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Blog Closed Today - 04/30/07 10:56 AM
Blog closed today
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Video Blogging for Real Estate - Bill the Cat Steals the Show - My First Attempt - 04/27/07 06:03 PM
27 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
WARNING: This is a slightly humorous blog. There is little wisdom here - but there are lessons.
There has been some great instruction on AR about using videos to promote your business - unfortunately I did not read them until today.
Back in October of 2006 I was experimenting with Windows Movie Maker to try and produce my own video blog. I put this on YouTube. As you will see, there are right ways to do things and wrong ways. You will soon learn at least four things from this short video - the only one I dared … (10 comments)
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OPTION ARM Lender Loses in Court - Class Action Lawsuit Opened - 04/26/07 10:42 AM
26 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin (Let's try a retitle)
This mortgage-gone-bad story is getting attention across the US as it applies to borrowers everywhere. According to an article in the online version of the Washington Post, Susan and Bryan Andrews of Cedarburg, Wisconsin refinanced their home in 2004 into what was explained - and reportedly documented - to be a 1.95% interest rate that was to be fixed for five years. It was not.
The Andrews family decided to fight and eventually took the lender - Chevy Chase Bank - to court and WON, setting the table for a class action lawsuit by thousands … (9 comments)
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Dear Blogger X - I Apologize - 04/26/07 10:03 AM
26 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
Dear Blogger X,
It is time this stopped. We apparently do not get along, so let's end it here and now. After our first "encounter" I expressed my dismay in my blog We Can Disagree. I'd hoped that would end our misunderstanding, but it did not. After last night's event, all I can say is I guess we must push each others buttons. It's now time to push the OFF button.
Here, in front of potentially hundreds of witnesses, I apologize for anything I did or wrote - deliberately or not - that offended, hurt, embarrassed, or angered you … (5 comments)
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POINTLESS REMARKS - Why Do We REALLY Blog? - 04/25/07 01:26 PM
25 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
Why do we blog? Do we blog for points or for fun? Do we blog for business and credibility? I was recently asked about my reasons for blogging - and as to whether or not it is Points-Driven. Good question that made me think, and now blog.
Am I the "points" type? Hmmmm. I type less than 20 WPM and edit and re-edit to be precise. I believe there should be a battleship or city named after the guy who invented SpellCheck - he saved my life. Blogs take me way too long to be quick hit … (37 comments)
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Tune into "Your Home-Your Money" for Live and Local Wisconsin Real Estate Talk, Banter, and Great Information - 04/25/07 11:23 AM
25 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
Real Estate Mortgage Radio Meets Podcasting!
Two middle-aged (one more aged than the other) finance guys share their expertise, opinions, and conversation with a truth-starved world. Tune in for the awesome info and some lively talk! Recorded live radio broadcasts from our weekly show in Madison, Wisconsin - the Hub of Midwestern Culture (we made that last part up).
Seasoned (decades) residential real estate lending specialists and co-Hosts of Your Home-Your Money Mortgage Talk Radio, Bill Quigley and Art Blanchet share their research, insights, and interviews with you here. Plenty of solid information and a smattering of humor … (3 comments)
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Friends, Rainers, and Countrymen - Lend KIVA Your Ears - and 25 Bucks! - 04/20/07 11:57 PM
20 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
As some of you know, Bill and I are proponents of KIVA, the rapidly growing organization that helps provide microfinance - as microloans - for third world and developing nation business-persons and entrepreneurs. The loans vary from around $300 to $1400 and every business is pre-screened by partner lenders in the host countries or region. We helped co-host a KIVA Talkathon last month (see blog) and joined just before that weekend, meaning we became "lenders" (which seems like a good idea and natural evolution for us).
In our attempt to "test the waters" and do a little something we backed two individuals … (15 comments)
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Killing Property Taxes in Florida - Will That Really Help Grandma and Grandpa? - 04/19/07 12:52 PM
19 April 2007
I'm not trying to whip a dead horse.
Life can throw a few curve-balls at you - some of which open eyes to a different viewpoint, a different paradigm. I think my mind's been in Florida a bit lately, especially with reports coming in about my wife's uncle who is in the hospital down there. I guess you mix that with David Podgursky's blog and an event that happened a few minutes ago, and for me, an idea akin to an epiphany moved to the surface of my mind.
The catalyst to the new viewpoint came from a very simple comment … (6 comments)
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Would You Trade SALES TAX for PROPERTY TAX? - A Follow-Up from David Podgursky - 04/18/07 10:41 PM
18 April 2007
Active Rain has a few fine members, and this guy stands out among the crowd. An hour ago or so I received this great communique (via private email) from David Podgursky (The Mortgage Go To Guy from Boynton Beach, Florida). He wanted to make me aware of the latest information regarding the continuing controversy over revision of the Florida property tax laws. David just wanted to let me know what was going on so I too, could pass this information on to interested readers. He is so cool.
I spoke with Mrs. Blanchet, who is visiting family in Florida (they've not been well) … (4 comments)
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Short Blogs Version 2.1 - 04/17/07 10:58 AM
17 April 2007
Now I see. In order for a Short Blog to garnish points, the blog needs to contain a minimum of fifty words - not forty-nine words or forty eight words or even forty-seven words. So in order for me to get credit for this incredible post I have to continue saying nothing for a good twenty or so words more. That's really, really, really incredible.
The time is 10:57 am - the temperature 55 degrees.
The rain in Spain - awe - let's not waste words.
This is my last Short Blog (I hope).
… (9 comments)
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Short Blogs - 04/17/07 10:46 AM
I'm seeing a trend. Short Blogs for points and ranking. Anyone else?
… (13 comments)
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GMAIL Functions That Save Time and Effort - 04/17/07 07:13 AM
16 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
Gmail- Google's free email service - has some terrific business tools. Their email tools and settings can allow consolidation of contact lists from other email providers, an effective and customizable auto-responder, email forwarding, personalized signatures, and a vacation response. But my favorite feature is the ability to utilize the "alias" function, which has the ability to act as a centralized clearinghouse for all my email accounts.
You can set it up like this: My Gmail account might be art@gmail.com. But with Gmail's alias (my term, not theirs) outbound messages can appear just like my business email account … (41 comments)
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Shades of Sigmund Freud - I am Now Dealing With Point-Envy. Thanks Mom. - 04/16/07 12:52 AM
16 April 2006
As if the American male doesn't have enough to deal with, now the trauma to my psyche known as "Point-Envy" has crept into my life. Yes, my mother is to blame, but so is ActiveRain.
A month ago I knew nothing about Point-Envy. The matter was never discussed at home and my education pre-dated blogging and the Internet. The bloggers on the street joked about it a little, but it was a vague topic that I'd only laugh at nervously - watching the other bloggers for my cue as when to snicker and when to guffaw. Sure, I tried to … (5 comments)
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Would You Trade SALES TAX for PROPERTY TAX? - 04/12/07 11:58 AM
12 April 2007
With the April 17th Federal Income Tax deadline looming as a reminder, "taxes" in all forms moves to the forefront of our minds. Property tax in particular is becoming a major issue in Florida (although I think insurance should). No one is certain as how to get rising taxes under control - the massive real estate appreciation of the first five years of this century didn't help a bit -
I received this email today from a "Doris Jones". I do not know who Doris is (I did not find her on AR either) and my Google search under "Doris … (52 comments)
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ALAMODE Sweepstakes Announced - and New ALAMODE Group Formed - 04/11/07 08:50 PM
11 April 2007 - Madison, Wisconsin
Our website - like others who use Active Rain - is provided by ALAMODE.com. We pay for the hosting service and template. We can modify it within certain limits, so it is unique to each user. ALAMODE really strives to support us and help us provide tools, value, blogs, and information (much of which we customize) to our visitors and clients alike. It's a good relationship.
ALAMODE now sponsors a monthly Sweepstakes with a nice prize. It is absolutely FREE for visitors to enter - their goal is to increase traffic on the websites and give us- THEIR … (0 comments)
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We Can Disagree - 04/05/07 09:27 PM
5 April 2007
I just had a very disappointing blogging experience here on ActiveRain. It was my first negative experience of any kind on AR and, frankly, it disturbed me.
Without revealing any details, I will only say that a blog comment was misunderstood and then taken personally by the host, who responded with a personal attack. Even after an apology was extended, the host again responded with a rude and spurious remark, meant both to offend and demean. The commenting party deleted all comments from the host's blog to end the juvenile verbal tug-of-war. Sadly, that action did NOT end the confrontation, but my narrative about it will end here. … (51 comments)
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Investing in Yourself - Tiger Woods Does It! - 04/04/07 12:01 PM
4 April 2007
Reprinted form Tom Domin's Mortgage Marketing Toolkit article pages. As some of you may have figured out, I like Tom and his advice, tools, and helps. He asks what appears to be a more-than-fair price for his materials, but also gives away much for free. While his info is geared toward Mortgage Professionals, there is much in the way of truth for all pros here. I also like this article as I am a Tiger fan and enjoy the stats. (Art Blanchet)
A Valuable Mortgage Lesson Learned From Tiger Woods
Unless you've been living in a cave … (1 comments)
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Khadafi and SubPrime Lending - Repeating History (Humor) - 04/03/07 05:15 PM
3 April 2007
Now is the Time
The (fill in title here) ruler of Libya since 1969 is a man known as Moammar Khaddafy...or maybe Muammar Qaddafi...perhaps Mommar Gaddafi...or... ?? The truth is no one really knew because his name didn't transliterate very well into English. An article in the London Evening Standard reported 37 different spellings in 2004, which is odd because everyone had forgotten who he was a decade earlier, much less cared about how to spell his name.
Sure, we all could have referred to the Libyan leader by his honorific "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's … (1 comments)
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Punk Me Baby One More Time!!! - 04/02/07 12:01 PM
2 April 2007
I'll be brief.
I cannot believe my eyes.
Every day and week as I prepare for my business - and radio show - I receive news feeds or do Google searches about the latest real estate news. As foreclosures and SubPrime lending are currently the "hot" topics right now - every digital and print periodical except Cat Fancy seems to have an expose - the searches yield fruit aplenty.
What bemuses me, however, is when I begin to read these articles, I can't help but notice the rotating banners and Adsense and Google Ads surrounding the subject. The ads … (6 comments)
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FSBO Radio - Listing Your Home On the WWW for FREE and ALMOST Free. - 04/01/07 11:13 PM
1 April 2007
Modified reprint of our March 9th Your Home-Your Money.com website blog. This was the final show of an eight-week radio series we did on selling For Sale By Owner, subtitled "FSBO RADIO". The series was broadcast through Madison 1670 - the Pulse (WTDY) every Saturday mornindg at nine and included interviews with local real estate professionals.
FSBO Radio - Final Show of the Selling Your Home By Owner Series.
1. Intro: Need to begin with the basics - best market is the local market. People like to explore the neighborhood they want to move into. AFTER your home is … (3 comments)
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Art Blanchet - Stranger in a Warm Land
Sebastian,
FL
More about me…
On the Outside Lookin' In
Office Phone: (608) 217-3252
Cell Phone: (608) 217-3252
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A mix of commentary, information, humor, news, events, and opinion - some of it even interesting.
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