Cathy and Jim Higgins Present: House chat

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Life is weird

The Bank says I can't afford a $1000 mortgage,

so I pay $1400 a month in rent, instead.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

What Dogs teach us

There’s one thing that dogs do than anyone on the Planet.

They celebrate absolutely everything.

If you grab your keys, celebration.

Open the fridge, celebration.

Walk back into the room after being gone for 20 seconds, huge celebration.

They don’t wait for birthdays, or big news or vacations.

Dogs treat every day life like it’s worth getting excited about.

They wake up excited to be here.

They sniff the air like it’s a miracle.

They chase a ball like they’re in the Olympics.

They roll in the grass like it’s a 5 star spa.

It’s impossible not to smile when you’re around that kind of joy.

And honestly, I think it’s one of the greatest gifts they give us.

Thet remind us that life doesn’t have to be perfect, to be wonderful.

So, if you have a dog right now, enjoy the confetti that they throw up in the air over the tiniest moments.

That, I believe, is their way of teaching us to wake up and notice the good stuff.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

How .to deal with people, words of wisdom from a 90 year old.

Accept people for who they are.

But place them where they belong.

You are the CEO of your life.

Hire, fire & promote accordingly.

But this golf ball was very expensive!

Be cautious of overpricing your home

Q. My home has been on the market for 5 months. No offers, few showings, yet my agent promised me he could get more money for my home than anyone else. Any suggestions?

A. When you sit down with an agent, you are most likely going to get a pretty folder with a list of their awards, pictures of really happy people and a price of what your home should sell for. And that price is most likely inflated for at least one out of the three agents.

You start thinking, I wouldn’t want to give up $20,000 just because those other two agents don’t understand how special my house is.

Without offending you, I am here to tell you this doesn’t translate. Offering an unrealistically higher value is a crude tool used to excite a seller into thinking “hey, this person is going to know how to squeeze out some extra cash”. However, your agent doesn’t set the selling price, they only help determine an asking price. A ready, willing, and able buyer has the most control over the maximum value; and these buyers aren’t going to be throwing in an extra $20k because your agent promised you a higher value, in an attempt to gain more listings.

Because I am a whole financial picture sort of guy, let’s look at the costs to a seller who allows the price to be set too high:

Your house stays on the market without much activity.

Your expenses continue to add up: Taxes, utilities, insurance, mortgage, etc.

You are maintaining a structure that nature is relentlessly attempting to tear down.

And finally, new buyers start to think that there may be something wrong with the house as it’s been on the market for months.

Be as wise as your age. Pick a realtor who lives or works locally. Be sure the realtor you pick is experienced with a proven track record. In real estate, experience is everything.