June 2025 - Newsletter

Stacy Fernandez
Jul 1
9 min read

I'm a Day late and a Dollar short!

Good news for you though - if you are reading this and you text me (402-413-9558) your Venmo name I will send you $1! Consequences of not holding up my end of the bargain and it will tell me who actually reads these =]

Well here is the line up for June:

📸 Lincoln NE Area Market Snapshot

👫 Realtor Matchmaking

📝 Personal Note from your Favorite Realtors

🏘️ House Tip

🍪 Recipe

🎯 Goal Tracking

This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you.

📸 Lincoln NE Area Market Snapshot

What these stats don't really show is sentiment we are feeling from clients and the market. Here is what i'm seeing from clients and hearing from other agents:

Buyers are getting pickier
- More intense inspections
- More attention to details (Sellers take note for house sale preparation!)
Houses are sitting longer (the median is 5 days but the average is 18 days down from 32 earlier this year)
- Better preparation & proper pricing are selling quicker
More transactions are not making it to the closing table
- Interest rates are higher and past buyers may not be properly qualified on the higher rate
- Insurance cost comes in way higher than expected
- Pickier buyers, more stringent inspections and sellers not as willing to negotiate

👫 Realtor Matchmaking

I know this concept of being Matchmade with a Realtor is new so let's go over some situations where it makes sense!

Scenario 1: Big life change and ready to move onto what is next.

You are having drinks with your friends and one of them mentions they are getting a Divorce...

What do you do?

Ask what they need (could be a shoulder to cry on, someone to plan the divorce party, babysitter for mediation dates, etc).
Offer what you can (Mention your really awesome friend that can connect them with a Realtor that is well versed for their situation! It would be a third party so not favoring either side in the divorce too which is bonus if it is contentious).

The truth is life happens and sometimes it's not the fun reasons. Divorce, death, and terrible neighbors all legitimate reasons people move. Be the friend that helps by offering resources that make their lives easier!

Scenario 2: Your buddy is in the military and is getting moved bases.

Not only are you sad your losing your bestie but you are worried they won't have anyone reliable where they are moving to help them!

What do you do?

Plan a few more memorable outings together before they have to move!
Group message them with Your Favorite Realtor (aka me) to get us connected so I can help find them a reliable Realtor near their new base and help them find one to sell their current home!

It sucks losing friends that move out of state but it is really cool when you can help them with big life changes! Trust me they will remember you better if when you do!

Scenario 3: You got that new job that's boosting your income but you have to move states!

Congrats you are going to be rolling in the dough! Now you have a long list of to-do's to get done to make it happen!

What do you do?

Figure out your timeline
Connect with Your Favorite Realtor (aka me) to game plan on preparing to sell, move and buy! I promise I will work hard to find you Realtors for your sale and buy that can work well together. Plus i'll give you some free resources to help you make your move easier!

Career moves are fun and exciting but there are a lot of moving pieces get the right people on your team to make it a smooth transition.

Scenario 4: Your out of state sister is pregnant and ready to move back home so she can get some free daycare out of your parents!

Your sister claimed she would never move back but you called it! Stay humble but just know you were right.

What do you do?

Politely tell her congratulations and that you can't wait for her to come back home (gloat in your head in silence - this was a hard decision for her).
Fill out this form to get her connected with Your Favorite Realtor to help her find the perfect Realtors for her situation!

It will be nice to have the whole family back together! Be sure to drop your kids off with grandma & grandpa too and have a fun siblings night out.

Did you notice all of these situations are not state dependent?!

You got that right - I can help connect people with Realtors anywhere!

Also this doesn't have to be your situation. You can be that helpful resource for a friend! So if you hear someone talking about moving get us connected. I will help them with free resources, professional Realtor matchmaking and having another person to help them along the way! Plus you will look like a total badass for helping them out - i'll be sure to send you a THANK YOU too!

Ready to be Match Made? Know someone else who needs a Realtor?

Click to be Matched!

📝 A Note from Your Favorite Realtor

Can you believe we are halfway through 2025!?

I'm personally having a very hard time believing it!

Now is a good time to reflect on the year so far. It is easy to think wow I haven't even gotten remotely close to my goals... In the world we live in of always trying to improve and grow we tend to forget to take a moment to live in the moment and appreciate what we have achieved.

Personally I'm probably having one of my worst years in real estate to date (I say this every year it seems, and tend to be surprised by the end of the year but I really feel this year is rough). You know what though, I'm okay with that! I have been doing some reflection on this and my in the moment thinking and appreciating has brought up the following for me:

My clients this year have been loyal people and most i've been chatting real estate with for years.
I've had a hard time identifying who I am because real estate can be such an encompassing profession. Most of our hobbies have involved real estate in some form the last 7 or so years of our lives. I'm learning that I am more than just my professional success, I'm a proud mother, wife and friend! The reason I got into real estate was to be able to have the flexibility to focus on those three areas of life. Quite frankly I think I'm doing okay and happy with the efforts I've made in those areas.
I'm not the top producing realtor in town and I never plan to be! I enjoy what I do and the flexibility it offers. Our family does not rely on my income it is just icing on the cake. I love that I don't feel like I have to pressure my clients to close because I need a paycheck.
I have gotten to see each and every milestone my son has made. Rolling over, babbling, taking his first steps, exploring, blowing bubbles you name it. I've been there for each of these moments and those I will never get back.
We have made some serious progress on our house (mostly our bathroom but that was a year+ long adventure).
We have been able to attend many events as a family, whether that is sporting events, camping or just parties for friends. Spending quality time with each other and family is so important and having the means (time and resources) to do so without worry is such a blessing.

I hope you get a chance to reflect on your year so far and I truly hope you look at the life successes more than the quantitative ones. When we get older I don't believe we will remember the career successes as much as we remember the time with family and friends.

Well know that I'm off my proverbial soap box let's touch base on what is going on!

June has been a fun month with Ezrael thriving at Montessori school (see the video below of his full body breathing he has learned). We have spent some quality time with friends celebrating birthdays, camping with our family, hanging out with Grandma for a week while Eliezer was on a work trip, and taking a little hotel vacation to Kearney.

Also if you didn't know we work with Spanish Speaking clients! We are currently helping two families that are pretty much Spanish only. Thank goodness for Eliezer because I can explain the contract side of things but he is the life blood to the communication along the way!

It is a different than our normal business but it feels really impactful. Eliezer feels like he gets to help these clients especially not get taken advantage of. It stems from personal experience when his parents bought their house. They bought it without an inspection and really didn't understand the process or their rights and responsibilities. Not to say it's all been bad but there were definitely some things that could have been addressed through a home inspection or with representation that would have protected them better.

We work really hard to make sure our clients are informed and empowered in their decisions. When there is a language barrier it can be really easy to say well we didn't know they didn't understand, oh well, too bad. We have seen it with insurance claims, real estate transactions and just general everyday living activities. It can be quite heartbreaking because these are hard working people that are just trying to live a good life. We look forward to continuing this side of the business and would appreciate if you let any Spanish speakers interested in becoming homeowners or business owners know about us!

Here are some photos of June!

Wishing you a prosperous rest of 2025 and time to reflect on all the beautiful things life has given you so far this year!

🏘️ House Tip

Make sure your ceiling fans are going the right direction!

It is summer time so you want to make sure your fans are spinning Counter Clockwise (left) to push cool air down and create a better breeze.

Did you know by doing this one simple change it can make your room feel up to 4 degrees cooler and help lower your A/C bill?!

Here is a little rhyme to help you remember which way the fan spins in which season:

Counter in summer, cool like a breeze.

Clockwise in winter, warm up with ease.

What other information tips do you have for staying cool this summer?!

🍪 Recipe

We are really into fermented foods lately!

This recipe is one we tried from a video and adapted our own version. They taste delicious but I must warn you when you open the jar they smell terrible...

Pickled Radishes

Ingredients

2 bunches of radishes (or enough to fill your jar)
1 jalapeno
1 beet (prefer raw but precooked will work)
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
2 tablespoons salt (this is the kind we really like)
1 bay leaf
Canning weight - if your radishes are floating up

Instructions

Wash and cut radishes, jalapeno, and beet.
Layer jar with beet, jalapeno slices, radishes until jar is full.
Add bay leaf, salt, and pepper to jar.
Pour vinegar over everything then fill to top with water (filtered preferred).
Screw on lid and shake until well mixed.
Leave on counter or in dark area for 2 days.
After 2 days open and enjoy! Refrigerate after opening!

These are addicting and our almost 2 year old even likes them. Word of warning they smell like 💨 when you open them but they taste great! We used fresh beets the first time and I would really recommend them over cooked beets just because it dyed them a prettier pink and I like the texture of a hard pickled beet vs a soft one!

We have done some other fermenting like garlic in honey and really like these jar toppers because we don't have to remember to burp them! Would highly recommend and you can mark the date you put stuff in or the date the goodies will be ready!

Got your own favorite recipes that need to be shared!? Let me know!