Almost everyone has clutter, and most of us DO know it because our closets, garages and drawers are stuffed to over flowing; there may be papers all over the desk and on the floor around the desk. But did you ever think that you might also have clutter that you can’t see?

So what is clutter? Clutter can be physical, mental, energetic or spiritual. We are all familiar with the physical clutter, those “things” we don’t use, clothes that don’t fit, things we don’t repair and projects we don’t finish, anything we don’t love or use is clutter.

Mental clutter consists of negative thoughts, stories we tell ourselves, and the “I should do these” list of things we never get around to completing. Mental clutter is also the inability to think clearly when sitting in a space full of physical clutter.

Energetic clutter is noticed when one is in a room that is overflowing with items that don’t have a home. Instead of flowing uninterrupted, the energy is caught as if in a cobweb and becomes stagnant. One may even feel physically ill or confused in this environment.

Spiritual clutter is anything that gets in the way of your “true purpose”.

There is a lot more to clutter than meets the eye and there are many reasons why we have clutter. There are many resources available to help deal with this challenge. If you are feeling embarrassed, overwhelmed, out of control, frustrated or even physically ill, you just may have clutter!
Remember, Buddha said, “Learn to let go, that is the Key to Happiness.”

Barbara Ricketts is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO). If you need assistance to simplify & organize, contact her at MessDoctor@Mac.com or call 661-263-0124

See more of Barbara’s ideas

There were only 1,119 active listings (single family and condos combined) at month end, down 44% year over year. Based upon the current rate of sales, this inventory is equivalent to only a 4.1 month supply vs 8.2 months as of April 2008.

While the median price of SFH’s decreased 14.6% year over year it was actually up 2.5% over the previous month. Condominium median prices decreased 10.4% year over year but managed a whopping 25% increase over the previous month of March 2009. This figure may not be statistically meaningful as only 59 condos closed escrow in April 2009 and 58 in March 2009.

The low level of listings in the multiple listing service combined with record high affordability and availability of financing appears to be creating a bottoming of the market – pricewise. Sellers are slow to move as evidenced by the above-mentioned low supply of inventory which is bumping up prices month over month. It remains to be seen how an unlisted backlog of foreclosures and bank owned properties will affect the market as these inventories start getting released.

This report was compiled from data provided by the SoCal Multiple Listing Service and the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. The Santa Clarita Valley is comprised of the following localities; Castaic, Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus Stevenson Ranch and Valencia.

Phil Levy, http://www.jpscvrealty.com/
Read more