Happy New Year and Welcome to 2015!  Did you realize that this morning puts us just as close to 2030 as it does to 2000?  I’ll give you a moment to digest…. 2015 brings exciting changes to our office, beginning with the fact that we have switched brokerages after almost 17 years.  We have joined Re/Max River City, and are looking forward to providing you with the same levels of exceptional service you have come to expect from our team.  2014 was an absolutely incredible year, our most successful to date, and for that we would like to thank you!  Your support and referrals make us who we are.  We hope that this past year brought you as much success and happiness as it did for our team, and we wish you a fantastic 2015! With New years comes one of my favorite topics, Resolutions.  We love to resolve to eat better, exercise more, get more sleep or spend more time with family and friends.  We plug in the treadmill, buy a gym pass, skip the chip aisle and are on a roll, well at least until it’s time for dessert or we missed that workout class….again.  According to one study, only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions, so stop beating yourself up when the treadmill becomes a clothesline or ridding yourself of social media lasts a whole 3 hours.  If you want to make 2015 the best it can be, it’s all about mind set and resolutions that are reasonable.  Here’s a few of our favorites: Put the Phone Down For 10 Minutes:  Most of us have become so attached to our life lines that we don’t even realize it has become a permanent extension of our body.  Stop bringing it to the dinner table.  Stop texting during family game night.  Stop checking the hockey score at the theater.  And my personal favorite:  You paid a fortune for those concert tickets, so put down your phone and actually enjoy the show.  You can tweet about it when it’s over. Cross Something Off Your Bucket List:  This one is great isn’t it?  It doesn’t take a daily struggle to keep this one, you can accomplish this resolution in an afternoon!  Scuba Dive, climb a mountain, see a Broadway show, eat cheesecake for breakfast….whatever it is, go for it, check it off and enjoy the moment.  Stop Allowing Social Media to Define You:  Stop obsessing over how may followers you have, who accepted your friend request, folks who liked your status or likes that your latest Instagram selfie procured.  It.does.not.matter.  What matters is that you are passionate and positive with what you share.  And for goodness sakes, remember that the photos you put on the internet are there….forever….even when you delete them. That Said, Try Being a Little More Positive:  You may feel the need to vent, we all do at times, but be careful what you put out there.  It’s pretty incredible what mindset can do. We will all have our moments, but reflect on how much good you have in your life, how fortunate you are and that nothing in life is concrete, which means you can make changes!  (that’s a good thing) Explore:  Even if your budget won’t take you far, the world is simply too incredible and vast to not explore.  Visiting another culture or way of life can completely change how you see the world.  Unable to leave our beautiful city?  Then try expanding your restaurant excursions, appreciate everything that another country can offer your taste buds! Do Something Anonymously and Make a Stranger's Day:  Pay for the person's order behind you.  Shovel a neighbor's sidewalk.  Leave a nice tip for good service.  Hold the door open.  Volunteer.  Let someone in the car lineup (not everyone took that empty lane on purpose).  The options are endless and it can completely turn around someone's day, as well as yours. 2015 is a new chapter, a fresh start and whatever you want it to be.  We are looking forward to a year filled with great things for our office and our clients.  If you or someone you know are thinking of making 2015 the year to buy that first home, downsize life or finally purchase that dream home, we are here to help you every step of the way.  Happy New Year! The Brent MacIntosh Real Estate Group