dan cummings: Are you a good neighbor? - 06/19/07 09:00 AM
While reading the newspaper this morning I noticed the Guilford Noise Ordinance passed.  Seems like a silly law that says commercial and residential property owners cannot exceed noise levels beyond their property lines.
The fact is we all need to step back and think about common courtesy. I contemplate this subject every year around this time.  The weather is nice and annoying neighbors constantly interrupt my peaceful existence.
The guy next to me is a lawn maintenance nut with more equipment than brains.  He pulls out his big commercial mower and stands on the back riding around his yard for hours a … (15 comments)

dan cummings: NO HABLO your rights - 06/12/07 01:52 AM

The latest controversy in New Haven has been Mayor Little John's brainstorm to provide ID cards to help enable ILLEGALS enjoy hassle free services.
If I recall correctly he proposed this foolish idea during his failed attempt to become Governor of Connecticut but backed off when he realized his big fish ideas were not widely accepted outside of his New Haven Pond.
Now he is whining because the Feds decided to have a little round up after the illegal ID program was approved 25-1 by the city aldermen.
I have a question - Any attorneys out there?   My understanding of the law is not very sophisticated … (4 comments)

dan cummings: Approaching my first Half Marathon - 06/08/07 12:28 PM
Do you have trouble finding time for your exercise routine? 
In the fall of 2005 I started walking and completed my first 2 mile event at the Madison Turkey Trot with the first snow of the season covering the ground. 
One year later my long distance goal was the 5 miler on Thanksgiving Day in Madison.  No snow at the 2006 race but instead we had a hard rain with 30 mph winds and a temp of 40. Even with the chilly conditions I ran in shorts and managed to maintain my 5k pace for the 5 mile rainy race.
Back in January before I discovered ActiveRain … (25 comments)

dan cummings: 108 Main Street Extension - Middletown Connecticut - 06457 - 05/29/07 06:44 AM
Excellent Entry Level Investment Opportunity!
Two-Family home just listed for $174,900. 
First floor unit has 2 bedroom and has been occupied by the same family for many years.  Rent is currently $520 month to month.
Second floor was originally the same layout as the first but one of the bedrooms was divided to create a 3-bedroom unit.  The monthly rent is set at $650.
Conveinent locations just off the East Main Street Extension Exit of Route 17.  Drive by and if you like what you see arrange a private showing.  24 hours minimum notice required.
List Price :  $174,900
2 - Family:   1803 s.f.
Lot :  0.13 Acre - … (5 comments)

dan cummings: My Other Career was.... Drafting & Design - 05/26/07 02:11 AM

Only 4% of Real Estate Agents start out in this business. Here is some insight into my other profession.  As I recall I took a liking to "drafting" as part of an exploratory course back in grade school and listed it as my occupational plan in the 8th grade yearbook.
In high school I wound up with a part-time drafting job. The company had no engineering staff and the owner wanted me to specify whatever equipment I needed to work with Ink on Mylar. That was my first realization that teachers become outdated, my instructor suggested a Ruling Pen.
My full-time … (8 comments)

dan cummings: My Other Career.... Group Announcement - 05/25/07 01:33 PM
Recently I was tagged to write a MeMe and one of the comments said "What I want to know is what was your first career"  Instead of going into a detailed answer I thought it would make a great on-going subject for many people and decided to start a group.
Below are a few highlight from a NAR report released May 10, 2007 containing information about 2007 NAR Member Profiles.
40-hour work weeks. The typical member is 51 years old, works 40 hours per week and has been in the business for seven years. Sales volume dips. In 2006, typical residential sales members sold one of their own … (13 comments)

dan cummings: The Power of the Penny - 05/17/07 08:55 AM
Yesterday Broker Maggie dropped a few cents in the comment section of my blog and it reminded me how quickly pennies can add up to Big Bucks. 
The POWER of the PENNY.  I ran into this illustration several years ago at some seminar.  Cannot recall what product they were peddling and never offered up the hundreds of dollars to purchase their program but the penny illustration was very fascinating.
I don't recall all the hype but is was something like this.  If I offered you 1 million dollars today or 1 penny with my 30 day program that teaches you how to double your money everyday … (12 comments)

dan cummings: Real Estate - The Lure of Easy Money - 05/16/07 02:35 AM
 
The real estate market is flooded with new agents.  According to a report released by the National Associations of Realtors a few days ago 23.2% of the members have joined within the last two years.  This rapid influx of new agents has contributed to declining incomes for Realtors over several years.
As agents most of us have heard comments after a closing about the Big Bucks we earn. From a consumers viewpoint they see the sales price of a home and assume the agent is walking away with a hefty commission check. Many do not understand how quickly that big check gets broken into … (41 comments)

dan cummings: Flat Matt - The Connecticut Week & a Day... - 05/12/07 01:31 AM
Well, Flat Matt is off to his next destination.  He should arrive in North Carolina early next week.  His Connecticut adventures started out on Thursday with a little shopping, running, pizza & beer. Friday he was off to the Peabody Museum at Yale to visit the Trilobites and he spent the day Saturday working around the yard.
Sunday came and it was Race Day in North Haven.  We took a quick ride by the North Haven Green and then off to our run.
 

Later that day we had to finish our yard work.  As I worked moving the brush pile Flat Matt wanted to play with guns … (8 comments)

dan cummings: Flat Matt and the Yard Work - 05/09/07 02:41 AM
We decided to take a few days off and putter around the yard after the long winter and an extremely wet spring.  Our first project was to remove some large trees growing a little to close to the house.  After downing a few and trimming the brush we both needed a break, cannot spend the whole day off working.  
Flat Matt wandered around the yard taking time to smell the roses, well the roses have not bloomed so dandelions were close enough.  Next he checked out the bird feeder, swung on the tire and played some lacrosse.  He became overheated with all the exertion … (6 comments)

dan cummings: Summer in Paris - The Perfect Anniversary Gift.....!!!! - 05/07/07 03:50 AM
My anniverary is coming up in a few months and I found the perfect romantic gift....  How does A Romantic Paris Vacation sound.....?
Well, I decided to start planning... Went to Google Maps and clicked to get directions.
Typed in our starting point "New Haven" and destination "Paris"
Walllaaaa.... I will print out the directions, place them in the card and as soon as she has a couple free months and is ready for step number 12 we are off..... Hope she appreciates the thought and preparation involved in a gift of this magnitude.... 
 
 
… (7 comments)

dan cummings: Training – Speed or Distance or Both - 05/07/07 01:52 AM
Although my branding of "Dan the Running Man" is catching on quickly I am still a novice runner and have not figured out exactly how I should be training to improve my performance.  My first 5k was in December of '05 with a pace of nearly 11 minutes per mile followed by a week of limping around the office.  During the winter months I continued to train and ran 19 races in 2006, mostly 5k's and the longest being 5 miles.
I have always been somewhat of a gadget guy and a numbers nut.  Admittedly I got to be quite a site … (5 comments)

dan cummings: Flat Matt gets the Royal Treatment at YALE! - 05/05/07 01:12 AM
 
Yesterday my soon to be daughter-in-law commented on Flat Matt's arrival in Connecticut and that led to our afternoon adventure.  Nadya recently finished her research at Yale and is in the process of writing her thesis, thought she might be able to pull some strings.   It Worked....
Here is the front entrance to the Peabody Museum - Matt slow down, we are not going in there.  Nadya contacted Tom Hegna and he generously offered a private tour, lets go to the back door. 
 
Flat Matt was so excited he arrived a little early for our 3:30 appointment.   Jessica Bazeley greeted us and began showing … (7 comments)

dan cummings: Flat Matt arrives in Connecticut - 05/04/07 04:42 AM
Well...  FLAT MATT arrived in Connecticut this afternoon.  He did set off the wonder radar within my office.  Instead of placing the envelope in my mail box our administrator was holding it and hand delivered it to my wife because it came for DAN and the woman made personal comments. You would expect a letter to me from ANN CUMMINGS would not draw any suspicion. 
 
Matt had packed  light so our first stop was to get him some running shoes for his adventure. Being a connoisseur of running apparel we found a pair of shoes that matched the orange color of his name. Usually I run in … (29 comments)

dan cummings: NO! - Not the way to begin my day! - 04/26/07 05:57 AM

Dating back to the late 1600's people have said "The Early Bird Catches The Worm". 
Well... last night I shut down at about 10:00 pm and relaxed for an hour before bed... 4:30 am Rise & Shine to start my busy day.  Figured I would spend my first hour on a blog before moving into my normal routine.   Life just loves throwing me curves!  Instead of writing my intended piece ActiveRain was DOWN.
That led to all kinds of terrible thoughts.  What if the site just disappeared some day?  All my new found friends would be gone.... All my blogs no longer … (43 comments)

dan cummings: The Caliper on my desk keeps me sane! - 04/26/07 05:01 AM
Or for a REALTOR does this appear I N S A N E  ?
My tool caddy is filled with useful goodies.  Of course I have all the standard stuff every agent needs,  Pens, Pencils ( 2H, HB & RED ), Highlighter and Scissors.  I also have a few of my own must haves,  an X-Acto knife with plenty of blades and my old trusty Calipers.
The X-Acto knife comes in handy when I need a few post cards for special occasions.  I can whip up a quick design, print four to a page and trim them with precision.  No scissors or paper cutter can match … (9 comments)

dan cummings: Tip for Homeowners and Buyers in North Haven Connecticut - 04/24/07 03:32 AM

Not all real estate agents are created equal.  Like any profession this business is filled with a wide variety of people offering everything from top-notch service to those you would not recommend to a friend. We also work several towns so at times the selected listing agent may not be aware of all the facts.
Most towns in our area have what we call the Broker's Tour on Thursday morning that gives us an opportunity to view listings of other real estate offices.  Since I have lived in North Haven over 20 years I know this market pretty well so I usually tour … (2 comments)

dan cummings: My Tee'd Off Tone for Tuesday - 4-17-07 - 04/17/07 09:03 AM
Well.... Another Tee'd Off Tuesday! 
Revisited and revised on what I will call Waffling Wednesday!  When I first introduced the idea of having this series based on the humorous "Ticked Off Tuesday" morning show on my local radio station ( wplr ) I planned to see how receptive the audience was decide whether to continue after a few weeks.
Well... George Souto usually stops by to comment and we had some fun disagreeing but the more time I spend on ActiveRain the more I realize people just want to bee-bop around in a happy place.  I have never been the bubbly type but noticing the … (9 comments)

dan cummings: Today is Friday the 13th - Dare I discuss the color Black - 04/13/07 10:00 AM
I am a middle aged white man, non-racist, and aware of Imus but never followed his show. The evolution of the Imus story has caught everyone's attention and it gave me the idea of discussing the topic of color today, Black Friday the 13th. 
While thinking about writing this blog I was reflecting back over all the people I have known through the years, more specifically all the black people. I grew up in the 60's & 70's... The age of racial tension, Black Power, The Black Panthers, The Doors sang about  "Blood in the Streets in the town of New Haven". I went to … (4 comments)

dan cummings: My Tee'd Off Tone for Tuesday - 4-10-07 - 04/09/07 09:54 PM
Dogs... Man's Best Friend or NOT!   
I have always been around dogs but I am not crazy about them.  As a kid there were the chores, feeding, walking and the joy of the Pooper Scooper.  As an adult I notice the stink of the food, shedding of hair and of course the joy of stepping in a fresh mess hidden in the lawn.  All relatively minor annoyances.....
My oldest son's dog ( right ) was with us from about '81 until the mid 90's, about 15 years if I recall correctly.  After that we enjoyed a few dog free years before my youngest son wanted a pet. … (8 comments)