Be Thankful and Use Feng Shui to Give Back
I’m a glass is half-full type of gal, but I know that not everything in life will go our way.
Along with Feng Shui, being thankful is the best way to achieve inner peace and harmony, along with health, prosperity and everything else that follows.
Be Thankful
Being thankful can be a difficult skill to master, but it can be one of the most rewarding goals you will ever accomplish.
Start simple… and even maybe a little materialistic. You can begin by being thankful for what you have, like your home and your car.
As you progress, you will find yourself appreciating not so much what you have, but rather who you have. You’ll likely be thankful for the relationships you’ve shared and the lessons that you have learned in life.
As you master your new found skill of appreciation, you’ll notice the little things in the wide world around you. The colors of the changing foliage and the fresh air will be amplified for you.
You will eventually find yourself open to new opportunities and new relationships.
You will notice that you are happy.
And so will others.
Your contagious smile and graciousness will be magnetic. Positive energy and great things will come to you.
At this point, you should focus on your goals. What do you want to achieve in life and how do you want to help others? Be thankful for these things as if they have already happened. Your new gift of thankfulness will seem like magic.
Give When You Get
Today, I am particularly thankful for all of my readers and clients.
With that, I am going to introduce another concept… give when you get.
From now through Christmas Eve, 20% of all home and office consultation fees will go to charity, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude is a wonderful organization that advances cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases. 81 cents of every dollar donated to St. Jude goes directly to its research and treatment. All medically eligible patients who are accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family’s ability to pay.
When you get my Feng Shui expertise to improve your home or office, you will also be giving to a wonderful organization and families in need. What can be better?
This is my way of giving thanks while helping you give when you get.
Next Steps
Are you looking for a Feng Shui consultant you can trust? Learn a little more about me and how I can help you add harmony and balance to your home or office the Feng Shui way. Contact me today!
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Feng Shui for Realtors: Helpful Tips for Realtors
Want to sell to Chinese investors buying in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdon. From an interview with China Cash Buyers.
How to Sell Homes Faster with Feng Shui
As Asian-American populations continue to rise and accumulate wealth, Realtors and home builders are continually looking for ways to cater to the real estate needs of these buyers.
According to a recent Better Homes & Gardens survey, Feng Shui plays a role in home selection for a staggering 86% of Chinese-Americans. Moreover, 79% are willing to invest more for homes that apply Feng Shui principles.
Though my primary clientele is home builders, I have had a substantial increase in the number of agents and sellers contacting me to help prepare their listings for sale with Feng Shui in mind. One of my clients, in fact, told NPR that adding Feng Shui to her home attracted an offer from a Chinese couple for almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
Here are three basic Feng Shui tips to help get a fast sale and maximize your sales price.
Eliminate the Clutter
Clutter prevents Qi energy from flowing smoothly through a property. A home with naturally-flowing Qi brings harmony and balance to anyone stepping into the space. According to the Better Homes & Gardens survey, 64% of respondents are looking for organized and clutter-free space.
Everything should be well-organized and there should be relatively few trinkets. Even closets, shoe racks and garages should be cleared. If necessary, rent a storage unit to temporarily store items while the home goes through the viewing process.
Re-Arrange the Bedroom
72% of Chinese-Americans look for important Feng Shui aspects in the bedroom. This makes sense, because this is where one re-energizes for the next day.
The first thing to do is make sure that the bed is not aligned with the door. Additionally, ensure that there are either no mirrors in the bedroom or that they are at least pointed away from the bed.
Choose Good Dates for Showings
Feng Shui buyers often consult with me to pick auspicious dates and times for their special occasions, such as opening a business, getting married or moving into a new home.
Realtors and homeowners also make use of this principle to set good dates and times for their showings, boosting their chances of closing a deal during a showing.
Next Steps
Whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, a growing percentage of buyers find it incredibly important to the home buying process.
There is much more to Feng Shui than these three simple tips. Visit my blog to get some additional Feng Shui information. If you are a serious seller, however, you need to hire a Feng Shui expert to identify and help cure dangerous elements to your property without making it look like a Chinese restaurant exploded inside.
If you are a Realtor or are looking to prepare your home for sale, contact me today. As your 3rd generation real estate Feng Shui expert, I will help you get your home ready for a faster sale!
Know a Realtor or someone looking to sell their home? Share this post with them on Facebook!
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Mirrors in Feng Shui
Mirrors have a very interesting relationship with Feng Shui. Of course, they’re great at making rooms seem more spacious and seem to amplify light. In Feng Shui, they are a symbol of the water element and we can utilize their incredible ability to reflect virtually everything, including Feng Shui energy called Chi (or “Qi”).
Often used as a cure for a variety of Feng Shui challenges, mirrors are used to reflect and direct both positive and negative Chi energy however we see fit.
But, where do we want that energy to go? Well, that all depends on the area of the home we’re trying to enhance.
Using Mirrors Outside
As I have highlighted in previous posts, certain types of mirrors can be used to deflect negative energy coming from a neighbor’s front door aligned with yours, used to deflect overwhelming energy at a T-intersection, and can deflect churning energy on a cul-de-sac or corner lot.
Place your convex Bagua mirror above your door on the interior wall facing toward the street. Yes, you won’t actually see the mirror.
As a quick cure for any of the above, the best choice is to simply place a convex Bagua mirror above your front door facing the street (such that the reflection virtually goes through your wall).
Now, let’s discuss how we use mirrors at various locations inside the home.
Mirrors in the Bedroom
Never place a mirror where it will face a bed. Think of a mirror as a magnifying glass that will amplify energy flow toward your body as you sleep. One problem with this is that it causes restlessness.
Worse, many of my clients that previously had mirrors facing their bed complained of pain such as headaches, leg aches or stomach cramps — which had been exactly where their mirrors were facing. Remove the mirror and voila! No more pain.
Again, never have a mirror that faces those sleeping in the bed, even on the ceiling (sorry guys). In fact, it is best to leave mirrors out of bedrooms altogether.
Mirrors in the Bathroom
Water is the dominant element in a bathroom. Mirrors enhance your space and allow you to get a perspective on yourself. We often look in the mirror to improve ourselves, right? Well, we might as well improve every part we can.
Thus, I suggest a full-length mirror in the bathroom, such that its reflection does not cut off any parts of your body.
Mirrors in Bagua Areas
Some Bagua areas will benefit from mirrors more than others. In particular, mirrors are good to use in the Career & Life Path Area (but not toward your front door), Family Area, and Wealth & Prosperity Corner.
Try to use corresponding colors, materials, and shapes for the mirror and its frame when possible. For example, use a vertical rectangular mirror with a green and/or wooden frame in the Family Area.
Avoid using mirrors of any kind in your Fame & Reputation Area, as this will extinguish your fire element that is necessary here.
Best Practices
Placing a mirror at your front foyer toward your front door is bad because it pushes back all of the Chi entering your home, preventing it from energizing your house.
Avoid having mirrors that face each other. This can create a barrier that will stop energy from flowing through your home.
Don’t overdo it with mirrors, especially all in one place. Sometimes, less is more.
Replace chipped or cracked mirrors. Relationships are negatively affected by broken mirrors.
Give children full-length mirrors to improve their self-esteem.
Unless your fireplace is in the Fame & Reputation Area of your home, you may want to douse it with figurative water. Hang a mirror directly over your fireplace to neutralize its effects.
Adding some plants near a mirror will rejuvenate and enhance the flow of Chi energy through your surroundings.
Mirrors should always be framed around their edges.
Next Steps
Learn more about Feng Shui and all of the areas of the Bagua.
I am a 3rd generation Feng Shui expert and have helped thousands of people add harmony and balance to their homes and offices without making it look like a Chinese restaurant exploded.
I can help you attract the life that you deserve with Feng Shui. Contact me today!
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Feng Shui Front Door Colors
The appropriate color to paint your front door can be confusing.
Aren’t you always supposed to have a red front door? Not exactly.
Some people say that having a red front door attracts negative energy. Others say red is the best color to use, despite the fact that it is in your Career Area, which should be predominantly blue or black.
Which Color is Correct?
As with many things in Feng Shui, the color you choose for your front door depends more on what you want to attract.
For instance, are you looking to bring in some wealth? Go for red.
Do you need to add some stability to your life? Brown is the best choice for you.
Here are various colors for your front door and what they are known to attract in Feng Shui:
- Red = Wealth
- Green = Growth
- Blue = Relaxation
- Brown = Stability
Next Steps
Read more on colors in Feng Shui as well as the various aspects of your Career Area.
Remember that painting your front door is only one part of a balanced and harmonious home or office. Be sure you learn more about Feng Shui and make positive changes to all areas of the Bagua.
If you need additional help, contact me to inquire about a consultation. I will help you achieve the life that you deserve without making your home look like a Chinese restaurant exploded.
Be sure to register for my email newsletter or like me on Facebook to stay up-to-date with my latest posts.
Feng Shui Used by 86% of Chinese-American Buyers
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and AREAA Survey Finds Feng Shui Plays Role in Home Selection for 86% of Chinese-Americans; 79% Willing to Invest More for Homes that Apply Feng Shui Principles
MADISON, N.J. and CARLSBAD, Calif. (August 11, 2015) – Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) today released findings from a national survey of Chinese-Americans that reveal the impact of the ancient design philosophy, Feng Shui, on this population’s home buying mindset and preferences. While Chinese aesthetic and cultural traditions have long fascinated the Western world, this study sheds light on its influence in the U.S., as Chinese-Americans and international Chinese buyers represent an increasingly powerful force in the nation’s housing market.
The majority (76%) of Chinese-Americans surveyed are familiar with the principles of Feng Shui, which are considered to dictate spatial arrangement and building design to produce a harmonious flow of energy. Furthermore, over half of those who are familiar follow the practice in their daily lives. The prevalence of this unique art extends to home buying; 81 percent of those Chinese-Americans surveyed who are also homeowners indicated that Feng Shui factored into their most recent home purchase. This segment of the population is particular about adhering to Feng Shui in the home and they’re also discerning about the real estate professionals they work with during the process. More than a third (36%) would avoid an agent if they had no knowledge of Feng Shui principles.
“It’s critical for real estate professionals to understand all consumer drivers within the home search,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “For this population, Feng Shui applications are as essential as other traditional characteristics of a home.”
A staggering 86 percent of all respondents stated Feng Shui will play a role in a future home buying decision and 79 percent are willing to invest more for a home that incorporates its principles. As such, Feng Shui often carries a large premium, with respondents willing to pay an average of 16 percent more. On the flip side, for sellers, incorporating Feng Shui into the foundation of a home may also affect its future on the market, as 90 percent of Chinese-Americans believe implementing its principles increases a home’s resale value.
“As the Asian American community’s influence in the real estate market continues to grow, Feng Shui principles are gaining much needed attention and have already influenced real estate developers and interior designers alike,” said Carmen Chong, 2015 AREAA National Chairwoman. “This research proves there is a significant financial incentive for investors and sellers to consider the application of Feng Shui in their properties. For an agent, understanding these principles can dramatically improve the opportunity for success within the Chinese-American market. We are thankful to have worked with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in producing this new research, and look forward to raising needed awareness about the importance of Feng Shui in a living environment.”
While any home on a cul-de-sac is bad Feng Shui, the homes in the red area get the fastest moving negative Chi.
There are many elements of Feng Shui that range from design to the location of the home. When undergoing the home buying process, 75 percent of surveyed Chinese-Americans indicated they had at least one deal-breaker that goes against Feng Shui principles that would prevent them from purchasing a home. These include: the home being located at the end of a dead end street (31%), the home’s back stairs directly facing the front door (29%), the home having a sloped backyard (29%) and the home’s front and back doors being aligned with each other (24%).
Accordingly, when asked to rank the Feng Shui principles most important in a home buying decision, 71 percent of Chinese-Americans indicated the cardinal direction the home is facing in their top three choices, followed by the location of the home on the street and the location of the stairs.
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:
A Family Tradition: Many Feng Shui principles that still hold close to home today have been passed down through generations. Nearly half of Chinese-American respondents (49%) are more likely than their parents to take Feng Shui into account when deciding on a home, including 69 percent of those who practice Feng Shui. That said, 85 percent would bring along a family member other than a significant other when house shopping.
Home is Where There’s Feng Shui: A home’s amenities and the surrounding neighborhood are important when looking to buy, but as findings show, many prioritize Feng Shui. In fact, 41 percent of Chinese-Americans think it is important when looking for a home. Two-thirds of those who practice Feng Shui (66%) feel the same – making it the second most important consideration among that group, only behind neighborhood safety.
Elements of Design: 87 percent of Chinese-Americans have essential Feng Shui elements they desire for their kitchen, including it being organized and free of clutter (64%), its colors complementing each other (32%) and the kitchen stove not being directly below the master bedroom (29%).
The careful arrangement of space and design continues in the bedroom, where 72 percent of Chinese-Americans have essential elements incorporated. These include avoiding the bed directly facing the door (41%), mirrors being placed away from the bed (34%) and the ceiling having a consistent height with no slopes (25%).
62 percent of survey respondents apply spatial fundamentals to the design of their bathroom. These include the bathroom being located away from the home’s center (28%), the toilet being located in a separate space (24%) and having a full-length mirror (23%).
Next Steps
Take a listen to a recent NPR story where one of my clients said that adding Feng Shui to her home helped her close on a deal with a Chinese couple worth almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
If you are looking to prepare your home for sale or are looking to buy a property and need an expert in Feng Shui, contact me today.
