America's Family Farms- An American Tradition and Our Nation's Food Supply- Call To Action - 02/17/10 08:08 PM
This is an excellent post to read and consider.  I would hope that you decide what you feel is best for your local economy.  The little farmer who raises crops on an acreage of less than 240 acres has no money to lobby or fight back for his best interests.  He or she like you and me has barely enough to make ends meet, if that. 
Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
America's family farms don't have huge lobby groups. America's small farms are owned by families. Many of these farms have been in … (0 comments)

A kind of reblog - with the names removed to protect the innocent - 02/05/10 08:53 PM
One of my fellow Rainers wrote the following, I have deleted the name of the inspector for good reason, the original, edited post is from Jason Samiam.  He has a point, but we never name bad inspectors, we simply try to avoid them, if possible.  

I do not recommend any real estate agent using this home inspector
I do not recommend any real estate agent using this home inspector
This inspector my client used is a home inspector that I DO NOT recommend.  My client insisted that he wanted to use this guy instead of the few that … (12 comments)

While Main Street Goes to Hell, Goldman Chief Gets Bonus of Only $9 Million in Record Year - 02/05/10 08:39 PM
Don't you pity the poor Wall Street Bankers?   Listen, they go to work each day (in a chauferred limo), put in their three hours in morning, taking international calls while munching on fresh croissants and likely caviar or whatever is the vogue of the day.  Then there's the three hour lunch that south of the border they call siesta and in Europe...well, I can only dream of that.  Then there's a few more hours of what you and I likely wouldn't call labor but it might call for bringing in an assistant or a head of department for a briefing....Hmmm....And Wall … (9 comments)

On the Market - Before I Leave the Listing Appointment!!! - 02/04/10 04:40 PM
I know you would all like to have a crackerjack presentation...but I leave my listing smiling.  And the homeowners are blown away!  I have my assistant in her office waiting until the signatures are just about dry on the listing agreement...and we complete the listing on the MLS live.  Before I leave the property, she has emailed the live listing to both the homeowner and me for any edits.  It is usually complete, might need a tweak here or there, but its on, the information in to the showing company we use and they are on the market before I get … (15 comments)

Snyder's Drug Bites the Dust...Walgreens Builds Four New Stores In Minnesota - 02/01/10 09:56 PM
The battle lines were drawn long ago.  It would be the end for an entity...what with the State, Target, Walmart all looking for the drug dollar.  It was a matter of time and tenacity.  Snyders finally folded.  Walgreen's saw it coming.  No upgrades to stores, no higher end product being brought in.  It was a matter of time...over 40 years in the making.  Sad to see...less competition. 
… (9 comments)