Inspired Real Estate For Today

Gifts come in all sorts of different ways.  Sometimes they walk into your life through a dozen pairs of feet.  The first pair belonged to the sleeping baby carried by her Mother.  Then 4 kids ranging in age from 9 ~ 13 each removed their shoes, carefully wiping off the snow.  Finally, their Father entered the foyer and extended his hand to introduce his family. 

Thus we welcomed to our home for Christmas Dinner a family whom we were meeting for the first time. They had recently moved to the Grand Rapids area. Our party was an eclectic collection of family, friends and brand new acquaintances. 

As introductions continued, an amazing thing began to occur. To everyone's surprise...connections emerged.  Here in a Grand Rapids, Michigan living room people who had never met met each other  found that they had lived in neighboring communities abroad and had gone to some of the same schools, albeit at different times. Remarkable!

Later that evening, I sat down for a chat with the Mom.  She had travelled alone to the United States, from West Africa approximately 5 years ago. As a skilled nurse, she wanted to continue her studies.  She was able to get admission into local university, but they demanded payment in FULL for the entire year.  She shared a remarkable story of how her school fees were miraculously payed for within one week through the kindness of strangers.  Then in the most wonderful way her entire family was able to join her after 9 months.  Both Mom and Dad had just completed their PhD's within the last month. Wow!

She summed up her journey with this statement..."I love being on an adventure with God.  He never disappoints."  What an extraordinary outlook on life...An Adventure with God!  What a challenge.  So often, I'm tempted to play it Safe.  There's a part of me that's Wild with Adventure.  Then my cautious Voice of Reason steps in and demands an accounting..."How do you intend to accomplish this?  What's it Going to Cost?  Will it Succeed?"

Just a couple days prior to this dinner , I'd met another young lady in a sparkling dress. Pretty, engaging and articulate; we started to chat. It became apparent quite quickly that she was not happy.  She felt trapped...as though life had passed her by. She had lost faith in her dreams.  Despite my encouragement, she insisted that I was one of those "lucky people."  I sensed deep desperation underneath the shimmer.  I told her I understood...my battles were not unlike hers. Luck had little to do with it. But, she didn't seem to see how powerful her negativity was.  I guess we all have a Choice.

So, it's a constant battle of 2 minds...both perfectly reasonable from their individual perspectives. Two voices...one whispering the sweet song of our inmost desires...the other reminding us of our darkest dread.  An Adventure with God is either remarkably liberating or extremely frightening.  Depends on your perspective.

I'm listening to this woman with 4 kids share her story and thinking...isn't this what we're all called to do. Live Life in a Way that engages the Adventure? Life's dance is supposed to fling us with abandon to the outer limits, freeing us from being trapped by the small boundaries of a shriveled core. 

So, I see the Gift.  Six living examples of where Life can Take Your Dreams when you're willing to Flap your wings and try to fly.  Cause simply Trying guarantees that you won't be in the same place when you land as where you were before you tried.  And that's the essential nature of progress.  I'm thankful that I was given a Special Gift.  A Challenge which stimulated my imagination and challenged me to trust my dreams.  After all, Dreams are labelled individually for a very good reason.

Copyright 2007  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

A recent story in the latest edition of the Realtor magazine had an interesting story about Ronald Stewart, broker-owner of 1st Choice Real Estate in New Hartford, New York. Stewart is pioneering an emerging New dynamic in which forward thinking Real Estate Brokers are making office space in their brokerages not only inviting place to meet & greet but also resource "hot spots" for their communities!

It makes so much sense. Real Estate purchases impact affect everything! They channel new business into area stores and businesses.  A home sale impact the schools and places of worship. Why not invite the community to meet at your place instead of somewhere else?  After all, with more agents working at home, many brokers have vacant office space which can be rented out to other businesses or re-modelled and used in a different way.

For 1st Choice Real Estate this has included creating an office cafe bar where patrons can nibble on freshly baked doughnuts or cookies, a Kids Play Corner with games and hand-me-down Nintendo video games and an area in which adults can relax in plush living room like chairs while accessing area information. 

With the age of the Internet, many Brokers are skimping when it comes to creating inviting spaces for clients to meet.  Stewart thinks this may be a mistake.  I agree.  According to Stewart, "Expecting Internet traffic alone to drive sales ignores a huge opportunity for differentiating your business...People want personal touches."

This year, Audu Real Estate moved into a new office space.  The single most frequent comment we hear when clients and visitors enter our office is..."This is really nice."  The office is decorated with a contemporary style nautical theme.  Relaxing classical music plays softly in the background.  Clients are served tea or coffee from real china, not Styrofoam cups.  They have their choice of flavors of hot or cold drinks.  The office is wired for Internet access throughout so agents can meet with their clients in a variety of different areas.

Since we posted it, this video of our office has received more hits than any of our other real estate shows.  Agents, clients and visitors are always Welcome to stop by and pick up a cup of coffee or treat themselves to the popular cluster of mints which are enjoyed by those using the conference room!

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

Earlier today, I wrote a post entitled How Open Things Are Going to Get...Calculating The Value of Social Networks. Clearly, there are significant emerging developments ahead for 2008. We are re-working the the essential nature of customer service on line. 

And while the winners are not yet clearly identified, one thing is certain...the rules of engagement are not going to be business as usual.  In fact our nascent efforts might best be remembered as the rudimenary initiators of Business Unusual.

A couple of comments on the post by Linda Scanlan and Elaine Hanson illustrate how difficult social networks are to keep up with.  Even as they seem to be popping up everywhere...the chaos/noise factor threatens to undermine their potential effectiveness.  Not unlike the thousands of groups on Active Rain.  I daresay, many of us couldn't name all the groups we have chosen to belong to if we were put on the spot or even awarded Extra Point.:)

While many have a presence on more than one platform and/or group, I doubt that most actively employed professionals have the time or energy to engage all of them effectively. Rather we tend to struggle with the demands of being engaged in community AND creating content. 

I think the biggest benefit of blogging has come from creating connections which would probably not have occurred without the platforms provided by Web 2.0 platforms. This capability through a blog has the potential for expanding the scope of an individual agent's business dramatically.  Many of us have served clients this year whom we would never have met apart from our blogs.

But, what if every account/blog/post/social media account... could be linked universally to one entity...YOU? And YOU decided where content would go, when. And from One Place, not having to log into multiple dozens of sites? Think of it this way...The Relationship between the main Active Rain website and Localism expanded to an entire network of sites...indeed the entire web! How might this impact your reach and potential scope of profits from your services?

In a relatively short span of time, blogging is re-arranging the landscape of real estate community relationships. For one thing, it's bringing people together.  It's also creating new ways of thinking about how we organize, share and export knowledge. 

This year, several seminars were held in Grand Rapids, Michigan which were attended by  just shy of a couple hundred individuals from different companies across the professional real estate spectrum.  Hundreds of agents in Kent County have joined the Active Rain network alone. 

Its been great to see more agents discover an effective way to educate clients as well as share and receive knowledge to expand their individual business. In addition, for the first time in my career, it's been possible to get to know agents from across the country...and have an additional basis beyond cryptic initials to judge their competence.  The blogging platform on Active Rain  is creating a receptive environment in which who you are is far more important than what company you belong to.  That's A Huge Shift and is a Very Big Deal!

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

Courtesy of a link on gigaom  I read a fascinating article today by People Aggregators creator Marc Canter who runs a social networking company called Broadband Mechanics. This particular article is answering a question posed by a Paul Montgomery, a gentleman in Tanzania regarding why Open ID should be adopted by blogging networks. 

The discussion addresses the implications of moving beyond transparency in communication to a more intimate involvement by users of blogging platforms.  This would be facilitated by a site's clients utilizing source coding behind the scenes to control access and movement of their individual content.

Yes, it's very technical, cutting edge stuff about interconnected social networks. In a nutshell the thrust is to enable networking platforms which will allow users to integrate ALL their Web 2.0 activities through one or more sites.  If you're interested in understanding where this whole Web 2.0 wheel is trending towards next, it is well worth reading.  

However, I found the issues with reference to ownership of content and subsequent monetization particularly interesting in light of recent events on Active Rain. Marc Canters' take on ownership of a database (of names) when it comes to a Web 2.0 portal is that you don't...indeed can't. In fact he seems to dismiss the issue as ultimately irrelevant in the larger scheme of things.

"But dude - look. NO ONE is gonna wanna hang out in YOUR network. Its as simple as that. Trust humans - they migrate to where they're wanted, to where they're welcome, to where they feel comfortable. So if someone finds your network comfortable - then it's the right place for them - right? How do you determine who's welcome or not in your network? Their proximity to Tanzania? Golfing? Chocolate lover? Gay? Hispanic? By what criteria do you welcome people into your network?"

The issue is not about owning bloggers or owning their content as Canter rightly points out. Click Here to Continue Reading what the real issues are...

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

I was introduced to this website by Amy Miller, a real estate agent with ReMax Sunquest here in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She said she knew I would love it!  She was right.  TED is an inspired network of the spoken word.  Launched as a Free Site to the public in 2007, TED stands for Technology Entertainment, Design.  It's a place where you can experience the power of ideas by inspired thinkers and visionaries.

The video below is a talk by Daniel Goleman, the author of the book Emotional Intelligence.  Goleman's perspective of the story of the Good Samaritan is presented in a way that I'd never thought about.  At this time of the year when shopping is BIG, BIG, BIG...his thoughts about connecting knowledge in a way that informs our purchasing choices responsibly was very interesting and intriguing.  It's about 14 minutes long...but well worth watching.

The frenzy of activity that marks the month of December is unmatched.  End of year parties and activities, gift buying, and holiday shopping can rapidly merge into an experience which is taxing and depleting emotionally, physically and financially. In our desire to give materially, we are unaware of the toll that we unconsciously exact on our spirits and our bodies. 

The truth is that wholesome giving cannot be primarily defined as a material activityalthough it may manifest in a physical material form such as money or gifts.  In its highest context, giving is a spiritual activity which can manifest in any number of forms for the intended recipient

A higher level of giving is demonstrated by being intentional and paradoxically grateful.  Gratitude is a characteristic which we often associate solely with the recipient of a gift and not with the donor.  But, I would suggest that intentional giving starts not simply with being thankful, but being humbly grateful.  Focusing on the privilege of being able to give changes the platform. 

To give is to be truly blessed.  To truly give to another's need or bliss requires that I focus my attention and intention on being grateful for the opportunity to bless another, to essentially empower another.  It also requires a humble gratitude for the gift of their presence in my life.  Thereby changing the equation for the "potential giver" from an elevated position to a recipient of grace.

Giving of this quality transforms the nature of what is given. All material forms have a predecessor in the unseen realm.  The Celebration of the Birth of Jesus at this time of year was a gift that was prophesied centuries before he arrived as a minute embryonic cell in Mary's womb and eventually manifested as a baby born to rule, but lying in the extremely modest environment of the manger. 

The intention of this gift was clearly the love of God for humankind.  The transformation afforded through the gift of Jesus Christ literally redeems life and provides reconnection to God through acceptance of His gift of life. 

Now that is radical, the Giver of life being so full of humility and love that He would humble himself to take on a physical body with all its weakness to ensure that through His death, we could live.  This is the spiritual nature and meaning of Christmas.

Giving of ones self is the highest form of giving particularly when it is done to enable the highest good of another.  The grace of this type of giving transforms a simple cup of cold water to the least amongst us to a gift which resounds in the heavens and impacts life far beyond the limited dimension of what we can readily see, measure or understand

**Portions of his blog post were initially posted almost exactly a year ago today. This was one of my first attempts at blogging. Recently, I went back to this post and was struck again by the message and how relevant it is for this time of the year.  This is an edited version of that early post.  If you'd like to read the complete post...you can visit my other blog. Merry Christmas!

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

The call came into our office as a referral.  A former client was recommending us to assist her good friend who needed to purchase a home quickly!  Now, who doesn't relish that kind of call?  I contacted the individual who confirmed that she was indeed ready to buy a home right NOW.  However, there were a few issues. 

She indicated that she was loosing her home although she didn't own it.  She could sense my surprise over the phone and answered my question before I could verbalize it, "You're wondering how I can loose a home I don't even own right?"  "Yes," I said, "Please, Explain."

She proceeded to explain that several years ago, they had made an agreement to rent with an option to purchase a great home. The family had enjoyed living there for several years, but recently began to get suspicious notifications. Initially, they didn't understand what was going on. Finally, their landlord called and told them the truth. He was behind on his payments and taxes. He was being foreclosed and had lost the house! 

Her family had approximately 30 days to get out.  The process had proceeded through the Sherrifs Sale. Talk about shock!  And Awe...that anyone could be so crassly insensitive to the plight of a family with school aged children.

But unfortunately, this is actually becoming more common that you might imagine as a result of the Foreclosure Crisis.  Many investors who purchased homes to flip them at the height of the real estate market are now over-extended. 

In related developments, landlords often took out home equity loans on rental properties which had adjustable rate mortgages.  When the rates adjusted...some were unable to keep up with the payments or sell the home. It's one of the unexpected consequences of the Foreclosure debacle that is now wrecking havoc in throughout the rental market in a manner that was unanticipated. 

This issue was recently addressed on the Today Show by real estate guru, Barbara Corcoran.  (You can watch the short video by clicking this link.) In a revealing interview Cochran talks about how many renters are being caught in the crisis by renting homes which the landlord can no longer afford.

Cochran offers some helpful tips. She advises renters to do the following to avoid the situation altogether OR to figure out if the home you are currently renting is up for grabs by the bank.  Here are some of her suggestions:

1.  Look at the Records...

• Check the County Clerk's office to see if a Foreclosure Filing has been made on your home. (Some additional advise:  If someone comes to knock on your door and tells you that a filing has been made...DOUBLE CHECK with the county.  I've heard of situations in which Scam artists have tried to rob people by telling them this lie.)

2.  Negotiate With the Lender!

• You might find this surprising as technically the renter does not own the home.  However, this is a situation which creates an issue for the bank too.  Not only do they have to deal with a delinquent home owner, they have to be concerned about getting their property back and respecting the rights of the renter.  Consequently, being proactive as a renter can be mutually beneficial for you and the bank.
• In exchange for an orderly and speedy transfer of the property, renters may be able to negotiate concessions.  There's even a name for these deals.  It's Called Cash For Keys!  In exchange for Leaving the Property, banks may be willing to give money to the renter to leave the property which can be helpful in paying for moving costs or finding another place to stay.  Renters may also be able to negotiate more time to stay in the property while the bank works out final foreclosure or re-sale details.

3. Talk to a Lawyer! 

• If you can afford to do so, this may be something which might be appropriate to consider.  Although, it is unlikely that any funds will be forth coming from a landlord who is broke, a lawyer may be able to wrangle some helpful concessions from the bank.

We are living in extraordinary times.  Sometimes, opportunity knocks in a strange way. You may want to re-consider looking at your home purchasing options once again.  Interests rates remain low and the housing inventory is great.  If  you'd like to talk about owning your own home, please contact us at info@auduhomes.com to explore how you can become a home owner and never pay rent again! 

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

This past weekend, the Today Show spotlighted an interesting segment titled "The Science of Selling Real Estate."  As science was a part of my "past life," prior to real estate state, this title held particular fascination.  The focus was an interview with the Redfin CEO, Glenn Kelman who shared several "scientific" insights about Selling Real Estate. According to the segment's introduction, ...Seller's should forget EVERYTHING their real estate agent had ever told them. 

Kelman who was being interviewed by Meredith Vieira clarifies at the beginning of the segment that Redfin (presumably the Redfin programmers) are computer scientists NOT sales people.  The segment's stated aim was to separate the Sales Voodoo from the True Real Estate Data. So, without further ado, we now compare the "Science" according to Redfin and the LOCAL Real Estate Facts in Grand Rapids, Michigan according to Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate Broker, Lola Audu.

1.  Don't Over-Price the home.  This will create a longer marketing time and result in price reductions of up to 88% vs only a 97% reduction if the home is priced right. Kelman went on to say that real estate agents try to get home owners to sell as HIGH as possible. Huh??? 

Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate Facts:  The penalty for over-pricing in Grand Rapids starts at about 25%  and can go as high as almost 35% or more. Pricing the home is so critically important that the battle is getting home owners to be realistic in ACCEPTING the market price NOT Pricing a home above the market!  Homes that were priced correctly did get about 96% ~ 97% of the List Price in Grand Rapids as well.

2.  Be Web Saavy About Pricing Your Home.  Kelman indicates that the web is where all the buyers are.  Pricing Thresholds online  increase in bracket of about $25,000 ~$50,000. Price ranges above the threshold can prevent your home from being seen by potential home buyers who won't look $1 more.  According to Redfin, you can loose 7% of your audience. 

Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate Facts: In Grand Rapids, Michigan...the thresholds are much smaller.  Our thresholds are between $5,000 ~ $10,000 price adjustments.

3.  Debut Your Home on Friday.  Click Here to continue Reading...

Photo courtesy of White African's photo stream on flickr.  Glenn Kelman is seated front and center.

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Glad you asked!  This is a Valid Question.  Sometimes, the real estate process can feel as though the Costs are not readily discernible or understandable.  Because a real estate transaction coordinates the services of different specialities such as title work, required inspections, real estate services and state and local sales tax, this can be a little intimidating.

To simply the process, I've compiled a comprehensive list of costs that may be a part of a real estate transaction.  Your home is unique however, so to get a detailed analysis which relates to your specific situation you should contact a qualified real estate specialist. I find it helpful to think about the Costs of Selling Your Grand Rapids, Mi home in 3 categories.  They are as follows:

Maintenance/Inspection/Housing:

Home Warranty:  If you choose to purchase one will run approximately $350 ~ $375 for the average single family residence.  If your home has additional amenities which you would like covered by the program or has been vacant for some time, you will want to get a certified quote from the company you choose.

Home Staging:  An appointment will typically run between $100 ~ $150 for an initial consultation.  If further work is ordered, this is usually quoted on an hourly basis plus costs for materials.  Home Staging can significantly enhance the Value of a Home and may actually increase your Net profits by thousands of dollars.

Home Inspections/Appraisals:  These are usually paid for by BUYERS.  However, some home owners prefer to know about issues before their homes go on the market, so these items are not a detraction to potential buyers. An appraisal ordered prior to placing you home on the market can be a powerful support to a Certified Market Analysis performed by a Real Estate Broker.  These 2 items will range between $195.00 ~ $375 for an appraisal and $300 ~ $450 for a typical set of complete inspections.

Home Repairs:  To facilitate your home sale, you may have to do some minor or major repairs.  If a new roof is required, this may cost several thousand dollars.  On the other hand, a little painting and sprucing up may be a much smaller investment.  Like staging, home repairs more than pay for themselves in faster and better offers for your home.

Sales Related Costs: 

Title Insurance:  The cost of obtaining Title Insurance on your home will vary depending on the sales price of your home.  Most title companies will also provide a credit back to you if you have refinanced within the past 3-5 years.  Your buyer will also be required to purchase a smaller policy to protect the interest of the mortgage note holder.  Since these costs are revised from time to time, you should contact your real estate agent or title company to get the exact figure.  At Audu Real Estate, our clients are provided with this number when they sign a listing contract and/or sell a home.

Sidewalk Inspection:  The city of Grand Rapids mandates that all home owners in the city has this inspection done at the Point of Sale.  The cost is $45.  If the inspection indicates that repairs have to be done to the sidewalks, then the home owner must take care of these repairs in order to sell the home.  The city will provide estimate and a list of approved contractors.  The work must be done according to very explicit specifications.  This cost can become a lien on a home if the work is not completed satisfactorily prior to the home in question being sold.

Commissions:  Real Estate commissions will vary based on a number of factors in the transaction.  In the Grand Rapids area, there are companies that offer Flat Fee Services in which your home is simply placed on the MLS for several hundred  dollars.  As a full service real estate company, we understand that the competition for homes is fierce.  We provide a full menu of services which include: multi-media marketing on traditional and emerging web portals, a comprehensive strategic pricing analysis, automated response feedback, regular market updates, Open House services, Staging, Negotiation and Transaction Management Services.  We also offer rebates to clients who utilize our services for more than one transaction.  You many contact us for a detailed breakdown of our costs.

Sales Transfer Tax:  These costs are similar to a tax on the sale of your home.  These fees are charged by the State of Michigan and the local government area when a home is sold in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The fees are assessed per $500.  However, a simple way to quickly calculate how much you will owe based on the price for which your home sells is to assess approximately $8.60 per $1,000.

Click To Continue Reading About Processing Fees/Concessions & the Cost of Over-Pricing...

photo is courtesty of S's photostream on flickr.com

Copyright 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

 Click Here to Read More about Grand Rapids, Michigan

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season is upon us.  Tis the season to be Merry.  Shopping, eating, drinking and giving.  Christmas is a festive time of year.  A festival set against a brilliant backdrop...dramatic pitch blackness.  A darkness of pitch black which  blankets even the hint of emerging shadows.  Yet, it is remarkable that the ultimate Celebration of Light occurs at the height of the earth's hibernation.  A time when the land begs to recede from view and wraps itself within a thick cloak of snow.  A time when the day bids goodbye early, conceding to the darkness an early reign.

Perhaps this is why mankind instinctively welcomes light.  Even though the earth is not universally shrouded in darkness, some areas enjoying the endless day...there is a consensus that during this time of the Year, Light in all it's curious forms is relished.  The Celebrations which embrace the Light cross cultural barriers.  Hanukkah, Advent, Kwanzaa all focus on lighting candles as an integral elemental rite.  Christmas lights adorn trees, bringing their twinkling spirits to brighten and sparkle. 

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, we are given unusual insight into the cosmic interplay that heralded the birth of the Saviour whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life and that life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

So, from the beginning of time, Darkness has never comprehended Light.  How can it?  Light is its' polar opposite.  But Darkness and Light are intricately linked.  They both need each other to be...so they can exist and express themselves fully in what they are.  Darkness and Light...forever interwoven in a cosmic interplay, the dance of Life.

The drama which transcends humankind, nevertheless needs the backdrop of the earth.  Human beings are always involved.  It is for us to discern and discover just how.  For many, this year has witnessed much darkness.  The script has played out on a stage which felt increasingly depleted. Harder work and even harder efforts to come to closure. Across the landscape of the real estate industry, players on the dark side have wielded their weapons of choice within the sub-prime sectre. The media's delegated storytellers have relentlessly told the tale of consumer apprehension and sagging confidence.  Darkness has woven across the stage, casting its' spell of gloom and doom with abandon.

Now, witness the message of Christmas.  A message of Hope.  Joy to the World, the Saviour Reigns, Let Men their Songs Employ.  The gospel of John continues with the rest of the story...vs. 5 although the darkness could not comprehend the Light, the birth of the Light of the World occurs anyway.  A Savior, the Christ Child, the Anointed One is born anyhow!  Light came regardless of whether darkness was willing to give it grudging admission.

And Light Won. Because one ray of light absolutely pierces darkness...fatally.  One pin prick of light means that darkness can no longer be absolute.  But, it wasn't just a pin prick.  The heavens opened up to embrace the Light.  Celestial voices chimed in to bring song to heaven and nature.  Light shone because that is what light does.  It shines because that is what Light IS! This Light is the Light of Men. 

When we understand this message of hope, the scene changes dramatically.  It's not about what's out there, its' about what resides within each of us.  The message of Hope, the Message of Christmas.  Christ, coming to bring Light, to the Be the Light that shines within men.  That hope is profound and powerful enough to inform everything we do.  It changes the playing field. 

No longer is man at the mercy of darkness.  We carry the spark of Light within us if we are open to receiving it.  Light wants to be shared.  A spark will jump as quickly as possible if the right conditions exist.  That's where our part comes into play.  Are we creating the right conditions to catch the light?  Are we willing to become light bearers, transformers who share the light.

2008 is a New Year.  It's our choice.  We can choose to to embrace the Light.  We have the power with our Words and Efforts to change our world.  It is not impossible nor improbable.  It is the indisputable right of children of the Light.  I encourage you to make a conscious decision to Live in the Light throughout the year.  Together we can conquer the Darkness.

*excerpt from a speech written by Lola Audu, December 2007

Copyright 2007  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved