Dani Blain Real Estate Team

“It is Better to Give than to Receive”

by

“It is better to give than to receive” – a letter from Dani Blain

August Giving: Campus Life & Dani Blain Real Estate

Dear Friends,

You have heard us say it before, “we are blessed so that we may bless others”. Our brokerage is built on the ideas that we are here to serve our community, that when you succeed we do, and as your partnership serves us we will always turn that back around and serve our community.

As Covid-19 continues to make huge impacts on our community I wanted to share with you something we have committed to doing and offer you an opportunity to partner with us. As we all know the virus has forced schools to close and students are staying home. Not all students have a home life where their needs are met and they feel safe and supported. Not being at school cuts them off from vital services and especially friendships and mentors they need most.  I recently learned there are thousands of students who are losing their mentors and support system usually provided through programs at school.

Tulare-Kings Counties Campus Life is one of those vital service providers. Campus Life is a community-based organization impacting the lives of teenagers throughout Tulare and Kings Counties. They serve as Gang Interventionists, Life Coaches, and Chaplains who meet the needs of students to help them be successful in life. The students they serve are at risk and being away from school where mentors can support them can pose heavier and more difficult circumstances than ever before.

When Tulare and Kings County school systems shut down, Campus Life programs were cut as well. The 6,000 students they were serving attending 40 different schools have been greatly affected.

Even though half of the local Campus Life staff team has been cut due to budget restraints, they are still serving and meeting the needs of local students the best they can. But they need our help.

Dani Blain Real Estate is committed to giving $5,000 in the month of August to support this important organization serving our local at-risk youth. These kids are our future. I am asking you to join me in matching this gift. For every dollar you give, we will give another dollar up to $5,000. This means our $5,000 can become $10,000 with your help. If we can do this together we can serve more than 30 students immediately. Your gift will help Campus Life reach more young people this year who are struggling through life.

We must help expand this program because there are so many kids who need their help. I see this program as first-responders to kids who need help. They have no one to listen to them and care for their needs. In Campus Life small groups, they are finding that nearly 90% of the teens have no positive male role-model in their lives. Their families are broken, and they walk through life with no hope.

We cannot hear this and not help to the best of our ability, right now. Please consider joining us. You can make a gift online: it’s fast, secure, and much needed.

You can also learn more about Campus Life and their work by visiting, www.tkyfc.com.

With much gratitude for your time and consideration,

A close up of a logo Description automatically generated




Dani Blain

Acts 20:35

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Eat, Drink & Read Like an ISA Girl

by

The Dani Blain Real Estate ISA Team is our inside sales team. They are the ones who support our agent’s business efforts and are the first ladies you hear from when you are beginning your search for the right home. You want to be their friends because they are awesome and they pray for you everyday at 3pm if you want it – talk about value-add 😉 They can help you: check out our dedicated site for home searching: YourCentralValleyHome

They recently shared with us what they are eating, drinking and reading during these days of COVID – maybe you will get some new ideas for yourself!

EAT:

Pita Kabob – “best Mediterranean food in Visalia”
Strings Italian Restaurant – GrubHub it, you’ll thank us!
Zaytoona – “best Meiterranean food in Hanford”
Me & Eds Pizza – fast, easy, good
Asian Grill – yummy Japanese food in Tulare

DRINK:

Well, ISA is a Starbucks crew. Of the five team members, only one makes her coffee herself – here are the ladies favorite orders, maybe you will try something new next time you go through their drive-up.
Pink Drink
Dragon Fruit Refresher
Iced Vanilla Latte w/ 3 pumps Raspberry
Iced Cold Brew w/ 5 pumps White Mocha topped with Sweet Cream

READ:

Top Books among the team right now:
1. Bible
2. 12 Pillars, by Jim Rohn & Chris Widener
3. The Vision, by Rick Joyner
4. Who’s Holding Your Ladder, by Samuel R. Chand
5. Power of a Praying Wife, by Stormie Omartian

There you have it… Eat, Drink and Read like an ISA Girl!

The Right Real Estate Team

by

Real estate deals are tough, choosing your team shouldn’t be

Buying or selling a home has numerous steps and so many layers of things that need to be figured out – that it can seem like an overwhelming process to even know where to begin. The best way to determine what the next steps are for the position you are in, is to connect with a real estate professional. That step alone, can feel daunting – there are so many agents and brokerages out there, how do you make sure you end up with the right team? Well, we may be a little biased, but – we feel confident that Dani Blain Real Estate is the clear choice for all of your buying or selling needs. 

Dani Blain Real Estate opened its doors in September of 2019, but the group of professionals we opened with was already an established team. We were ready to venture into new territory so that we could expand our focus on giving back to the Central Valley Community we had all been serving for many years, as well as grow our agents to better help them achieve their goals. This brokerage was based on a straight forward vision of putting people and relationships over the numbers, serving our team and our clients well, and making sure we always do what we say we are going to do.

The process of buying or selling needs to not only be driven by someone who knows and understands real estate and the entire process, but also someone who knows and understands that this is a personal and emotional process for every single one of our clients. We pride ourselves on having a team of agents that understand that when we are meeting your specific needs and helping you succeed, that makes us succeed.

Our agents are the core of what we do. We bring agents on to our team that will fit well within our culture and they are all people who can get behind and truly embody our core values. We encourage you to meet our team and learn a bit more about our agents – you will see that they all have one thing in common: they all live in and care deeply about our Valley community. 

We believe we are blessed so that we can bless others. We built this brokerage on a foundation of finding ways to give back to this community in the specific ways it needs. We give monthly to align groups or individuals who help make our community a better place. Some of the causes we love and give support to are; Lighthouse Women’s Shelter, AMVETS, Visalia First, Young Life, and many more. You can read more about some of the causes we support here.  

Whether you are a first time buyer looking for the perfect starter home, an investor looking to grow, a newly retired couple looking to downsize, or somewhere in between, we have got you covered. Specializing in every county here in the Valley we can make your real estate dreams a reality. We want to connect with you and work hard for you. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

5 Reasons the Central Valley is the BEST Place to buy a home

by

If you are at a stage in your life where you are looking to buy a home, then listen up! You already know California is a great place to live, but determining where you purchase your first home or your next home is a big decision. There are so many options and so many things to consider before you even begin to look at home listings, it can feel daunting right out of the gate. We’ve done some of the heavy lifting for you… go ahead cross everything off the list, except the Central Valley. With the beautiful Pacific Coast to the west, the Sierras to the east, the Cascade Range to our north and the Tehachapi Mountains to the south, the Central Valley is a 450 mile stretch of flat land right up the middle of our great state and should be where you call home, sweet home. 

5 Reasons the Central Valley is the BEST Place to Buy a Home

1. Location, Location, Location

Being centered between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Central Valley is a quick drive to the beach, the mountains, or the big city. Living in the Central Valley affords quick access to the postcard-esque backdrops of Yosemite, Mammoth, Kings Canyon, the beautiful beaches along the Pacific Coast, and the Sequoia National Forest. While it is a nature-lovers dream, being close to the epicenter of entertainment in the south and the home of big tech to our north – the close proximity to essentially everything, has got to be the number one selling point of this incredible little slice of California.

2. Laid Back Pace

Without the hustle and bustle of a big city, we are able to have a slower pace of life that really sets us apart from the rest of the state. Sandwiched right in between the fast paced lifestyles of LA and the Bay Area, we see that kind of pace to come along with more stress, less time at home, and you guessed it… more traffic. When we make the trek to our southern and northern counterparts, we are reminded yet again why we love our valley home. We have the perk of having quick access to big city appeal, without having to live there and only having to endure that traffic when we travel outside of the valley.

3. Eat Local Everyday

Our warm summer days, coupled with the cool, dry winters gives us the perfect Mediterrean climate that makes the Central Valley’s ag lands more productive than almost any on Earth. With agriculture being one of the main industries in this area, we are blessed with the literal fruits of our farmers labor. The farm-to-fork movement in California is abundantly clear in the Central Valley. On your drive home from work you can stop at any local roadside farm stand and have a side dish on your plate for dinner that was picked the same day. Producing more than half of the fruit, nuts, and vegetables in the United States, the Central Valley is the crown jewel of our nation’s agriculture. This climate can leave us boiling hot in the summers, but that’s what air-conditioning is for, right?

4. Small Town Feel and Sense of Community

From Kern to Fresno, there is a perfect little neighborhood with a house just for you, waiting to make it home. The Valley consists of many small towns that have incredible residents that not only show up and root for the hometown football team, but will also greet you by name when they run into you at the grocery store. We see our hard working, salt of the Earth locals, as being the real backbone of our communities. The sense of strong core values and a warm community-first feel, is evident all across this region and it is one of the things we love most. 

5. More “Bang for Your Buck”

The Golden State is one of the most sought after places to live in the country and along with it comes a hefty price tag. Your dollar will stretch further across the Central Valley, in the counties we specialize in, compared to other parts of the state. Purchasing a home is typically a low-risk investment, purchasing a home in California has proven to be an even lower risk investment. With its affordability, the Valley can make home ownership a reality for many families who may have never thought possible and is one of the main reasons we can tell you that this is the right place to plant your roots. 

The Central Valley is home to Dani Blain Real Estate, our entire team lives right here, in the heartland of California and directly to the west on our central coast. We specialize in selling homes in the counties of Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Kern and San Luis Obispo. Our agents are ready to connect with you and walk you through the next steps and the entire process of purchasing the perfect home. We know that you will love the Central Valley and all it has to offer. If you are still on the fence or want to know more about what each county or town may be like to live in, we are here for you and can tell you more. Stay tuned to our blog where we will continue to highlight the counties and towns we specialize in, or you can reach out to us directly. At Dani Blain Real Estate, we are proud to buy and sell properties and serve the communities we work in… we are on a mission to grow our clients one property at a time and look forward to working with you soon.

2020 Scholarship Recipients

by

Announcing our 2020 Kevin Blain Memorial Scholarship Recipients

In order to honor and continue Kevin Blain’s legacy of supporting the youth in his community, Dani Blain Brokerage began the Kevin Blain Memorial Scholarship Fund where we award deserving Tulare High School students with their sights set on furthering their education after graduation with $500 each. We love knowing we can give back to the community that Kevin was born and raised in that supported him in his youth and later as he grew his business and created a successful career here in the Central Valley. We look forward to every spring as we work with Tulare high schools to submit our scholarship application packet to their eligible students. This year’s scholarship committee, comprised of staff, agents and members of our executive leadership committee, had the very hard job of selecting the most deserving applicants. Ultimately, the graduates that were selected showed great character, leadership, volunteerism, and demonstrated that they have a heart to serve others and faith in Christ. 

As we all know, the Class of 2020 did not get to have a typical Senior year of high school leaving school abruptly in March with the COVID-19 Pandemic. They missed out on a lot of the senior experiences many of us had and remember fondly. It has become apparent though, that among these graduates is a group of young adults that make us feel like the future is in good hands. This generation is full of people forced to become adaptable and to make the best out of difficult situations. Our scholarship recipients are headed on to bright futures and we are so blessed to be able to help them financially as they transition into college. We are very excited to introduce our Class of 2020 recipients:

Isaiah Borjon is headed to Gardner Webb University (GWU), a top Christian college in North Carolina to play Division 1 soccer, where he plans to study Theology and aspires to play professional soccer. He has already had a taste of what playing soccer abroad would be like when he played in Spain his Sophomore year in High School. He graduated with a 3.0 GPA, as a member of the Bible Club, Link Crew, ASB, and was in the Christian Fellowship of Athletes Club, while still managing to play in his church band. Isaiah is sure to be a success in his future endeavors and we are excited to see where his time at GWU will take him. 

Kortney Hamilton not only graduated in the top 6% of her class with a 4.17 GPA, she was also a three sport athlete (Volleyball, Soccer, and Softball), an award winning artist, and was very involved in school clubs. She was a member of the Art Club, MECHA, the Christian Fellowship of Athletes Club, and the Black Student Union Club. In her multiple missions trips to Mexico and Nicaragua, and her volunteer experience at her church’s VBS, she learned that she would like to pursue a career in architecture or teaching. We are certain that whether she ends up at Cal Poly, Fresno State, or Grand Canyon University (she hasn’t decided which of these she will attend just yet) that she will make us proud and we are so happy to offer her one of these scholarships.

Lilia Mora is headed to a local community college before she plans on transferring to CSU Bakersfield to pursue a career in nursing. As a four year member of the Pre-Med Club, a volunteer at the SPCA, earning her way onto the Honor Roll for all four years, and ultimately graduating with a 3.74 overall GPA, she showed us through her application that she’s dedicated to her studies and goals. Lilia also played piano and sang for her church band and has already taken part in a nursing program that started in August of 2019 and wrapped up this spring. Despite some tough times in her family, she stayed dedicated to her studies and we could tell from her application that she is committed to her dreams of becoming a nurse and we are so pleased to be able to contribute to part of her tuition next semester. 

Our final recipient, Kambrya Persinger is headed off to Fresno State to pursue a career as a public accountant. She graduated with a 4.29 GPA and as the valedictorian of her class. She kept very busy in her four years at Tulare High involved in ASB, Interact Club, Project Z, as well as playing on the tennis, soccer, and track & field teams. In addition to being on the Honor Roll all four years, she also received the impressive Perfect Attendance Award (wow!).  Somehow she also found time to volunteer with Harvest for Hope, Young Life, and participated in two Missions trips! We happen to know her well, because she worked as an office assistant for us during her junior year. We saw first-hand that this girl is going places and we are so proud of her and all of her achievements. 

During the uncertain times that we are all facing, we are glad to contribute in some way to these promising and deserving members of the Class of 2020. We are also excited to announce that Dani Blain Brokerage will be expanding our scholarship program in 2021 to all Tulare County High schools and hope to award students that are looking to also to pursue careers in the mental health field. Part of what makes this scholarship fund possible, is by our wonderful clients that trust us with all of their Real Estate needs. Without you, none of this would be possible… so, thank you for helping us keep Kevin’s name and legacy alive with this Memorial Scholarship Fund and helping us contribute to our future’s greatest asset – our youth. 

In loving memory of Kevin Blain

Summer of 2020: How You Can Make the Most of It

by

When we look back at 2020, years and years from now, what are the things you think we will remember? Good, bad or otherwise, there will be things that leave a lasting impression with us. Hopefully the things that will sink deep into our memories are things that made us feel good, things that made us feel connected, and things that made us feel like we were contributing to the greater good. In our last blog post, we talked about ways to help our Central Valley community through this time, but today we want to talk about ways you can create some intentional experiences for you and your family that will become a part of your forever memory bank. Things that you and your kids will be talking about decades from now with the next generations of your family when you recall these times.

As adults, it is easier for us to kind-of-know, while in the moment, the things that are going to be impactful and we have a pretty good gauge on what we will take away from an experience while we are in the midst of it. But what about our kids? Are they going to look back at this time with memories of toilet paper shortages, news briefings, and people wearing masks? Maybe… but hopefully that’s not all. Hopefully when they look back at this time they are going to remember some of the experiences you have already created for them. Maybe it’s playing board games as a family every night after dinner or putting on talent shows for their parents? Have you tried sleepovers in siblings bedrooms, having them mow a neighbor’s lawn, or leaving motivational quotes in sidewalk chalk on a local walking trail for all to see? As parents, we have the opportunity to create experiences for them that can steer their memories in a positive direction.

For the first few months of this Pandemic, most of us were in survival mode. Between adjusting to working from home or being faced with unemployment, kids transitioning to distance learning, and more Zoom calls and meetings than any of us want to think about – finding time to make these meaningful memories may have taken a back seat. But did you know that our brains are hardwired to prioritize memories with emotional content?

No doubt, this season we are in right now has created plenty of emotion filled moments. We will all remember the first time we went to the grocery store and were met with empty shelves and grief stricken looks on shopper’s faces, but we really want to focus on ways to help create positive emotion based memories so we can fondly look back at this time as well. (To read more about the way our brain may process this time, read this article.) Especially now that the kids are out of school for the summer.  We are all ready to add some “real life” fun on top of the virtual world we have been somewhat trapped in since March.

Below, check out our list of things you can add to your adventure ‘to-do’ list and join us in committing to finding ways to keep ourselves busy with a good mix of things to do at home. If you see anything missing from our ideas below, please share with us on social media!

Go Rafting!

Sunshine Rafting Adventures runs trips along the Stanislaus river and began their season on June 6th. They have outlined new procedures to ensure safe physical distancing and sanitization. Or you can try out Fresno Rafting to take a trip down the San Joaquin River. If you want to check out the Kings River, there are a number of Rafting Outfitters you can view here.

Cool Off at Wild Water Adventure Park in Clovis

With a scheduled opening of June 20th and great Season Pass deals, you may be able to make this a regular part of your 2020 adventures. Be sure to check out the new COVID-19 considerations that include required reservations and assigned picnic sites for each group to maintain safe physical distancing. For season pass info, click here.

Visit the Incredible Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno

In the early 1900s Balsassare Forestiere settled in Fresno with dreams of becoming a citrus farmer. He spent 40 years of his life excavating and over 10 acres of citrus trees all underground. This summer be sure to make a reservation for a guided tour (and bring a face mask) to see this incredible historical landmark.

Take a Float Trip Down St. John’s River

Some Visalia locals have been doing this for years… but others may have no idea how to prepare for a float down St. John’s. Read this article for some tips from a pro to plan an afternoon adventure right here in our backyard!

Buy a House!

Hahaha! No… but really, you should buy a new house and make it a home this summer! We have a ton of great homes on the market and we know the right one is waiting for you. If you decide to make 2020 the year you not only survived a Global Pandemic, but also buy a new home, our team of agents at Dani Blain Real Estate is ready to work with you. Contact us today!

#FeedOurFamilies

by

FoodLink and Dani Blain Real Estate Partner to #FeedOurFamilies

At Dani Blain Real Estate (DBRE) we have a heart for the specific needs in our community and we believe we are blessed so that we can bless others. We believe in giving back to groups or individuals whose mission or endeavors help make our community a better place. FoodLink of Tulare County is one of those critical non-profits serving our community during these unprecedented times. 

FoodLink is Tulare County’s only independent food bank, serving between 300,000-450,000 households a year.  Typically, this time of year FoodLink is serving 20,000 people monthly; for the month of April, FoodLink served over 52,000 people. To us, making our community a better place looks like caring for those who need it most.

FoodLink needs our help to serve local families in need!

Dani Blain Real Estate is working with FoodLink to launch a matching gift campaign during the month of June. For every dollar given to FoodLink through this special giving link, GIVE HERE, DBRE will match up to $10,000! That means every dollar you give can become two, making this $10,000 gift $20,000!

“With $20,000, we can provide 10,000 mealsfor local families that need our help.  When you donate to FoodLink. you know that your dollars are staying local and providing meals to your friends and neighbors.  Since COVID-19, all of our distribution numbers have dramatically increased by 150%, and all the support you give right now helps provide food as well as builds health, skills, and community, ” said Nicole Celaya, Executive Director, FoodLink of Tulare County.

By working together to support FoodLink we can ensure that our community’s most vulnerable… hungry children, seniors, homebound elderly and disabled, as well as self-isolating patients and families in need with healthy, nutritious food.

“We have chosen to give to FoodLink of Tulare County because they are serving the community we live and work in,” said Dani Blain. “I know what it is like to be hungry and now that I am not, I can’t watch others go through what I did. Our hope is that this giving campaign brings our community together to feed our families in need.”

Together we can #FeedOurFamilies. Your gift stays local to meet local needs. Join us, your local real estate brokerage and FoodLink to serve our families and neighbors in need.

Consider a gift today, follow this link to #FeedOurFamilies.

UPDATE: as of June 4 @ 3PM total gifts = $2,520!!!

Luke 6:38
“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

7 Ways to Help Our Community Right Now

by

“The times we live in bring a greater sense of uncertainty, but also an overwhelming need to help each other out.” -Joe Pacovsky

During unprecedented times like these, things can feel overwhelming and maybe even a bit scary. Here at Dani Blain Real Estate we want to encourage our clients and future clients to use a bit of time right now to lean in to what grounds you. Lean in to what makes you feel good. That may be something as simple as taking a break from social media, baking cookies, or taking a walk through your neighborhood. For some it may be doing something to give back to the community or to our friends and neighbors. Our brokerage takes great pride in doing what we can to serve and lift others up in times of need. Here is a list you can pull from – or not. Maybe you are already knocking the ‘Quarantine Game’ outta the park. If you are, please add to our list in the comments below. But if you find yourself looking for a little nudge in the right direction, here you go:

1. Help a neighbor

This seems pretty simple, but for the last two and half months we may have been operating in fight or flight mode and not looking past the moment we were getting through. But now, as things are settling in and we are all getting ready to venture into what will become normal, we can take a step back and see that there may be someone a house or two away we can help. Reach out (especially to an elderly neighbor) and see if there is anything they need. It might be a cup of sugar or a box of tissue you have on hand. Or maybe you can show them how to do an online shopping order? You could save them the delivery fee and go pick the order up for them. It can be simple, it doesn’t have to be something like committing to mow a lawn every week, it could be bringing their trash cans out for them. It could be leaving them a quick note to tell them their roses are looking great. Anyway you can connect to the people around you will be great for both you and them. Give it a try and see what happens

2. Donate Blood

Blood banks always need blood, but they need it now more than ever. Blood drives across the country have been cancelled, less people can be allowed in donation centers with COVID-19 protocols, and less people are healthy enough or willing to donate. The American Red Cross released a statement saying, “…Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.”

And right here in the Valley, Central California Blood Center (CCBC) says, “Blood is very much an essential for our Valley people. There’s a reason why we say, “Valley people need valley blood.” As a health care operation and essential infrastructure to our community, we are open and accepting blood donors, with blood needed now more than ever.” If you are healthy and willing, making a donation now can make a big difference. Make an appointment with CCBC today right here on their website.

3. Volunteer

During this time volunteers are needed more than ever. When Shelter in Place orders were mandated, a number of industries that relied on volunteers, lost a great deal of them due to the populations that were volunteering – older adults in the high risk category. If you find yourself with time on your hands that you didn’t previously have, now is a great time to start volunteering. Right here in the Valley, our food banks have a huge need for volunteers. By visiting this link you will see a number of events that they need hundreds of volunteers for. Additionally, with so many things shifting to virtual modes these days, you can even volunteer remotely, from the safety and comfort of your own home. Check out this link where you will see a number of digital volunteer opportunities. 

4. Make a Donation

Non-profits across the country need your donations now more than ever. If you have the resources available to you, consider making a monetary donation to FoodLink of Tulare County or your local church so they can put your funds towards the greatest needs. CASA of Tulare County is also another great place here, locally that could really benefit from your support. Additionally, you could create The Valley’s very own Mutual Aid Group – almost like a virtual classified ad specifically for people who may have fallen upon hard times can list their needs (groceries, translation services, a prescription pick-up, etc…) and others can choose to answer the call. Currently the closest ones to us are in LA County and San Joaquin County. One of us could start one right here for our community in the Central Valley. 

5. Remember those working on the front lines

Think of the number of times we have gone to the grocery store, stopped in to pick up a to-go food order at a local restaurant, had a package delivered to our front door… how many times have we done those things in the last two and half months? The essential workers that have kept us going in these times have been called to the front lines in a way they certainly couldn’t have predicted. In addition to these Pandemic Heros, there are of course our healthcare workers, and first responders risking exposure every shift. What can we do to show all of them our gratitude? It depends on the resources you have available to you, but it could be calling the police station and asking if you can have pizzas delivered, or dropping off donuts at the fire station. It could also be having a little box of pre-packaged goodies and waters by your door for the people enabling your online shopping addiction. You could take an extra moment or two at the grocery store to give eye contact to the people that are ringing you up and bagging your groceries and delivering a heartfelt thank you. There are many ways to express our appreciation to all on the front lines and we think anything you do to recognize them will go a long way. Take that kindness and sprinkle it around like confetti!

6. Create Community

We keep hearing, “we are all in this together,” right? It’s true – we are all, collectively, experiencing life in a pandemic at the same time time, together – but we are also somewhat still physically apart. As humans, we all crave connection, we need it like we do food and water. It’s in our DNA – we are wired to connect. It’s no wonder some of us may be feeling a bit off kilter being socially distant from the people in our communities. Our kids aren’t seeing their friends everyday at school, we aren’t seeing the other parents we always do at pick ups and drop offs or soccer and basketball practices. This can leave us with a deficit in our “human connections bank.” So what can we do to fill them back up? We can connect virtually with Zoom, Facetime, Skype, etc… or the old fashioned way – a regular phone call, a postcard, a letter to connect with those that we normally see. 

We can also do little things in our neighborhood to create a sense of community with the people close in proximity, but that we maybe wouldn’t normally spend time with. There are a few simple things we can do to let our neighbors know we are with them in this, and uplift them in this challenging time. You could leave a little note to everyone at the mailbox. You could leave positive and uplifting notes on the sidewalk (not just in front of your house – all around the ‘hood) for people to see along their walks. You could paint, color, or print out a rainbow to display in your front window. Families in Italy started doing this when COVID-19 forced the entire country into lockdown. This simple rainbow that kids were drawing began to unite them and symbolized hope and served as a reminder that, “andrà tutto bene” (everything will be alright). People around the world have been inspired by this and you can see rainbows in windows to help remind us all that it will be good again. 

7. Take care of yourself

Just as they say in pre-flight reminders, you need to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you place it on those dependent on you. If we don’t make self-care a priority, there is no way we can help our fellow neighbors and our Valley community. Practicing good self-care doesn’t have to mean a spa day (although.. How nice does that sound?!) It really can be something as simple as taking a break from your day and stepping outside. Just being amongst nature (literally in your own backyard, or work parking lot with some trees) has been proven to lower blood pressure and help fight anxiety. You can kick it up a notch and practice guided meditation using a free app on your phone (we love Calm and Pray.com) and feel the stresses of our everyday melt away. You can journal, draw, color, take a nap, take a bath, or anything that would bring you a little joy that you carve time out for to prioritize yourself for just a small portion of your day. Give it a try and see that self care really does help set the tone for you to be your best self for others. 

The bottom line is this… all of us, collectively, are going through something that has never happened in our lifetime. None of us know how to do this “right” and there really isn’t a one size fits all right way to do life in the midst of a global pandemic. We just want you to know that we are here for you, we are with you in this together, and we are rooting for everyone as we all create our own paths through this challenging time. We would also love to hear from you… if you tried some of the things in our list, if you have ideas to add, or if you just want to give us a virtual fist bump in the name of solidarity, we will take it! Share this article on social media for us or email it to a friend and thank you for being a part of our community.

Real Estate is “Essential”

by

…and we are here for you

As we all navigate the uncharted waters of life in the midst of a Global Pandemic, everyone is on the hunt for information, answers, a sense of normalcy, and maybe even a hug. It is a surreal time to be residing on the planet Earth. Over the course of the last couple of months we have all been forced to really evaluate where we were and where we want to be headed. The State of California has been under Shelter in Place orders for over two months. Reopening is now being tried, discussed, and argued, but overall it’s still far from normal. Regardless, what is the most important part of sheltering in place? Having a place to shelter, right? Which is why residential and commercial real estate were listed as part of the country’s “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce,” in a statement by the Department of Homeland Security. Does this mean it’s business as usual for our team here at Dani Blain Real Estate? No, definitely not. Does it mean we are finding new ways to buy and sell homes, while keeping people safe, and still making connections with people to help them grow – one property at a time, well… yes, yes it does. 

Our agents have quickly learned to adjust to new and changing best practices when it comes to buying and selling homes. Instead of Open Houses, we are hosting IGTV and Facebook Live tours of homes. We have upped our virtual tour game, as well as shifted the majority of our client interactions from in person, to virtual. If we have a serious potential buyer that has decided after virtual tours that they need to see a home in person before signing on the dotted line, we are following the regulations set forth by the California Association of Realtors; only one agent and two visitors from the same household are allowed in the house at a time. We are also wearing gloves and disinfecting door knobs, keys and locks, and we are of course urging clients to touch as few surfaces as possible, maintaining a minimum of 6’ of distance, and going over specifics of the home and questions before and after the showing over the phone or on a conferencing app in order to minimize time in the home. It is much different than the way we did business three months ago, but then again, we are all going about life in this new COVID-19 era in a completely different way than we did three months ago. 

Despite the challenges we are all facing, we still have people that are ready to sell and we have highly motivated buyers. With many employers shifting the way their teams are going to operate throughout the course of this Pandemic, we will see many employees remain in a work from home situation. If our homes are now also going to double as our offices, now more than ever, we need to be in a home that we love. A home that fits our needs and provides us respite during this period of unknowns and uncertainties. A home that we can make memories in, and that will serve as a backdrop to the milestones of life.  We are confident that we can match our clients with their dream homes, even in a less than dream-like situation.

At Dani Blain Real Estate, above all else, we have always put people first. During times like these, we are reminded by the hard work we have seen in our agents that this team is committed to their clients and our community. We know that we are collectively experiencing a very challenging time. We want our clients and potential clients to know that our agents are ready to help you buy or sell your new home today. We know that every real estate transaction is always something that comes with a great deal of emotion – and everyone’s emotions are a little raw these days, so our agents are here to meet with compassion and give everyone a solid dose of grace throughout the process. We will do everything in our power to keep our clients and our agents safe and healthy (both physically and emotionally,) to help make your real estate dreams come true.