times we have said, “We look forward to working with you,” and this statement was never more spot-on than in the last week. Sadly, DeAnna’s niece died unexpectedly in a car accident and a few days before she headed out of town to attend the memorial service, Dyan came...
Reflecting Back on 2013
Choosing a subject matter for our monthly columns can sometimes be a little challenging. Perhaps it’s because often times we are scrambling around each of our houses on the morning of our deadline, texting ideas back and forth because it’s just too loud to have an actual phone conversation at...
You Get What You Pay For
A long time client of ours recently gave us a newspaper article found in the Wall Street Journal. The article talked about the value of an experienced real estate agent in comparison to someone who is considered a “rookie.” Knowing that real estate brokers are a dime a dozen, he...
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
As the old saying goes, “Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder” and boy-howdy were we reminded of this recently. For a couple weeks we found ourselves living the life of single mothers. We will be the first to admit, we just aren’t tough enough for that job. I think in...
Camaraderie in Sales – Is it possible?
I will never forget sitting in our weekly MLS meeting when Bob Saunders stood before us; frail from cancer, leaning on a cane and telling us all what we meant to him. I sobbed. What a raw moment for everyone. I didn’t know him well but to hear how we...