Check out our December newsletter!
DECEMBER 2024
ME LV I N ’ S MON T H LY MOMENT S
205-223-6192 www.MelvinUpchurchSells.com
Most companies have a mission statement that outlines the company’s aims, values, and objectives. These statements are like a compass for management and employees to rely on to ensure they are always headed in the right direction. THE MISSION OF A BUSINESS
The following are nine mission statements from popular companies:
Walmart: Save Money, Live Better. Amazon: To be Earth’s most customer-centric company. Neiman Marcus: To provide luxury retail experiences that exceed customer expectations. Aldi: To save people money on the food and products they want most. Publix: To be the world’s top-quality food retailer. McDonald’s: To make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone. Chick-fil-A: To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A. Apple: To demonstrate that businesses can be a force for good by innovating, collaborating, and serving others. Google: To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. In reality, the goal for all of these businesses is to make as much profit as possible. The goal of their customers is to get the best value possible. That includes Neiman Marcus if you are seeking a luxury retail experience.
Easy. While our competitors measure success by brick-and-mortar locations and how many agents they can hire and train, we focus on one thing: Maximizing technology to efficiently assist our clients in buying or selling homes with a laser focus on the highest standards of professional service. Have I accomplished my stated mission? In the past 10 years, I personally have assisted over 800 people in buying or selling a home. My typical 2024 seller saved over $10,000 in commissions. How about my service? I have over 400 five-star Zillow and Google Reviews from very happy customers. Mission definitely accomplished! One of our primary challenges is to educate the public on the importance of looking at buying or selling a home as a business decision and not as an opportunity for a friend with a real estate license to make some money. We have spent 10 years perfecting our listing model. In 2025, my plan is to take it to the next level. Stay tuned for seismic changes in the coming year.
What about real estate agent companies? Real estate companies fall into a mix of the following;
1. Relationships: The mission of the brokerage is to have agents utilize their personal relationships to attract buyers and sellers. Most people know eight real estate agents, and they are usually going to pick an agent with whom they have the best relationship (or they will pick the one they least want to offend by not using). 2. National Franchises: Their mission is to hire as many agents as possible. They offer training and want to encourage as many people as possible to obtain a license. Each location’s performance is literally tied to how many agents they can hire per month. They are volume agent-driven, with the idea that most agents will not make it, but if you hire enough, some percentage will be good producers. Naturally, this is not how either type of company would portray itself to the public. But the bottom line is that most real estate companies are in the “real estate agent” business. We started LIST Birmingham to be an alternative to the existing models and to provide a unique selling proposition . Our mission is summarized here: To change the dynamic in residential real estate by helping sellers maximize their bottom line while experiencing superior customer service and providing buyers the ideal experience in the purchase of their home. Our model sounds like a contradiction. How can you help sellers maximize their bottom line and have superior customer service?
To you and yours, Happy Holidays!
–Melvin Upchurch
• 1 www.MelvinUpchurchSells.com
Warm Up Your Winter Essential Tips for Winterizing Your Home Like a Pro
With winter comes the onslaught of cold temperatures and snowy conditions. Thankfully, we can escape the frigid temperatures in the comfort of our warm and insulated homes. However, not all homes have the proper protections to keep occupants warm once temperatures drop. Maybe you’ve experienced this before: You crank your thermostat and light a fire in the fireplace, only for the cold to seep through your home’s cracks. Nobody wants to feel uncomfortable in their homes, but it’s not always obvious how to offset winter weather. Here are four ways to winterize your home and keep the cold at bay. Seal drafty windows and exterior doors. Have you ever walked through your home and noticed a cold spot? It’s likely coming from one of your windows or doors. As the weather cools down, walk around your house looking for visible gaps around your windows and doors. If it’s windy, you may even feel the cold air rushing into your home. A U.S. Department of Energy study found that windows are responsible for 30% of heating and cooling energy losses, so this is probably the best place to start when winterizing your home. If you find a drafty door or window, you need to seal the gaps. There are a few different ways to do this, and you can pick up the items you need from any home improvement store. You could apply weatherstripping, an adhesive-backed foam strip that blocks gaps around your windows and doors. Weatherstripping is also great for keeping out bugs and moisture once the weather starts to warm up. Another option is to install door sweeps at the bottom of any exterior doors in your home, as they will also help keep cold air out and warm air in. If your windows are really drafty, apply a window film or insulation kit to keep the cold air out.
“By taking the proper precautions, you can make sure your home stays at a comfortable temperature all year long!”
Switch the flow of your ceiling fan. You might think your ceiling fan’s primary purpose is to provide airflow and keep the house cooler in the summer, but it can be useful in the winter, too. Most ceiling fans have a reverse switch that allows you to change the direction the blades rotate. By switching to the clockwise setting, you’ll create an updraft, pushing warm air down from the ceiling to the floor. While this won’t be a groundbreaking change, it should keep the room a couple of degrees warmer. Consider updating your insulation. When was the insulation installed in your home? Depending on the type of insulation used, you may be due for an upgrade. Fiberglass insulation lasts around 15 years on average but can have a 20–30 year lifespan. Cellulose materials can start degrading after 15 years, but if installed properly, they can last up to 30. Spray foam, wool insulation, and foam board insulation can all last up to a century, but you might not know when the insulation was installed. If this is your situation, consider replacing your insulation if your top floor is freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer, your energy bills keep increasing, or you have unwanted “house guests.” While you can complete some insulation projects on your own, anything significant should be left to the professionals. Be smart about your heating efforts. Many things are in your control to keep your house warm. You can open the windows when the sun is shining, close off rooms your family isn’t actively using, and keep up with regular HVAC maintenance by changing furnace filters when necessary and cleaning vents and registers. If you’re having issues with your HVAC unit, don’t try to fix it yourself; call an expert to get the full scope of what needs to be done. Don’t let cold temperatures bring you down this winter. By taking the proper precautions, you can make sure your home stays at a comfortable temperature all year long!
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THINK OUTSIDE THE GIFT BOX
Start a New Tradition This Christmas
Refill the box with different versions of these items every year.
Christmas is built on tradition. Many families celebrate the holiday by waking up bright and early to open presents, attending church, having a delicious meal, and closing the day with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Elf,” or another Christmas classic. Some families have been doing this for so long that they’re starting to look for new traditions to throw into the mix to spice up the season a little more. There are plenty of ways to change your holiday traditions without losing the meaning of the season! You could go caroling or try out a white elephant gift exchange with the entire family. If you’re looking for something unique, try one of the following activities this year. The Christmas Box One of the most exciting parts of Christmas is when everyone gathers to open gifts. The Christmas box gives you an opportunity
You can also do this with your friends in place of a Secret Santa gift exchange. Set a budget and draw names to determine whom each person will give their box to. From there, you go to local garage sales, dollar stores, and thrift shops to fill the box with things the person will like. A Reminder of Past Christmases Do you buy a real tree every Christmas? Most of us bring our old trees out to the curb when the holiday passes. Before you do so, cut off the very bottom of the tree trunk. Write the date on it and include any extra information you want, such as a child’s or pet’s first Christmas. After a few years, you’ll have a collection of tree trunk rounds that help you reminisce about one of the happiest days of the year and all the memories you made.
to create a new tradition around gift-giving. Fill a medium- or large-size gift box with smaller items you like to give each year. You can stuff it with Christmas pajamas, mugs, books, movies, and other small gifts you know your family or friends will love.
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by TheModernProper.com
Ingredients
• 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 cup milk • 2 cups chicken stock • 2 cups peas • 4 cups cooked chicken • 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed • 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter • 1 cup chopped onion • 1 cup sliced celery • 2 cups sliced carrots • 1/2 cup flour • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp pepper • 1/2 tsp celery seed
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. In 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes. 3. Add flour, salt, pepper, celery seed, and garlic powder to pan and stir. Sauté for 2 minutes. Slowly incorporate milk. 4. Add stock and bring to a simmer, whisking until mixture thickens. Add peas and chicken. 5. Roll out pastry sheet into 16-inch square on floured surface. Cut into 3-inch squares and place overlapping onto chicken mixture. 6. In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 tbsp water. Brush egg over pastry and place in oven for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
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205-223-6192 www.MelvinUpchurchSells.com 300 UNION HILL DR., STE. 200 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
INSIDE
1
The Mission of a Business
2
Smart Strategies to Keep Your Home Warm and Snug
3
Fresh Traditions to Make Your Holiday Sparkle
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
4
Make a Tiny Room Feel Surprisingly Spacious
DESIGN HACKS TO MAKE ANY ROOM FEEL LARGER Create the Illusion of Space
Low Furniture Clear sightlines are essential if you want your space to feel bigger. To preserve sightlines, purchase coffee tables, couches, and other pieces of furniture that are low to the ground.
Does your living space ever feel tight or cramped? Do you wish your home felt bigger, but your floor plan limits your space? Don’t stress! Here are some simple design hacks you can implement to make any space feel larger.
Soft Lighting While your chandelier or ceiling fan might make the room brighter, it also creates shadows that can make it feel smaller. Lamps and other forms of soft lighting can draw attention to certain aspects of the room, making it feel bigger. Keep It Clean Don’t let unnecessary items clutter your countertops and tables. Put everything away in drawers and cabinets to keep your space clean and clear.
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