it is interesting to see how our lives have changed with the Internet. Last year, a friend of mine called me up and said: "Look up my friend Elvira in "My Friends" in Facebook; she wants to buy a property in Florida. After talking to her through mesenger, she decided that she wanted NC or other area of Florida but my area. What started as a customer/client relationship, became a friendship. My friend Elvira is in Dubai and I am in Florida, couple of thousands of miles away. We are both PuertoRicans though. We learned about each other, about our families, our goals, etc. In the last several months, we have gotten to know each other, however we have never met in person. Will that be a CyberFrienship? Do you have any CyberFriensdhip Story you would like to share?

I think it is one of the greatest places to spend the Christmas Holidays and CNN revealed it too. It is a long Holiday which starts by Thanksgiving when we put all decorations out and we take them off at the end of January after Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/11/28/christmas.destinations/index.html

I must tell you that I am from the Isla del Encanto, (The Isle of Enchantment) where warm weather, ocean breezes and sunshine rule. But, for the last week I have been travelling to cold weather places and although I enjoy the sights, sounds, people and new experiences, I am sorely lacking cold weather clothes and shoes.

The hip(?) clothes and shoes from my adopted city of Miami, Florida are just not cutting it and I long for those silly toe socks.

I read this book this morning. it is such a simple book, but so resourceful and full of insights. It only took me about an hour and half to read. Last time I read this book was more than 5 years ago, and it was an awakening to an unknown profession : real estate. More than 5 years later, here I am reading this book again.

what are your thoughts on this book.

She won't say, not yet, who won the candy giveaway on Halloween Day. She will say that she found it quite annoying when at two homes they slipped propaganda postcards in with the candy. Of course, something that she corrected quickly enough.

It could be that things did not pan out how she imagined or that she still has that huge chocolate migraine from test-tasting the kid's candy, in any event, and I am quoting my assistant now "I suppose that one person's box of raisins is another's dark chocolate bar."

My Assistant has come up with an unoffical poll for the Presidential Election.  I know, I don't want any more news but as I said . . she keeps at it sometimes and I have forgiven her for the National Boss's Day thing since, as she pointed out, she sent the greeting early in the day but the system did not process it until later in the afternoon.

Back to her unofficial poll.  She states that she has never been polled by anyone ever and does not personally know anyone who has (including me). Therefore, she is going out on Halloween day, and as she watches the Kids Trick-o-Treat, she is going to keep track of the candy given out (or not) at those homes that have the candidates lawn signs or bumper stickers out.   What conclusion or results will she come to between gum, chocolate or apples?  I don't know . . . but I'll keep you posted!

By the way, if your doorbell is rung by two 2-year olds, one Snow White, the other Spiderman, a 4-year old Sleeping Beauty and a deceptively energetic Granny . . . she is partial to dark chocolate coffee candy.

Politics 2008. There is the friend, that without even asking or maybe perhaps because every time she says something I say "ummhumm" in response, scourers the web for pro(her candidate of choice)forum and con(not her candidate of choice)forum and feels compelled to send DAILY emails with this information (and quite often disinformation). Can I opt out?

The Assistant, who has such strong views I keep telling her . . I am not into politics so the comments stop. Only thing is . . do I want her to stop the comments because they make sense and are starting to sway me . . or do I want her to stop the comments because I have had enough and she forgot that today is National Boss's Day? Can I opt out?

Relatives. Well they all think I know which way I am swaying so why even go there! Can I opt out?

Where is that magical link that I can click on, whether in person, phone, web, home, etc., and opt out, until voting day and January 20th?

Greetings from Miami Beach,

I am curious to hear what other Realtors are doing in other parts of the nation as far as second jobs and/or sources of income during these economic times.

Here in South Florida, I have seen agents getting into network marketing, including myself. After all, Robert Kiyosaki talks about it in his books and refers back to the CASHFLOW Quadrants.

I look forward to your feedback.

Best regards,

JOSE FERNANDEZ P.A.
CRS,CIPS, E-PRO, REALTOR, TRC

Lic. Real Estate Broker in Florida & Puerto Rico
NewStar Realty Inc.
PO BOX 398066
Miami Beach, FL 33239-8066
Direct Line: (305) 761-0801
Fax: ( 305) 675-2457

Please visit my Website at http://www.Jose-Fernandez.net

"My name is Jose and I am Agel. " http://Jose.IAmAgel.com

Las mejores ciudades para vivir por  americaEconomía.com

 San Juan (72), Montevideo (76) y Buenos Aires (78) se destacan en la región, según Mercer (Fotomontaje: Gustavo Poletto)

Si está buscando una ciudad latinoamericana con las mejores condiciones para vivir, San Juan de Puerto Rico puede ser la mejor respuesta. Al menos, así lo revela una encuesta realizada por la consultora Mercer, que también destaca a nivel regional las ciudades de Montevideo (Uruguay) y Buenos Aires (Argentina).

En América Latina, la Encuesta sobre Calidad de Vida 2008 ubicó a San Juan de Puerto Rico en la posición 72, seguida por Montevideo (76), Buenos Aires (78) y Santiago (88), que bajó cinco lugares debido principalmente a una baja en su calidad de servicios públicos de transporte. La otra cara de la moneda es Puerto Príncipe, en Haití, que se ubica en la posición más baja de la región con el lugar 202.

En lo que se refiere a seguridad personal, Santo Domingo tiene la ubicación más alta (92), seguido por Panamá, que se ubica en el lugar 96, y Monterrey (99).  Bogotá (207) en Colombia tiene los niveles más bajos de seguridad personal en la región, indica el informe.

Por otra parte, las ciudades canadienses sobresalen en la lista de clasificación del continente americano. Vancouver (4) tiene la mejor calidad de vida, seguida por Toronto (15), Ottawa (19) y Montreal (22). En Estados Unidos, después de Honolulu (28), se encuentran San Francisco (29), Boston (37) y Chicago (44). Washington se ubica en el lugar 44, por encima de Nueva York (49).

De acuerdo con Slagin Parakatil, investigador senior en Mercer, "los negocios se enfrentan a constantes desafíos para identificar nuevos mercados, extender sus operaciones y adquirir e implementar en forma estratégica sus recursos. Establecer las asignaciones adecuadas vinculadas con los costos locales y la calidad de vida es vital para alentar a los empleados expatriados con habilidades transferibles a aceptar asignaciones internacionales".

Además, precisó que "la seguridad personal y familiar es de suma importancia cuando los empleados consideran oportunidades de trabajo en el exterior. Las ciudades que son, o se perciben como inseguras, pueden experimentar dificultades para atraer a la mejor gente y las mejores habilidades".

"Muchas ciudades de América Latina, tales como Caracas, Bogotá o Puerto Príncipe continúan socavadas por el crimen y los disturbios políticos y económicos. El tráfico y la contaminación también tienen un impacto en todo lo anterior", precisa el experto.

Seguridad personal. La encuesta también identifica a aquellas ciudades que tienen la clasificación más alta de seguridad personal con base en la estabilidad interna, criminalidad, efectividad en la procuración de justicia y relaciones con otros países. Luxemburgo se encuentra a la cabeza, seguida por Berna, Ginebra, Helsinki y Zurich, todas ocupando el segundo lugar.  A nivel regional aparecen Ciudad de Panamá (96), Monterrey (99), Asunción (103), Manaus, Brasil (103), Santiago (110) y Montevideo (115), entre otras.

La medición está enfocada a empresas y a ejecutivos de salarios altos, que pueden tener destinos en distintas partes del mundo. Algunos de los factores analizados por la consultora Mercer son: entorno político y social, el entorno económico, el socio-cultural, la salud, educación, servicios públicos, recreación, bienes de consumo, vivienda y transporte.

Más datos. Las ciudades europeas dominan en las clasificaciones anuales a nivel mundial. Zurich conserva su lugar de 2007 como la ciudad con la calificación más alta, seguida por Viena y Ginebra (ambas en 2° lugar), y posteriormente encontramos a Vancouver (4) y Auckland (5). Bagdad tiene la ubicación más baja. Luxemburgo se sitúa en primer lugar con respecto a la seguridad personal y, nuevamente Bagdad está en el nivel más bajo. La encuesta abarcó 215 ciudades. Ciudad base: Nueva York (=100).

Ranking Calidad de Vida 2008
Ciudades latinoamericanas

1. San Juan, Puerto Rico (72)
2. Montevideo, Uruguay (76)
3. Buenos Aires, Argentina (78)
4. Santiago, Chile (88)
5. Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá (95)
6. Monterrey, México (96)
7. Brasilia, Brasil (105)
8. San José, Costa Rica (107)
9. Asunción, Paraguay (110)
10. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (114)
11. Quito, Ecuador (118)
12. Sao Paulo, Brasil (119)
13. Lima, Perú (120)
14. Guayaquil, Ecuador (125)
15. México, D.F., México (127)
16. Manaus, Brasil (129)
17. Bogotá, Colombia (138)
18. Guatemala, Guatemala  (139)
19. La Paz, Bolivia (140)
20. Medellín, Colombia (143)
21. Caracas, Venezuela (152)
22. Santa Cruz, Bolivia (156)
23. San Salvador, El Salvador (164)
24. Managua, Nicaragua (167)
25. Puerto Príncipe, Haití (202)

Fuente: Encuesta sobre Calidad de Vida 2008 (Mercer)

Last Monday, November 19, we celebrate the discovery of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus in 1493 (National Holiday). I remember when I lived in Puerto Rico and attending elementary school and the various events we did for this Holiday.

This must be a very interesting week to be in Puerto Rico. Monday was a Holiday. Wednesday, employers give half day off to their employees. Thursday and Friday are days off because of Thanksgiving Day. So, a typical Puerto Rican will take off from Friday, November 16th through Monday November 26th. Since Monday the 19th is off, they will call in sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be off and the weekend is the "wiken". Back to work on Monday.

 Wouldn't you like to live in Puerto Rico?

Wait until you hear about Christmas 2 weeks off.