The Wilson Van Law Team

When making upgrades on your house, you have to ask the right people the right questions, or you can get burned. I learned this the hard way with my first house. That's my first pergola. And that's my oldest daughter at her birthday when it was finished. (Yes, she's always been almost painfully adorable and sweet.) I built it out of cedar - even cut the ogee curves on the spars. I built it because my wife had always wanted one. She'd seen and loved them in Italy. T...hat's a blue stone patio with layers of large and small stones going down about a foot for drainage and to prevent heave in the winter. I installed that, too. And the planters, and plants and flowers and wisteria. I also leveled the yard and got rid of a yard full of weeds. I turned a hilly weeded mess into a very nice back yard for me and my family. And then I had to take the pergola because it was a "structure." And my neighbor behind me, whom I hadn't met, complained that it was a "fire hazard." I put it up to let flowers grow on it, but had to take it down because it was attached to the ground permanently. If it were just sitting there, it would have been fine. I was blown away. I learned the hard way. Before making improvements, make sure it's not going to come and bite you. Even if it seems silly to you. Yes, I'm a still a little bitter...

When selling your house how's an extra $55,000 sound? Or $34,000? My job both legally and ethically is get you as much money as I can for your house. That takes more than putting a sign out front and, hopefully, a lockbox on the door. And then waiting for the best offer. Great marketing, active selling and smart negotiating are all vital to your and my success.... By the end of this weekend, after negotiating every offer rather than asking for - or even accepting - "best and final", I'd made two of my clients a combined $84,000. Yes, that's some bank! How? It helped that I gutted my first house 20 years ago and know renovation costs and the returns on investments. It helped that I know the present market very well. It helped that I was honest about the flaws and weaknesses of the houses. This meant when I talked about the positives, people could see I was telling the truth. But what got us there in the end was negotiating. On one of the houses, it was literally like an auction at the end. The last two buyers were going back and forth until one buyer reached his limit and said, "I'm out." If you've gone through it you know: people don't want just one or two chances to bid on a house in a competitive market. And it's in your interest, if you're selling, to encourage them bid as much as they're willing to. Yet almost no one does this, and instead rely on "best and final". I don't. It takes longer, is much harder, but the results are always better. When all was settled, one client got nearly 10% more than the house next door that had sold a few months back. And his house needed a TON more work, an almost full gut. He was shocked - both of my clients were. I was a little giddy. I love much of what I do. But nothing is more fun than successfully negotiating a deal up to the highest end of the market for my sellers

We never know when we're going to encounter someone that will change our lives. My sixth grade teacher climbed Mt. Everest. He had a few pictures from the climb in the lobby of our grade school in Colorado. He climbed Everest when high tech fabric was wool. Before businesses existed with the sole goal of making a summit as easy as possible. ... I still remember him. He was very chill one of the calmest men I'd met. He wore Clark Wallabees. I’d never seen them before. In sixth grade, he taught us how to rappel off the side of a mountain. The pitch wasn’t high, but it was steep. It was so much fun. Like a few people in my life, Mr. Powell changed me. I can’t say for sure how much. But as an 11 year old boy, I believed I could climb the largest mountain on the planet if I wanted to. Today, my son and I love going climbing. I love desert boots. I meditate and exercise to keep myself calm and centered. I went on to live overseas for six years. I became a documentary filmmaker. I learned how to produce, edit, shoot and direct. I started my own production company based in NYC and worked in national tv production, commercials, motion graphics and music videos. After my divorce, I had to start a new career so I could be there for my kids. None of these were easy, but I knew I could do them. I believe we do in life what we believe we can do. That’s usually more than we think. It all starts with knowing a thing is possible. If climbing the world’s tallest mountain is doable, what isn’t?

Next to being with my kids, I don’t think there’s anything that brings me more peace than running in nature. Science says both exercise and time in the outdoors are both better than antidepressants at combating depression. I can’t say if that’s true, but I can say both make me feel great. Together, it’s amazing. Moving through space feels wonderful to me. I avoid treadmills as much as I can. And being in nature humbles me and makes me feel connected to something much... bigger than myself. But there’s a third thing that’s really great when I trail run. It’s the focus you need to not trip and go tumbling. It’s like meditating. My favorite trails all have spots that are full of tree roots and rocks. You have to focus, or you will fall. Well, even if you focus, you’re going to fall occasionally. It comes with the territory. And when you fall, it will hurt somewhere between a little and a lot. So you’re encouraged to pay attention and be fully present. And that focus pulls you out of your head and your racing thoughts. Exactly like meditating. So you get endorphins and a calm mind. It’s helped me through my hardest moments. When things have been hard, I’ve found great solace on long runs. Trail and ultra running also attracts some of the kindest and coolest people I’ve met. Even elite ultra runners are usually supportive, friendly and kind. I joke with some friends that a local park with some great trails is my church. There’s a five and seven mile loop there that are frequently my go-tos. If it is my church, my mother will be very happy - she always wants me to go more often...