Vague Specifics – November 2020
The election has come-and-gone, and the market didn’t miss a beat. We had a bit of quiet the first and second weeks of November, but nothing like it had been in previous years. Looking ahead, pending sales are up considerably from 2019, telling us that it will be a very busy November. December is normally among the quietest months in the year, but since when is anything in 2020 normal? It’s unlikely the market will scrape anywhere near the bottom that April and May were. After all, it’s really hard to sell real estate when you’re not able to leave your house.
It’s been a wild year thus far for property appreciation. Many ‘experts’ we worried the shutdown would lead to a collapse in prices, but it’s done the opposite. Bear in mind, average sales prices in DFW from October 2020 as compared to October 2019 were up 13%, but that doesn’t mean your property is suddenly worth 13% more. You have to figure in what area you live in (real estate is local) which varies wildly. MLS area 19 (my home town of Sunnyvale) is up an astonishing 43% (but again, if you live in Sunnyvale your home isn’t necessarily 43% more valuable than last year), while area 47 (Delta County) figured out how to drop 39%. My point being, ask me if you are curious what your neighborhood is doing.
By the time you’re reading this, we’re past Thanksgiving. In all honesty, it’s been a tough one. I’m blessed to have Kacie – in fact I don’t deserve her – but being without the rest of our families has been hard. I do hope you were able to spend yours with loved ones. When you’re younger you think there will never be an end to the number of holidays you’ll celebrate. As time goes on, you realize that’s just not the case. Everything is temporary.
Holiday Weight Gain – Is It Avoidable?
Every year it’s a given that the holidays will be something that destroys all the weight-loss progress that people have made from January – October, and it starts with Thanksgiving. Does it have to be this way? Here are a few ideas that might help you keep your fat pants in the closet:
1) Be Prepared – Turkey Day and Christmas don’t sneak up on us, they’re the same day every year. In the days leading up, eat modestly but often. Your body responds most efficiently when you eat 5-6 small meals per day, or at least modest meals with a couple snacks sandwiched in between. On the day of the feasts, have a sensible breakfast and a modest snack leading up to your meals, you’ll ensure your body isn’t hungry and thus in starvation/gorging mode when you hit the buffet line.
2) Choose What You Eat – Yes, stuffing is delicious. And heck yes, dessert is too. But what else is the Holiday Season known for? Turkey. Ham. Chicken. Eat protein. Fill half your plate with it. Avoid the dark meat if possible, and keep the dressing to a minimum. If you fill up on protein, there’s much less room for that which can expand your waistline.
3) Portion Control – My nemesis. Eat one plate full of food. You may be like me, and be inclined to eat as fast as possible so you can be first in the second helping line, but DO NOT do it. Eat slowly and drink lots of water during the process. Water will help to expand the contents in your stomach (especially carbohydrates), and will help make you feel full.
4) Exercise Afterwards – Yes it’s the holidays. Yes family is in town. Yes the Cowboys are on. But your food is settling in your stomach, and in addition to drinking water, the best way to facilitate intestinal mobility (a fancy term for the obvious) is to at least go for a 20 minute brisk walk afterwards.
MLS Statistics – November 2020