FEBRUARY 2019
MELVIN’ S MONTHLY MOMENTS
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A NEW TONE IN SELLING A HOME
Trimming the Fat and Maximizing the Profits
S elling a home can be one of the life’s greatest frustrations. You worked hard to build equity in your home. You maintained it, cared for it, updat- ed it, and lived your life in it. Then, in order to sell it, you see a huge por- tion of that work go into real estate commissions. I’ve dedicated the past five years of my life to simplifying the home-buying and home-selling experience while leveling the playing field. My aim is to eradicate a significant part of that pain with our flat fee listing service. My heart wasn’t always invested in real estate, but it was always invested in the thrill of turning something mundane into something special. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in accounting from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, I began my working life as a CPA. Always a man of numbers, I broke into the world of banking and finance, moving my way up the corporate ladder to become Chief Financial Officer of a local bank. By 1997, I’d decided I’d had enough of the corporate world and set out to pour my energies into a different kind of career: Investing. That’s when, alongside my talented wife, Jill, we flipped our first house. That turn of events would ultimately lead us to flipping over 150 houses. Along the way, I figured out that obtaining a real estate and home builders’ license would make handling my investments that must easier, but little did I know how far that rabbit hole would go. About six years ago, before the real estate market had enough time to fully recover, a business partner and I formed an online real estate company to help sellers save on commissions in order to recover some of the equity they’d lost in the market crash. While that venture did experience some modest success, I am most thankful for it because it led to me forming LIST Birmingham with another partner. Our solu- tion to people’s real estate woes was simple: Why not start a business in which we charge the absolute minimum listing fee in order to maximize the seller’s profit? Fast forward to today, and our average client saves around $8,000 in commissions on the sale of their home.
agents shouldn’t in good conscience charge the same exorbitant commissions they were
when they did the actual leg work. Home buying has gone almost exclusively digital now. By offering a flat rate service
to all our potential clients, we can build
them up while doing an honorable service for the members of the community we love so much. Pricing deserves to be fair. If our jobs are getting easier, then it should be easier on your wallet too.
For over 20 years, I have enjoyed great success as a real estate entrepreneur by focusing on relationships and personal referrals from clients and friends. We’ve become something of a family. By bringing together a powerful financial and technical background to serve the needs of my clients, we are cutting out unnecessary steps in the home-buying and-selling process and replacing them with more cash in your pocket when it’s all said and done. I take great pride in showing people just how much good our company can do for them, and with over 625 homes sold and around $5,000,000 in saved commissions for the community, you’d be hard pressed to find a better avenue to your new comfort zone.
What drove this seemingly counterintuitive business plan was a simple chang- ing of the times. With advances in automation and technology, real estate
-Melvin Upchurch
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Family game night is a time when a family can forget about all of life’s commitments and bond over a good old-fashioned board game. But the old, tattered Monopoly box or worn-out UNO cards can leave something to be desired, and the classics might be getting a little dull. If you’re tired of playing the same board games over and over, it might be time to start looking for ways to change things up. Here are four tabletop games you might not have heard of that are perfect for spicing up family game night. Your family will love delving into this cooperative murder mystery game that is a mixture of Clue and Dixit. You can play as the ghost or as one of the mediums who enters the haunting. The ghost player gives each medium a clue or vision about a potential murderer, and the mediums have to guess which person, room, or weapon was used to murder the ghost player. After each turn, the ghost reveals whether each of the mediums’ guesses are right or not. If all of the mediums succeed in guessing correctly by the seventh in-game hour, they work together to find the true murderer. Mysterium FAMILY GAME NIGHT Break the Monotony of Overplayed Board Games!
What You Didn’t Know About Chocolate Fun Facts to Wow Your Loved Ones This Valentine’s Day
Laser Chess
Chocolate is a treat savored by people all over the world. What we know as the sweet, creamy decadence that sustains Valentine’s Day actually has greater historical and cultural significance. Fermented chocolate drinks have been dated back to as early as 350 B.C. The Aztecs believed it was the beverage of wisdom, and the Mayans saw it as something to be worshipped. While the history of chocolate is as rich as its flavor, there are some common misconceptions about the treat. Dutch chocolate doesn’t necessarily refer to chocolate made in the Netherlands; the name refers to a specific chocolate-making process that uses the cocoa press. Before Dutch chemist and chocolate-maker C.J. van Houten invented the machine in 1828, chocolate was only used in beverages. Dutch chocolate is chocolate that has been modified with an alkalizing agent in order to produce a milder flavor, making it a fantastic option for use in baked goods, candy, and ice cream. German chocolate actually has nothing to do with the country of Germany, either. It used to be called “German’s chocolate,” named after its inventor, Sam German, an American who made sweet chocolate for baking. Adding sugar to the chocolate made it a go-to option for bakers around the world, and the base for German chocolate cake was born. For chocolate to be classified as Swiss, it has to be made in Switzerland, as chocolate-making is considered an art form in the country. Known for its “melt in your mouth” quality, Swiss chocolate uses condensed milk to add a velvety texture. Many chocolate makers outside of Switzerland will refer to their interpretations of Swiss chocolate as milk chocolate instead.
A classic game of chess is a great way to spend an evening, and it just got a little more interesting. Laser chess includes all the problem-solving skills a typical chess game offers but with a twist. At the end of each turn, a player fires a small laser beam that bounces off the mirrored chess pieces. If it hits the non-mirrored surface of a piece, that piece is taken by the player. A player wins when the opposing player’s king piece is illuminated.
Catan
Welcome to the island of Catan! After a long voyage at sea, the people in your expedition compete against other seafarers in building settlements. Enjoy the 45–90-minute game as you and your family build roads, barter resources, and race for absolute supremacy on Catan.
One NightWerewolf
Every night, werewolves prowl around the village, and it’s up to the villagers to find the werewolf once the sun rises — before it’s too late. Each person plays a unique role with different abilities to help find or conceal the werewolf. If the werewolf is caught, the villagers win the game, but if the werewolf manages to escape, the villagers lose.
Now you can bring some exciting variety into your family game nights. Don’t miss out on these excellent
tabletop games, and most importantly, have fun!
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COUPLES WHO SWEAT TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER
Why You Should Exercise With Your Significant Other Each Valentine’s Day, people all over the world rush to the store to buy chocolates and all the ingredients necessary to whip up a romantic dinner for two. Unfortunately, these calorie-laden holiday traditions can undermine the fitness resolutions you made just six weeks before. Instead of throwing your goals by the wayside this February, why not make fitness a couples activity? The National Library of Medicine published a study showing that couples who focused on their health together went to the gym more often and reported feeling more connected in their relationship. These findings were corroborated by a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Scientists claimed that partners who exercised together reported higher levels of happiness and satisfaction in their relationship. If you and your sweetheart are looking for a romantic way to burn some calories this month, here are some great workout ideas for two.
Go for a Run!
If the weather is nice, the two of you can lace up and hit the pavement
together. You could even make a couples playlist to listen to as you run. If the cold temperatures
are preventing you from enjoying the great outdoors, head to the gym and challenge each other on side-by-side treadmills.
Play Catch!
Try Some Rock Climbing!
Grab a medicine ball and do some overhead passes, feet-to-feet situp passes, and back-to-back twists with each other. All of these easy at-home workouts help build a solid core.
This is a great way to get a good workout while simultaneously building trust with your partner. Most rock-climbing gyms offer classes in belaying, and staff members can give you tips to improve your form. Sign up to work with an instructor and test your personal limits together.
VALENTINE’S DAY COOKIE CARDS
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine.
Ingredients
• • • •
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• • •
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Royal icing, sprinkles, and edible markers, for decorating
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
1.
Heat oven to 375 F.
4.
Carefully roll dough into a sheet 1/16- inch thick and cut into 4x6-inch cards. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake cookie cards for 6 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cookies cool completely, decorate, and distribute.
2.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour with sugar and salt. Add butter and combine using a mixer at low speed, until butter breaks down into small, crumbly pieces. Increase mixing speed to medium and mix until butter and flour clump. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract to bowl, return mixer to low, and mix until dough congeals.
5.
6.
Solution on page 4
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INSIDE 1
My Journey in Real Estate
2
All About Chocolate Bring Variety to Family Game Night
3
Couples Who Sweat Together Stay Together Valentine’s Cookie Cards
4
The Most Iconic Super Bowl in NFL History
One for the Ages
How Super Bowl XXXIV Made an Icon Out of a Grocery Store Clerk Going into the 1999 NFL season, no one expected anything from the St. Louis Rams. When starting After going up 16–0 against the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, Warner and the Rams looked poised to coast on their way to the Lombardi Trophy, but the late Steve McNair and the Titans had different plans. The Georgia Dome was rocking after two Eddie George touchdown runs, and a field goal brought the Titans level at 16–16, with just over two minutes of play remaining. In response, Warner dropped back and found receiver Isaac Bruce for a 73-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 23–16 with 1:54 left on the clock. But the Titans weren’t done fighting. quarterback Trent Green went down with a gruesome knee injury in the preseason, ESPN The Magazine slated the Rams to be the worst team in the NFL that year. With
few options, coach Vermeil named a virtually unknown player as his new starting quarterback, humbly stating in a press conference, “We will rally around Kurt
Quickly moving the ball down the field, Titans quarterback Steve McNair found himself with a third and 5 inside the Rams 30-yard line with 22 seconds left. Scrambling around and fighting off two players trying to pull him down, McNair threw the ball to Kevin Dyson at the 10-yard line. A quick timeout left six seconds on the clock, and the Titans were one play away from tying the game. What proceeded was a play that will be forever known as “the tackle.” McNair found Dyson on a quick slant, and when he caught the ball at the 4-yard line, it appeared a touchdown was imminent. Suddenly, linebacker Mike Jones wrapped the receiver up at the hips. As he fell to the ground with the ball in his hand, Dyson extended his arm, but when he hit the AstroTurf, he was 1 yard short of the goal line. The Rams had pulled off the impossible, earning their first Super Bowl title ever.
Warner, and we’ll play good football.”
Five years before his start, 22-year-old Kurt Warner was stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for $5.50 an hour. However, he had amassed a whopping 16 snaps in the NFL prior to taking the reins for the 1999 season, and what proceeded to transpire on the field was utter pandemonium, giving the Rams the nickname “The Greatest Show on Turf.” This improbable season and the resulting MVP award for Warner set the stage for one of the most dramatic games in Super Bowl history.
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