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Purchasing Model Homes: What's The Advantage?

2022-Jan-02

Whew! When it comes to homebuying, where do I start? It is a very tedious, yet rewarding process if you hang on and tackle the low blows and high punches that comes along with it. Then one must ask, do I want to move into a dwelling that has already been built, can I afford having a house built from the ground up, what are the advantages to purchasing a model home? The answers to these questions are all determined upon 3 things: finances, location, and patience.

I have lived in several homes, and I am certainly researching into the lenses of purchasing a model home as my next dwelling. But why a model home? Well, there are many perks to purchasing a model home, which I will share with you. 1st, model homes are the demos that showcase the builder's style and structure. It gives the prospective client an opportunity to see how this builder compares to other competitors, in the areas of functionality, construction, style, layout, and design. Model homes usually come with the bells and whistles when they're being constructed. That could possibly mean extra square footage in high-traffic areas, state-of-the-art appliances, granite/marble countertops or flooring, or even a larger backyard. Any or all of these amenities are possible.

2ndly, model homes may be less expensive, considering they are older than the newer homes being built in the neighborhood, resulting in them being several years older. This is an excellent way to negotiate the price with the builder, especially if you have a top-notch real estate agent, who can get the job done...at a nice price!

3rdly, model homes come with model furniture! The level of décor found in many homes can range from traditional, contemporary, rustic, to exquisite. It's like walking into the pages of a virtual Better Homes and Gardens magazine, filled with furniture from Z Gallerie. Simply breathtaking. This would certainly be a profitable conversation to have with the builder, as you can discard older furniture, for newer furniture, and not have to worry about an additional bill to pay, in addition to the purchase of the home.

4thly, model homes are up and ready to go! No need in waiting on the weather to clear, or the availability of construction materials, or random building hiatuses. The house is standing and ready to be sold. Being that model homes are usually built rather quickly, I would also inquire to see how long it took for the builder to construct home. This is an important piece to the purchasing puzzle because I am unsure of many people who would be satisfied with someone providing a rush-job service, with no quality, or reliability.

Now, there are always two sides to a (fair) coin, so just like there are advantages, there are also disadvantages to the purchase of a model home. You have to consider the sturdiness of the home, hidden construction flaws, and the timing and expiration of warranties (7 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Model Home, 2018).

Another disadvantage is the loss of "new home discounts". Since the house would considered to be "used", you will not be able to enjoy this benefit. Also, since model homes are generally towards the front of a subdivision, intense neighborhood traffic is possible as well (Roberts-Grey, 2021). Often times, model homes are built for show and not durability, with flashy looks over value and quality (Roberts-Grey, 2021).

With model homes, remember this one thing, "everything is negotiable"! Of course, I will encourage you to do some of your own independent research, but I certainly wouldn't rule out this consideration. With patience, timing, and a dedicated agent, you could possibly stumble across the house of your dreams, for the price within your reach, just waiting to be purchased.

Respectfully,

The Nest Writer

Tracy Warren, M. Ed.

References

7 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Model Home. (2018, December 17). Retrieved January 2, 2022, from Century 21 Northwest Reality: https://c21northwest.com/things-to-know-before-buying-model-home/

Roberts-Grey, G. (2021, January 12). Is Buying a Model Home the Worst - or the Best - Decision Ever? Retrieved December 2, 2022, from realtor.com: https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/is-buying-a-model-home-the-worst-or-the-best-decision-ever/

[thenestwriter]

Friending Vs. Parenting...Is Your Child Your "Buddy"?

2022-Jan-01

To My Audience,

There is no playbook for parenting, and I know that I certainly don't have all the answers, but what I do know is that parenting takes maturity. Your thinking process should be aligned in a space where you are able to model and teach your children valuable lessons that can steer them in positive directions, as an adult, in today's everchanging society. In order to do this successfully, one must make the distinction between being a parent to a child, versus, being their buddy ole' pal.

When your child is your buddy, and you treat them like a friend, the lines of authority will forever be blurred. The child will never learn themes of life and gain moments where valuable lessons can be embedded...those will likely be missed. In the long run, the child's psyche is disturbed and dismantled. As children develop into adolescence, and into adulthood, their cognitive awareness must be fed adequately, with parenting that is nurturing, stable, structured, and unwavering.

One recent example of friending took place in Garland, Texas. As of now, Dallas police are on the hunt for 14-year-old Abel Elias Acosta, who with the assistance of his father Richard as the getaway driver, was driven to a convenience store, where Abel reached inside and released more than 20 rounds of gunfire from a .40-caliber pistol, leaving 3 teens fatally shot, and 1 left severely wounded. The father Richard Acosta Jr., 33, has thus turned himself in to authorities, been arrested, and charged with capital murder (Teen Killed, 2021). As a "parent", the absence of cognitive reasoning and decision-making led to the actions that took place on that night, as the supposedly "care-giver", perpetuated the situation versus deescalating it and providing alternative means to handle hostile situations and disagreements, which comes by way of proper parenting. At no point did the authority figure say, "maybe this isn't a good idea", or, "this can be handled differently son, in a better way than this"...oh no! On that day, they BOTH chose violence. At 14, decisions are made with impulsivity...where actions are done first, and then the consequences are considered, if they're even considered at all. Which is more evidence why it takes some level of maturity to engage in the process of raising children. Somebody has to be thinking straight!

Now, I do not know the backstory behind the shooting, but it is obviously apparent that Richard and Abel were more like buddies than the appropriate perception of a father-son relationship, that was constructed and fostered under nurturing conditions. It would not have surprised me if I learned that they had beers after the incident. A logical decision, pioneered and modeled by a mature adult would have certainly protected Abel and preserved his life, as it is now in shambles at the mere age of 14 years old. I am almost rest assured that the father isn't the only bad-influencer Abel has been around. His mental construct has already been formed, and at this very moment, he is living out a life for himself that doesn't have to be, at 14 years old. This incident grabs at my heart, each time I reflect on it.

In undergraduate school, while majoring in Psychology, I took many courses that educated me on the psychological development of children. During the early and middle, and adolescent years, children are impressionable, and haven't quite developed the brain functionality to make rational decisions on their own, which is done through the prefrontal cortex. Emotional/reaction decisions are also impacted through this area of the brain.

During early development, the brain is very responsive to both experiences and environmental cues, placing the brain under intense social and environmental influences (Gibb & Kolb, 2018). A buddy-buddy relationship will not establish the foundational structure that children need to foster their cognitive skills, behavioral performances, and socioemotional wellness. In turn, it serves to counteract against productive maturation.

Parents have a calling to engage in functional tasks, such as setting limits, instilling moral character, and modeling acceptive examples of conduct, which is a healthy function of being an adult (Lehman 2021). In addition, as children grow and foster under the guidance of proper and effective parenting, it further prepares the child for independency into the world. Entering into this domain, a child's mindset must be stable enough to leave the nest and create safe havens of their own, where the cycle of good parenting can continue with their own offspring.

When children are exposed to positive, enriched learning opportunities, epigenetic changes can occur that can impact neural chemistry and gene expression. The brain develops in 7 well-defined phases, that overlap and are repeated, thus a child's course of mental development should be handled with care, to support in their maturation process throughout their stages of growth.

Neurochemical, neurobehavioral, and neuropharmacological studies show that the brains remains very much active in adolescence, and evidence supports the hypothesis that the adolescent brain is structurally, and functionally venerable to environmental stress, and risky behaviors (Arain, et al., 2013). From early childhood until early adulthood, good parenting practices are key, as they help so greatly as a child's prefrontal is preparing itself for future complex behavioral performances.

Parenting means setting boundaries, and setting clear and direct expectations for your children to follow. They should be taught how their actions affect the types of consequences they receive, and how making logical decisions yield to better life outcomes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being "friendly" and pleasant, and sharing fun times of laughter, and creating timeless memories. Being a parent doesn't mean that an iron first is needed, but what is needed is a line of restriction that is respected primarily because YOU are the adult; that's the line that needs to be drawn in the sand.

As parents, we should provide structure and discipline, and it prepares the child in knowing how to follow societal laws and rules. As parents, we discipline through consequences, and it prepares the child to be critical-thinkers, reasoning how to make wise choices, knowing how to weigh the odds against the positive or negative outcomes for the actions they choose. Children also grow through responsibilities given to them, first seen through the accountable ones closest to them; parents, which does not manifest through friending relationships. This typically is important due to the fact that the development and maturation of the prefrontal cortex occurs primarily during adolescence, and is fully accomplished by the age of 25. So yes, that means, good teaching should start early on, and never cease. During these 25 years, deposits of [healthy]knowledge [should be] going into the child's brain, and are cooking, just as a turkey would in an oven. By the time 25 hits, the bell rings, and the brain has formalized how life is perceived, and it begins to refer back to what's in its mindset toolbox to guide the way of how one should act, behave, think, and feel.

Parenting isn't easy...it's a learning process, but there has to be some identifier of maturity in order to make parental decisions versus you thinking that friendships does the job...structure does! Children don't stay children for long, and the better decisions you make with them as a parent, the more of a positive development and understanding of the world around them they'll have, as an adult.

Respectfully,

The Nest Writer

Tracy Warren, M.Ed.

References

Arain, M., Haque, M., Johal, L., Mathur, P., Nel, W., Rais, A., . . . Sharma, S. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. US National Library of Medicine, 9, 449-461. doi:10.2147/NDT.S39776

Gibb, R., & Kolb, B. (2018). The Neurobiology of Brain and Behavioral Development. San Diego, California: Elsevier Inc.

Lehman, J. (2021). Your Child Is Not Your "Friend". Retrieved December 30, 2021, from Empowering Parents: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/your-child-is-not-your-friend/

Teen Killed. (2021, December 30). Retrieved December 30, 2021, from 13 Eyewitness News: https://abc13.com/garland-shooting-abel-elias-acosta-richard-gas-station/11406424/

[thenestwriter]

COVID-19 and Blood Types...Are You More Susceptible?

2020-Dec-30

To My Audience,

About a week ago, I watched a movie on Netflix, titled, "TWO". The gist of the move is about 2 strangers, who awaken painfully, with their abdomens sewn together. Later, only to find out that...well, on second thought, you should probably check it out...I will not spoil it.

From learning the ending of the movie, it prompted me to research further into how blood types play a significant role in our DNA makeup and physiological developments inside and outside of the human body. This then lead into researching which blood types are more susceptible to certain illness and viruses, than other blood types.

We all have inherited 1 of 8 different blood types from the combination of our parents, and they are:

[O Negative] - there are No A or B markers and No Rh factors

[O Positive] - there are No A or B markers but Has Rh factors

[A Negative] - A-

[A Positive] - A+

[B Negative] - B-

[B Positive] - B+

[AB Negative] - AB-

[AB Positive] - AB+ (Edelson, 2018).

In a Review of Literature, data supported content revealing that carriers of blood group [O] are generally more resistant to diseases, with the exception of gastrointestinal diseases, whereas, blood groups, [A], [B], and [AB], are more susceptible to the development of infectious, cardiovascular, and cancer diseases (Gilmiyarova, et al., 2020).

According to the American Association of Blood Banks, blood type distribution in the United States goes as follows:

[A+] = 30% of Americans, [A-] = 6% of Americans, [B+] = 9% of Americans, [B-] = 2% of Americans, [AB+] = 4% of Americans, [AB-] = 1% of Americans, [O+] = 39% of Americans, and [O-] = 9% of Americans (Felman, 2020).

Since COVID's December 2019 appearance in the United States, it has trampled throughout the nation as a widely spreadable, and pernicious virus. As we are nearing 2022, scientists have been able to conduct research studies in an attempt to identify if there is a cause and effect relationship between COVID-19 infection and mortality and blood types. Researchers from John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Boston-based Tufts Medical Center, the National Institutes of Health, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and the University of Rochester (N. Y.) Medical Center, conducted a study using artificial intelligence to explore EHR notes of patients with COVID-19.

From their findings, they stated that inconsistent studies showed there was an increased rick of incubation and death with [A], [B], [AB], and [O] blood types, however patients with [AB] blood types had a protective association and were less likely to experience incubation and death (Mitchell, 2021).

In China, however, the results from similar studies vary slightly. A retrospective analysis was performed on roughly 2,173 patients who tested positive for the virus, where the patient data was collected from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan. The data from this sample was used to determine a relationship between blood type on COVID-19 infection and death.

Findings showed that blood type [A] patients were at a significantly higher risk of of COVID-19 infection compared to the other types. Type [O] individuals, however, were found to be at a lower risk of COVID-19 infection. Type [B] and [AB] patients were not at an increased risk of infection (Young, et al., 2021).

Now, according to China's researchers, in terms of mortality, persons with blood type [A] had an increased risk of death, whereas, persons with blood type [O], had a decreased risk of death from COVID-19. In addition, supplemental studies have found that possibly type [O] groups may be protective against the SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality rates (Young, et al., 2021).

In Canada, studies focused on patients with COVID-19 in the ICU, (Intensive Care Unit), setting. The multicenter retrospective analysis, included a sample of only 95 patients, critically ill with the virus, across 6 different metropolitan hospitals in the Vancouver area. In this population, blood types [A], and [AB], were more likely to require mechanical ventilation, chronic renal replacement therapy, and elongated ICU admission, in comparison with those of type [O] (Young, et al., 2021). Even with studies researching the severity of the illness on blood types, type [O] blood types seemed to be protected from viral infection.

Another multi-institutional analysis spanned 5 hospitals in New England. With 7, 648 patients tested for the virus, 1,289, (16.9%), were positive. Individuals with blood type [B], or [AB], were more likely to test positive, and type [O] individuals, being protected by the virus (Young, et al., 2021).

With the lack of literature to support the notion that blood type is a predictive model of viral illnesses or mortality, the results from the studies have shown some linkage with how blood types assist in determining the impact or outcome of the illness and who it infects.

Before someone sounds the alarm, I am in no way suggesting or indicating that certain persons with certain blood types are 100% protected and shouldn't be vaccinated. I am, however, breaking down the science of how our individual blood types stand against viruses and illness that we are faced with during our lifetime on this earth. Even if COVID-19 wasn't sharing a room with us, we should all know our blood type, as it is vital in many medical situations pertaining to our health and wellness.

Respectfully,

The Nest Writer

Tracy Warren, M.Ed.

References

Edelson, M. M. (2018, October). Blood Types. Retrieved from Teens Health: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/blood-types.html

Felman, A. (2020, June 3). Everything you need to know about blood types. Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218285

Gilmiyarova, F., Kolotyeva, N., Kuzmicheva, V., Gusyakova, O., Borodina, I., Baisheva, G., & Selezneva, I. (2020). Blood group and human diseases (review of literature). 65(4), 216-221. doi:10.18821/0869-2084-2020-65-4-216-221

Mitchell, H. (2021, July 13). John Hopkins study of 1.9 million COVID-19 cases links severity with blood types + more. Retrieved from Becker's Health: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/what-a-johns-hopkins-study-of-1-9-million-covid-19-cases-revealed-about-links-with-blood-types-gender.html

Young, K., Latz, C., DeCarlo, C., Lee, S., Png, M., Kibrik, P., . . . Dua, A. (2021, September). Relationshio between blood type and outcomes following COVID-19 infection. US National Library of Medicine, 34(3), 125-131. Retrieved December 30, 2021