This will probably  be the last Thanksgiving for an old Tennessee friend of mine.  He is 88, a veteran of WWII who spent three tours in the Pacific fighting so you and I are able to enjoy all of the freedoms we often take for granted, but which we should be thankful for every day.

When I first met him about 6 years ago, his son told me not to encourage his Dad to talk because he would 'talk my ear off'.  Mr. Ed did like to talk to me, but I liked to listen.  He was interesting and if I heard a story twice or three times, that was okay.  Mr. Ed was a wealth of information about a plethora of subjects and he told me all about it.

He used to tell me stories about Sam Houston , who lived in Gallatin, Tennessee, experienced a brief unhappy marriage and was the governor of the state before he moved to Texas where he ended up beating Santa Anna, securing independance for Texas and became the Governor of Texas.  Who knew?  Mr.Ed did and he used to tell me all about it.

He met some German prisoners during the war and picked up a bit of their language.  He used to greet me each morning at breakfast with 'Gutten Morgen'.  That would be followed by a story about the German prisoners and what good, hardworking folks they were.  He used to tell me all about it.

There were stories about coaching baseball and his son who won an appointment to the Naval Academy courtesy of hard work and Senator Al Gore, Sr.  Stories about his eldest daughter, an accomplished artist whose paintings hung in the Vice Presidential residence when Gore, Jr was living there....stories about his youngest child, a miracle daughter who arrived long after he came home from the war and whose childhood was the only one of his three children that he was there for from the beginning.  More stories about local politicians.  Even more stories about the many pets he had over the years.  He used to tell me all about it.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to have known Mr. Ed and to have been someone with whom he felt comfortable sharing his stories.  During this Thanksgiving visit, it has been difficult for him to talk.  His health is failing rapidly and his family is doing everything possible to make his last days comfortable.  He is proud of his family and told me a couple of days ago that he tried to live his life in a way that he was a good example for his children and grandchildren.  He told me all about it.

He has indeed been a good example for his family and I'm blessed to have been a part of his life.  This seemed like a good place to tell someone else all about it.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thanks to Mr. Ed for his service to our country.  That's the one thing he didn't ever tell anyone all about. 

I have a great listing of a condominium on Peachtree Street in Atlanta.  It belongs to a dear friend of mine and she is ready to have it SOLD!

Agents call to make appointments to show and I ask only one thing.  "Will you please give me a call after showing to share some feedback about your buyer's response to seeing the unit?"

The Seller and I would both like to know why the prospective Buyers are not going forward with contract offers.  Do they think the unit is too small for the price?  Too large for their taste?  Is the view not to their liking?  Would they rather have a unit on a higher floor?  A lower floor?  Is the price an objective?  Do they not like the wallpaper?  Are they looking for a unit with a larger kitchen or more updated bathrooms or larger windows?  Would they like to have the furnishings?  What can we do to make this unit acceptable to the Buyer?

I'm not asking for much...just a simple phone call or an email would do, but only ONE agent has bothered to give me the courtesy of granting my request for feedback.

If you asked me to give you feedback, I'd gladly respond graciously.  It's professional courtesy and plain old good manners.

Yesterday's 'Comment to Share' on Lynda Dunn Hester's Facebook page:

Facebook is a marvelous addition to our lives, but I am concerned about a few of my 'friends' who seem to have been infected with Facebookitis. As Groucho Markz so famously put it when introduced to the lady who had 12 children, 'Lady......, I love my cigar, but I take it out sometimes..."

 Best comment was from an old friend, 'J'.... 

(This was too funny and clever not to share with my Active Rain friends.)

Amen, Lynda! I check FB most days, but I am tempted to take some "friends" off, because they seem to think we all want to know what they had for breakfast, the weather, "it's a wonderful day", etc. continuously. I would settle for a little info and even a lot of humor from friends, but I don't want to erase some good people from my friends list and hurt their feelings. Suffice it to say, I hope breakfast and the weather is just super for everyone, and certainly for the rest of my life, I hope everyone has a good day!

Dear 'J',

 As always, you make me laugh!
Guess what....! You can 'hide' people and they'll never know it. If you 'hide' their posts, you won't hurt their feelings AND you will never again have to be exposed to whether or not they are on the way to the gym. I currently have 13 who are hidden. Let me say that not a single one of these who are hidden are anyone I have ever met in person. They are mostly 'friends of friends' whose invitations I accepted when I first got started. I should have realised that if they had nothing better to do than to invite someone they didn't really know to be their 'friend', then they might be suffering from a serious case of Facebookitis.  If you need instructions on how to 'hide' posts, let me know!  

Dear Lynda,

Good info! Great to talk to you. I'm on the way to lunch. Maybe I'll have a salad. It's sunny, but overcast. I could not find my favorite sock this morning. I love my wife. We are planning a trip to Home Depot. Business is still slow. The kids are great. The grandkids are great. That about covers it for this hour.

J,

I really am laughing out loud and I'm working at home alone!!!!!!

Do you use Active Rain?  I'm taking your comments, adding mine and using it for a blog about what not to do on FaceBook. 
Make today a great day after you get back from the gym and be sure to let me know how you enjoyed your lunch and if you showed property anytime this morning after you got back from your doctor's appointment.  Also, please update me on all 6 of your contracts and how close each is to closing  when you finish putting aloe on the sunburn you got at the beach this weekend.
As always,
L

Last week a local bank foreclosed on a very nice property that was built as a 'spec' home.  Originally offered at 3.3 million, the home was marketed while under construction and the listing agent's MLS information showed all sorts of bells and whistles that were included in the purchase price:.  Security system, whole house intercom, golf simulator room, temperature controlled wine cellar, flat screen TV and whole house suround sound system, outdoor kitchen, country club membership and on and on.........

Once the foreclosure took place, the bank engaged me as the new listing broker.  While accumulating the information for my listing paperwork, I discovered that the former listing agent had been advertising the house for a price below what the bank would have considered accepting ( about $500,000 less).  Not only that, but he had advertised the house as completed - even listing the appliances.

The house isn't finished; there are no appliancesinstalled; there is no completed golf simulator room; no 'systems' ar completely installed; there is no temperature controlled wine cellar.  Not only could the house never have sold for his advertised price, the builder was incapable of taking the house to the advertised finished state.

Since the agent didn't locate any qualified buyers and his listing ended with the foreclosure, I suppose many readers will say, 'No Harm, No Foul'.  However, the information he posted is still available to researching parties.  I now have a qualified buyer who has made an offer based on the information he found on the Internet that had been posted by the former listing agent.  What a waste of everyone's time!

If the falsified information had never been entered in the Multiple Listing Service, prospective Buyers wouldn't be making offers based on erroneous information.

A conversation with the compliance department of the MLS system gave me no direction about addressing the fact that the agent made an informed decision to post false information. 

Has anyone else out there had this experience?  If you have, how did you handle it?  It is agents like this whose actions harm the reputation of our industry.

Many AR members write interesting, helpful, thoughtful, knowledgeable blogs.  Those same blogs deserve interesting, helpful, thoughtful, knowledgeable responses, but writing those responses takes time.  That same time could be used to write a blog. 

What's an Active Rainmaker to do?

When you read a post that stimulates you to respond with a comment that could stand on its own as a post - maybe with just a little added introduction - right click and 'copy' your comment before you send it on its way.

Then, go to your home page and 'paste' in what you have already written so you can use the comment you have already spent time writing as the basis for a post of your own.

You'll have accomplished several things:

1.  You will have made more than just the normal 'I agree with you' or "This happens in our market, too', type of comment that is so very typical of the blog comments.

2.  You will be able to use the work you have already done to make your very own blog post.

3.  Obviously, you are exposing the original blog idea to a wider audience by extending the scope of the   your different viewpoint, ideas or comments about the original post.

Happy blogging! 

It has been over a year since the last time I was able to help negotiate a purchase and sale.  Our local market is largely a secondary home market and my focus is not only secondary homes, but luxury secondary homes....sounded like a great idea three years ago when I opened my new company here in the beautiful north Georgia mountain lakes region!  LOL

Things went very well for the first 18 months ...then, nothing...nada.  Not that I would wish no sales on anyone else, but it was the entire area...not just me.   Ever optimistic, I had a feeling there were buyers who were sophisticated enough to realize the beginning of the end of the downward spiral and that we might see some offers soon. 

Happily and gratefully, I am able to report to all of my Active Rain friends and colleagues that things have indeed turned the corner and my last week has been spend negotiating not one, but two - YES, FRIENDS, TWO contract offers.  Both are my listings. 

Color me excited!  And, it is not just the possibility of finally getting a paycheck...although I must admit that IS pretty exciting!  You know what has amazed me?  The thrill and the 'rush' that comes with the negotiation and helping the two sides reach a meeting of the minds.  It helps, of course, that the agents for the buyers are professionals and easy to work with, but WOW!..is it thrilling to see these contracts coming closer and closer to finalization.

I hate to admit, I had forgotten how good it feels.

My prayer today is that every one of you has the opportunity to feel that 'rush' sometime soon!

Have a great Labor Day.  I'll be laboring and happy to do so!

It is finally happening - right now as I type ( and you read).....the ceiling is shattered...broken...crumbling all over the Active Rain floor.

560 profile points ( didn't do a very good job the first time I entered information),

1,818 invite points - I invited a bunch of people the same day the new rates went into effect last winter,

12,180 blogging points (two of my blogs have been featured. WOOOOO HOOOO!!),

 3,400 comment points ( It's informative and entertaining to read posts and write comments.  I want to be like Broker Bryant's wife when I grow up so I can ROARRRRR!!),

0 linking points because evidently you don't get points for linking, but the space remains on the site and makes me feel as though I'm not doing all I can do,

500 bonus points that I got the first week for reading the Active Rain rules and regulations ( or something similar) and ...

1500 'other points' that I have absolutely no idea how I got, I am fixing to go over 20,000 points with the credits that will be awarded for writing this post.

Now that may not sound like much to some of you who have been on Active Rain for a couple of years, but for someone who just got started earlier this year, I'm pretty proud of my 20,000 points and what they represent.

Thanks, Brad Andershon, for helping me out when I first got started and couldn't figure out how to do much of anything.

Thanks, Russell Ray, for encouraging me to stay involved on Active Rain when I took a vacation from it for a couple of weeks.  It was nice to be missed.

Thanks, Gerry Khachikian, for starting a contest that I got involved in early on.  My math skills didn't allow me to figure out how many members of AR there will be on January 1, 2010, but it was fun to try.  Also, thanks for posting the pictures of the pig races in Montana.  Everyone should see a pig race!

Thanks, Midori Miller, for talking to me on the phone about a question I had about Florida real estate law.  You gave me good insight.

Thanks to Kim Southern, who is truly the voice of a southern lady with her 'Southern Hospitality' blog.

Thanks to Steve, the Ozark agent who is a 'fan' of my company site and who posts such lovely pictures of his homeland.

Thanks to every single one of you who has ever posted a comment on one of my blogs.  Each comment was greatly appreciated.  It's nice that you took the time to let me know my words were read.

Thanks, Active Rain, to whoever thought up the idea of giving real estate professionals a place to share and to be on stage.

I love the Rain.

Wondering what is going on in Rabun County and what there is to do in the mountains of North East Georgia this late August and September?

Here are some dates and events to write on your calendar.  

Lake Rabun Hotel and Restaurant was recently listed on the National Geographic Traveler Magazine's Top Stay List 2009.   ( If you haven't had dinner at their restaurant, you have missed a prime dining experience.  The food is amazing!!)

Lazy Bear Furniture (rustic and cottage furniture, accessories, lamps, and art) in Dillard now has a wine tasting room and is offering free wine tastings. They serve and sell wine only from The Georgia Winery, the oldest winery in the state of Georgia. For additional information, call 706-746-2168.  

Persimmon Creek Vineyards recently had a birth of a new lamb named Daisy who joins their East Friesian sheep herd.        

The North Georgia Community Players will be presenting their 7^th annual all children's production (musical) of "The Magical Land of Oz." Performances will be October 17, 23, & 24 at 7:00 p.m. and October 18 and 25 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 adults and $5 for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber, both Rabun County Banks, Regions Bank, Stephens Federal Bank, Community Bank & Trust, Mountain Heritage Bank, and United Community Bank. For information call 706-212-2500.        

Tiger Mountain Orchards in Tiger has raspberries at $2.00 per pint (u-pick). Picking is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Call 706-782-3290 for additional information.   

                                                                         Calendar of Events   

August 27 - Mountain Physical Therapy will host a Wellness meeting on August 27 at 4:00 p.m. at their location, 1218 N. Main Street in Clayton. The guest speaker will be Mike Addington from Clayton Pharmacy. There is no cost for this event, and it is open to the community. 

August 29 - David Phelps (Christian singer and songwriter) at Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (SMCPA) in Franklin, NC. For concert information, call 828-524-1598 or 866-273-4615 or visit their website at www.greatmountainmusic.com.  

August 30 - Emile Pandolfi concert at the Rearden Theatre (RGNS). Ticket price is $15.00. For more information, contact the Rabun County Music Festival Association at 706-746-6226 or visit www.rabunmusicfestival.com.  

September 1 - Mountain Lakes Medical Center's volunteers are having a jewelry sale fundraiser featuring quality, stylish costume jewelry and accessories on Tuesday, September 1 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the hospital's main lobby. All jewelry is $5.00. The fundraiser will help raise funds to purchase needed equipment and other necessities for the hospital. For additional information, call 706-782-3100. If you wish to become a volunteer for the hospital, please call 706-212-0230. 

September 4 - Carl Hurley and Jeanne Robertson (humorists) at SMCPA.   

September 5 - Chonda Pierce (comedian) at SMCPA.  

September 12 - The Isaacs (singing group) at SMCPA. 

September 12 - Dr. Guy Gober, The Tiger Clinic, is co-sponsoring a PCAR Golf Tournament on September 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The cost is $45.00 per person or $90.00 for a 2-man team. This tournament is to promote September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The proceeds fund local scholarships. For additional information, call 706-782-3572.   

September 13 - Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra at the Rearden Theatre (RGNS).   

 September 18 - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (musical group) at SMCPA.  

September 19th - Tiger Mountain Vineyards will celebrate its 10^th anniversary with a spectacular Harvest Party to honor wine club members and guests. Grape picking begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a picnic, live music at 12:00 p.m., a visiting chef, and more. Check www.tigerwine.com or call 706-782-4777 and find out how to join the wine club and be included! Look for another fall celebration, of the winery's 10^th birthday, on October 17^th which is open to the public--Old Highway 441 Rabun Red Bash. 

September 19 - Marie Dunkle, with her Celtic band named Caledonia Swing, will be performing at lunch time on September 19^th at the Mountaineer Festival.   

September 22-24 - The Jungle Book at SMCPA.  

September 24 - Mountain Lakes Medical Center, in conjunction with Merck Pharmaceuticals, will be holding a free Diabetes Education Class. The class date is September 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The class will be held in the cafeteria at the hospital. If interested, please contact your local physician or Melessa Alley at 706-782-0439 for registration information.  

September 26 - Greater Vision (musical group) at SMCPA.

There is a lot of funny business that goes on in this old world and the real estate industry seems to have more than its share.  Just this evening on Active Rain, there have been posts asking how to deal with or what to do about commissions that were advertised, but not paid;  agents who use the names of top producers in their blogs in order to get to the top of the search engines; agents working without active licenses...is there no end to the individuals out there who take advantage of ethical, hardworking, responsible licensees?

What are we to do?  The answer is there...it always has been, but most of us ( Realtors) are too nice ( or too busy) to call The Real Estate Police.

Calling The Real Estate Police is a little like looking for the Fashion Police.  You see someone almost everyday who deserves to be arrested by the Fashion Police, but what can you do?  Not much.

On the other hand, you CAN get The Real Estate Police involved because there are as many Real Estate Policeman out there are there are Realtors.  Does it take a little time and trouble?  Sure it does, but that is a bit of the point.  There are forms to be filled out and evidence and witnesses to gather.  There are procedures that must be followed to the letter in order to ascertain the rights of all parties are protected.  ( Your association executive will help you with all of this.  That is an important part of the job.)

The Grievance Committee of your local Board will review your complaint - only to determine that your complaint is valid and that the activity you report seems to be in violation of one or more Articles of the Code of Ethics.  Once the Grievance Committee sends the complaint on to the Professional Standards Committee, a hearing will be scheduled that all parties to the complaint will be invited to attend. 

A hearing panel of Realtors who are vetted to ensure they have no personal or business relationships with either the complaintant or the defendant will hear from both sides ( each has the exact same opportunity to present their side and any supporting evidence).  After all of the stories have been told and the exhibits reviewed, the hearing panel will make a determination about the case.  They may recommend education for the offending party or they may find that a fine and a suspension is  more in line with the transgression.  They might even decide to send the case on to the state real estate commission for further investigation.  They might also find that no violation took place, but that is the job of the Real Estate Police - to make an informed decision about the information presented to them.

Is it time consuming to contact the Real Estate Police?  Yes. 

Will some people think the complaining agent is a 'snitch' to turn in a fellow agent for a violation?  Yes.

Is the trouble worth while in order to ensure than those licensees whose actions are unethical - whether dealing with other agents or the public - are stopped from continuing their behavior?  Yes! You bet it is!!

If we Realtors don't police our own industry, then who is going to do it?  The next time you are cheated out of a commission or the next time you discover someone selling real estate without a license or using your name on their site to capture your Internet business, run into the nearest telephone booth and change from 'Everyday Realtor' into 'The Real Estate Police'.  In the long run, the time and effort will all be worth it.

It's time to make a plan about where your family will view the 4th of July fireworks in Rabun County.  There are several good choices - in a boat on Lake Burton or Lake Rabun, on the grassy lawn in front of the Rabun Gap-Nachoochee School campus are three of the best.

The fireworks in Rabun Gap are shot from the Dillard House property and can be seen from a 1/2 mile long stretch of Highway 441.  Parking is allowed on the sides of the road, but get there early to get a good parking space up front.  Or, take a blanket and a picnic basket and have a 4th of July dinner while waiting for darkness to fall and the fireworks show to begin.  It is entertaining watching the families who gather on the campus lawn.  Little children tumble and twirl holding sparklers and chasing fireflies.  It's quite a show!

If you have a boat ( or have friends who do)...you might want to head out to either Lake Rabun or Lake Burton to watch the fireworks displays.  In a year that has the 4th falling on any day other than Saturday, the Lake Rabun fireworks are normally shot off on the Saturday before the 4th. The Lake Burton show is normally held on the Saturday after the 4th.  This year, fireworks devotees have to choose - Rabun or Burton.  It's one or the other since the holiday is on Saturday.

Remember 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' when everyone is mysteriously drawn to the mother ship?  The scene on Lake Burton is most reminiscent of that same mysterious draw as dusk falls and boats begin traveling south toward Goat Island.  The running lights sparkle green as the boats pass by - an estimated five thousand of them.  Many of the boats are decorated with bunting and twinkle lights.  Not to be outdone, the boathouses sport American flags and one even hosts a large lighted statue of Lady Liberty in all of her red, white and blue glory.

The boats stop in the basin right in front of Goat Island - home base for the fireworks.  They are moored so closely together that it almost seems possible to step from one to the next.  Miraculously enough, there are seldom any collisions.

The fireworks begin about 10 minutes after full dark and continue for at least thirty minutes.  The lights are exaggerated and reflected in the clear, clean lake water - allowing the best possible fireworks experience.

So, whether you choose a picnic on the campus lawn and people watching or drifting in a boat while watching the colors explode over head, you can't go wrong with choosing Rabun County as the venue for your family to celebrate the fourth of July.

God Bless Rabun County.  God Bless America and may God bless you!

Please visit my website at www.rabuncountygahomes4sale.com or www.waterfallatlakeburton.com for directions to area fireworks displays.

Come to the cool and calm north Georgia mountains  for a July 4^th your family will always remember!