Last week I shared a post on unboxing. Later in the week I actually unboxed (or in this case unbagged) the package I got from Amazon. Here's the link to the Facebook Live that I created. Go ahead and check it out...it only lasts about 9 1/2 minutes but it actually contains a lot of value...a friend of mine, who is mentioned in the video, got a referral from this video.
One of my favorite model homes in Vacaville had a "casita" or small detached living space...at the time I was considering it as an office space, but that was several years ago. I did look at some models in Modesto that had the same thing, but these were in the backyard...as opposed to the front yard for the one in Vacaville. However, the ones in Modesto have been discontinued due to easement issues. So, what is a detached living space? I'm glad you asked! I'll let Jennifer explain:
Today's homeowners and homebuyers love detached living spaces. These small stand-alone structures located on the property come with all sorts of benefits -- from added room for storage and recreation to extra income.
They're also easy and affordable to design and install. Starting at around $9,600, this additional square footage can deliver serious bang for your buck, as detached areas can serve as:
Private Rental Space: You can offer the unit on a vacation rental site or lease it to a full-time tenant to bring in some extra income year-round.
Individual Living Quarters: These separate units are perfect for multigenerational families. They can be used by college kids home for summer or elderly parents who need assistance but want privacy. They're also ideal guest rooms for family and friends coming to visit.
Quiet Home Office: Private, quiet and separated from all the hustle and bustle of the main house, detached units make highly functional home offices for the self-employed entrepreneur or side hustler.
Creative or Leisure Room: Need somewhere to escape and relax? These units are your solution. Personalize them with an art studio, a cozy reading nook, a yoga space or whatever else helps you wind down.
Fun Kids' Playroom: Give the kids a space of their own with a toy-filled playroom in the backyard. They're perfect for late-night slumber parties and playing video games with friends.
If you're interested in building a detached living space on your property, get in touch today for recommendations for local contractors and designers. Remember to also look into any municipal or HOA restrictions, as you may need permits before starting your build-out.
Want to learn more about the market's latest real estate trends and how your house compares? Get in touch today.
Monday - "A great week for reading" If you like to read, you're going to love this week. "Thursday will be Read a Book Day followed immediately by Buy a Book Day on Friday, so you can do some more reading over the weekend. And Saturday will be Literacy Day."
Tuesday - "Unboxing" What is unboxing? "Unboxing is the unpacking of products, especially high tech consumer products, where the process is captured on video and uploaded to the Internet. The item is then also explained in detail and also can sometimes be demonstrated as well."
Wednesday - "Unboxing - postponed" A little more on unboxing. "I was hoping to do my actual unboxing last night or tonight, but I didn't get my car until this afternoon and I wasn't able to make it to my PO Box before work...so you'll get to see the unboxing tomorrow afternoon."
Thursday - "Dream like a kid again #TBT" When we're kids we're encouraged to dream and to use our imaginations. "However, over the years our dreams were discouraged and we were forced to fit into the corporate/education complex mold."
Today's blog post was originally published 2 years ago:
When we were little we were encouraged to use our imaginations and that we could be whatever we wanted to be when we grew up. We could be ballerinas, princesses, cowboys, astronauts, the president of the United States or even princess ballerinas or cowboy astronauts. However, over the years our dreams were discouraged and we were forced to fit into the corporate/education complex mold.
Our educational system is a breeding ground for future corporate employees, and when the current school systems were created we were trained to be factory workers. We learn to move from place to place as the bells ring, we are taught to sit in one place for hours at a time and we learn to endure brain numbing work.
Even though the workplace has changed over the past 100 years, the educational system still turns out factory workers but unfortunately there aren't as many factory jobs left. If you go onto college, there are more opportunities to get away from factory jobs but now people are trained for white collar jobs.
There are still classes that you can take that don't funnel you into the corporate world but you can't get a job with most of those certificates or degrees.
By the time we get out of school, most of our dreams have faded away and we're left with the "American Dream"...a steady job; a spouse and 3.2 kids; a house with a white picket fence with a mortgage (which literally means "death pledge") and trying to figure out how to pay off our student loans, which are another kind of "death pledge" because you rarely make enough money to pay off your student debt.
We all know deep down that there's more to life than that but we're afraid to dream because once we enter school our dreams are either frowned upon or laughed at unless they line up with the "American Dream".
But what if we start dreaming like a kid again? What if we have dreams about becoming an astronaut? If you want to be an astronaut you can join the Virgin Galactic program. How about president of the United States? Well, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But what if you dream of travel, adventure, romance? Then think outside the box. Color outside the lines. Quit being a rat and get out of the rat race. There are ways to learn to dream again and to finance your dreams, and one of the best ways to accomplish both is through a home based business.
If you'd like to learn more about the opportunity that I'm involved with, just email me.
I was hoping to do my actual unboxing last night or tonight, but I didn't get my car until this afternoon and I wasn't able to make it to my PO Box before work...so you'll get to see the unboxing tomorrow afternoon.
Unboxing is the unpacking of products, especially high tech consumer products, where the process is captured on video and uploaded to the Internet. The item is then also explained in detail and also can sometimes be demonstrated as well.
Yahoo Tech places the first unboxing video to be for the Nokia E61 cellphone in 2006.According to Google Trends, searches for the term "unboxing" began to surface in the final quarter of 2006.
Early unboxing videos focused mainly either on gadgets or fashion items. However, once the trend took off, unboxing videos were available for, as Yahoo's Deb Amien put it, "nearly every thing that is available for purchase. By 2014 the popularity of the videos were such that some companieshad been known to upload unboxing videos for their own products, whilst others sent products to uploaders for free.
Some consider the popularity of this practice is due to the ability of showing the product exactly for what it is without any adulteration advertisers usually make around the product. Being able to see what the customer is getting "can contribute to the decision process. Some users have tried to make these unboxings more interesting by adding special effects or doing them in different ways, such as an underwater unboxing of a waterproof smartphone.
"Unboxing" videos are a growing and surprisingly lucrative genre on YouTube
The videos show everything from electronics to small animals being removed from boxes
There are 6.5 years worth of YouTube videos with "unboxing" in the title
Unboxers can earn up to $4 per 1,000 views
Although I'm not earning any money from unboxing, I will be unboxing a package I received from Amazon in the next day or two
But why do people watch unboxing videos? Also from CNN:
One reason is purely practical. Unboxing videos offer an unvarnished and honest peek at commercial products. The glossy, heavily retouched images and videos companies share of their goods often vary from what's really in the box. People want to know what they're really getting, whether the product looks cheap or well made, or if there are more parts than advertised. It's research material for devoted comparison shoppers and collectors.
Some people actually find watching an unboxing clip to be satisfying and enjoyable. As any kid on Christmas morning can tell you, the process of ripping open paper and figuring out what's inside a package is half the fun. (Some YouTubers take the thrill to its literal conclusion and post videos of themselves opening birthday and holiday presents.)
My unboxing video will just be a chance for me to generate some interest from my Facebook friends...a little anticipation is a good thing! Here's my FB post:
So, check out the post and the comments on it and then tune in for the big surprise. I know you can't wait! Neither can I.
October 4 - Vodka Day, Improve Your Office Day, (The website I use for these days froze. I tried using two different computers to access it but no luck!)