I am writing on a Real Estate Network because my profession is Real Estate. The Members of this network are involved in Real Estate in some form or another, and many times I've read about how passionate people are about Real Estate, but that's not my real passion, it's what I do, but not what I am most passionate about.

Right now the Lil Devil is fuming ....but it's not about Real Estate.  This is one of those times where the Lil Devil has completely silenced the Lil Angel.  In fact all parts of my personality are integrated when I think of the atrocities that some people do to each other, and especially to children. 

I just read that Human Trafficking has moved to the #2 spot for most profitable illegal trade.

Born to Fly International, Inc. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is one I found on Twitter.  As most of you know I have spent the majority of my life working with and for children, and when I read some of the things from this Organization, as well as others on Human Trafficking, my passion just boils over. 

You may see me Re-Tweet several of their messages, especially from an Organization that tracks prominent people that get arrested for Crimes against Children.  Anyway Diane Scimone of Born to Fly International stated they will be redoing this Video to show the change from #3 to #2.....in most profitable illegal trade.  Disgusting, just disgusting that they would even have to change this Video that is apparently only 6 months old, to reflect this change.

Is the Lil Devil Angry....you bet he is!

By: Kathy McGraw- Veteran, Former Peace Corps Volunteer, Former Little League Manager, Pop Warner Commissioner, Rotary Member, Foster Mother, Mother, Grandmother, Artist, Writer, and Photographer.....in other words someone JUST LIKE YOU that sells Real Estate in Riverside County CA.

Business, whether it't Real Estate, Buying a Computer or Camera at Best Buy, or getting your car repaired....we are in the position of needing to "Trust" someone else.  Most of the time we take their word as to what we need to buy,  or what we need to do to solve or fix a problem.  They are the experts, and we expect them to know what they are talking about and to guide us through our purchase or transaction. But what happens when our Trust is misplaced?

"Trust me" yea we've all heard that one before.  In fact there are people that the minute they hear those words they run the other way.  "Trust me" is the tagline of many a con artist and incompetents.  I don't think they have it patented or anything, but when I hear it I want to run the other way.

This past week I have had to "trust" many different people to help me with a business venture.  The venture itself is immaterial it's the experiences that left me at weeks end with a migraine, very sore back, and wondering where in the world work ethics have gone to.

1)  "I'm sorry" but..........

     Lil Devil- What do you mean you're sorry?  You don't have anything vested in this.....will you quit talking  don't you know I stopped listening to you after you said "but"? 

I'm so angry right now I could just scream, or throw things, something, as I don't "trust you" I think you're lying to me, but what can I do, there's no way to prove it.  Damn it, it makes me mad....and I just knew I should have gone somewhere else.

     Lil Angel- Sometimes our gut feelings should be listened to. Unless someone is really neurotic, or has actual mental problems then listening to our gut feelings can keep us out of situations that we sense isn't right.  Sometimes the anger we feel isn't really at the situation, but at ourselves for even being in the position of being taken advantage of.  In my case I was very angry as I had suspicions that this shop would try to pad the bill....and from the experience all that is left is that I was right.  Whether they were completely honest or not, I have a bad taste in my mouth that they cheated me, and that's all that matters!

2)  Have you ever been in the position where you bought something that the seller said had no problems, only to find out later that it did....

     Lil Devil-  Oh Gawd....why did I even bother to ask, did I really expect them to say, "oh yea by the way it has this and that wrong but hey we want top dollar for it."   Embellish, puffing, all those fancy words just mean lying to me.........Just tell me the condition so I can make an informed decision!

     Lil Angel-  If I ask you about the condition it's because I don't know how to check it myself.  Someone selling something might not know everything about it, but they have some sort of history, and that's all they can tell.  But saying something is perfect, or has no problems gives the impression that it doesn't need repairs, is ready to be used or enjoyed. 

Oh, and another thing.....sellers of everything need to understand about depreciated value.  Why would a buyer pay top dollar (or what you paid for it) if it has been used, has deferred maintenance, has been repaired, needs repairs, is out of style, out of date, or any other host of things. 

People will still buy things that aren't in top shape if the Price is Right.  But boy can they get ticked off if they think they are getting scr**ed in a transaction. 

3)  Disclose, Disclose, Disclose

By: Kathy McGraw

Some people hem and haw when they have something to say, and some people just come right out and say what they mean.  We've gotten to be such a diverse society, and are expected to accept different groups, and different lifestyles....but there are times that no matter what...some people aren't wanted in the neighborhood.

How do I start this without just coming out and saying "Get over yourself"?  You're making a name for yourself all right, but what name is it, probably not the one you envisioned.  There have been a lot of chances for people around the country to see you, both on your Blog and other Social Media Sites, and in person.  So what image have you given? 

It's been a few weeks that the Lil Devil has been behaving himself, guess he finally had something to do other than watch what others were doing :) How to win friends and influence enemies is how the saying goes, but that's not how I want to say it today. 

Today, I am hearing rumblings.....dissent from some of the masses about the self proclaimed "chosen few." and also about the ones whose in real life social behavior is a great example of niche marketing You know the ones that somehow have declared their importance, yet when you meet them their behavior is anything but what you expected.

     Lil Devil- Grow....darn right people grow!  Look around you at who you associate with online....now think back to when you all first started blogging, tweeting, and catching up with each other on Face Book.  Well, some of us didn't use Twitter and FB, but that's besides the point.  The point is we all started out the same.

But now look....go look at some of those signature lines....and profiles.  They've changed, they've grown, and some have grown some mighty big heads.

Oh.... you're having a Bloggers get together, wonderful, I'll be there.  Oh, and Susie Q. yea, she'll be there too.  Without us it wouldn't be as much fun, or as successful, now would it?  Don't you just fall all over yourself when I comment on your Post, or come to your Venue....I'm one of the "Chosen Few" didn't you know that?  Whatever I want I get, and if you have to put up with an inconvenience or two, well not a big deal...you get to meet me don't you...I'll be sitting over there in the corner with the other chosen ones!

     Lil Angel- Grow...yes, we all grow. Many times, just as in real life, we outgrow the friends we started with.  Oh they may have a special place in our collective blogging conscious, but for all practical purposes we might have moved on.  The reasons vary, but people grow....it's the direction that matters.  Oh, and that group in the corner, the ones that have an "adoring following"...so many people have grown past their initial adoration, that initial "oh thank you for helping us" stage that they no longer think the same...just like kids going from Kindergarten to Junior High.

Then we have the "Niche" Crowd....they have to be a niche, that's the only excuse I can think of......

     Lil Devil- Oh my Gawd did you see what she's doing over there?  I saw her online but that's not the person I thought I was talking to all this time.  Be Yourself" should come with a disclaimer....

Wait guys I am not really that   partying, egotistical, it's all about me, had way too many drinks and said way too many things person.......

     Lil Angel- Once again it seems some people have different persona's online than they do off.  And hey that's OK if you never meet anyone in Real Life.  But now what..now what do you do when so many people have a completely different idea of who you are?  To tell you the truth several people commented on your behavior, and said if that's the kind of person you are they aren't impressed.

And then last but certainly not least ....

     Lil Devil- Hey there's a spot open at the next gathering, and I want to tell everyone how to use the XYZ method and how it made me as important as I am.  I am important you know, just listen to the Group of people that I'll name drop.  What? You don't care about the names I drop? You care about "your own needs....sounds kind of selfish don't cha think?

     Lil Angel- Oh my.....let me just say that enough is enough with the "chosen crowd".  The names you drop many people don't know, and don't care about.  Not everyone that is a good Blogger is a good Public Speaker....they're totally different skills.  So next time you're on a panel, or giving a talk...try to engage the audience and not toot your own horn, or spend your time with the other panelists telling inside jokes.  People will respect you more, and get more from your talk if you can show them how it will help "them"....after all we are narcistic you know :)

By: Kathy McGraw

What happens when you ask a question, or make a comment, and the person that is supposed to know the business makes a statement that isn't what you want to hear?  Oh I think most of us, or our clients have dealt with this one. But what do you do really.....Do you accept  what the expert says....or do you investigate on your own to ascertain the validity of the statement?

I was talking to someone yesterday about my new venture, and while filling out the paperwork I mentioned how excited I was that my Grandkids and I would be doing this for the summer.  That's when the bomb dropped and the owner told me that kids aren't allowed in Ice Cream Trucks! What? That just ruined all our plans in less than 5 minutes!

Well, I listened, and thought there has to be a way, maybe she's wrong.  If she isn't then there has to be another way to accomplish the objective of spending the summer with my Grandkids selling ice cream. So, I came home and went online Googling " DMV rules for Ice Cream Trucks."  That gave me some info, but not what I was looking for.  I then went to "Are Kids allowed in ice cream trucks" and a host of other things.

Zilch.....couldn't find anything about kids in ice cream trucks.  I think I have read everything there is online by now, and still not getting an answer.....but I need one, so once again there has to be a way to get it. Then it hit me: Go to the source! 

And that's exactly what I did....I drove over to the local California Highway Patrol Office and asked them, "Are kids allowed to be in an ice cream truck?"

And the answer is:  "There is no law against kids being in an Ice Cream Truck!"  That answer just saved our summer plans.  It does pay to question and do our own research no matter who says what, and no matter what position they have. Sometimes it's OK not to take NO for an answer :)

Even the experts can be wrong, and if it's something we really want to do, or know, then it's worth the effort to verify for ourselves.

By: Kathy McGraw - Real Estate Agent who will be enjoying the summer with her Grandkids on their own Ice Cream Truck.  Look for us in the Cabazon, Whitewater, North Palm Springs, and Palm Desert areas this summer.

Recently one of my online friends was saying that she had a hard time sitting still and just "being". Sometimes  location is the culprit, and sometimes location is the answer.  Sometimes it's hard to just sit and "be" with the TV or radio blasting, kids running around, and family and business demands needing attention.

But when we change our location and get rid of the distractions it's easier to find peace. We can sit and just "be" enjoying the world around us while harvesting the strength of nature. It's all about desire, location, and commitment to self.   Serenity comes from within, however location is an important component to being able to sit still long enough to find that calm.

When we think of something we are using our own experiences, and our own visuals to conquer up an image for that word.  Many times misunderstandings can occur if two people have a different visual (definition) of something.  Take the State of California, what do you think of, what picture is in your mind when you hear someone say they live in California?  Our own experiences are what we use to see the world, and to communicate with each other.  But often times your world isn't someone else's world, so try to find out where they're coming from first, then communication can occur.

Have you ever had someone ask you a question that you didn't really know the answer to, so you just kind of hummed and hawed?   I don't know about anyone else, but I find it takes a lot of time to keep up with everything online.  I know that there are some people that spend a lot of time online, and then they write how they've had so many transactions, it just doesn't jive.  Even the best multi-taskers still need to get off the computer to show houses.

I was asked how some people seem to be online all day, and still have time do their work of selling Real Estate? 

Depending on the person and what their goals are you can manage both.  Many people have built time into their Marketing Plans for using Social Media sites and Blogging.  It's all about the ROI-Return on Investment for each person.  Knowing why we're online can answer the question of if we're on "too much".

Now as far as my time online....I diversified my time.  I have been asked to do a guest blog on a Photography site, wrote a Twitter Landing Page, commented on several people's blogs on Active Rain and off as well as wrote a new Squidoo Lens.  I updated my website, and worked on trying to improve my blog.

     Lil Devil-If you are just online to have fun, then complain about business Get off the computer!  As they say on Twitter....."Mosey on now" ......

     Lil Angel-When someone asks me how I can do everything I do online, I am honest with myself. If we aren't honest with ourselves then how in the world can we be honest with others?

      Lil Devil- I have a lot to do today.....so you'll just have to ge read something else.....I'm busy!

     Lil Angel- Hope everyone has a good day, I have to get off and get going........but before I go let me give you a great tool I found for writing your blogs, and an example of a Landing Page I made over the week-end for my Twitter Account (worth a look and easy to make).

FREE Blogging Tool: . I found  this program that makes writing for my Blog(s) so much easier.. It's a FREE program from Microsoft, but you have to have Windows XP in order for it to run properly (my understanding  but not positive) The Program is called Windows Live Writer and like I said, you can download it for free.

I have a tutorial for the Live Writer Program on a Post I wrote on Twitterqueens...I know, what's Twitterqueens...that's another story, anyway if you go here you can also learn how to make a great landing page.  I made mine for Twitter, but you can make it for anything, and again this saves time and puts all your sites in one spot that you have control over.  Here's my Twitter Landing Page.

     Lil Devil- Alright alright you just gave 2 great tips for how to use your time better.....now get off the computer!

    Lil Angel- Sorry no time to look for a graphic....See you all later, and have a great day :)

By: Kathy McGraw CA Real Estate and Life

When we look up or look down, we see things that we might not normally see.  Hopefully we all take a few minutes to experience something new.  Look at the picture below...did you notice that both of these flowers have different shades of purple?  This is true with so many everyday" things" in life...we think they are alike on first glance, but on closer inspection we see they're not.  We are all unique yet the similarities are what helps us build relationships.  Take the time to enjoy the differences while appreciating the similarities :)  That's the beauty of diversity.

By: Kathy McGraw -

Today is Monday, another Monday after a Holiday.  Well, I'm not sure it's a holiday but it sure is a day that gets a lot of hype, and all over the social networks people were posting Have a Happy Mothers Day.  You know, you read it as many times as I did, and many of you probably spent some time with extended family....and if you're reading this you survived.  Yes, sometimes spending too much time with some people, "survival" is the only thing we can hope for.

             Extended family.....

Aunts and Uncles, maybe a step-dad or two;  brothers and sisters, cousins and  friends that we grew up with, and might not particularly like, but they're family.

There are many reasons we might not like them, and sometimes it's their behaviors, or their jokes. 

Heck we might not even like those darling little kids they have, the ones we all call brats out of earshot. 

And let's not forget the rest of the family....the ones that drink too much, the dysfunctional ones, and the ones we are related to by  no choice of our own........The Lil Devil just loves dysfunctional families.....and loves Mothers Day when so many people feel guilty about not going to see their mothers, and don't like being around their families.  Yep this is a perfect time for the Lil Devil.  He knows not everyone is created equal.....

1.  Spend a nickle, spend a dime.......

     Lil Devil- Mothers Day again....yipee here we go, we get to watch people overspend on flowers, dinners, presents, and other junk just to try to impress their mother and even the rest of the family.  I love the media, it sure helps our capitalistic society for people to think these things are really a part of Mothers Day.

     Lil Angel-  Love isn't measured by the gift(s) you give, or how much money you spend on it.  When our kids were little we loved those flowers they picked from the garden, the half done pancakes served in bed, and the cute little handmade cards....we loved watching the smiles on their faces when they said "I love you mom".....and this didn't cost a nickle.  What it did cost was the time mothers put into teaching their children about unconditional love.

2.  Behind those 4 walls a family is born.......

     Lil Devil-  Well, will you look at that!  Johnny went and had himself another kid. Saw on the news that people don't have a plug nickle for anything extra are finding entertainment in other ways (if you know what I mean).  Heck some cities are having their own little Baby Boom, thanks to the current recession.  Guess no one ever told them that if they can't afford to go to the movies today, what makes them think it will be cheaper to have another kid!  And they want "ME "to congratulate them.....yea right :)

     Lil Angel-  Neighbors and families, virtual and real life friends come in all shapes and sizes, some a little more intelligent than others.  We cannot choose our families, and certainly aren't responsible for the choices of others, but we can choose how we behave and who we associate with.

3.  How do you manage to interact with dysfunctional and boring people.....

     Lil Devil- Yea so Uncle Johnny is a drunk, and Aunt Sally bores the he** out of everyone with her stories of how smart and wonderful her kids are.  Doesn't she know that almost every mother thinks her kid is the smartest, cutest, most clever thing in this world. Boring.......B......O.....R.....I.....N...G.........boring!

Online friends are another thing...it's easy to tell someone..."oh how cute", and not have to be emotionally involved at all. Who cares if Billy Bob thinks his kids are the smartest, brightest kids in BF Egypt...that won't affect your work or life one bit. I know it doesn't affect mine :)

     Lil Angel- We all know who these people are, and unfortunately we cannot totally avoid them, but we can choose how we interact.  Although it's not advisable for all....maybe developing a script for the "Uncle Johnny's" might help, or knowing that after 5 they are looped, arrange for family gatherings in the morning or early afternoon only.  If Aunt Susie can't see that she is boring everyone....you might just have to grin and bear it if you want to keep the peace. NEVER ask how the kids are unless you have nothing better to do :)

Now, as for Billy Bob... #2 pretty much sums that up "some are a little more intelligent than others, (and less boring too)" ....

Have a great week everyone, and if your Lil Devil wants to come out and play.......

it's best to keep some Balance, online and off  :)

By: Kathy McGraw- Veteran, Former Peace Corps Volunteer, Former Little League Manager, Pop Warner Commissioner, Rotary Member, Foster Mother, Mother, Grandmother, Artist, Writer, and Photographer.....in other words someone JUST LIKE YOU that sells Real Estate in Riverside County CA.