Most of the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776.
The Continental Congress ratified the document on July 4, 1776.
Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were the only 2 men to sign the Declaration of Independence and become President.
Both Adams and Jefferson died on the same day, July 4, 1826. This date happened to be the 50th anniversary of the United States.
The Bristol Rhode Island 4th of July Parade is the oldest continuous parade held in the United States, the first being in 1785.
In 1779 July 4th fell on a Sunday, it was moved to July 5th.
In 1870 congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal workers.
In 1938 congress made Independence Day a paid holiday for federal workers.
What is considered to be the most famous and quoted line of the Declaration of Independence?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
This is truly an amazing concept. If everyone in the world lived by this tenet things would be very different. At the very least we here in the United States should live by this since it is the basis of our Constitution, the reason for our independence.
Have a wonderful Independence Day, go to the fireworks, watch the parades, play games, celebrate with friends and family, enjoy wonderful food. You will only be doing what John Adams predicted, although he was 2 days off on his prediction. On July 3, 1776, the day after most had signed the original Declaration of Independence,Mr. Adams wrote this tohis wife Abigail:
"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
Are you looking to buy a home or sell a home in the greater New Milford area? Please contact me or visit my website to find out more.
Today seemed like a good day to get back on track with my Thankful Thursday posts - taking a minute every Thursday to express gratitude for something.
Today, I am particularly thankful for Marcus Valdez. Exactly one year ago, my house in Colorado was for sale, I was referring out my business there as I was in the process of uprooting and moving to Idaho. To say that it was a traumatic time in my life is a huge understatement. At the time, I referred a nice young couple to Marcus. Long time family friends. Fast forward a year, to a few minutes ago.
On my way out, I checked my mailbox and there was a referral check, courtesy of Marcus! My little couple with the expanding family apparently had finally succeeded in closing on a bigger house.
Now, any day that there is a check in your mailbox instead of a bill is a GOOD DAY! But I have to say, I am also equally happy to know that my people were well taken care of. That Marcus also received a well deserved pay day for his own family. That Marcus carried through, and did what needed to be done in a tough market and got my little family into a more appropriate home. SUCCESS!
Marcus, my friend, is one of the good guys. Unconventional, solid, fun, ethical and street smart. Younger than some of my kids, someone that it is truly an honor to know, and I am thankful that he is in my life!
Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
If you read my previous post, you will understand my current mental state of determined frustration. Here is a real situation I am in and no one I know who works short sales has a good answer for me. I believe that is because there IS NO good answer, but I decided to throw this out to all of you here on ActiveRain and see what I get...
My seller bought an investment property about a year and a half ago. She was a victim of a scam, overpaid by MORE than $100K for a ramshackle house that was supposedly going to be lease optioned. Her "partner" (who she met through his classified ad) skimmed the equity from the seller and ran. That is a whole different story for another day... She begged and borrowed money for nearly a year to make the payments while it sat vacant and in disrepair. Flat broke, she put it up for sale as a short sale. Let me just interject that we are fully aware that the lender and mortgage insurer in this case is also victims, not the bad guys.
Enter, the Mortgage Insurance company. They are insisting on a hefty promissory note which she does not have the means to pay. We have tried to get them down in the amount of the note, or extend the length of repayment from 84 to 100 months. The word today from the negotiator is that she accept the terms (which she doesn't have the means to do) or a deed in leiu is her only liquidation recourse.
Now, here is what I am wondering. She was not in default when she started the short sale process. She hasn't been issued a Notice of Default yet, even though her last mortgage payment was made on March 1. A foreclosure sale date hasn't been set, obviously because we have been working with a very strong prospective buyer all this time. I am wondering if the MI would be more reasonable to deal with if we were closing in on a foreclosure date. If time was running out and foreclosure was imminent. Could that be why they are taking such a hard line stance?
Would it be in my client's best interest to do a deed in lieu, or to sit tight while the foreclosure clock ticks with hopes that the MI might be a little more cooperative further on down the road. Do I take my negotiator's word for it that it is a take it or leave it situation with the MI company who is calling the shots. Should we conceed defeat and just throw our hands up and say UNCLE?
I would love your advice, especially if you have had experience or inside knowledge of this process with the mortgage insurer.
Signed: Trying to Make it Happen, in Idaho
Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
(I didn't mean for this to be a book, sorry. Writing this was therapeutic on some level...)
I never aspired to work with short sales. They just found me! Last year I became the agent for some buyers who fell in love with a short sale. After looking at at least a zillion houses, they decided to wait it out for the short sale. That's when I learned how powerless it is to be the buyer's agent, because there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO to move the process along! I was at the mercy of the Listing agent, having to trust that he was doing what he needed to be doing to get us to a successful close. Sadly, he wasn't, and the house went back to the bank while my ready, willing and able buyers had been trying to buy it for nearly five months! Determined, I watched like a hawk for it to hit the market as an REO, and then pounced with an offer above asking price and won the bidding war. My buyers FINALLY were able to move into the house they loved. I just made no sense that it had to be so hard.
My first short sale listings came to me as a referral from my ActiveRain friend Brian Brumpton. I decided that it would be a great educational opportunity for me to learn Short Sales from the listing side. Oh boy, have I learned! Still learning, particularly right now about just how complicated an already complicated situation can become when the mortgage insurance company weighs in and makes demands, emphasized with the equivilent of "it's my way or the highway."
Meanwhile, I have acquired as clients, two great young couples who have fallen in love with homes that are short sales. The first has been waiting for a response since the middle of February. Their lease was up, so to stay on month to month they are being gouged with high rent. The second couple, waiting not so long although to them it seems like an eternity. Out of time, they have rented a tiny apartment month to month to wait it out. Not a day goes by that they don't wonder if I've heard anything yet. Nope, not yet. So let's see. Right now I have three homes listed as short sales with two discouraged sets of sellers feeling beaten down by life and trying to make the best they can of a bad situation. With one, I have periodical conference calls with an attorney. The attorney has searched 50 states for case law or something that might help understand what to expect in our particular short sale situation. There is nothing, and she herself is FRUSTRATED that every case is a wild card of what to expect. I am in communication nearly every day with my short sellers. Those conversations are never uplifting or inspirational. I have three buyer's agents who are at my mercy, who have three sets of clients who are waiting impatiently for word on their offers to purchase my listings. They call me regularly for updates to take to their clients. In these conversations we commiserate and feel each others pain. I have my two sets of buyers eager for updates. These conversations are a little brighter than those with my sellers, at least I can give them encouragement and pep talks. I have two listing agents at whose mercy I am for the skilled handling of the homes my buyers are waiting for, while they languish at the mercy of their negotiators to actually appear out of the abyss and begin negotiating.
I am caught up in a web of frazzled and frustrated people! No wonder I am frazzled and frustrated!
The other day I spoke with the listing agent on behalf of one of my buyers. She had put the status as pending, and after I reassured her that my clients were not looking at other homes, but would wait it out on hers, she agreed not to allow any more showings or take other offers as back-ups. A negotiator had been assigned and I needed to resend her one of the documents that he was missing. Not ten minutes after I hung up the phone, she called me back, very upset. Seems my buyer had called in and spoken to her associate, wanting an update. (I had just updated her that there was nothing new, the day before!) But my sweet, first-time homebuyer had just got to the point that she felt her head would explode with frustration (been there, done that) and thought she would call and see if she could make something happen. I don't know what was or wasn't lost in translation, but according to that listing agent, my client said that she had offers on three houses and they better hurry with a response because they were going to take the first one that got back to them! You can imagine how upset that listing agent was since that was 180' different that what I had barely just finished telling her! All is well, I reassured the listing agent and had an educational chat with my buyer about why it is best to let me be the one to communicate with the listing agent.
Then, the next day, I get a call. I recognized the guy's name. It was the prospective buyer, who has his own buyer's agent, who is waiting on a response to his offfer on one of MY short sale listings. After what had just transpired with my buyer's communication misbehavior, I actually laughed out loud when I realized what was happening! His agent had just had a long conversation with me the afternoon before, about where things stood and what is going on. My caller started out by saying that he really liked his agent, and thinks he is doing a good job, but they are really frustrated and wondering if it's true that there is nothing they can do but just keep waiting. He thought he would call me because he was convinced that there just HAD to be something that SOMEONE could do to get things moving. They were closing on their current house, would be homeless and living in an RV, and if we let the lender know that, wouldn't it help them speed things up??? Um.... You'd think so, wouldn't you. But sadly, no. We had a long talk, and I was able to help him understand that his agent is a great guy and is doing everything he can, as am I. And I was able to tell him sincerely, that as hard as it is for him, and me, and the seller to be waiting such an outrageously long time for a response, the person who had it the hardest is his agent. He, responsible to protect the interests of his client, is powerless. Has to stand by and look after his client, without the ability to actually DO anything.
Then, I get a call from a former associate in another state, who is wrangling with the listing agent on behalf of her buyer on a short sale. He refused to submit her offer. She was FRUSTRATED and seeking some advice. Seems he told her that there was a new law that once an offer had been submitted to the lender, he couldn't submit another one, even if it was bigger and better, as hers was. Huh? Yeah, right.
Short sales. Do you know that there are still people who think a short sale has something to do with selling FAST! One thing that is clear is that they are here to stay for the forseeable future. I just hope that someone, somewhere, sets some guidelines and standards for the third Party Creditors to follow that will make some sense of the process. Because honestly, the way things are right now is LUNACY! It just doesn't have to be so difficult.
Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
There has been a lot of buzz around town about the big auction of luxury condos at the beautiful Riverstone development. Last month I posted the first press release about the auction. The original date set for earlier this month was pushed back, and I just received a email flyer that announced the starting bids have been drastically reduced. If you or someone you know would like a great investment property at fire sale prices, please give me a call. This is an unfortunate sign of the times, and of bad timing and over-building. Nevertheless, Riverstone is a class development in a stellar location and A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!
I would like to put a shout out for North Idaho College's Really BIG Raffle. I blogged about this great charitable event several months ago. With just a few days remaining to purchase tickets, they are about 600 short of selling out their 5000 tickets.
For just $100 you can have a 1 in 5000 chance to win a beautiful new home, while making a donation to a great cause! There are other fabulous prizes as well, which, among other things, include a new car and a new boat! Check out the website for more information about the house, the prizes and the NIC Charitable Foundation.
Really BIG Raffle Drawing July 8, 2009 7 p.m. NIC Campus - Ft. Sherman Park
The drawing for the 16th annual Really BIG Raffle takes place outdoors on the lawn of the Ft. Sherman park on campus. Bring your lawn chairs and possibly your umbrellas as this is a rain or shine event. Live music begins at 5:30 p.m. and food and beverage will be available for purchase at the NIC Foodservices concessions at the event. We typically have over 2,000 people in attendance, please keep in mind you may experience delays finding parking and leaving the event. The only prizes ticketholders need to be present at the drawing for are Bonus Prizes, all other winners not in attendance will be called the night of the drawing.
BONUS ENTRY 5 p.m. - 7p.m. Ticket holders will need to bring their ticket stubs to the drawing to enter in for BONUS PRIZES. Drop your stubs in the entry near the START HERE banner anytime between 5:00 and 7:00. The drawing starts promptly at 7:00 p.m. and late entries are not accepted.
This year's Bonus Prizes include: Two Night Bed and Breakfast Stay with any North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association Member Clearwater River Co. Guided Day Fishing Trip Full Auto Detail at Lake City Ford Taryn Hecker Photography Family Portrait Package Dinner for Four at Wolf Lodge Steakhouse
There are also some great DOOR PRIZES available to all who attend. This year's Door Prizes include:
DeWalt XRP Heavy Duty 18V Cordless Drill Driver Live Plant from Northland Nursery GW Hunters Restaurant $25 Gift Card Ciao Mambo Italian Restaurant $25 Gift Card and T-Shirt MacKenzie River Pizza Company $25 Gift Card and Sports Bottle Michael D's Eatery $25 Gift Certificate
A couple weeks ago an email popped into my mailbox. The subject said Low-end listing. I was intrigued, and started reading what I thought would be just a piece of spam. It turned out to be a very sincere and intelligent Email. The writer stated that she knew I specialized in high-end listings but wanted to know if I could recommend someone who would do a good job of marketing her low-end listing.
Immediately I knew that she had to have stumbled upon this post I had recently written. For starters, although I have achieved Million Dollar Guild status with the Institute For Luxury Home Marketing, I have made it a point since relocating to Idaho last year NOT to position myself as a luxury broker. Last I checked there was over 10 years inventory in those high-end listings! Our local stats show 70% of sales are under $200,000 at the present time. I had found in the past that when ordinary folks perceive me as a luxury broker, they mistakenly believe that I wouldn't be interested in selling their ordinary property.
Yes, I confess, I LOVE THOSE HIGH-END LISTINGS, but I just as enthusiastically love ANY listing that is priced right, affordable and shows well. Because after all, the point to taking ANY listing is to sell it!
I was able to convince the owner of that low-end listing to meet with me. I was then able to convince her that I would be honored to list her beautiful, well-kept home with a lovely yard and tons of curb appeal. She was so sweet and so concerned that because of the low listing price of $114,800 it wouldn't be worth my while! We have it listed now, and I am enjoying working with my first-time home seller who has proven to be simply delightful. I LOVE my low-end listing! (I would never have described it that way, but it's how she refers to it, so I do so too, affectionately, with tongue in cheek.)
Today, I listed a beautiful home in the historical neighborhood of The Fort Grounds near Coeur d'Alene City Beach, for $1,200,000. Almost TEN TIMES the price of my low-end listing! I confess that I am thrilled to have that high-end listing, and that those sophisticated sellers have enough confidence in my abilities to select me to work for them. But I can honestly say that not one more bit of energy or enthusiasm will be spent on marketing that beautiful restored classic Craftsman near the lake. Oh, don't get me wrong, I will be a marketing maniac with that listing. THAT is the benefit to people hiring me to market their ordinary homes. I put everything I have into all of my listings. I am used to sophisticated sellers holding me to a high standard and requiring accountability.
I don't shift gears and slack off proportionately to the listed price!
So whether a home is selling for $114,800 or $1,200,000, I will not rest until I have done everything I can to get it in front of the likely buyer.
There you have it, the fun story of my favorite low-end listing. And another validation of the value of time spent blogging in the Rain!
Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
WOW! I set out this morning around 6:00 am to watch the swimmers take off from City Beach. Of course, roads were blocked, closed, traffic diverted, throngs of people... By the time I found somewhere to park, walked for several blocks, went under barricades, I got to Independence Point after the last of the swimmers had taken the plunge. The skies were gloomy and it was chilly. But there was excitement in the air. And, what's that in the air, too? At least there were no crowds blocking my view straight UP!
I was finally able to infiltrate the crowd on the banks of the lake to catch a glimpse of the last wave of swimmers as they headed out.
Pretty awesome sight. Then then the announcer announced that the first pro swimmer was just about to finish. He is the guy in a charcoal colored wet suit, a blur in the photo right where the water hists the sand, in front of a big orange inflatable triangle. The crowd roared as a man from Hawaii climbed out of the water and headed for the transition area. This was the first time of hundreds in the next few hours that I realized these guys are MOVING FASTER than my camera can keep up with!
I moved through the crowds to the transition area, where the swimmers have their wetsuits peeled off by volunteers, then race to their bikes, put on their shoes and head out for their 112 mile bike ride through the lovely scenery of North Idaho. I realized two things - #1, I am too short to get good pictures because I can barely see over the barricades. #2, I need to figure out how to get a Press Pass next year! But, as always, I am able to get great views of the helicopters above!
I took about a zillion of pictures like the one above, trying to capture the bikers in my frame as they sped past! Oops, too late! Again, and again, and again. Eventually I got it figured out. Get in front of them!
I took a break and maneuvered the diverted streets to go get some pictures at two of my newest listings. I have been waiting for pretty blue skies all week, and had no choice but to go get pictures with gray skies. Geesh.....
As I found a road that was open that would eventually lead to my office, I found another vantage point for a few more photos. By this time these riders heading towards the left of the photo had already finished almost half of their 112 mile bike ride! I loved being able to see their expressions. Some were focused and oblivious to all of the spectators. Others would smile as they passed by.
I am off to find my son Derek at the CHS Cross Country Team's aid station at Blackwell Hill. Check back for the next installment of the Coeur d'Alene Ford Ironman Triathlon!
Here's a little slice of heaven, set in the gentle hills on Greensferry Road. Be self-sufficient on your 20 acres, while still convenient to both Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene. This beautiful parcel is a mix of timber (approx. 10 acres) and pasture (approx. 9 acres), fenced and crossed fenced, the absolute best of rural living. Taxes are low, because you qualify for both Timber and Ag Exemptions on your property tax bill. Cedar Creek runs through your land and keeps the pond full year around.
Mother Nature provides the purest water to your home, through a mountain fresh, spring fed, gravity powered, private water system! The numerous outbuildings allow you to efficiently operate. There's the classic red barn on the bank of the pond, 45x28. You can stash your fall harvest and the bounty from your fruit trees in the 8x8 root cellar near the back door. A 10x20 woodshed keeps your supply of firewood dry. A wonderful detached garage/shop, 85x30, will become the hub of your outdoor activities. The garage section holds 3 cars and has 12' high RV doors. The wood heated shop section is 33x20 and has 220 AC wiring. The 33x30 machine shed section houses all your farm equipment. Near the barn, a vintage grain silo has been converted into a charming 16x12 tack room. Three of four compartments have been opened up, exposing the original wood slat interior walls. The fourth compartment remains sealed, a fun mystery. The 20x14 open cedar deck is the perfect spot to watch the abundant wildlife by day, and stargaze by night.
Step into the farm house, circa 1920, and you feel like you are part of a Norman Rockwell painting! Warm and cozy, heated with electric forced air, or wood stove, or both! Watch the comings and goings from the country kitchen, the heart of the home. On the main level find the laundry, dining room, master bedroom, full bath, living room and an office niche. Upstairs, there are two more bedrooms under the eaves, and a half bath. The unfinished basement has been put into service as extra living space, warmed by a wood stove. It's a very functional, comfortable, classic farmhouse, overflowing with charm.
This is a choice rural opportunity that would be difficult to duplicate. Don't hesitate, give me a call today for your personal tour.
You will think you have come to the end of the world, but you are just 3 miles from downtown Bonners Ferry! This upscale creative retreat gives new meaning to peace and serenity. No sight or sound of civilization, just the call of the wild and views that will knock your socks off!
Located at the end of a private, gated road, this beautiful home was constructed of square, blue pine logs in the Appalachian style. Foam insulation has been placed between the logs for superior insulation. The timber frame detail with tongue & groove vaulted ceilings is truly awe inspiring. The entire upstairs is the master suite with incredible views a large covered deck for outdoor creative repose.
Constructed with impeccable attention to detail, this is a wonderful creative retreat. Your eleven acres are surrounded by rugged, snow-capped mountain peaks in every direction. Several acres have been cleared, and it seems as if you are living in a wonderful park at the edge of the wilderness.
Acreage can be split if desired, and is eligible for a timber tax exemption. This exceptional property is the canvas on which to paint your dreams. It stands ready for your vision. Give me a call for your personal tour today!
North Idaho Real estate, Coeur d'Alene Real Estate, Post Falls Real Estate, Coeur d'Alene Idaho, Lake Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene Lake, Hayden Lake, Hayden Lake Real Estate
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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roads were blocked, closed, traffic diverted, throngs of people... By the time I found somewhere to park, walked for several blocks, went under barricades, I got to Independence Point after the last of the swimmers had taken the plunge. The skies were gloomy and it was chilly. But there was excitement in the air. And, what's that in the air, too? At least there were no crowds blocking my view straight UP!
