realtor: As A Parent, I Had to Let Go and Trust My Boy Was Going to be Safe! - 09/06/08 11:55 PM
This past week, my oldest boy, Jacob, went out with his class on a field trip. Not just any field trip, but a long drive away, and a one night sleep over! My boy is 8 years old and he's in the 3rd grade. I am quite protective of my kids … (5 comments)
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realtor: Defaults on Option Arm Mortgages are Expected to Double Over the Next 2 Years - 09/06/08 11:46 PM
I just read an article on Money.com about the rate of defaults expected over the next couple of years on Option Arm mortgages. They're expecting the rate of defaults to double over the next couple of years. I can't say I'm the leat bit surprised to hear this. When I was … (4 comments)
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realtor: Big Screen Movie in My Neighbor's Back Yard! - 09/06/08 11:32 PM
Tonight was just too cool! My neighbor had recently purchased a high quality projector system and he wanted to put together an outdoor movie theater experience for friends, family and neighbors. He built a large wood frame and pulled a white painter's tarp across it and secured it so as to … (5 comments)
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realtor: How Smart Is This Car? - 09/06/08 11:23 PM
The other day I pulled into the parking lot at Chick-Fil-A to get my boys some soft ice cream at the drive through. I was pulled towards a rather interesting sight and I had to park and check it out. It was one of these new Smart cars. I don't know … (11 comments)
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realtor: My Baby Boy Is Now A "Big Shot" 3 Year Old! - 09/06/08 11:13 PM
I remember long ago when my first boy, Jacob, was born and friends and family who already had kids would always tell me "enjoy your children, they grow so fast!".
A statement like that never really sinks in. You have to just wait until one day when you're shocked to see … (8 comments)
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realtor: Gov. Sarah Palin Delivers Her Big Speech at the Republican National Convention! - 09/03/08 11:28 PM
Tonight was Gov. Sarah Palin's big night. It was her first chance to show millions of Americans just who she is, what she stands for, how she handles herself and what she thinks of both John McCain and their opponent, Barack Obama.
For those of you who saw her deliver her … (44 comments)
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realtor: Active Rain Training Workshop in Progress at Keller Williams Greenville Central! - 09/03/08 10:50 AM
Hello and welcome to my Active Rain training workshop at the Keller Williams Greenville Central office. We are all learning how to maximize the Active Rain environment to the fullest extent possible. Active Rain offers a wonderful tool to learn from others, educate others, have fun, market our businesses, serve our … (0 comments)
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realtor: King of Voiceovers, Don LaFontaine, Dies at 68 - 09/02/08 01:17 PM
Don LaFontaine, died Monday at Cedars-Sinai hospital. He was 68 years old.
Don's voice talents have appeared in over 5000 movie trailers and also in nearly 350,000 commercials.
He's the guy who starts off a movie trailer with the classic line "In A World...."
I admired and respected Don. I used … (4 comments)
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realtor: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's Teenage Daughter Is Pregnant! Is This Topic Fair Game or Off Limits? - 09/02/08 07:30 AM
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's Teenage Daughter Is Pregnant! Is This Topic Fair Game or Off Limits?
The first big "negative" news from the Palin camp has hit the mass media over this past weekend. Alaska Gov. Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant. Word from the Palin camp is that her teenage daughter … (25 comments)
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realtor: Do You Think Obama Is Now Wishing He Chose A Woman For V.P. ??? - 08/31/08 08:50 AM
At this point, Obama has to be asking himself the obvious question;
"Did I blow it?"
"Should I have chosen a woman for VP?"
With some 18 million voting for Hillary, it would seem that McCain has made a very strategic decision in his choice of Gov. Palin.
With all the … (30 comments)
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realtor: Michigan Suffers A Drop In Median Income and a Rise In The Poverty Rate In 2007 - 08/30/08 11:33 PM
A report was just released that reveals yet another dark cloud of reality over the state of Michigan. Apparently, Michigan was the only state in the nation in 2007 to have suffered both a drop in median income and also a rise in the rate of poverty in the state. I'm … (4 comments)
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realtor: Homebuyers Turn Screws On Desperate Sellers - 08/30/08 11:09 PM
"Homebuyers Turn Screws On Desperate Sellers"
This was the title of an article I read the other day on CNN/Money.com. As usual, this type of article is speaking in general terms, as if every real estate market in the country is the same. Is it a buyer's market right now? Sure! … (10 comments)
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realtor: It All Boils Down To The Vice Presidential Debate! - 08/30/08 10:43 PM
Now that we all know who the players are in the presidential race, it seems to me that regardless of all the hope, and dreams of change, the promises made, fingers pointed, accusations made and endless rhetoric, this whole thing will ultimately boil down to one single debate between Biden and … (8 comments)
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realtor: John McCain has chosen Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P. - Is this a Brilliant Pick or a Very Risky Move? - 08/30/08 10:22 PM
McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Whoever wins this election, Republicans or Democrats, it will be a historical event for our great nation!
The Dems are hard at work pointing out Sarah Palin’s lack of experience and they're trying to scare everyone with the question..."who would … (18 comments)
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realtor: Filmmaker Michael Moore Says Hurricane Gustav offers "Proof That There Is A God In Heaven" if the Republican Convention is Disrupted by the Hurricane - 08/30/08 10:06 PM
Filmmaker Michael Moore just took the first place trophy for being classless and ignorant!
He was on MSNBC, talking to Keith Olbermann, when he said if hurricane Gustav disrupts the Republican National Convention that this would be "proof that there is a God in heaven".
Really? I didn't realize that God … (22 comments)
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realtor: Reminder: Active Rain Blogging Workshop for Beginners-Sep 3-Greenville, SC Keller Williams Office - 08/30/08 09:39 PM
This is a reminder notice for anyone who would either like to attend or who would like to send a friend or colleague to attend our Active Rain Blogging Workshop for beginners. The workshop will be held this coming week, on September 3rd, from 10AM to 12Noon at the Keller Williams … (2 comments)
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realtor: I'm Thinking Of Killing My TV and Joining The Local Gym! - 08/30/08 09:45 AM
Are you in peak physical condition? Are you ever sick and tired of the brain-rot television programs that you willingly subject yourself to?
If you answered "No" and then "Yes" to the above questions...I guess you and I have a lot in common!
For far too long, now, my wife and … (19 comments)
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realtor: Stood Up Twice In The Same Day! - 08/30/08 09:29 AM
Wow, what a strange day it was yesterday! It yesterday were the high school prom, I'd have egg on my face, let me tell you! I got stood up twice in one day! I was supposed to meet a Realtor at my office who was considering joining Keller Williams. He called … (17 comments)
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realtor: McCain Picks Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin For V.P. Running Mate! - 08/29/08 10:13 AM
Wow! What a day for breaking news! The news just announced that Republican Presidential candidate, John McCain, has picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his Vice Presidential running mate. Now, the big question is whether this choice is incredibly strategic on his part, or if it will ultimately hurt his chances … (25 comments)
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realtor: How Effective Was Obama's Speech At The Convention??? - 08/29/08 07:01 AM
Well, last night was the big crescendo, the big, historical moment for Mr. Obama and the Democratic party. The big question on may people's minds is "how effective was his speech at the convention?". I guess ultimately a good indicator is to tune in to the various polls that the news … (9 comments)
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realtor: Facebook Update - 08/23/08 11:38 PM
Well it has been a good few weeks now since I joined Facebook with the intention of building yet another online networking source to grow my business. I was worried it would be anything but that and turn out to be a crazy high school reunion.
Facebook has turned out to … (12 comments)
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realtor: Awesome Family Vacation! - 08/23/08 09:17 PM
We finally did it! Before the kids went back to school, we packed up our Yukon XL and took the family to Jellystone Park camping resort in Marion, NC. It was absolutely wonderful! We stayed in brand new, wooden cabins that were fully featured with a screened porch, air conditioning, a … (11 comments)
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realtor: Wood-Framed or Aluminum-Framed Screened Porch??? - 08/23/08 08:48 PM
My wife is seriously excited about the notion of having a screened porch built on the back of our house. I had assumed that we would call the same builders that my neighbors used for their screen porch as they were happy, and it looks great and it's made of wood. … (6 comments)
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realtor: WHO SHOULD McCAIN PICK FOR VICE PRESIDENT ????? - 08/23/08 08:40 PM
Well, now that Obama let the cat out of the bag on his pick of Biden for his V.P., the news channels are burning up, going non-stop with talk of the duo. The only topic that seems to be in second place on the news channels is big question of who … (7 comments)
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realtor: My Wife Just Rearranged the Foosball Table in our Dining Room! - 08/23/08 08:29 PM
OK, log this one under "off topic-humor"...
After having spent almost the last 20 years of my life in California, first living in apartments, then a condo and then a townhome, I never had a formal dining room. Thus, my wife and I only owned a nice sized kitchen table with … (1 comments)
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realtor: Hands-On Blogging Workshop For Active Rain Newbies at Keller Williams Greenville Central - 08/23/08 07:06 PM
"Due to popular demand..."
Ok, I just had to say that! Sorry. But seriously, I will be teaching a repeat of a hands-on workshop for Active Rain newbies on September 3rd at the Keller Williams Greenville Central office training room. If you happen to be a Realtor in the Upstate, SC … (3 comments)
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realtor: ARE YOU ANGRY THAT OBAMA DID NOT PICK HILLARY??? - 08/23/08 06:53 PM
I was watching one of the major national news stations last evening and they were reporting how many thousands of emails they had been receiving from very anxious Hillary Clinton supporters. First it was reported that Obama was going to announce his running mate last night. Then, it was changed to … (29 comments)
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realtor: 100,000 Active Rain Points! How The Heck Did That Happen? - 08/22/08 02:56 PM
I feel compelled to stop and reflect on the fact that I just hit over 100,000 points on the goold ole' Active Rain tally. I guess it's kind of funny to me as the points reflect the fact that I'm not only "active" on the system, but perhaps even a bit … (13 comments)
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realtor: China May Have Cheated at Beijing Olympics! - 08/21/08 04:21 PM
Oooops! It turns out that someone was equally suspicious as I was when watching the women's gymnastic's competition at the Beijing Olympics recently. A computer hacker was researching to discover the true age of a Chinese female gold medalist and allegedly uncovered proof that the young Chinese competitor, He Kexin, is … (6 comments)
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realtor: That Was Fast! I Received A Decent Offer On One Of My Listings In Just Days After Listing It! - 08/16/08 11:39 PM
I listed a client's home for sale just over a week ago. We received a decent offer on the property within days after listing it. We're in the counter offer process right now, related mostly to details other than the purchase price. I can't help but be happy for my client … (8 comments)
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realtor: Here's An "Active Rain Addict" Blog And Photo For You! - 08/16/08 11:16 PM
I guess this blog and photo is specifically for the group called "Active Rain Addicts". Here's the situation: This past week I finally got my act together and took my family on a real vacation before the kids went back to school. We went to the Jellystone park camping grounds in … (7 comments)
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realtor: Phelps Wins Record-Breaking 8th Gold Medal At Beijing Olympic Games - 08/16/08 10:42 PM
Michael Phelps just set the new Gold standard for all future Olympic hopefuls. He set an all-time record of winning 8 gold medals, thus breaking a 36 year old record held by Mark Spitz. I just watched the men's relay event. You can't help but cringe as you watch the other … (14 comments)
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realtor: The Dark Knight - The First "Perfect Relationship" on Film Between Batman and the Joker! - 08/16/08 11:34 AM
I saw the Dark Knight yesterday. It was a superb movie, and clearly the best batman movie ever made!
It is incredibly sad that Heath Ledger won't be able to return and play the Joker again in another Batman movie. Near the end of the movie, Ledger's Joker is captured and … (9 comments)
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realtor: Tropic Thunder - A Unique and Funny Movie! - 08/16/08 11:09 AM
I just saw Tropic Thunder in the movie theater and I have to say that it was both very unique and quite funny!
I don't want to ruin any surprises for those who haven't seen it, but I will say that Mr. couch-jumping, Scientology freak himself, Tom Cruise, has taken on … (5 comments)
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realtor: What Do You Think About When Watching The Olympics? - 08/16/08 10:46 AM
I've been watching the olympics over the past week. As I watch the olympics, two things keep popping up in my mind:
1: A sense of American pride
2: A feeling that it is long past due that I dedicate myself to a regular exercise regimen
I don't know if I … (5 comments)
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realtor: Heat? Humidity? Where Is This "Big Bad Wolf"? - 08/16/08 10:04 AM
Before I moved to Greenville, SC I recall people telling me two things about this area:
1: I would absolutely love living in Greenville
2: It gets pretty hot and humid in the summer months
Well now, I'm just a little confused about this "big bad wolf" that is supposed to … (0 comments)
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realtor: Back To School...Already? - 08/16/08 09:48 AM
I can't believe how fast time can fly by! My boys have had a nice summer and I remember how proud I was of my two older boys after finishing the school year with good grades. Now, the summer has flown by! Tuesday August 19th my boys are back in school. … (5 comments)
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realtor: Isaac Hayes Dies at Age 65 - Unanswered Questions Follow His Death - 08/11/08 01:20 PM
Sadly, another talented performer has passed away. Only a couple days ago Bernie Mac passed away at the age of 50. Now, Isaac Hayes has passed away at the age of 65. I was just reading about him and I must confess I did not know much about him, other than … (1 comments)
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realtor: Paul Newman Reportedly Has Only Weeks To Live - 08/10/08 01:35 AM
Paul Newman is now 83 and he recently finished chemotherapy in an effort to treat cancer. Apparently he has been told by the hospital that he has only weeks to live. He told his family that he did not want to die in the hospital. He wants to die at his … (9 comments)
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realtor: 2nd Annual KW Family Picnic Was A Great Success! - 08/09/08 09:29 PM
We all had a great time today at the Keller Williams 2nd annual family picnic. There was so much great food, I felt like it was Thanksgiving! I pigged out and then went for seconds! Then, I barely had any room left for apple pie, or brownies, or cake, etc. My … (2 comments)
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realtor: Bernie Mac Dies At Age 50 - 08/09/08 12:32 PM
What a sad thing it is to see so many relatively young, talented people die over this past summer. Tim Russert, Tony Snow and now Bernie Mac have all passed away far too young and much too early for their friends, colleauges, fans and family members to accept. It makes me … (11 comments)
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realtor: Productivity Workshop with Vaughn Loudenback - 08/09/08 10:50 AM
Friday morning we had a special guest trainer spend about 3 hours with us. This was a very well constructed productivity coaching class, focusing on communication, marketing, selling and time management. It was very good content and Vaughn is very smart and a skilled trainer. However, it truly was too much … (0 comments)
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realtor: Keller Williams Greenville Central's 2nd Annual Family Picnic Today! - 08/09/08 10:36 AM
Well, it's been a just over a year since our Keller Williams Greenville Central office opened up. We've got close to 100 agents hanging their hats at our office. At our 1 year anniversary it was announced that our office was in fact quite profitable at the 1 year benchmark. It … (1 comments)
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realtor: It's Official! Facebook Has Become A "Runaway Train" High School Reunion! - 08/07/08 01:14 AM
Well, I joined Facebook a few weeks back in the hopes of somehow leveraging it towards a networking tool for my real estate business. I had fears that it would be the furthest thing from that and instead turn into a high school reunion forum. At this point, it is officially … (9 comments)
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realtor: Vacation Options Are On The Table! - 08/06/08 05:51 PM
My wonderful fellow Active Rainers have certainly inspired me to see the light as per a recent blog I posted about vacations and when a Realtor ever gets to take one. I will be taking my family on some sort of trip before the kids go back to school. Now the … (2 comments)
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realtor: Blogging Class Was A Great Success at the Spartanburg, SC Keller Williams Office! - 08/06/08 11:28 AM
We went from 10AM to about 12:45 and we covered a very structured course outline, including "why we blog", "when we blog" and "how we blog". I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the class! I hope the people that were in the class are able to apply themselves to this wonderful gift called … (0 comments)
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realtor: Blogging Class in Progress at Spartanburg, SC Keller Williams Office! - 08/06/08 11:28 AM
We are in the process right now of having a class on blogging at the Keller Williams, Spartanburg, SC office training room. This is a hands-on training workshop. Everyone in the room has logged in to the system, created an account profile and made comments to other people's blogs. We are … (1 comments)
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realtor: Exploring Asheville, NC - 08/05/08 08:59 AM
We took a regional trip over the weekend and explored downtown Asheville, NC. I had never been there before and it was an enjoyable trip for me. Asheville has quite a few older buildings downtown, some of which were amazing and reminded me of certain parts of San Francisco. We enjoyed … (2 comments)
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realtor: Floridians, Greater Greenville South Carolina Is The Place To Retire! - 08/02/08 11:17 PM
Statistics and migration data reports confirm that we've got a huge influx of Floridians moving to the Greater Greenville, SC region. Just today I met a couple at an open house I was hosting who are preparing to sell their home in Florida and retire here in Greenville, SC. This couple … (0 comments)
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realtor: Greenville South Carolina Has Some Of The Lowest Priced Gas In The Country - 08/02/08 10:44 PM
Greenville South Carolina has some of the lowest priced gas in the country. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's due to lower state taxes as part of the overall cost of a gallon of gas. Perhaps it's due to our proximity to distribution routes or a refinery. Whatever the reason...I don't … (0 comments)
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realtor: Active Rain Customizer Tool Is Awesome! - 08/02/08 10:05 PM
Thanks to my colleague giving me a little guidance, I was able to take advantage of the Active Rain Customizer tool to make my blog pages look like something special! It's a wonderful tool and very easy to utilize. In today's world of intensive and constant visual marketing images, it only … (2 comments)
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realtor: Big Challenges For General Motors - 08/02/08 09:49 PM
It's almost impossible to imagine, but General Motors lost over $15 Billion in the second quarter of this year. Forgive me if I've got my numbers wrong, but I'm fairly certain that was the approximate amount of money they lost in the second quarter. They're proceeding with multiple plant closures, laying … (3 comments)
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realtor: When Do Realtors Ever Get To Take A Vacation? - 08/02/08 09:20 PM
As the title of this blog suggests...I'm just a little confused. Every time I get a tad closer to sticking to my plans to take the family on a well deserved vacation, I'm suddenly blessed with another prospective client who asks to go out looking at homes during the time I'd … (13 comments)
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realtor: Knee Surgery? Please Call Me Before You Decide To Climb Ladders Again! - 08/02/08 02:40 PM
I got a call the other day from an older woman, a widow, who was seeking to list her home and downsize. She's all alone and she recently decided to climb a ladder to do some cleaning up high around some columns in her home. She fell off the ladder and … (3 comments)
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realtor: Over 200 Blog Posts! Cool Beans! Active Rain Is Awesome! - 08/02/08 02:20 PM
Well, I just noticed that I'll now clocked in at just over 200 blog posts on Active Rain. Kinda funny, actually, as I only got started on this new hobby last February (as my memory serves). I have enjoyed this hobby, which is also a powerful tool to market my services … (4 comments)
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realtor: Open Home On A Saturday - New Clients and Active Rain! - 08/02/08 02:08 PM
I'm sitting in an open home that I'm hosting right now, enjoying some down time from visitors and tending to my Active Rain habit. The model I'm in happens to be staged quite nicely and it has wireless internet access. Wow! What a great way to spend a few hours on … (3 comments)
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realtor: Congratulations To Our New BIC! - Keller Williams Greenville Central - 08/02/08 01:58 PM
Congratulations are in order! My colleague Bill Kennedy is our new BIC as of earlier this week. The Greenville Central Keller Williams office is in good hands! Bill is well liked, greatly respected and appreciated by all of us at the office! He's incredibly knowledgeable and helpful to all of us. … (1 comments)
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realtor: Active Rain Introductory Class To Be Held At The Keller Williams Spartanburg, SC Office On Wednesday Morning - 08/02/08 12:53 PM
I'll be teaching an introductory, hands-on workshop for first time bloggers to get up and running on Active Rain this coming week. The class will be held at the Keller Williams Spartanburg, SC office on Wednesday morning. We'll cover the overall mindset of blogging and the many benefits to be gained … (3 comments)
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realtor: Wizard of Oz - My First Childhood Nightmares! - 07/27/08 07:31 AM
As I contemplate whether or not I'll allow my younger boys to go see The Dark Knight today, I'm reminded of my own first scary movie scenes and my very first (or at least the most memorable) nightmares.
I remember seeing the Wizard of Oz on TV every year. I believe … (8 comments)
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realtor: Batty Dilemma! Has Anyone Seen The Dark Knight? - 07/27/08 06:40 AM
I almost went out to see the Dark Knight last night. Almost, that is, until my oldest son, Jacob, overheard me talking about going and he tried really hard to wiggle his way into my plans. He really wanted to go and by the time we were done messing around with … (3 comments)
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realtor: Any Honda Fit Owners Out There? - 07/25/08 11:24 PM
As I contemplate how the other half lives and drives (the fuel-efficient half, that is), I keep thinking it would be a good thing if I owned a sub-compact, Honda Fit. Then again, I wonder if such a car would be a death trap on four wheels, an overgrown beer … (7 comments)
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realtor: Frozen With Indecision...Weeks Away From Foreclosure! - 07/25/08 10:56 PM
About a month and a half ago I began discussions with a FSBO to help him get his home sold. He tried to tell me that his home and property was worth the sale price he was seeking, which was actually about $75k more than the fair market value. I left … (3 comments)
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realtor: Friday Night At Barefoot Annies - 07/25/08 09:59 PM
My wife and I took our four boys out tonight to our favorite local coffee shop, Barefoot Annie's. What a great way to hang out with my wife and sons and enjoy some local ambiance and free entertainment! They had an acoustic guitar player on their small stage, singing some great … (1 comments)
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realtor: Relocation Specialist - Realtor Serving Simpsonville, SC - 07/25/08 04:47 PM
Relocating to a new city can often be incredibly stressful for you and your family. It certainly was stressful for me and my family when we moved from Irvine, CA to Greenville, SC.
If you are in the process of relocating to Simpsonville, SC, I can help reduce the stress involved … (1 comments)
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realtor: Any Golfers Out There? - 07/25/08 04:39 PM
My company is attending an all day event at a new development with a golf course. I must confess, I've always wanted to try golfing and even take my boys out golfing, but I've yet to even try the game.
Does anyone have any advice on the best way to get … (3 comments)
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realtor: The Powerful Health Benefits of Green Tea! - 07/25/08 04:21 PM
If you haven't yet heard about the many health benefits of green tea, I highly recommend you take a moment to learn about this amazing beverage!
Please click on these links to discover some of the reported benefits of green tea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_effects_of_tea_on_health
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm
Excerpt from the second link above, to … (3 comments)
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realtor: Relocating to Greenville, SC? I Can Make Your Move Enjoyable And Less Stressful! - 07/25/08 02:24 PM
Relocating to a new city can often be incredibly stressful for you and your family. It certainly was stressful for me and my family when we moved from Irvine, CA to Greenville, SC.
If you are in the process of relocating to Greenville, SC, I can help reduce the stress involved … (0 comments)
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realtor: Focused Productivity Workshop With Vaughn Loudenback - 07/25/08 01:17 PM
Today our office enjoyed a visit from a professional productivity coach named Vaughn Loudenback. He covered a very methodical and well organized course outline including key questions we must ask ourselves, how we learn and retain information (and how our prospects learn and retain information about us), how we communicate most … (0 comments)
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realtor: Real Estate Investors - Greenville, South Carolina Is A Go! - 07/25/08 12:57 PM
Investors wanted! If you are a residential real estate investor, Greenville, SC is a hot market that you should be investing in! As a skilled Realtor in the area, I have the professionalism, business acumen, knowledge, expertise, listening skills and negotiation skills necessary to help you achieve your investment goals and … (0 comments)
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realtor: Who is the best health insurance provider for the self employed? - 07/25/08 07:58 AM
We just got a notification in the mail that our health insurance provider is raising our monthly premiums. Can any fellow Active Rainers share with me who they prefer and use for health insurance coverage for their family? Assuming you too are self-employed, with a family to insure. Any feedback is … (3 comments)
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realtor: Grampa's Mountain Bike! - Frugality Gone Too Far! - 07/14/08 03:15 PM
I went for a bike ride with my kids yesterday in our neighborhood. I pulled out my really cool mountain bike that is really expensive and really valuable and should never ever be thrown away, given away or sold!
My god! What's wrong with me? My frugality has become insane!
I'm … (6 comments)
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realtor: Marshall Reddick Real Estate Investor Seminars - Any Active Rain Feedback? - 07/14/08 03:00 PM
When I lived in Irvine, CA a friend of mine invited me to attend a seminar going on in our neighborhood called the Marshall Reddick Real Estate Network.
It seemed quite impressive and well organized. There were people from all over the country there with tables set up and endless information … (3 comments)
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realtor: Daddy Was Not A Rockstar! - 07/14/08 02:50 PM
My son saw some old pictures of me, dated about 20 years ago, and he was convinced I was in a rock band!
For a very brief period of my youth I did in fact sing and write songs on my acoustic guitar. And, as many of us probably went through … (3 comments)
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realtor: No Monday Blues Here! - I'm Pumped Up To Have A Great Week! - 07/14/08 10:44 AM
It's funny, but instead of the Monday blues, I'm quite pumped up this morning to have a very productive day and I'm thinking about my entire week!
I've been getting things done all morning and I've been filling in tasks in my Microsoft Outlook calendar to get done.
I'm even tending … (3 comments)
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realtor: Craigslist Realtor Promotion: FREE GAS! - 07/14/08 10:07 AM
I've just posted an ad on Craigslist designed to attract short term buyer clients who are seeking to buy a home in either July or August.
The promotion is quite simple: "Free $300 Gas Card" to CLIENTS of Realtor Kirk Westervelt who buy and close on a home in either July … (3 comments)
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realtor: So, I Took The Plunge And Joined Facebook! I'm Hoping This Is For Business Networking And Not Some High Schoolish Nightmare! - 07/13/08 11:17 PM
I took the plunge and joined Facebook this past week. I'm hoping it will result in effective business networking, and thus an increase in my business!
I'm also hoping that it does not turn into some ridiculous trip down memory lane with a bunch of people that were in my high … (7 comments)
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realtor: Paris Mountain State Park And The Civilian Conservation Corps - 07/13/08 11:03 PM
I took the family to Paris Mountain state park today. This park has 4 lakes that benefit from the watershed behaviors of the topography of the mountain.
I was fascinated with the park's history, which is preserved and on display in the old bath house near the swimming lake. The showers … (1 comments)
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realtor: My Kids Are Swimming Pool Snobs! No "Gross" Lakes For Them! - 07/13/08 10:44 PM
We took the kids to the Paris Mountain state park today. Quite a few people were swimming in the lake in front of the old bath house. Lake water looks like.....lake water! My kids were saying things like "gross" and "no way would I swim in that!".
It cracks me up … (5 comments)
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realtor: Cesar Romero - The Best Joker! - 07/09/08 11:01 PM
When I was little I watched that ridiculous, campy TV show, Batman.
My absolute favorite moments were when the Joker came on the TV screen. He was amazing to look at, to listen to, to watch. He was funny, and terrifying all at once. He was like some grandfather you … (3 comments)
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realtor: Did You Say "TOGA"? - 07/09/08 10:09 PM
Actually, no. I didn't say "TOGA". I said "TOMA".
I guess sometimes I hear what I want to hear! TOMA stands for Top of Mind Awareness and it was one of the topics covered in our Team Meeting yesterday.
TOMA, or Top of Mind Awareness is what we all dream … (4 comments)
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realtor: Hands-On Blogging Workshop For Newbies - 07/09/08 09:18 PM
Today we had a hands-on blogging workshop for Active Rain beginners at our offices.
It went rather well. Most everyone showed up with their laptops and from what I can tell, everyone got something out of it. Some people had already signed up and needed an orientation to the Active Rain … (5 comments)
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realtor: Bionic Man Doll - Six Million Dollar Memories! - 07/08/08 11:23 PM
Wow! What a trip down memory lane! I was just checking out the Bionic Man action figure from my youth with the help of some Google searches. I can honestly say that this was one of my all time favorite toys that I got for Christmas when I was a … (6 comments)
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realtor: Hula Burger Anyone? A Lesson On Success And Listening To The Customer! - 07/08/08 10:21 PM
In 1962 a struggling McDonald's franchise owner, Lou Groen, in Cincinnati was only making $75 on Fridays due to the fact that Catholics wouldn't eat meat on that day.
He invented a fish sandwich as a creative alternative to serve his Catholic customers and increase his sales on Fridays.
After … (4 comments)
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realtor: Willard Scott-The Original "Ronald McDonald" - 07/08/08 07:28 PM
I was watching a documentary on the fascinating history and success of the McDonald's empire last night. I thought it was interesting that Willard Scott was the original Ronald McDonald clown.
From August 1959 to August 1962 Willard Scott portrayed Bozo the Clown on a local Washington DC area television … (2 comments)
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realtor: I Guess You Can Never Really Go Back Home - 07/03/08 11:17 PM
Every wonderful memory I have from my youth happened in this home.
Christmas mornings, playing in the snow, playing on the staircase with all of my hotwheels and matchbox cars, playing "kick the can" with the neighbors, flying down the driveway and skidding out in my Big Wheel...all of my … (5 comments)
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realtor: Rediscover Your American Pride This 4th Of July! - 07/03/08 10:42 PM
I don't know about you, but I'm just so overwhelmingly sick of all the doom and gloom being pumped through the mass media today. Housing, cost of oil and cost of a gallon of gas, cost of groceries, unemployment, etc, etc. It's all enough to drive someone nuts!
I'm not … (6 comments)
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realtor: The Dangers Of Selling FSBO! - 07/02/08 01:29 PM
I called on a FSBO last week and the elderly homeowner anxiously awaited my arrival so I could preview his home.
Apparently, he was quite eager to have me there and sure enough...he had a story to tell!
Once we got to talking about things he proceeded to inform me about … (11 comments)
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realtor: Comedian George Carlin Dies At Age 71 - 06/23/08 12:24 AM
Comedian George Carlin has died at the age of 71, due to heart failure while at a Santa Monica, CA hospital.
Carlin was very anti-establishment, and edgy, provocative and controversial.
He did a comedy bit about the seven dirty words you could not say on television. A regulatory battle over … (5 comments)
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realtor: Get Off The Fence And Buy Now! - 06/23/08 12:04 AM
With mortgage rates ticking upwards, now is the time to buy a home! In many markets people are just scared. They're thinking if they sit on the fence just a little while longer, then the prices will drop another $50,000.
Well, by waiting to buy a home the buyer runs the … (3 comments)
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realtor: Curb Appeal - The Little Things Can Make Such A Big Difference! - 06/21/08 11:28 AM
I previewed a home the other day and I couldn't help but notice how the house was paid attention to, and looked great, but the front yard was just a mess!
The front lawn was filled with weeds, bald spots, dry grass, it hadn't been trimmed or edged along the curb...it … (5 comments)
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realtor: Keller Williams Orientation Seminar...An Inspirational And Eye-Opening Experience! - 06/21/08 10:36 AM
Yesterday I attended a Keller Williams "Orientation" seminar. Somehow I missed out on attending this seminar in the past, due to schedule conflicts.
Wow! What an awesome experience it was!
The mindset, the structure, the training, the culture and beliefs, the Agent Leadership Council, the supportive environment, the compensation … (2 comments)
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realtor: Keller Williams Greenville Central Announces New Hands-On Training Experiences For Realtors! - 06/17/08 10:02 PM
As if Keller Williams didn't already have industry-leading training classes throughout any given week...we're now turning things up quite a few notches to a whole new level of "hands-on", experience oriented training sessions.
Don't just talk about it....DO IT! That's the simple yet powerful message our operating principal brought to us … (3 comments)
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realtor: Greenville, SC; The #1 Foreclosure Success Story in the Country! --Realtor Kirk Westervelt - 04/24/08 08:51 PM
It is absolutely amazing to me how real estate is truly a "hyper-local" phenomenon. As the stars align and the socio-economic realities of a given region settle in, that region's real estate market will have quite a story to tell. Unfortunately for some markets, as is the case all too frequently lately, that … (1 comments)
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realtor: The Ultimate Fringe Benefit: Time Freedom to Enjoy My Family! Thoughts from a Lucky Realtor in Greenville, SC - 04/12/08 04:39 PM
I often have to stop and realize how lucky I am. As a Realtor I choose to spend most of my office time at my formal home office and thus I get to enjoy one of the greatest fringe benefits of all…my family!
I do a lot of work in … (2 comments)
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realtor: Realtor Poll: Are You a Fox News or a CNN Viewer? - 03/30/08 08:42 PM
OK, let’s all exercise a little honesty on this topic and keep it light, not heavy…
Are you a devout Fox News viewer? Or, are you a devout CNN viewer?
Now, if you watch Fox News are you a “conservative”? Are you a Republican?
If you are a CNN viewer, … (21 comments)
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realtor: Be True To Yourself! This Realtor Was Almost An Appraiser! - 03/30/08 01:18 AM
Within the year prior to me moving my family out of California to South Carolina I was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea. I had figured out that it was a brilliant move for me to get my real estate appraiser’s license!
Well, as memory serves, the class was about … (4 comments)
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realtor: Ready...FIRE!...Aim... Why Small Custom Home Builders Must Stop and Consider Their Plans Before They Build! Thoughts from a Greenville, SC Realtor - 03/26/08 01:27 PM
I have come across this exact situation now quite a few times since last summer and it has occurred to me that something has to be said about it. As Realtors we've got to get the word out to smaller custom residential builders.
Since last summer I have shown many new construction … (4 comments)
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realtor: Overcome Negative National Media Reports with Hyper-Local Market Knowledge! Thoughts from a Greenville, SC Realtor - 03/26/08 12:05 PM
"Home Prices: Down Record 11%"
This was the headline of an article I read yesterday on a prominent financial news website. It went on to say:
"The S&P Case/Shiller Home Price index of 20 key markets, released Tuesday, shows that home prices plunged 10.7% in the 12 months ending January".
To the average … (1 comments)
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realtor: The 24 Hour Real Estate Convenience Store; A Workaholic Realtor in Greenville, SC - 03/26/08 09:08 AM
Workaholic: "A person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits".
I have to admit my decision-making recently could have been better, or at least more balanced towards what really matters in life. I was so eager to get the next big deal under contract that I allowed my clients to … (5 comments)
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realtor: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Realtors in Greenville, SC - 2 - Begin with the end in mind! - 03/15/08 09:30 PM
You must formulate your own "personal vision statement" to document your vision in life. Next, set long term goals, medium term goals and short term goals. Begin each day, begin each week with a clear vision of where you are going in life and how you intend to get there. If … (2 comments)
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