With Fourth of July weekend here I want to give a shout out to the dogs that serve this country. I know handlers out there that depend on these partners to do a very dangerous job. They are sent into mind fields sniffing for bombs. We also have bomb sniffing dogs here in the states that work airports and other points of entry. I know of a dog (Rex) that has sniffed the President's motorcade to make sure it is safe. He has also done this for other dignitaries.
My other reason for bringing this up now is that some of these dogs when retired or disabled from active service are euthanized. I think this is a shame. The men and woman that serve with these dogs ask for our help. They get very emotional when they tell you that a dog that served with them was euthanized because the dog got hurt doing their job and was put down. Many of these dogs can be placed with homes.
Many people do not realize that these wonderful courageous dogs need homes. So I am putting the word out.
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, in the proverbial sense, you are hit with something new. Purchase agreement is all initialed, dated and signed. The seller has agreed to include in the sale his riding lawnmower and a few other items. Then behold a call comes saying, sorry but that cannot be included in the purchase agreement. Needs to be off of there. Okay, so we are trying to do things above board and now this. Now you have to go back and explain this to your clients that this needs to be done over, and need to exclude the personal items. Now we need to do a separate bill of sale for these items. No explanation other than the underwriters do not want this.
Make sure it is in writing somewhere, if you are asked not to include this in the purchase agreement.
This is going on here in Iowa and is being perpetrated by a large bank. Is anyone having these issues where they are at?
I just got back from visiting family and friends on the west coast. I was in Reno, Nevada and southern California for a 3 week stay. It was just reported that Nevada has their highest unemployment rate since 1976. While driving around middle to high end homes I noticed many all closed up and un-kept yards. Very beautiful homes just sitting there, no sign out in the yard, nothing going on. The grass would be dead but the weeds two feet tall. Some homes looked like they had been neglected for some time. Reno resides in Washoe County and one statistic I found said that there were over 4,000 homes that were either pre-foreclosure or where in foreclosure. While in California I noticed the same but also a more urgent need to get the State back on track. Everyone was talking about the economic situation they face personally and that of California.
For those in Iowa and other states in the mid-west, remember that we are doing pretty darn good compared to other states. Even though they are having a tough time in some states I did see people determined to get through this. We as a nation have survived tough times. We will get through this. BUT I have noticed a lot of finger pointing and laying the blame on someone else's shoulder. We live in a country that is diverse in many ways. I don't care if you are a Republican, Democrat, Buddhist, Christian, Muslin, Liberal, Conservative, Moderate, Young, Old or any other classification you can think of, we need to work together. Agree that we don't always agree but work together to help this country and it's people get back on track.
Be proactive, instead of reactive.
One last thing is that in many areas it still is a good time to sell a home and it is definitely a very good time to buy. Even in Reno, if you are a first time home-buyer there are some great buys. There is always a positive if you look for it.
The Governor of Iowa has vetoed to postpone the start date of legislation passed earlier for inspection of septic tanks at time of transfer from a sale. The new law requires that every home/building served by a septic system have that septic system inspected prior to the sale or deed transfer for the home/building. Some where hoping for the postponement so things could be better organized and getting people certified to do the inspections. Some counties in Iowa already have this in their laws, so the transition will be nil. Many Realtors in the state are well aware of this new law but I find that many homeowners out in rural Iowa no nothing about this. So spread the word. Goes into effect July 1, 2009.
There are many websites out there with information. One site that has some information is the DNR site, click here to visit.
I am doing another blog post on Cherokee Iowa. I received a very nice e-mail from Penny Pingrey who is with the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation on my earlier blog on the town of Cherokee. Penny asked if I would be interested in doing another blog with this year's events. Cherokee's Chamber of Commerce also has a new director Julie Hering-Kent.
As I stated in my earlier blog Cherokee Iowa is one of my favorite towns. It lies east of Sioux City about 65 miles. The first time I drove through Cherokee heading north I though it a quaint little town. The downtown is done nicely and reminds me of a time gone by. There are nice little shops up and down the main street.
One event coming up this month is the Cherokee Rodeo being held May 28, 29, and 30th. Some of the events during the Rodeo are a parade, train robbery, western bbq and Chamber coffee. In June some of the events include, tractor ride, Music Festival, and Cherokee Chamber Street dance. There are many more events during the summer and throughout the years. One event that music lovers will like is the Jazz and Blues Festival usually held in January. To view the Chamber of Commerce website for these events and others, click here.
There are many activities to keep you busy in Cherokee, such as: Country Club Golf Course, Little League, Municipal Pool, Cherokee Clippers Swim Team, Hershey Youth Track and Field Meet, Outdoor Fun Fair, Indoor Volleyball, Basketball league, Future Braves Flag Football, Adult Slow Pitch Softball, Bowling, and Archery.
There is something for everyone in Cherokee, a great town in a great state. Cherokee is a town where it is safe to let your children run around, and a great place to raise a family.
Beautiful acreage just minutes from town. Sit on the deck, sipping your morning coffee while looking at the great scenery. This home is just off Hwy 20 and Buchanan Ave with almost 3 acres of land. The house sits back off the road to add privacy. Nicely cared for yard with mature trees, with established fruit trees. The yard is fenced but does not block the view.
This is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath home with an attached 2 car garage. There is a detached building that is ideal for a workshop and/or for storing your cars. There is plenty of room in this house to spread out with 3936 square feet of living space.
Newly remodeled to include finished basement, new carpet, 1 new bath, many new windows, 6 panel solid doors throughout, and new concrete board siding.
Ever heard the saying "first impression makes a lasting impression". If your home lacks curb appeal the first impression may mean they keep on going and don't even get out of their car. Your home maybe pristine and beautiful on the inside but the outside curb appeal is what draws that buyer into your home. Homeowners end up so concerned with the appearance of the inside of the house they neglect the outside of the house. Lets start with a "wow" factor on the outside of your home so buyers are waiting with anticipation to see the rest of the property. Drive through your neighborhood and check out the homes. Which one's stand out for the right reason's? Is it the paint job, nice walkway, flowers, well-manicured lawn, and nice front door? If you are strapped for money! Try painting the front door and/or paint the trim of the house. Flowers can bring color to your yard for a small price and getting a little dirty pays off in a big way. There are ways to make your house shine without breaking the bank. Make the effort to spruce up the outside so the buyers will come inside. The payback value will be worth the time, effort and money you put into giving your home curb appeal.
To view a curb appeal list of things you can do, click here.
Actually we do need to have ethical standards. It would be nice if everyone could play by the rules. But, not everyone plays nice in the sandbox. If you look at surveys or statistic's on where real estate agents fall on the list of honest professionals we are just above lawyers and used car salesman. I know we will never rank at the top, which is usually reserved for nurses, pharmacist, policeman and doctors. If you look at the Gallup Poll of 2008 you will see that real estate agents are just above lawyers and union leaders. After the year the bankers had in 2008, they ranked above real estate agents. So what does that say about our profession? That we may have an image problem and that we have some work to do. I hope that the days of advertising that we are "million dollar producer" are behind us. The public misunderstood that statement into thinking we made that much money. The perception was all we thought about were the big bucks we were pulling in. Not only do we need to make sure we are honest but what about other agents? Do you look the other way when an agent has crossed the line? When an agent is dishonest it make's the rest of us look bad. It then makes our job tougher in letting the public know that they small minority does not represent all of us. It is a dilemma that we face when dealing within the ranks of taking care of the bad apples. Do you go to their Broker? What if it is a Broker? Do you go to the commission? Me personally! I am at the age where I speak my mind. I got to the point; if you can't play fair I will let you know. Actually I was like this in my younger days sitting in my criminal justice class during the mess with LAPD and Rodney King. We were watching the tape of the officers beating King while he lay on the ground. Up to a point I was okay with how they, the officers were handling it. Then when I felt they had crossed the line but kept going I made the comment, "fire em all, starting with the Sergeant on the scene". Boy, did that cause a very big discussion. My point is, once something happens that draws negative attention it then takes twice as much work to overcome it. Though there is more attention paid to law enforcement when they cross that ethical line than there is to real estate agents. It is still something that we have to work doubly hard to get that negative image out of the public's eye.
Always put the interest of the client first. Use honesty and integrity when dealing with the wishes and desires of your client. If the agent pulls there weight in doing this, then the work of overcoming negative obstacles will be few. Energy used for helping customers/clients is better than wasting it on fixing problems others created. For those that continually cannot play nice in the sandbox! Play nice or find your own sandbox to play in.
Sioux City Iowa is located on the Missouri River and resides in the county of Woodbury. Sioux City has a population of about 85,000 with over 33,000 housing units, with land area of 54.8 miles.
Here is a little Sioux City history.
Lewis and Clark expedition traveled up the Missouri in 1804 and set up camp near what would become Sioux City.
The first Steamboat arrived from St Louis in June 1856, loaded with ready-framed houses and provisions. The railroad followed 12 years later in 1868, which led the way for the livestock yards (stockyards) in 1884.
Something that happened in modern times and remembered by many because of the film footage was the crash of United Flight 232 in July 19, 1989. Coming from an Airline family I remember this well and was a miracle anyone survived.
Sioux City is a very affordable city to live in. We were not hit hard by the mortgage crisis and have faired well during the tough economic times. Sioux City has a very low crime rate and a good place to raise a family. The schools here are very good and outlying towns have very good schools too. There is also a Catholic High School for those that wish their children to attain a parochial education.
An earlier blog I wrote about the cost of housing and gave readers an idea of what you can get for your dollar. To read this blog, Click Here.
Another earlier blog I wrote about some of the events that take place in Sioux City. To read about these events, Click Here.
Beautiful acreage just minutes from town. Sit on the deck, sipping your morning coffee while looking at the great scenery. This home is just off Hwy 20 and Buchanan Ave with almost 3 acres of land. The house sits back off the road to add privacy. Nicely cared for yard with mature trees, with established fruit trees. The yard is fenced but does not block the view.
This is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath home with an attached 2 car garage. There is a detached building that is ideal for a workshop and/or for storing your cars. There is plenty of room in this house to spread out with 3936 square feet of living space.
Newly remodeled to include finished basement, new carpet, 1 new bath, many new windows, 6 panel solid doors throughout, and new concrete board siding.
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.
With Fourth of July weekend here I want to give a shout out to the dogs that serve this country. I know handlers out there that depend on these partners to do a very dangerous job. They are sent into mind fields sniffing for bombs. We also have bomb sniffing dogs here in the states that work airports and other points of entry. I know of a dog (Rex) that has sniffed the President's motorcade to make sure it is safe. He has also done this for other dignitaries. 
I am doing another blog post on Cherokee Iowa. I received a very nice e-mail from Penny Pingrey who is with the Cherokee Area Economic Development Corporation on my earlier blog on the town of Cherokee. Penny asked if I would be interested in doing another blog with this year's events. Cherokee's Chamber of Commerce also has a new director Julie Hering-Kent.
Sioux City Iowa is located on the Missouri River and resides in the county of Woodbury. Sioux City has a population of about 85,000 with over 33,000 housing units, with land area of 54.8 miles. 
Beautiful acreage just minutes from town. Sit on the deck, sipping your morning coffee while looking at the great scenery. This home is just off Hwy 20 and Buchanan Ave with almost 3 acres of land. The house sits back off the road to add privacy. Nicely cared for yard with mature trees, with established fruit trees. The yard is fenced but does not block the view.
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