LIST Birmingham March 2019

LIST Birmingham March 2019

MARCH 2019

MELVIN’ S MONTHLY MOMENTS

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THE IDEAL TIME OF YEAR TO BUY AND SELL

Don’t Look Now, Your Best Opportunities Start Today

As if you needed another reason to love springtime in our area, you may be surprised to know that spring is hands down the best time to put your house on the market. With the winter chill letting up and the grueling heat not quite settling in yet, it’s the perfect time of year to make those much- needed changes before your summer gets into full swing. You’d be hard pressed to find better deals on the market than during this unique window of opportunity. Birmingham is a city people want to start a life in, and we’ve got plenty of life to give. After years of providing our services to the Birmingham market, we’ve found that most buyers tend to enter the market in the delicate window between February and May. You typically see the highest yield right after Super Bowl Sunday, but there’s no better time than right now. It’s during this compact time of the year that you’re most likely to hit the largest buyer pool. After that, the buyers seem to trickle in slowly during the offseason. If you wait until July and put off the easy process of listing — and we do make it easy — then you’ll likely have to settle for a lesser return. It boils down to supply and demand, but there’s a few main reasons for the influx in sales this time of year. Simply put, our area’s sales revolve around three things: the school year, family life, and the medical profession, particularly UAB. With school years ending, summertime provides ample opportunities for families to make their moves both in and out of the city. That’s just the natural flow of things. Once a family puts their house on the market, it’s bound to get snatched up almost immediately, especially if it’s within a good commuting distance to downtown Birmingham. “Birmingham is a city people want to start a life in, and we’ve got plenty of life to give.”

Families want a place they can call home. They want a place they can cultivate and better their lives in while not having to worry about spending their days wasting away in traffic.

Then you have the medical profession. The medical industry is the largest employer in Birmingham, and three of the top 10 employers are hospitals, with UAB at No. 1, Baptist Health System at

No. 3, and Children’s Health Center at No. 8. Residents typically get placed for employment contracts around March 15 every year, which further increases the demand and frenzy during the spring months. The better the location, the less you have to worry about this sort of thing, but I’d be willing to bet that you’re still missing out on thousands of dollars by not following the seasonal trends of migration into our city. The good news is that it’s never too late. With LIST Birmingham, you can make every season feel like your season with an easy-to-use process of buying and selling that allows you to take control of your real estate destiny. No matter what your reason is for being here, just know you’re in the right hands.

-Melvin Upchurch

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3 Ways to Honor International Women’s Day

On March 8, people around the world will honor International Women’s Day. Adopted by the United Nations in 1975, the holiday is meant to highlight the immeasurable accomplishments of women throughout history and draw attention to the ongoing struggle for global gender equality. International Women’s Day is celebrated differently around the world. Some nations, like Nepal, give all their citizens the day off. Most countries, however, including the United States, treat it as a normal day, at least officially. Even though we don’t have the day off, there are many ways for everyone to honor International Women’s Day this year. Here are a few of them.

Spring is in the air, and it’s time to celebrate with another round of spring- cleaning. Banish the clutter and make room in your life for something new! Many charities see a sharp increase in donations as spring-cleaning season starts. Donating your used books, kids’ toys, and gently worn clothing allows your old items to have a second life. However, when filling that donation box, make sure you’re donating each item because it can do good and not just because you feel bad about throwing it away. Charities have a big problem with well-meaning citizens dropping off items that are better left in the trash. There are many items charities simply cannot handle. Most charities will have lists of items they can and cannot accept on their websites. Some items that you should not donate include: DONATE WITH CARE The Right Way to Donate After Spring-Cleaning

Talk About theWomenWho Inspire You

From major innovators, like Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, to megalithic literary icons, like Maya Angelou, women throughout history have shaped how we live our lives. Whether you’re inspired by famous historical figures or the women in your own life, take the time to talk about that influence. Which women helped get you where you are today? What female leaders do you look up to? What are some lessons you’ve learned from them?

Make Room for Conversation in theWorkplace

Many of the challenges women face globally happen in the workplace. If you think your company has room for improvement in its treatment of women, now is a great time to do something about it. Even if you believe your company treats women and men equally, there’s no harm in empowering your colleagues to talk to give their opinions. If you’re an employer, this could mean giving women in your workplace an avenue to discuss issues, air grievances, and make suggestions. If you’re an employee, consider asking for such a forum. In either case, providing both public and anonymous avenues for women to express themselves is a great way for your company to take a step forward in fostering gender equality.

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Expired medications

Old TVs

Cribs

Loose remote controls

Personal care items, like soap, shampoo, or makeup

Mattresses

Join the Conversation

Carpets

Tangled cords or phone chargers Any broken, damaged, or dirty items

Regardless of your gender, March 8 is the perfect time to tune in to the larger conversation surrounding gender

These items may be unsafe to sell, costly to ship, or impossible to refurbish effectively. When a charity regularly receives items they cannot use, they have to spend hours of manpower sorting through things that end up in the trash anyway. This process can be expensive for organizations with already-strained resources. Some local charities spend over $1,000 a year on dumpster and trash removal fees for unusable donations. While charities will have no choice but to throw unusable donations in the trash, there are services you can use to make your spring- cleaning eco-friendly, even for items you can’t donate. For example, if you have torn or stained blue jeans, reach out to Blue Jeans Go Green. This program keeps denim out of landfills by turning it into insulation. And while Goodwill can’t take your batteries or old flip phone, you can check out Call2Recycle.org to learn how to safely recycle your e-waste.

inequality, if you haven’t already. This could mean attending meetings or demonstrations in your town, reading works that capture the female struggle for equality, such as Roxane Gay’s “Difficult Women,” or seeking out blogs and social media accounts from gender equality activists online. International Women’s Day is about appreciating the contributions of women to society and envisioning a more equal world for the future.

However you decide to celebrate women this March, keep in mind that no matter who you are or where you come from, we all have the

Your donations can be a big help to local charities. Just don’t “donate” your garbage.

power to change our world for the better.

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LLAMAS, PIGS, AND HORSES … OH, MY!

3 Unique Therapy Animals Everyone has heard of therapy dogs and cats, but did you know virtually any critter can be a therapy or support animal? Therapy animals help humans cope with PTSD, anxiety, depression, injury, high blood pressure, and chronic pain, as well as a wide range of other conditions and difficulties. Therapy animals range from guinea pigs that can fit in a purse to dolphins that swim with amputees. Here are three unique companions who make a difference in the lives of people who need them.

beneath his desk to pet Buttercup. Afterward,

Rojo the Llama

the child spoke to the class for the first time. “It was a remarkable breakthrough,” says Brady.

Mountain Peaks Therapy Llamas and Alpacas in Portland, Oregon, has conducted over 1,500 visits during the last decade and helps over 10,000 people each year. Their star llama, Rojo, is one of just 14 llamas registered as a therapy animal in the United States. Rojo’s exceptionally gentle temperament is calming to everyone who meets him. He’s so well-loved and has become such a big deal that he has his own Facebook page and two children’s books!

Rocky the Miniature Horse

Buttercup the Pot-Bellied Pig

At just 32 inches high and 325 pounds, Rocky packs a lot of cuteness into one small package. He’s not a pony but rather a breed of miniature horse historically used in coal mines in the 17th century. His specialty is working with retired veterans at the VA Community Living Center in Phoenix, Arizona, where the residents know him and look forward to his visits. For some, Rocky’s visits are bittersweet. “I wish I could have had more time to spend with horses,” says one veteran as he scratches Rocky’s ears. “There’s something calming about them.”

Lois Brady, a speech pathologist who works with special needs students in San Francisco, has a secret weapon in her arsenal: Buttercup, her black, 70-pound Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. His docile nature makes him the perfect companion for autistic children, who are often easily startled. Because Buttercup is an unusual sight in classrooms, children find him fascinating. In 2017, an autistic student who had never spoken to his classmates before felt compelled to crawl out from

Everything Popcorn

TAKE A BREAK

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine.

Ingredients

• • • •

3/4 cup popcorn kernels 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds

• • • •

2 teaspoons granulated garlic 2 teaspoons granulated onion

1/3 cup canola oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds. Shake skillet often and cook until white seeds are golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and add garlic, onion, and salt. In a large saucepan, combine popcorn kernels and oil. Cook over medium-

high heat, covered, until popcorn kernels start to pop. Once popping, continue cooking and shaking the pan intermittently until popping ceases, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer popcorn to a large mixing bowl. Pour in butter and toss to coat. Finally, add seasoning, toss again, and serve.

Solution on page 4

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INSIDE 1

The Ideal Time of Year to Buy and Sell

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Why Charities Hate Spring-Cleaning 3 Ways to Honor International Women’s Day Llamas, Pigs, and Horses … Oh, My! Everything Popcorn

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Family Activities for St. Patrick’s Day

CELEBRATING ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Family-Friendly Activities

Exploring Irish Culture

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to mean heading to the local Irish bar and drinking a large green beverage. If you’re not interested in going out this year and would prefer to do something at home with the family, here are a few ways everyone can celebrate.

Another way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your family is to sit down and read about Irish culture with your kids. Learn where the legend of the leprechaun came fromor read other stories from Irish folklore. You can also watch videos of Irish dance performances and encourage the kids tomake their own. There’s also fascinating history on St. Patrick and why he became the patron of the holiday that your family members can research together. If you have Irish roots, tell your kids about your heritage.

Irish-Themed Food

Watch Irish Movies

What better way to get festive than by making some St. Patrick’s Day-themed dishes? You can make rainbow cupcakes, green cookies, St. Patrick’s Day popcorn, or — for a more traditional

For a relaxing activity, settle down in front of the TV for a movie night filled with films related to Irish culture. Try “The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns,”“Song of the Sea,”“The Luck of the Irish,” or “The Secret of Kells.”

dish — Irish soda bread. You can also cook up an array of greens for dinner on March 17, which could include Brussels sprouts, spinach, cucumbers, green beans, peas, or asparagus.

Make an Impact

Teach your kids how to be “greener” this month by doing more for the environment. Discuss ways to save energy and water in the home, and talk about the importance of taking a break from electronics and enjoying the outdoors. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but it’s a good start to get your family to create new ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. You might even create family traditions that will last for years to come.

A Mischievous Leprechaun

To treat your kids to a fun game, leave green footprints around the house and participate in impish tricks! Empty a tissue box, hide the remote, swap out regular light bulbs with green ones, or draw rainbows on the windows. You’re only limited by your imagination.

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