Author: bradroemerblog

The number one question that we get before showing a house is if it has a basement or not. Since California is not known for its extreme weather, not many of the homes have basements. When we get this question, we know that the people want a place to have as a “man cave,” “crafting corner,” or “rec room” for the kids. All of this is possible if you have a basement. If you don’t it can become a little more difficult. Well, since we have readers from all over the country, we have decided that we are going to talk about what you can do with your basement if you have one. Keep in mind, you can use most of these ideas for any large room that you have that is currently unoccupied. Let’s not waste too much time deciding where you are going to put these ideas. We will leave that up to you to decide. Just know that the ideas in this blog were intended for a basement. You might have to make some changes if you are not putting it there.

Double Living Room

Quite often, this is referred to as “the man cave.” It doesn’t have to be that though. Anyone in the family is welcome to use this room. The focus of this room is more on the size of the television and the sound system that will accompany it. Generally speaking, you will have a very large television with surround sound hooked up to it. This makes movie night or watching sports a lot more immersive experience. When you are doing the double living room, it is important to focus on the creature comforts. Make sure that you have a lot of view spaces for everyone in the family. Adding a small refrigerator or microwave can make the room complete. There are so many other possibilities that you are going to want to read on.

Recreation Room

Traditionally, this is called a “rec room”. We think the reason that it is called a “rec room” is that the word rec is similar to the word wreck. It is not that uncommon to find this as the messiest room in the house – or a wreck. However, we have some great ideas on things that you can use this room for. Some of the possibilities that we could think of are pool tables, standup video games, dartboards, and even a dance floor. There was one couple that we sold a house that had full intentions on putting in a karaoke machine. They told us they were going to have a wet bar and a stage as well.

The point of having this room is to have a place for you or your family and friends to have a place to relax. With this room, there will be very little reason to go out. This is good for a family that has very little time to do extra things. Just bring those things to you. That way, you will not have to spend hours driving to different places. Simply go downstairs and have some fun.

Bedroom

Perhaps you are growing your family unit. Instead of moving, you can simply transform the basement into a bedroom. Depending on the size, you can transform it into several different rooms. This can be a great idea if you want to keep the kids in a separate part of the house from you. This will limit the mess they make to an area that most people will not go. Just remember when you are doing this to make sure you build in space for them to do their homework and watch television. Keeping the kids in a separate part of the house will make it that much easier for you to have people over. The number one complaint that we hear when we are talking to people about entertaining guests is that they have to clean up after the kids all the time. This makes entertaining a nightmare.

When designing the bedrooms, make sure that you get a licensed contractor and architect to do the design and building. These are not really projects for a DIYer. There are too many things that can go wrong. These professionals are paid to know what walls can come down and what walls have to stay. It would be a shame if you had to call in one of them to fix something seriously wrong with your house.

Apartment

Along the same lines as making it a bedroom, you could alternately make it into an apartment. If you have an older child that needs to have space of their own, you could rent it out to them. Once all of the kids are gone, you can rent out the space by adding a separate private entrance for them. Additionally, you could rent out the space on Airbnb and make some of the money back that you spent on remodeling the space. Just remember, the most important thing is to have a private entrance.

In Closing

There are many other things that you can do with this space. We think the above ideas are your best bet. Don’t be afraid to go off-list and do something of your own. Some of the projects on our list, you could very much do on your own. Some of the others you will need to have professionals help you. Don’t be ashamed to hire an interior decorator to help you furnish it after you have built it. You want to be just as proud of your basement as you are with the rest of the house.

Should you take any of the ideas on this list and transform your basement into something spectacular, don’t hesitate to share some of your pictures with us. We would love to see what additions you made to your house. Additionally, if you have any ideas that you think should have made our list, share them with us. We might even do a second part of this list as there are so many wonderful ideas.

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to live in the 15^th century like Brad Roemer Oakland, you are going to want to put the local Renaissance Festival high on your to-do list. This is not just for nerds and geeks anymore. There are thousands of people that attend these festivals every year. Also, let’s get one thing out of the way from the start, you do not need to dress up for such an event. While you may be teased a little by the staff for your “futuristic” or “strange” attire, it is just an act they are putting on. Don’t get us wrong, it is much better to get dressed up, but you most certainly do not have to. Well, you came here for some reasons to go, and that is what we are going to give you. So, read on if you have a desire to go back in time.

Role Playing

Yes, we did say that you do not have to dress up, but it is much more fun to do so. This will give you the opportunity to role play. If you are not familiar with the concept, it goes like this. You put on clothes and act as if you are from the 15^th century. While it may seem childish, it can be quite entertaining. You will have the ability to be anything you want. You can go as a peasant or a royal or anything in between. It is, however, considered bad form to go as a king since the staff usually has someone roleplaying that already. That does not mean that you cannot roleplay another royal member.

Food

We are accustomed to all the ways in which we prepare and eat food today. You will have to remember when going to the Renaissance Festival, that they ate different foods and in a much different way than we did today. There, generally, is no forks, knives, or spoons to be found. That is because at that time they were not used by many people. Quite often the foods that you will find can be eaten with your hands. So, you will find things like turkey legs, fried pickles, and chocolate covered bacon on a stick. While not true to the time on some of the things, they need to sell food that people want and like.

Games

Not only will you have a chance to see the “kingdom’s games,” you will have the opportunity to participate in many of them. Anything from ax throwing to archery and jousting. If you want to see how they passed the time in the 15^th century, don’t be afraid to partake in the fun.

Conclusion

Very few things are as fun to Brad Roemer Oakland as going to the local Ren Faire. So, look up some costumes and make plans to go yourself. You might even find that you are addicted as some of the staff are. It is a load of fun and it only comes around once a year. So, if you find that you like it after your first trip, make plans to go again in the future.

Introduction

Over the course of his life, Brad Roemer had been to his fair share of craft shows. Many times, when he goes, he sees when people make mistakes when trying to sell their goods. Over the course of this article, we are going to discuss the mistakes that can easily be avoided when simple research is conducted. Keep in mind that a lot of people make this mistake on a regular basis unknowingly. In the event that you take a look at the people that do the best at the craft show, you will find that they do not make these types of mistakes. These steps are therefore implemented in order to change the way one goes about processes as they will be beneficial in terms of the revenue.

Too Much Variety

The first thing we are going to discuss is the amount of product that you bring to the craft show. While you do want to make sure that your customers have enough to look at, you also do not want to have too much for them to look at. They are both equally off-putting to a potential customer. Think back to the last time you went to a craft show. If you saw a booth with too much or too little product, you likely just walked right past. In the case of having not enough, you can see everything from far away and then there is no need to look further. If you see too much, you think about all the time you are going to spend at the booth and then run the risk of not seeing the other booths. So, make sure you take enough product to look at, but not so much that you are driving your customers away. Besides, it makes it look like you are a jack of all trades and a master of none. Pick a niche and stick with it. The next show you can change what you bring.

Pricing

The next thing you are going to want to do is to make sure that you have enough pricing variety. If you go with only one price point, you will not allow your customers much leniency when it comes to making a purchase. So, when you are making items to sell at the craft show, make different varieties that cost different prices. This can be something as simple as size or the product you use to make it. Just make sure there is enough of a difference in the higher priced items to warrant the increased price.

Business Cards

It has been proven that only about 2% of your sales will come from a craft show. The whole point of a craft show it to do just that – show your crafts. If they have no way of getting in touch with you after the event, then you will not make further sales. To combat that, simply had out business cards. At the very least have a bunch of cards on the table for them to take.

Conclusion

Brad Roemer Oakland hopes that you have been informed of some of the common mistakes that he has seen at the number of craft shows that he has attended. He also hopes that you take these things to heart and make the appropriate changes.

Introduction

At Brad Roemer Real Estate, we need to get our orders as fast as we can. Sometimes it is for the office and other times it is for the place that we are showing. In either case, we need to get them as soon as humanly possible. For all of our retail shopping needs, we have found no better place to buy your stuff than from Amazon. Shopping from Amazon means you never have to leave the house for most anything you may need. If you make this your top shopping site, you are going to want to pick up Amazon Prime.

Possibilities of Prime

There is nothing worse than ordering something online and having to wait weeks for it to arrive. Enter Amazon Prime. They tout one of the fasting shipping times of any retailer out there right now. If you want more reasons than just fast shipping times, continue reading below.

1. Free Shipping – There are thousands of products all over Amazon Prime that carry the Amazon Prime seal. This not only means that you will get your package in two days, but you will also get it shipped for free. We like this because there is something disheartening about making your purchase only to find out it costs more to ship than the product was itself. If you are not in a hurry, you can opt for the no rush shipping and you will earn extra rewards on future purchases. The shipping will still be free, it will just take longer to get to your door.
2. Prime Videos – Along with your Amazon Prime membership, you will gain access to thousands of movies on Amazon Prime Video. This means that you will have the ability to cut out that Netflix account and still have access to a ton of content to watch. Unlike with Netflix, however, the movies on Prime Video are more up to date. So, you will not be stuck watching movies from 20 years ago and will even have access to some very current releases.
3. Twitch Prime – If you are into gaming, this might just put you over the edge. Again, when you sign up for an Amazon Prime account you will get access to this feature. Here, you can watch thousands of gamers from around the world. This may seem strange to some, but there is a large following of e-sports and this is the place that you can find them.
4. Prime Music – If two-day shipping, movies, and live streams wasn’t enough for you, this will definitely do it. With each Amazon Prime membership, you will have access to the thousands of songs on Prime Music. This means that you can cancel your Spotify membership.

Conclusion

Nowadays people are trying to cut the cord and cut their monthly expenses and Brad Roemer Real Estate knows this is a great way to do that. Amazon is always getting flak about raising their rates, but if the reports were honest, they would tell you how much more you are getting in return for that rate increase.

Introduction

Before you read one more word of this article, Brad Roemer would like to make sure that you are being kind to yourself and realize that everyone makes mistakes. That being said, you need to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to be as productive as possible. This will give you a better feeling at the end of the day. You may also actually look forward to going to work. It would help if you had a job that you loved but being productive can make things a little better. So, what does being productive actually mean? Being productive means that you are utilizing the time you have to the best of your ability. If you have any downtime, you are probably not being very productive. It is harder and harder to stay productive because of all the electronic stimulation that we have (read laptops, tablets, smartphone, etc.). It will take some time, but you can no doubt free yourself from the shackles of the digital age.

Being Productive

Being productive does not just apply to work, it also applies to doing things around the house. You know that you have a pile of laundry that needed to be done last week. If you are being totally honest, you already have plans on how you are going to skip out of it this weekend as well. Stop doing that! Take a look at the list below on how to become more productive in your everyday life.

1. To-Do List – If you don’t write it down you are probably going to forget. It is not like eating, drinking, or breathing. Our bodies tell us when we have to do those things. We are talking about things that you have to actually think about doing. This can be things as simple as doing that laundry that we talked about all the way to mowing the lawn. Anything that you need to get done, write it down and your chances of remembering will increase exponentially.
2. Set Goals – Don’t set large goals. When people do that, they usually fall short and then they get depressed about not achieving the goal. This will lead to an extended period of time of not trying to do it again. It is just like falling off a horse. If you do, make sure you get right back on and try it again. No one ever does anything perfectly the first time. Take it easy on yourself and try again tomorrow (or if you have time today).
3. Complete One Task at a Time – The best way to get nothing done is to have too many irons in the fire. You will partially complete a lot of things, but you need to see a project through to give yourself the inspiration to complete another task.

Conclusion

When the time comes to be productive, Brad Roemer hopes that you will remember the little things that he has reminded you of. You can do it if you continue to try. If don’t try anymore, then you will surely get nothing done. Make those mistakes, learn from them, and then try again. You will get it, we promise!

Introduction

If you are anything like Brad Roemer , you have a very hectic work day. This may lead to not having enough time to sit down and eat a proper meal. This would mean that many people opt to go the fast food route. After reading this article, we think you just might change your mind about that for good. In America, we are obsessed with instant gratification. We want to have that delicious meal, but we do not want to make it or even have to wait too long to eat it. Well, this could be due to the busy lives we lead as well, but none the less, we have fast food restaurants in spades. There are over 250 thousand fast food restaurants in the United States. There must be a reason for that. Well, we are not in a war on fast food, but we want to share with you some truths that you may not want to hear.

 

Brain Drain

While most people know that there is a lot of fat and sugar in the foods we eat at fast food chains, a lot of them do not know that it can have adverse effects on the human brain. In recent studies, chowing down on fast food on a regular basis means that you will be cutting the blood supply to your brain. Without blood to your brain, you may soon feel like you are an extra on The Walking Dead. This is not limited to any fast food restaurant, in particular, they are all guilty of it. Additionally, you can lump all fast food into this category, not just restaurants. If you have chips and soda, you can be producing the same results. We are not going to even mention the sugar crash associated with these foods either.

 

Fizzy Fecal Mater

You know how you go to a fast food restaurant and they give you the cup to make your own soda? While a lot of people think this is really a neat idea, not only are they outsourcing work to you, you might be getting a little more than you bargained for. When food servers handle any of the items they give to you, they must make certain that the food standards are adhered to. Well, that is not the case when you are dealing with the general public. In recent studies, they have found a high amount of fecal coliform in and around the soda dispensing station. This comes as a result of people not washing their hands after using the facilities. While fecal coliform cannot kill you, it might make you sick. This may leave even the least germ conscious among us not wanting to drink soda from a fast food restaurant ever again.

 

Conclusion

When you have a busy life like Brad Roemer it can be tempting to sneak in the occasional quick meal. Well, if you are getting more than you asked for that might not be as good a thing as it sounds. It really does not take that long to get up and make yourself a lunch that you can have during the day. Not only will it taste better, but it will be better for you and not have unhealthy side effects associated with it.

“I am simply not a morning person!” Have you heard that term before? Does it sound familiar to you? I have heard and even made that statement over and over and over again. When I find myself at school or at work at 7 or 8 in the morning and I am dozing off, I will convince myself that the fact that I only had about 3 hours of sleep last night has nothing to do with it but instead it is the fact that I am simply not a morning person . What does a morning person actually mean? Is it someone that has trouble waking up in the morning or someone that is not productive in the mornings? A morning person is usually someone who has a that of energy in the morning time but then looses that energy as the day progresses. Contrary to that, a night person will get the boost of energy at night but then crash in the morning time.

Fortunately, for those “night people,” there are jobs,  school schedules, and lifestyles all together to meet their individual needs. In general, it is important to ensure at all cost to at least maintain a 6 to 8 hour sleeping period at night or in the morning (whatever your schedule will happen to be) in order to be productive during the day. Realtors such as Brad Roemer would understand the importance of being consistent as slip-ups usually do occur during your day but when you get a better sleep they tend to be more productive during your day as your brain is also well rested.

Now, most days will not be the same, you may have a day where you were taking things slow and you may have a day where you were very busy and found yourself running around all day. In all, it is important to have a morning routine every morning in order to maintain consistency. Your morning routine does not actually begin in the morning time but it starts the night prior. Plan your day ahead of time so that you have an idea as to what you will be doing, where you will be going, who you will be meeting as well. That will give you a good idea as to how to choose your outfit for the following day, what to set aside in your purse or briefcase. The following day you will simply have to follow through with the plan that was put into place without worrying about the time and what you should be doing but is not doing at the moment. All you will need to do is to pull out your schedule and follow through with your day.

Now you are ready for your morning routine! Regardless about what you will be doing during the day and at what time you will be waking up it is highly recommended to first drink a cup of water when you step out of bed as your body went on for a long period of time without any liquids. Treat your body well, give it some liquids to receive a dose of hydration first thing in the morning. It is also important to eat your breakfast between within the first hour of the time you wake up to keep your body nourished as it went through the longest period of the day without any food either. Get ready by taking your shower, brushing your teeth and finally getting dressed. Some people like to workout in the mornings and some prefer working out I night. Chose what works best for you and what works best for your schedule but always ensure to give your body some exercise at least 5 times a day.

Are you tired of the day to day living when it comes to dragging yourself through the snow in order to get to work or school? Do you dream of taking a breath of (warm) fresh air, and of dropping everything and going to live in a sunny location? This article is definitely for you as it will give you all of the information that you need. Brad Roemer did it and has been living in sunny California for decades!! If he can do it, you can do it too. Do not limit yourself to the cold temperatures that you have to deal with on a regular basis.

How It All Began

In the movie “Overpriced”, with Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh, one of the characters ( who happens to be a very rich and prosperous businessman who goes down to a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur) says: “It has been three years since I have not seen the rain “.

This response got me into tears of laughter and especially provoked in me to reflect on my current situation and how long I planned on staying this way. I said to myself that he must be very rich to have the opportunity to live a life away from the rain or snow in the sun all year round.

The good news is that this is not the case: there is actually no need to be ridiculously wealthy in order to live in the sun. Just be smart and create something for yourself.

Today, I am anything but full of aces. I still have my regular day to day struggles and hard times. The good thing is that I created a way of life that allows me to travel permanently. In the event that I wish to seclude myself from the rain and snow, I can literally spend three to five years without evening seeing any traces of precipitation, provided I am at the right destination and at the right time.

How did I go about it? It’s simple on paper: I became nomadic, I travel according to my desires (and seasons, so: if the weather irritates me, I change locations all together).

 

First Step:  Be As Free As A Bird

A lot of people will say that becoming a nomad is not so easy: how do you work? Where do you end up living? How would it work altogether? If all of these questions are interesting to you, I invite you to read this long article, where I explain in more detail my background, and where I encourage you to do the same thing.

Basically, to get a better understanding of the foundations it is about having an independent job that does not require you to move around physically. You must avoid at all costs jobs where you will have to meet your customers face-to-face. The Internet is ideal for this: with a computer and a connection, you can do a lot of jobs without having to meet someone.

 

Second Step: Finding A Place To Live

You want to live in a location that is comfortable but yet affordable for you? I have excellent news for you: You can live anywhere on this planet! When you look well, there is at least half of the world where the weather is nice and warm all year round. So you are spoiled for choice as far as the destination is concerned.

That being said, I am well aware that the sun is not the only criterion for settling down: professional opportunities, the cost of living, ease of integration, are all other factors at least as important as the weather. With the innovation of Airbnb as well as hostels, it has opened up a variety of different location possibilities that you can explore at any time.

There are just some basic steps to finding your comfort zone in a new and sunny country

Regardless of how old you, where you come from or what experiences you have had in life communicating effectively is a skill that can very easily be discovered and implemented in one’s life. With a little confidence in yourself as well as some understanding of the basics when it comes to communication, Brad Roemer is convinced that anyone can project their message in a clear and concise manner to be understood and well respected.

 

There Is Always The Right Time For Everything

As the saying goes, there is a time for everything and communication is no exception. Avoid addressing important topics such as finances or weekly planning at the end of the day. Few people will be happy to solve major problems when they are prone to fatigue. Instead, treat these major topics in the morning or afternoon when people are alert, available, and more likely to be able to respond with clarity.

There Is Always The Right Place for Everything

Try at all cost to choose the right place when trying to bring up a conversation that is important to you. In the event that you have to announce bad news (such as a death or breakup), do not make such an announcement in a public area with colleagues or other people around you. Choosing the right place is very crucial as it brings value or diminishes the importance to what you will be saying. Be respectful and attentive to the person that you are announcing and communicating privately to. This will also give you the opportunity to have a dialogue with the person about the communicated factor whiles ensuring that the exchange takes place in a proper manner.
If you are performing in front of a group of people, be sure to check the sound systems in advance and practice speaking clearly and concisely. Use a microphone if necessary to make sure your audience can hear you.

Try at all cost to choose the right place when trying to bring up a conversation that is important to you. In the event that you have to announce bad news (such as a death or breakup), do not make such an announcement in a public area with colleagues or other people around you. Choosing the right place is very crucial as it brings value or diminishes the importance to what you will be saying. Be respectful and attentive to the person that you are announcing and communicating privately to. This will also give you the opportunity to have a dialogue with the person about the communicated factor whiles ensuring that the exchange takes place in a proper manner.
If you are performing in front of a group of people, be sure to check the sound systems in advance and practice speaking clearly and concisely. Use a microphone if necessary to make sure your audience can hear you.

There Is Always The Right Way To Say Everything

The timing is right and the location is right as well. All that is left is for your message to be projected in a clear and concise manner. First, you have to know what it is that you are trying to say; let the message be clearly structured and organized in your mind. This process should be completed before you even attempt to express the idea(s). In the event that the topic is very important to you and brings up a lot of passion and emotion, it would be even more important to structure what you will be saying as the emotions may destabilize you and prevent you from saying everything that you want to actually say.
A good general rule is to choose three main points and keep your communication focused on it. In this way, if the subject deviates, you will be able to return to one or more of these three key points without feeling overwhelmed and sidetracked. Writing down these key points (if appropriate) can also help as some people are more visual and need to reference their speech.

 

These three important steps will get you on your way to speaking effectively when infront of people. Everyone happens to be shy at times but if it was able to work with Brad it can work with anyone as he also had some issues with speach that he quickly got over with these steps.

The Past

In days gone by, people used to gather around the dinner table and shut off the television and all electronic distractions. In fact, when Brad Roemer was younger they did not even answer the telephone when it rang. Mind you, this was in the days before call waiting, caller ID, and answering machines.  When the phone would go unanswered during dinner, you had no idea who was actually calling, and you would have to call all of your friends to see who called you, but we digress. Breakfast is always said to be the most important meal of the day, but dinner has its claim to fame too. Dinner is the meal that gets people together and having a family dinner really warms the heart (and stomach, literally). How can we get back to having family dinners and stop the digression of the family unit? We have some ideas that Brad gave us.

 

Logistical Nightmare

In a recent study, 80% of people surveyed stated that the main reason for not having a family sit down dinner was due to not being able to plan it around the family schedules. For example, the kids get home between 4 to 4:30 pm, Mom gets home around 5:45 pm and Dad does not get home until just before 7:00 pm. While it may seem that dinner could just be planned for the minute that Dad gets home, we forgot about one important factor – afterschool activities (e.g. band, cheerleading, soccer, etc.). This is where the logistical nightmare starts. The family has to eat when they can and therefore no longer has the ability to sit down as a unit and eat dinner. There is a solution, though.

 

Moving Forward

It would be too much to say, skip the extracurricular activities or dinner all together. Perhaps we do not have to have every dinner together at the same time. Maybe ordering out might help. The microwave has been saving people time for years now, but is it relevant for us today? The answer is all and none of the above. There is, however, the possibility for compromise. Let us consider the possibility to get the family dinner back, by taking baby steps. So, this Saturday, Brad Roemer suggests you have a family dinner. If you cannot do it on Saturday due to work schedule, do it on a night that no one in the family has things to do. Essentially, start with one night and start from there. Remember, Rome was not built in one day, and neither will having regular family dinners be that easy.

 

Importance

Sitting down for a family dinner, as Brad did in his younger years, is very important for the family. It keeps the parents and the children in good communication. Communication between family members is mentally satisfying. It creates stronger bonds and allows kids the ability to learn both good manners and emotional regulation. So, when you do get a chance to have that dinner, sit the family down, turn off the television, do not answer the telephone (at least these days you will know who you have to call back), and have a healthy dinner with the family!