USDA Receives Funding for Rural Housing Loans............. - 07/31/10 02:30 PM
This article appeared in The Deseret News yesterday. It was sort of a forgone conclusion that it would be funded, but at what levels seemed to be the question. Now there are $40 Million available for people to buy houses in Rural Utah. That is good news for us here in Iron County, we are a rural county. I know that it is another subsidized program, but it is one that makes sense to me. Anyway, here is the link to the article.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700052400/USDA-makes-40-million-available-for-rural-home-loans-in-Utah.html
The New Reservior in Cedar City
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Fridays Musings...Positive Attitude..... - 07/30/10 07:05 PM
I know that this is probably better suited for Monday blog instead of Friday, but I thought that if I got it out there now, we would have the entire weekend to put this into our heads. I am not sure who the source of this list is, but I am going to use it anyway. It is called Keeping a Positive Attitude:
1. I never see Failure as Failure.........But only as A Learning Experience.
2. I never see Failure as Failure..........But as Negative Feed Back I need to change in my course of direction.
3. I never see Failure as … (16 comments)
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Fridays Musings.....water..... - 07/30/10 05:01 PM
It's hot out there! How many of us are feeling the heat? Are you getting enough water to drink? I like many in my generation take my liquid refreshment in other form of beverage. I have been a soda pop addict since my pre-teen years. I am sure that my body image reflects that fact. I got an email from my cousin, who is also a Realtor that was eye opening. I wanted to share the highlights with you:
#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population)
#2. In 37% of Americans, … (12 comments)
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Thankful Thursday.....Quote..... - 07/29/10 06:07 PM
While I was cleaning out my desk this afternoon I came across a quote by Arthur C Clark that really went well with my earlier post,
Thought for Thursday..... This quote is really the essence of what makes a pioneer in what ever field that they undertake. Here is the quote:
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible."
This is so true, it is also the only way that really achieve personal growth, whether it is in business or life. If we aren't pushing past the boundries that we or … (10 comments)
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Thankful Thursday.... - 07/29/10 04:52 PM
One of the things that I am very thankful for is the area that we live in. I have been including photos of the area in my blogs even wihen they may not seem to match up with the blog that I have written. I do this to promote the beauty that is Southern Utah. I know that there are beautiful areas all over the World. This is obvious by the many very beautiful photos that others include in their blogs!
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Another more panoramic view, taken last Autumn of Cedar Break National Monument
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Thought for Thursday..... - 07/29/10 04:26 PM
I finished re reading the Shift, now I am re reading The Champion Real Estate Agent, by Dirk Zeller. I have mentioned in the past that I have to read something several times before it really sinks in, so for me it is a good practice to read in my spare time. Actually I make the time, spare time is pretty scarce. I call it spare time, but in reality it is the time I use to learn and get better.
Anyway I found a quote that really fits me, I don't know how many other people trap themselves in this … (5 comments)
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Wordless (almost) Wednesday...Life's a Beach..... - 07/28/10 06:23 PM
It is after 4 in the office, and my mind has beginning to wander. I know I need to catch it before I lose it for good! Anyway here we are at least 400 miles from the Ocean, so naturally my mind has gone there. This is a photograph that we took in May in Oceanside, California. It has a really nice beach!
Looks like surf's up! I can almost feel the cool breeze off of the Ocean!
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Wednesdays Thought ....... - 07/28/10 05:28 PM
I came across this quote today, it is from James Crook. I have thought a lot lately about separating oneself from the crowd. This is often thought of as leadership. In business, especially a business as competitive as ours is, this idea of separating yourself from others is important. I look at it as the value that we bring that is unique to us as Realtors.
By that I mean it is the reason that a client should hire us over another agent. They are most likely equally as competent in the process of selling or buying a house as we … (4 comments)
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Membership here in Active Rain........ - 07/28/10 04:39 PM
There seems to be a lot of chatter lately about when people joined Active Rain. Darcy and I joined in December 2006. I don't know what day in December, just that it was in December. We didn't have much of a profile until October 2007. I don't think that we even had a profile picture, but I can't remember. I looked on our blogs and found that our first blog was written October 11, 2007, nearly a year after signing up.We have written 967 blogs so far since then. Some have been better than others, but we have tried to convey … (6 comments)
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Tuesdays Thought...Goals...... - 07/27/10 04:04 PM
I came across this quote in an email that I receive from time to time. It is honestly the truth, if you have goals, you have a direction and no matter how obscure the road may seem. The quote is by Earl Nightingale one of the early leaders the subject of personal development.
"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
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A shout out to our "new" assistant..... - 07/23/10 07:03 PM
I wanted to take a couple of minutes to introduce The C Team's newest member, Jacque Lundeen. She is our niece and for the past several weeks she has been helping us out at the office. She has been doing a lot of filing as well as working into becoming our photographer for listings and BPO's. She is still a part timer, but we really appreciate having her around. It is amazing the amount of energy and laughter a young person can infuse into a business. We love having her around so here she is!
She is going to love the … (25 comments)
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Fridays Quote.....What does playin in the 'Rain have to do with it? - 07/23/10 06:51 PM
I came across this quote today and it has really got me thinking. It is from Arie De Gues, who was the head of Shell Oil's Strategic Planning office. Here is the quote:
"The Ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage."
I got that from a chapter in the book the Shift, By Gary Keller, Dave Jenks and Jay Papasan. I am not going to go over what the book said in the chapter for to be honest, the quote its self stopped me and got me thinking. How can I impliment this into … (7 comments)
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Pioneer Day, Drive Safely....... - 07/23/10 06:04 PM
As part of my busy day, I also work as an Emergency Dispatcher here in Iron County. It provides insurance and a cushion to pay the bills. One of the negative parts of doing that is that I am involved in a lot of the tragedy that befalls the residents of this area and those visiting. One of the largest tragedies that we deal with are traffic related fatalities. The Utah Highway Patrol keeps statitistics on traffic fatalities and this Holiday weekend and the 4th of July Holiday weekend are the two most deadly weekends to drive in Utah.
To me … (5 comments)
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What Else is going on this Weekend and next Week in Cedar City..... - 07/23/10 05:04 PM
I wanted to include a link to the calendar of events for the area for this weekend and beyond. There are several exhibits that really look interesting to check out as well as a Parade for Pioneer Days. When you're living in a place it becomes easy to take for granted all that your community offers, and I have fallen prey to that at times. I was amazed at how much is going on in the next few days! Here is the Link:
http://www.scenicsouthernutah.com/events_news/calendar/month.php
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Pioneer Day in Utah..... - 07/23/10 04:29 PM
Today is a Holiday in the State of Utah. We are commemorating the day that the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. Actually the scouts entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 21, 1847, but the main body of the group along with their leader, Brigham Young, entered the Valley on July 24, 1847. They were not the first white men to enter the Salt Lake Valley. Jim Bridger, mountain man and trapper, is credited with "discovering" the Great Salt Lake in 1835 or 1836.
The ill fated Donner Party actually passed through the Salt Lake Valley a few weeks … (10 comments)
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Article that I found on MSN... - 07/20/10 10:41 PM
While I don't generally agree with a lot of what I read on MSN, especially about our industry, I know that at least in our area what he is saying is true, we overbilt. I know that everyone in our area would like to have a brand new home that was only theirs or a custom home built to our specifications, not everyone can afford them. We are slowly selling off the over supply that existed here, but we still have several brand new, gorgeous homes sitting empty. Anyway, I know that all real estate is local, and this may or … (6 comments)
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Tuesdays Quote and Thought...... - 07/20/10 06:06 PM
Do you worry about what the competition is doing? You should be aware what they're doing, but do you worry about it. Is it something that preoccupies you? I am reminded of a story that Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Famer, and All American from UCLA told about his coach, the now late John Wooden. Bill Walton was asked if during UCLA's 88 game winning streak, how they prepared for each of those schools that they played. They were all gunning to knock off the Bruins, especially during that 88 game run.
I don't remember who asked Bill Walton that question, … (11 comments)
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Thought for the Weekend...... - 07/17/10 03:00 PM
I have had one of those weeks when it comes to writing blogs. Ideas that seem really good in my head, appear really stupid in writing. So I am going to do a motivational quote, as much for myself as I hope for everyone that reads it. It is something to think about, and maybe over the weekend think about so that on Monday we hit the ground running with some new ideas. The thought comes from Nelson Rockefell, former Vice President of the United States. Here is the quote:
"Whenever we look upon this earth, opportunities take shape within … (15 comments)
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Great Article....Smart Dog...A reminder.... - 07/16/10 04:50 PM
I came across this story while perusing MSN. I found it to be a great reminder for those of us to take pets for rides in the car, but it also shows that pets can be extremely intelligent. In this case, I wonder if there was some sense of reasoning with the dog in question, whatever the case, all is well that ends well! Here is the link:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38235063/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/?GT1=43001
Here are photos of our two dogs:
This is Kobi
This is Moira
Kobi is 5 and at times thinks that he is a cat, he climbs onto and walks … (12 comments)
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Calendar of Events for Cedar City and Surrounding Areas....... - 07/16/10 04:35 PM
I have gotten a little lazy with the events calendar part of my blogs. I apologize. There is a lot going on this month in the Cedar City area. The Utah Shakespearean Festival is well under way, as is the Neil Simon Festival. There are many other things going on. Here is the link for the calendar:
http://www.scenicsouthernutah.com/events_news/calendar/month.php
There should be something for everyone to do!
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Thursday's Musings....... - 07/15/10 03:28 PM
I receive a daily newsletter from several sources that are Daily Success Newsletters. They are written by several people including Chris Widener, Denis Waitley and reprints from the late Jim Rohn. They are a great source of ideas and inspiration. Chris Widener had a story in his newsletter to illustrate a point that I have never heard worded this way. Rather than paraphrasing the story I am going to include it.
Bad Luck, Bad Choices and Bad Habits by Chris Widener We were at some friend’s house one day and the wife mentioned some other acquaintances of ours. “It sure is … (7 comments)
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Good MSN Article..... - 07/14/10 01:24 AM
I found this article in the MSN Money section and thought that it would be good to share it with everyone. It goes through the six steps of foreclosure and what the homeowner can expect as well as what got them to that stage. I liked it because it was a simple expanation of what happens in each step as well as what the homeowner can try or expect. Here is the link:
http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=24721210
I do hope that this helps explain somethings to those who are in this process, and I also hope that you understand, these steps can take quite … (6 comments)
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Fire Season..... - 07/13/10 07:25 PM
As June turns to July and then August, we are reminded that it is fire season in Southern Utah. There is currently a lightening caused fire burning between Cedar City and St. George in the high elevations. These are not good, the terrain is difficult to get man power and machinery into the fight the fire at ground level so it has to be fought using airplanes and helicopters. Anyway you look at it, it is expensive to fight a wildfire.
The mountains surrounding Cedar City have had their Pine Forests decimated by the bark beetle, leaving stands of dead trees … (9 comments)
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Article on Lawns...... - 07/12/10 03:23 PM
I was reading The Deseret News and came across a story that they had gotten from the Associated Press, it is advice from a professional groundskeeper on having and maintaining a good lawn. This is from the head Groundskeeper of the Cincinnati Reds baseball park. Some of the ideas were things that I hadn't known previously. It has some good tips so here is the link:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700047544/Reds-groundskeeper-shares-lawn-tips.html?pg=1
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Sad Sign of the Times that we live in....... - 07/09/10 05:38 PM
I came across this article in the Deseret News by way the Associated Press, It strcuk me as sad. I have been to the Roy Rogers Museum a couple of times when it was in Victorville, California. It was an interesting slice of Americana, when times seemed simpler and safer. I recall it as a vast collection of stuff that Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had collected from their lives and careers in the movies. I am too young to have been one of the children that Roy and Dale "babysat" every Saturday morning in movie theaters across the country.
I … (15 comments)
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Jealous...... - 07/08/10 07:21 PM
I will admit that I don't like to confess my sins or weaknesses, but I am jealous. Sir Paul Mc Cartney is playing in Sandy on July 13th. It is his first ever concert in Utah in any form. I remember as a small child listening to the Beatles (and loving them, still do!), I also remember my older Sister crying with the announcement that they had broken up. As a teenager, I loved Wings, (Band on The Run is still one of my favorite songs).
I also remember the finality that the Beatles would never reunite with the senseless murder … (31 comments)
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Many Things happening this weekend in Cedar City and surrounding areas - 07/08/10 07:04 PM
I have been a little lazy with my blogs about what is happening in the Cedar City area for the past several weeks. I need to get better at that! This weekend is the Rennaissance Faire and Street Festival. The Rennaissance Faire is already under way with booths, games and fun. The Street Festival will beging tomorrow afternoon and end Saturday afternoon, it is run along with the Rennaisssance Faire as far as location goes. There will be booths and lots of cool cars.
I would be typing for hours to list everything going on in the area, so I am … (1 comments)
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Another Article for Today, How I phone is changing photography - 07/08/10 05:24 PM
I came across this article also in The Deseret News, it looks like they picked it up from The New York Times. I thought that it was interesting how Iphone is changing the way that people take photos, especially of themselves. I know that they have come out with the camera on the face of the phone instead of the back. (I had heard that this was also in preparation for video conferencing or skyping.) Anyway, it isn't really a serious article, but I still found it to be interesting.
Here is the link:
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700046480/Me-myself-and-iPhone.html?pg=1
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Another Good Summertime Article...... - 07/08/10 05:13 PM
I came across this article in The Deseret News. It seems like a good follow up article to the one that I posted last week on sunscreens. This article addresses some of the more serious issues involving summertime activities. I will admit that I was one of those kids that would play outside all day long during the Summer. I remember my mother constantly reminding us to drink water instead of Soda Pop or some other premade drink. A lot of this is just common sense, but a reminder is always a good thing
Anyway here is the link to the … (6 comments)
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Thankful Thursday..Firery Sky Flower..... - 07/08/10 04:39 PM
Darcy played with the camera during the fireworks show that Cedar City put on for the 4th of July celebration. This was good, because I work nights and missed them. Anyway I was browsing through them and thought that this shot really looked like a firery flower! What do you think?
This photo was taken from our Family Room Window.
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An Article that isn't great news for us here - 07/06/10 06:18 PM
I came across this article on the ksl.com site, which is one of the Salt Lake based news channels, it talks about the Wind Farms that are in our area. I find it strange that the reason behind the the delay is that they need contracts for the electricity that is going to be generated. It just seems odd that their would be any delay in finding new clients for green, clean electricity! Anyway here is the the link
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11453892
Hopefully they will soon find a business partner to buy the electricity, so that they can continue expanding the project! The … (8 comments)
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Let's Get Soc@il.... - 07/06/10 05:03 PM
Late last night I read Jim Frimer and Russel Ray's excellent reviews on the web book, Let's Get Soc@il. I downloaded it this aftenoon, and have had a hard time pulling myself away from the screen reading it. I just finished the Chapter on working your "mets". What a great, advice filled chapter. It is a must read for anyone using social media in their business.
Here is the link to download this material:
This blog post is a review of Soci@l: Attract Friends, Followers and Connections to Your Business. Soci@l is a free download written by … (4 comments)
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Interesting Summertime Article..... - 07/01/10 05:28 PM
While skimming through the Deseret News this afternoon I came across this article. I sunburn fairly easily, so I found it interesting. In fact, I thought that it was interesting enough to share with my friends here at Active Rain. I will admit that I am from the Generation of "Bigger is always better!" I guess that I should have spent a little more time getting the facts on sunscreens and tanning oils, anyway, I did find this article contained some good, interesting information on sun protection in the form of sunsreens and SPF protection. I hope that this helps you … (16 comments)
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Why We Love Living in Southern Utah XIV - 07/01/10 04:58 PM
I have really enjoyed thinking about why it is that we love living in Southern Utah, it has caused me to stop and think about my community and the surrounding area. I believe that it is a good thing to occassionally stop and "count your blessings" if you will.
One of the great things about living in Southern Utah is that we have a very low rate of crime. Sure there are problems here and there, but overall, we don’t have a lot of crime here. What crime we do have is mostly property type crimes and are not violent crimes. … (8 comments)
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Why We Love Living in Southern Utah XIII - 07/01/10 04:47 PM
As we continue with our series of why we love living in Southern Utah, this our thirteenth post in the series, it was tempting to do like the hotels and go on to fourteen and skip thirteen all together. That may have generated more looks at our posts from others trying to find the "missing" post, but 13 was the number that I used to wear when I played sports, so for me it has been a good number. Besides you make your own luck through preparation and hard work, right?
With this post being lucky number 13 in our series … (2 comments)
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