Mother's Day...Women Are Not Perfect!!!

My mother left this earth on January 2, 2008...this will be my first Mother's Day without her! Sixty Four years of nurturing, care, concern, tenderness, wisdom, sympathy, medical advice, prayer, instinct, perseverance, optimism, risk taking, encouragement, etc...will be sorely missed!

In fact, the title to this post was written to get your attention, not to emphasize a point...everyone fails...no one is perfect...no one is flawless...yes, even my dear mother!

I hear a lot of people criticize the Church these days...there will always be sin and sinners in the Church...that is why Christ came...for sinners...and He combines them all...gathers them all into the institution He Himself established...the Church...that is why for over two millennia we have referred to the Church as 'Our Holy Mother', the Church!

I love 'The Church'...and all its people...all its members...Why? Because they belong to Jesus...and I love Him...How can I love what belongs to Him less??? And just like my own Mother who was not perfect...I love her anyhow...unconditionally...just like Jesus loves me!!!

Now, one of the teachings of the Church is the doctrine of the 'Communion of Saints'...which simply stated says that though my Mother has died she lives in the Body of Christ, the Church, and as such member she can still pray for me and her loved ones!!!

So, on this Mother's Day 2008, I say to my own Mother and Holy Mother Church... I love You...keep praying for me!!!

                                                

 

Babies That Have Been Thrown Out With The Bath Water!!!

Everyone likes progress...everyone likes new technology...everyone prefers 'new' over 'old'...or do they???

The first thing I remember was my days as an altar boy...they had us memorize all that beautiful Latin Prayer only to establish English as the vernacular for the Catholic Mass! AMO!...juventutem meam!

Then right after I learned how to operate a 'standard transmission' column mounted...they come out with a 'four on the floor' because it was nostalgicly retro!!! Not to mention Chrysler's, decades ahead, pushbutton dash mounted automatic transmission...like 'Beta' vs 'VHS'...Better lost...popular won!!!

Right after I get all set up with my Ampex Reel to Reel 4 track professional tape recorder...8 track cartridges come out...ease of use wins out over high quality...acceptable overrules astounding!!!

In a family 'beach discussion' in the early '80s...I announce to my children my desire to drink 'bottled spring water'...not yet invented by the way...only to be laughed at uproareously with, "Dad, who would be willing to pay for water in a bottle, when you can get it free"? I'm thinking of suggesting 'bottling air'...so far, that's free also!!!

And why has 'crust' been engineered out of 'breadmaking'...has everything gone the way of the 'sandwich'...why don't we 'break' bread anymore??? If you don't like crust, then cut it off!!!

Photography, always a favorite hobby, goes digital...and I retire thousands of dollars worth of great 'amateur' equipment to a box in the closet! Not to mention hundreds of great 35mm slides and reels and reels of 8mm movies...must get them 'converted'...

Those 9 dollar canvas sneakers that enabled you to move at will through all sports with 'olympic' agility have been replaced by 'single sport' dedicated $150.00 athletic footwear approved and recommended by sports heroes probably on steroids!!!

That pure 100+ Octane 25 cents per gallon gasoline has been replaced by $3.60 per gallon 'diluted with corn' versions...

Ticonderoga #2 lead pencils, whose erasers wore out before the pencils 'bit the dust'...have been replaced by throwaway ball points and ink pens???...wait a minute...didn't we start out with 'feather' varieties of those in the 'middle ages'... Are we going full circle here!

Can it be that my favorite cereal of all time...POST OAT FLAKES...was liked by so few that it was eliminated from production...and why don't Cheerios taste the same as when I was a kid...let ME put sugar on them, if I want to...

In the 70s when I broke into this real estate industry, complete transaction files were maybe a quarter of an inch thick...now they're about 3 inches thick...Agreements of sale ---one page, two sides...Settlement sheets---1 page, 1 side...mortgages---3 or 4 pages...thank God we're making progress in this 'paper saving age'...

Maybe we oughta go back and pick up all those pieces we threw away!!!

Do you think the 'wheelbarrow' will soon be making a comeback???

And this is just Part One!!! 

Fran's Friday Forum For Forever Freethinking Friends!!!

After a full day of CE credit seminars hosted by Land America Lawyers Title on Wednesday, I'm just getting back into the swing of things and my 'normal' blogging routine! What is my 'normal' blogging routine? I try to post every day, but I don't get anal about it, or it wouldn't remain fun!!! 

So what's so much fun about blogging?

For years I've wanted to maintain a personal journal...not a daily diary, per se, but an ongoing 'record' of important events in my life!!! Why? So I could see where I was at any given moment by seeing where I've come from and thus better provide for where I wanted to go!!! It's that simple!

And Active Rain has made it so easy for me to accomplish that goal...

The only hurdle I had to overcome was the 'personal' vs 'business' vs 'transparent' nature of a blog...Should I use the platform to create a 'fictional Fran' whom everyone would love and adore or would the 'real Fran' be truer to my ultimate goals??? I guess ultimately that's at the heart of every blogger's thinking!

Are there too many risks in being transparent and not having to 'look over your shoulder' and worry that your 'fictional construct' isn't holding up? For me, there was no decision...being a WYSIWYG guy and content with my less than perfect personality, it was an easy choice to make...

Searching for 'truth' and justice is as much a career goal as it is a personal one!

And the bonus is that by doing this fun thing called blogging, I was accomplishing many goals... 

•        Being true to my Christian faith!
•        Sharing my life (and blog) with my family...
•        Getting out my 'business message'...
•        Gaining 'Google Juice'...
•        Learning about real estate and SEO and journalling and blogging and navigating the internet...
•        Meeting great friends from diverse locations...
•        Having fun! 

Again, I thank Active Rain for their excellent foresight in creating this social and business phenomenon and allowing me and thousands of others to pursue our dreams and ambitions and goals through this network which daily exhibits to the world and the real estate community its ability to display a unique personality of its own!!!

And not without 'flaws'...I might add...Active Rain isn't perfect either...you see after 5 failed attempts to upload pics into this post, I simply gave up...improvements...WOW!!

Title Insurance...With Leather Seats And GPS Equipped!!!

My good friend Suzi from Mississippi recently asked me to write a post covering 'Enhanced Coverage Title Insurance'...she used the term "EAGLE POLICY" which specifically refers to a product offered by large underwriter First American Title Insurance Company, FANTIC. I am not an agent for FANTIC, therefore I do not speak for them!

Let me lay some groundwork first!

ALTA, The American Land Title Association, is a 'national' organization which is more or less the unofficial voice of the title insurance industry...they attempt to make title insurance uniformly understandable nationally no matter in what state a property is located!

Keeping in mind the 'local' aspect of real estate...and its state by state regulation by respective insurance commissions or other state governmental agencies...Speaking about title insurance in ways that can be applied nationally and uniformly is tricky and almost impossible! Even though there are tremendous similarities state to state, there are likewise significant differences which make any treatise on the subject challenging if not impossible...so I will attempt to address these matters generally and let the hearers and consumers draw their own conclusions! 

Having said that, 'The Eagle Policy' was FANTIC's attempt to 'go beyond' standard coverages as approved for use nationally by ALTA! Justifiably or not, the 'Eagle' product is part enhancement of coverage and part 'marketing ploy' to increase revenues!!!

The cost for a typical 'enhanced coverage policy' in Pennsylvania is approximately 10% higher than a standard policy and about $50.00 to $100.00 higher for endorsement coverages...in plain speak, on a $300,000.00 basic rate policy in PA, the charge would be an additional $185.88, plus $50.00 over the normal endorsements charge for typical lenders policies or $200.00...making the total out of pocket 'additional' expense to the consumer around $235.88 higher than traditional coverage on a $300,000.00 transaction with both owner's policy and lender's policy to be issued! Of course on cash transactions there would only be the $185.88 difference in costs!

Hope you're still with me!

At this point I need to make a kind of disclaimer...it would be a great idea and my suggestion to obtain specific information on any title insurance products directly from an agent for that particular Title Company...That way you're sure you're comparing apples to apples!!! And your getting it right from the underwriter's mouth!

Now, let's move on to what the coverages are! Again, I will address 'generically' an 'enhanced title policy' such as I myself am familiar with...keeping in mind these will differ somewhat from Title Insurer to Title Insurer and state to state.

Over and above a standard ALTA owners policy, a typical enhanced coverage policy will add 25 to 30 'covered risks'! A brief outline follows!!!

Our basic ALTA coverage protects against:

• Someone claiming an ownership interest in
your title.
• Leases, contracts or options affecting your
title.
• Someone claiming to have rights affecting
your title due to forgery or impersonation.
• Someone having a right to limit your use
of the land.
• Unmarketability of your title.
• A defective title.

In addition to the coverage provided in the
traditional ALTA Owner's Policy, an enhanced coverage policy
offers new and expanded coverages ***. You can purchase
coverage against losses caused by:

• Zoning violations.
• Subdivision law violations.
• Improvements that encroach into an
easement.
• Building permit violations.
• Covenants, conditions and restrictions.
• Lack of vehicular and pedestrian access.
• Supplemental assessments arising as a result
of construction or transfer prior to the policy
date.
• Damage to your house caused from someone
with easement rights.
• Someone refuses to buy your land because
your neighbors' structures are on your land.
• Your house or lawn and trees are being
damaged by someone with rights to dig a well
or mine.

*** Some coverages are subject to deductibles &
liability caps. 

This is by no means a comprehensive treatment of this subject, but a mere overview for discussion purposes...consumers interested in additional information should contact the underwriter of their choice, or call us if you would like any copies of any of our brochures explaining these programs in greater detail!!!

So in the end, it is like buying a new car...do you want the stripped down version which will probably get you from point A to point B nicely, or do you want the version with all the bells and whistles...oh yes, and the plush leather seats!!!

Buyers Market...Sellers Market...OR What???

Jim Crawford, a great Active Rainer from Atlanta, Georgia, recently wrote a post that piqued my curiosity! The post was entitled 'The Price Is Right' and spoke about the equilibrium that is achieved when buyer and seller both agree on price and terms and an Agreement of Sale is reached!

No one will deny we're in a strong 'buyer's market'...declining prices, high inventories, lack of consumer confidence..all negatively impact a person's capability of selling real estate and provide potential buyers with an unlevel playing field tipped in the buyer's favor.

Not too many years ago, we experienced year after year of rising prices, low interest rates, great economy, high consumer confidence that witnessed a 'never ending' seller's market...or so we thought!

I began to think...is there such a market that is neither a 'buyer's market' nor a 'seller's market'? And if so, what would you call that market?...Or do we merely slip from buyer's to seller's markets and back ad infinitum...in other words, just as with personality types where we have introverts, extraverts, and 'ambiverts', are real estate markets also composed of three distinct characteristics...buyers...sellers...and ???

This is not a 'leading' question or a trick question with a gimmick answer...I merely throw this out there for some great Active Rain discussion and debate!!! And I look forward to hearing how my Active Rain friends respond!

Who Is Active Fran...The Title Man???

I once read an article that claimed that the best way to define something or someone is by stating what they ARE NOT!!!

So, in an attempt to get you to know me better (If you don't know me already after reading all 360 of my posts), I will tell you who and what I AM NOT!

First of all, I don't Twitter...I'm a Rainer, and only a Rainer...I don't facebook, my space, or other blog...Oh, I've signed on to such sites, but you won't find me there...I'm not a blogger that happens to be in Title Insurance...I'm a Title guy that happens to 'blog'...I'm all for 'The Rain' and faithful to Active Rain...in fact, throw in some sunshine and you'll see my rainbow!!!

Secondly, I'm a WYSIWYG guy...a simple guy...dedicated to my family, profession, and everyone else in my sphere of influence! I have one home phone number, a cell phone number, a work phone number...all of which are published...no airs...I'm not better than anyone else, but I stay at the top of my industry!!!

I don't do drugs...never did...I don't have a drinking habit...I've quit smoking 2 or 3 times...

I'm proud of my Italian/American heritage, so I have a lot of opinions and emotions...which I try to channel into virtue instead of vice!!!

I love good food, but I try to eat to live rather than live to eat...but I do carry a few extra pounds...just so I can throw my weight around, if necessary!!!

I'm a sinner, and need to be redeemed and forgiven daily...I know Jesus died only once for all my sins, although I sin daily by either commission or omission...but that's 'good news' because it was for people just such as me that He came to begin with! The weak, the unrighteous, the sinner, the sick, the downtrodden, the lowly, etc...In prayer, I'm reminded of my constant need for HIM in my life...

If I can help one person with what I know or have at my disposal, I will without counting the cost!!!

I'm not always happy, but I know Joy when I see it and revel in it!!!

I believe in the ten commandments but try to live my life according to the two Great Commandments that Jesus gave us...Love God, and Love Neighbor!

'Doing without' is not an imposition, but a blessing and a joy!!!

I don't understand how any man with daughters, (and I have three of them), can be sexist...nor any woman with sons for that matter! 

My tremendous sense of humor serves me well, but I abhor self-deprecating jokes or humor that denigrates women, marriage, races or ethnic groups!

E-mail is great, but I will not forward any 'chain letter' type messages no matter how pious or holy they seem!!! Take note!

I believe cleanliness is next to Godliness, but I'm not an obsessive compulsive hand washer...some germs help build immunities!!!

I like to sleep and I like to work...but I can do without either if I'm fishing, reading, traveling, or blogging! 

Now you know a little bit more about me...the more you get to know me the more I'll grow on you!!!

One Stop Shop Update...Drop, Plop, Flop!!!

When you buy into the reality that 'real estate is local'...the next leap of faith is to admit that each person is a unique entity, and each buyer and seller has different service needs and different professional requirements...that's why Active Rain is replete with posts and comments extolling the need for seasoned professionals!!!

For the last 20 years or so, 'one stop shops' have followed the loophole in the RESPA regulations allowing the bungling 'bundling' of professional services to reduce closing costs...for those who have been on a space mission for the last twenty years, large, mega-agent real estate offices became lenders, title insurers, and other real estate service providers under 'one umbrella' and anything but lower settlement costs resulted...not to mention conflicts of interest!!!

Well, people aren't stupid...consumers are educating themselves in this age of prolific information sources...Active Rain being the cutting edge place for real estate knowledge!

It seems to me that the consumer has voted already in this election year...I see fewer and fewer real estate ads in the Sunday as well as daily newspapers...I am receiving fewer and fewer pieces of 'junk mail' informing me of the many buyers that are lining up to make an offer on my home...I even have fewer real estate magnets to support my kids pearls from school...something is up! Something has changed!!!

Has there been another silent revolution in the real estate industry...has there occurred another paradigm shift in our industry that we missed?

Many indicators point to that reality!

We get more and more calls, referrals, inquiries, and title related communications via e-mail and 'internet' originated...those consumers with whom I speak pretty much know how the business works and how fees are 'multiplied' and 'exaggerated' if not blatantly 'trumped up'...the age of 'whatever the freight will bear' real estate transacting is over...I hope!

This is the way I see it, and this is the way I call it...consumers are becoming king...and since we are all consumers, we need to welcome in this new age...but is it really new...or is it going back to the basics...you get what you pay for...nothing more, nothing less!!!

As the consumers choose which one of us will handle the various phases of their real estate transaction, which real estate professionals will enable them best to fulfill their 'American Dream' of homeownership...they will not look under 'one umbrella', but they will realize that 'The Rain' is a good thing...and that they deserve the best real estate services that they can find...all we need to do is show them where to search!!!

Sunday Morning May Message!!!

All ages to come shall call me 'blessed'...the Sacred Scriptures say of Mary!

May is the month of Mary...the Mother of Jesus, Our Lord!

Why is it that many wish to 'demean' Mary...a teenage Jewish girl of about 16 chosen from the beginning of the world to be the vessel through which the Word would become flesh...Mary's 'fiat'...her yes to the angel that she would bear the 'God Child' has become a source of great Joy to billions of Christians throughout the ages!

You must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God, the Scriptures say further...and it is no accident that 'Mother's Day' falls in the month of May!!! A mother, the keystone of every family, is the unit...the catalyst...that keeps the family together...the mother in every family is the first to give love to a child...even before he is born!

Mary, in a sense, was the first Christian...the first member of the Church that Jesus Himself would form...the first to carry the 'Word of God' in her very being...and the first to have the Holy Spirit dwell in her very body!!! Enough theology! This post is meant to bring Joy, not contention!

This May...this month of Mary...let us ask for the grace to be able to see the truth more clearly, to follow Him more nearly, and to love Him more dearly...to celebrate motherhood...and to especially thank God for giving us Mary as a model of what it's like to be a Christian!!!

As we attempt to 'right' what is wrong in our real estate industry, let us not forget the 'family unit' which also suffers and is in need of great healing...

A week from today we celebrate Pentecost...the 'birthday' of the Church...the day the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles like 'tongues of fire' and changed their lives in an instant! May the Holy Spirit...come upon us and cleanse us and teach us the way to follow...with the humility and obedience of Mary...Mother of the Church!!!

Kentucky Derby Day...An American Dream Begins!!!

Right off, my wife was born in the great state of Kentucky! I guess that's partly the reason we have adopted 'Kentucky Derby Day' as one of our 'family sports favorites'! Every year on the first Saturday of May, we gather around the TV to watch the perennial classic of thoroughbred horse racing!!! No, we don't do the 'mint julep' thing or place any money bets on any of the horses, but the excitement we feel seems to 'mount' (no pun intended) with each succeeding year!

This year will be no different. We will still be rooting and cheering for the best horse to win! And not only the best horse, but a possible candidate to win the coveted triple crown...the super bowl of horse racing...which begins with the derby and ends when the horse has won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes!!!

My American Dream began in Kentucky when my wife was born there!

There is more to the American Dream than finding the right home! Without the 'right' other essentials...a great spouse...great kids...great career...great faith...great family...a great home may not count for much!!! So when looking for that dream house be sure you have all the other right elements in place...maybe that's the reason for so many foreclosures and marriage failures today!

This May 3, 2008, the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby Classic,  when my wife and I take those precious few minutes to sit and watch that famous Kentucky Derby...we will be rooting for 'Big Brown' or whoever else carries the torch into the triple crown! In fact I'm writing this post as the horses make their way into the 'paddock area' and I can feel the excitement mounting!!!

 Whoever wins, you can be sure we will be thanking God for the many blessings and divine providence He has bestowed on our family...and we will thank Him for being the beginning of our 'American Dream'!

May the best horse win!!! Let 'The American Dream' begin!!!

Post Script: For the record...Big Brown won the Derby!!! Go Big Brown!!!

See Lenn's picture in the comment section!!!

Real Estate And Baseball...Apple Pie And Chevrolet!!!

You can learn a lot about real estate from observing baseball, its rules, and its nuances! Applied correctly, the wisdom gleaned from the game of baseball can carry you a long way in the field of real estate sales!!!

I'm constantly telling my kids..."you play like you practice"...the boy scouts say it another way---"Be Prepared"! My kids don't believe that a body in motion is more likely to make a good defensive play than a 'still' body at rest!!! It takes more energy and time to go from zero to 2 mph than it does to go from 2 to 4 mph! When they learn this, they will have learned a great baseball truism and a great life lesson! Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player that ever lived, was threatened with being cut from his high school basketball team because he couldn't make foul shots...he began a rigorous practice routine of shooting practice foul shots in the hundreds every day...you know the rest of the story!

Stay focused...keep your eye on the ball...you can't hit what you can't see...watch the ball through its entire travel from mound to plate!!! You may not be able to read the 'Spalding Logo' on the ball, but you can certainly pick up a round red and white object about 8 or 9 inches in diameter and make it come into contact with a strategically designed 2 to 3 foot stick of hard ash or quality aluminum that you totally control!!! On the other hand, if you're pitching, find the hitters vulnerability...his tendencies, his 'fears', his weaknesses!!! Play with your head as well as your instincts!!!

Know who's in charge...umpires, the rule enforcers, are human beings...they make bad calls, mistakes, errors...but they're in charge...even if you know they blew a call, you can't change it...blaming, stewing, pouting, steaming will only throw you off your game...thus it's counterproductive!!! Back to rule 2...be focused!!! Stay focused!!! That makes you in charge! Play by the rules, take personal responsibility for your actions...if something needs to be done differently, DO IT!

In trying to summarize and size up the Active Rain Community and its members and their needs, I was thinking of the various articles of equipment necessary to play the game of baseball...competitively...effectively...and professionally...bats, gloves, caps, spikes, batting helmets, bases, lined fields, rule books, home plate...but then there are the items that are the most essential in baseball or real estate...the ones I intentionally omitted from my list...

!!!!!!!