Hi, Book Scan readers. I spent the first part of last week hanging out with community planners at the American Planning Association’s national conference. Though I haven’t read the book described below, I thought the author (who gave the closing keynote at the conference) had some beautiful thoughts on home ownership that real estate professionals would appreciate. Enjoy! —MW
Early Pearl has a great idea for dealing with an intractable problem. As a homeless 11-year old Chicagoan, she sees all of the sturdy housing stock that stands empty and abandoned in her south side neighborhood and decides to take action.
From the cover of Blue Balliett's new book, Hold Fast
She gets some friends together and, with a few cameras, they snap pictures of these empty houses. They send the pictures—along with their imaginings of how the structures could be transformed into dream homes for kids without anywhere to live—to community leaders in an effort to spark a change in their unfortunate circumstances.
Early is only a character in Blue Balliett’s newest mystery novel, Hold Fast (Scholastic Press, 2013). But there are more than 30,000 kids in Chicago alone who are homeless just like she is, and some 16,000 vacant properties like the ones that Early dreams of inhabiting.
“Kids will easily share their dreams about a home,” Balliett said in her keynote speech at the American Planning Association’s national conference last week. “They never make small plans.”
Balliett, a bestselling author of young adult literature, told planners that she came up with the idea for Hold Fast during the housing downturn, when she noticed a dearth of news stories about the effect foreclosures were having on her target audience.
“The children were invisible,” she said. “I kept wondering about the kids: Who are they and what does it feel like to grow up without a front door?” Continue reading »
You have the best of intentions of choosing thoughtful, practical gifts. So why do all your clients get the same cheesy keyring with your contact information printed on it? In this world of overconsumption, who wants to clutter up their brand new house with useless tchotchkes?
This book was gift-wrapped by artist Zakka Inspired to look like a house.
And, in a world increasingly dominated by Kindles and iPads, there’s some downright homey about a real book on a shelf.
The first items I pack when moving are my books. In fact, before I’m even sure I’m going to move, I first try to purge and donate as many books as I can, knowing I’m going to have to pack the rest. And they certainly aren’t the first things to be unpacked when I’m setting up in a new space. What does that give me? A long timespan living with empty bookcases. What could be more satisfying than sliding a new book that reflects my ambitions for my new home onto those empty shelves?
Consider the books on this list—paired with some hard-to-shop-for personality types—as a jumping-off point for finding the perfect literary closing gift for your clients.
And when you find the perfect book, be sure to leave a handwritten note congratulating the new homeowners (including your phone number or e-mail address) on the front flyleaf. Then, when they start looking through their bookcases for donations before their next move, they’ll remember your thoughtfulness, and know just how to reach you.
Perfect for artists wondering how to decorate their new, empty loft space:
The Art of Living (Random House, 2009, $65)
Accompanied by stunning photography from Barbel Miebach, Claudia Steinberg writes about how famous artists decorate their homes. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Multimedia Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
Moving is an event that involves the entire family. It’s an exciting new stage in life, but it can also cause some anxiety, especially for children.
A real estate practitioner serves as a guide, advocate, and educator to clients making their way through the home buying process. Anna Parille says she takes that to heart.
A REALTOR® with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Ridgefield, Conn., Parille has written a children’s book, Teddy & His Magical Paw: A New Home for the Honeypies (AuthorHouse, 2010), to help children embrace the new beginning a home purchase can bring. “When a child is stressed, it really stresses the parent. It’s a domino effect,” says Parille, who ran a nursery school for 20 years before entering real estate in 2005. “I thought maybe I can help everyone out there experiencing this.”
Her book introduces children to a REALTOR®, Miss Annie, and her special puppy named Teddy, and walks the reader though the journey of the Honeypie family as they look for a new home. “Being a REALTOR®, I’ve worked with clients whose children don’t want to move and leave their bedroom, their friends, and their school,” says Parille. “The goal of this book is to alleviate some of that fear.” Continue reading »
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