Tag: mission viejo

8 New Year’s Resolutions to Make in Mission Viejo

Posted on | by Cuselleration

You know the feeling: the morning of January 1st, and you want to start fresh. New Year’s resolutions can be wiping away what you didn’t like about 2017, and starting fresh. But what resolutions make sense?

Let’s Start Moving More

There are so many step trackers and pedometers on the market now that it just makes sense to try and hit 10,000 steps a day. Walking, and moving more increases your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and risk of several types of cancer. Plus, it just makes you happier, with those endorphins floating around. So make the choice to strap on the pedometer of your choice and get moving!

Let’s Learn Something Today

Keeping your brain active and engaged is just as important as the number of steps you take; maybe more so. It is important to stretch your mind as well as your muscles. Don’t go to the same 3 or 4 websites you read every day; expand your horizons. TED talks can be a great way to expose your brain to new ideas. You can find them on YouTube and just find one talk a day (none of them area very long) that interests you.

Let’s Meditate or Pray

Did you know that praying and meditating lowers your blood pressure, lessens anxiety and improves your mood? Getting quiet and intentional about meditation and prayer can get you better ready for the day.

It’s Play Time!

We can get so wrapped up in our day-to-day lives that we forget how to play. Find a 4 year-old and they can show you! Allow yourself the option to kick back and play like there’s nobody watching!

Take Time for Thanks

Stop. Really stop, and think about your life, and the blessings you enjoy. We spend so much time thinking about what we don’t have, or what we should have, or what we could have had, that we don’t appreciate what we have right in front of us. People who make a conscious effort to be grateful are better able to overcome adversity, and they sleep better, too. Plus, they have happier relationships with other people. Guess why? The other people know they are appreciated, which makes them happier to be around… you! Win, win.

Time to Let Procrastination Go

Yes, if you are a procrastinator, you won’t like this very much. But it’s still true. Decide that in 2018 procrastination is not your friend. Oftentimes, the best thing to do is to do what you are dreading the most first. You get it out of the way, and everything else is easy. Try it once and see if you agree.

Bucket List Time

There is nothing like travel to hit the ‘reset’ button on your life. We can get so involved in our own worlds that we fail to see the greater world around us. Travel allows us the opportunity to meet people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds, and can open our eyes to new sights and perspectives.
Nature’s Cool: Chill Out

In general, we spend far too much time in front of our TV’s, our computers, and our smart phones. We spend very little time hanging out in nature. It is amazing how gratifying and happy it can make you to observe nature. See what happens when a pair of cardinals build a nest close to your back door, or when wrens decide to lay some eggs in a hanging pot. Nature is astoundingly beautiful and interesting. Don’t miss it!

So you have your New Year’s resolutions figured out: how do you want to spend the last day of 2017? Ring in the new year with these magnificent events around Orange County!
New Year’s Eve Ideas

New Year’s Eve Yacht Party— Newport Harbor

You can ring in the new year aboard the 130-foot yacht The Ambassador. The floating party includes champagne, appetizers and a dance floor.

Disneyland will be the scene for parades, shows and fireworks at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. The fireworks shows will be held at 9:30pm and 11:59pm.

There will be a Senior’s New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance at Dana Point. The fun will be held at the Dana Point Community center on Del Obispo Street.

Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park will celebrate the new year with shows, parties and fireworks on December 31st.

New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Cruise — Newport Beach

Hornblower Cruises is hosting a dinner cruise which will board at 8:30pm at Hornblower South.

At The Kovacs Connection, we love connecting with you to find the perfect home! Let our team of professionals assist you in finding your perfect spot for the new year!

How Parents in Mission Viejo are Helping Kids Develop A-List Study Habits

Posted on | by Cuselleration

As a parent, it’s mission-critical: teaching your child good study habits in order to do well in school, and then in life. Televisions and cellphones are a normal part of a child’s life in 2017, but they can destroy his/her ability to concentrate. Here at The Kovacs Connection we put together a few tips to make homework more effective in less time!

Eliminate the Distractions

You know the feeling: you walk into a coffee shop with your laptop and plan on answering a few emails, and the person at the table next to you is nonstop chatty. It’s tough to concentrate on two things at once for an adult: much more so a growing child. Do your kids a favor and create an area away from the TV.

The kitchen table can be a great spot to spread out their books and papers, and as difficult as it can be, the cell phone needs to be put away during homework time. As the parent, you need to model this for them as well. Older students may push for a TV in their bedroom, but resist the urge: it’s easier to study in their rooms without the TV distracting them.

A computer is a ‘necessary evil’ because so many homework assignments are found online.  Make sure you check in with your child to see that the work is getting done, rather than browsing social media sites when they should be studying. There are a few software options to help parents limit internet distraction:

  • Self-Control for Macs: blocks a list of websites during study time
  • Cold Turkey for Windows
  • Stay Focused for Chrome Browsers
  • Leech Block for Firefox

Let There Be Light

Be sure there is plenty of light on the subject matter at hand. Overhead lights, lamps, windows can all help keep your child focused and awake.

Good Study Habits: We’re in This Together

It’s tough for children to concentrate while you are within earshot watching TV. While they are studying, finish up your work for the day. Maybe it’s laundry, writing lists, paying bills. You are modeling focused attention to a task, which will pay dividends in their future.

Set a Consistent Study Schedule When Possible

A lot of parents find providing a snack and a half hour of decompression after school can reset the ability to concentrate and focus. Extracurricular activities can alter the plan, but a focused hour of homework after school, and if needed, an hour after dinner can do the trick.

Write it Down

It’s been well-documented that people who write things down are more likely to remember them. You and your child should pick out a planner and calendar, and when they are old enough, have them write assignments down in the planner in order to take ownership of them and remember them.

Often, students come home with weekly folders that contain the assignments for the following week. Work with them to write them in their planners so there is a visual reminder of what’s coming up! Be sure and include vacations and holidays to keep them motivated!

Remember the Buddy System

Ask your child if they have a buddy who helps them with Math, or English, etc. Encourage them to get together to work through the material, quizzing each other in advance of tests. Just make sure you check in on them every now and then to make sure they are staying on task!

For more tips on living in Orange County, take a look at our past blogs here! And for more information about buying or selling a home in Mission viejo, give us a call today!

3 Reasons Selling a Home Is Easier Than Ever

Posted on | by Cuselleration

Selling a home is a process, but it has become easier than ever in the last few years. There are several reasons why, but we want to talk about three main tools that you can utilize now to make selling a home much easier.

Technology

Everyone knows that technology is an absolute game changer in the world, but its impact on the real estate industry has been huge. In the past, every house put on the market would have to go up through printed media like newspapers.

While this isn’t altogether a bad route to go if you want to increase your awareness of your home, it is being seen by fewer and fewer people these days. Online home listing websites are now the best and most used tool for selling a home quickly.

The other reason online listings are great is that they allow you to see what homes similar to yours are selling for. Using this information will aid you in setting up your initial price when putting your property on the market.

Another great tool to use is social media. You can post on your social media page about putting your home on the market and ask your friends to share it. You might just be able to reach a buyer just using this tool.

Using your Facebook or other accounts can even be ramped up by using their advertising tools. Advertising is best left to your realtor, but that might be one of the many online tools that they will implement when putting your home on the market.

If you aren’t utilizing the internet, you need to do so today!

More People Than Ever

The population of the world continues to grow, which is great if you’re trying to sell a home because everyone needs a place to live! Knowing this fact, it isn’t hard to see why the old open house method is still so effective.

Utilizing for sale signs and an open house is still one of the most efficient strategies to find a buyer that we implement when selling a home in Coto De Caza, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Mission Viejo.

The main reason it works so well is that people want to see things first hand. It’s very similar to buying groceries. Most people are fine with buying most things online, but when it comes down to picking out fresh produce, you want to handle it yourself to make sure you’re getting the best quality.

The same can be said about real estate.

Finding a beautiful looking home online and buying it doesn’t make sense, especially with the magic angles that photographers can use to make a room look bigger than it actually is. When it comes down to it, everyone wants to see a home first hand.

The truth is, people still find signs on houses they want to look at by driving around in neighborhoods they want to live in. Use that!

Put the for sale signs up and have the open houses, you never know how many people will walk up off the street to take a look. This happens at least once with almost every open house we do!

Realtors are Always Improving

Not only are there more real estate agents now than at any time before, but they are also better trained! The advances in technology have made it easier to get a top notch education in real estate much more accessible.

The number of highly trained and effective realtors is higher than ever, which means finding a good one isn’t as complicated as it used to be. Years ago, you had to search through ads or hope your family had a good referral. Now, the number of quality realtors is much higher, and so is the number of available homes out there.

Thanks to condos and new housing developments, the market is continuing to thrive and grow evenly with the number of new realtors out there. What that means for you is that you won’t have agents trying to steal you from another agent like was more common when the market took a turn several years ago.

The stability of the housing market today means that you’re able to find high-quality realtors to aid you in selling a home in pretty much every area you could imagine in the US!

We Want To Help!

If you’re thinking of selling a home this year and could use more information, please call us at 949-350-0146 or email us at Debrakovacs@cox.net and we will give you more details on everything that we offer!