The labor day weekend provide for some much needed R&R. For almost 48hrs my family survived without text messages, the internet, or television.  The camp is located on an old bend of the Mississippi River south of Natchez. That little tike headed back up the pier is my youngest. Looks like we packed everything in the boat but the toilet!    After a successful potty break Haley took to fishing. While we were preoccupied, she reeled in this monster all by herself!     Sadly, Mayberry laid-back fishing could not compete with tubing behind a 225hp boat motor! The girls had a blast on the water. Even the prissy one (guess which) held on like a pro.  Before long it was time to head back to civilization. About thirty miles from home my cell phone caught a decent signal. There are messages to ... 09/06/2010

Faith is a beautiful word! Sometimes when life throws us a curve ball it is difficult to keep the faith. Even Peter who walked with Jesus, 'took his eye off the ball'! Notice in the scripture that Peter did not begin to 'sink' UNTIL he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to look around at the circumstances he was in! That is a lesson we need to all Learn!! During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came... 09/01/2010

My WEBSITE of the Week is LOOPNET! WWW.LoopNet.com boast as being the #1 Commercial Listing site on the Internet! and I must say if it has anything to do with Commercial Real Estate this is my goto place! If you want to: List a Commercial Property for sale....It's FREE! List a Commercial Property for lease...It's FREE! Find a Commercial Broker...it's THERE! Stay on TOP of Commercial NEWS....it's THERE! Want to find recent SOLD COMMERCIAL COMPS.....it's THERE! All things REAL ESTATE can be found on www.LoopNet.com, just CHECK THEM OUT! You can REGISTER here for....FREE! Check it out, Register and set up YOUR profile!       08/30/2010

                        Yesterday was one of those crazy all out days. At 10pm I was discussing my client's offer on a property. 1030pm Had me lending a hand with some other clients who are flipping a house. This put me at home circa 1130 mapping out my plan for today.  Needless to say there was not much gap between my last real estate chore and pillow time. Then the sandman came...                             In real life I am still learning to use my iphone. And at times I must admit getting a tad bit frustrated. So guess what the subject of my dream was? Time was short (as it always seems to be) and I REALLY needed to call a certain buyer. For some reason the iphone kept screwing up (sound like real life). How did the dream end? Who knows? All of the sudden "Dr. Feelgood" starts to b... 08/27/2010

                       Never trust a Realtor with a small.......SIGN. When listing a home I head for the large signs. Shiny, six foot creatures capped with a large name rider for me! Yes, they are a pain to transport (and try getting on to stick in dry ground), but to me such signs reflect the strength of the brand.  Then a few years back things began to change.  Agents started to favor little fellows such as this. And who wouldn't? Today's Realtor can fit 3-5 of these in the back of a Toyota Prius without spilling his Mocha-latte! Such agents will quickly point out that size don't matter! Such small creatures help reduce our carbon footprint over those big yellow monsters.  Who knows which side is right? I for one side with the big boys! Whenever I see one of these umpa lumpa inspired ... 08/25/2010

 Buyers are a pleasure to work with, but on occasion they can loose sight of the primary goal. While I cannot pinpoint the cause (poor economy, media hype, Realtors, lenders, the government), something is causing buyers these days undue stress.  As a result, what were once reasonable offers can become "blurry" due to last minute additions to the contract. Here are some tips to keep a buyer's eyes on the prize. 1) Write your offer based on the condition of the home--If you think the home is worth 150 (even with the shag carpet), make the offer 150 and close the deal. Avoid the temptation to "low ball" the deal and then ask for the carpet, windows, and fixtures to be replaced. 2)You are buying a home, not a bass boat-- Often times people who are moving no longer need/ want their toys. Sa... 08/25/2010

In the last few years we have seen it happen, the unforeseen events that lead to your home being destroyed. Whether by natural disaster, fire, burgularly or an accident....you could lose everything.  Some items in your home could never be replaced, for all the rest hopefully you have insurance. If you lost everything would you be able to sit down AFTER the FACT and make a list of EVERYTHING in your home. Try as we might, I just don't think it's possible. Not to mention you will not be in your perfect state of mind. This is the reason it is so important to have a Home Inventory of all of your belongings. If you don't have a Home Inventory it might can be a little overwhelming how to start. Well don't fret....CLICK HERE! www.StuffSafe.com is Home Inventory made EASY! It will walk you thro... 08/25/2010

There are many technological tools that are part of our everyday lives and Computers are #1! Of course computers as well as phones and video games (just to name a few) all use software. And with technology forever changing the software has to change as well. This of course means highly trained programmers are going to be in demand! Because of this Microsoft Corporation designed DreamSpark! This site allows Students to download professional programming tools for FREE! You will find computer, mobile application, video game, and Web programming as well as links to training resources. All the student has to do is log in, enter their school information for verification and then download the software they desire! All for FREE!   08/21/2010

"Love is patient."  -   I Corinthians 13:4 Did you know that the Greek word used here for Patient actually means "taking a long time to boil"? Very interesting when you are aware of the true meaning! If you think about it as you are boiling a pot of water for that pasta.  When you turn the heat up the water will boil more quickly and when you turn it down you can keep the water from boiling at all. That is what Patience does. It keeps the heat down! and so does Love....because LOVE is PATIENT! So as your going  through your day......share some LOVE and patience! It will make your day go much smoother! 08/18/2010

Ever wondered which Condos are APPROVED for FHA financing? Not sure how to find the answer? This is the official goto site to find the answer: FHA APPROVED CONDOS I have found that when searching this site, it is sometimes easier to pull up by CITY and then skim through the list. That way you see all the condos in a particular city. Every once in a while the name will be a little different than what you thought. Once you find your CONDO on the approved list you might want to write down the CONDO ID# to provide to the Mortgage Company as a point of reference. You can also see which CONDOS are on the PENDING list, which could give you a heads up on upcoming APPROVALS. This is a great site to bookmark for future reference! 08/14/2010

       Selling a house can be a stressful life event. With the ups and downs of the market, crazy lending rules, and even more government regulation the sale of your home can be an emotional roller coaster. If this were not enough, sometimes sellers build roadblocks that can make the transaction even more tough to close. Here are some common seller roadblocks that need to be addressed. 1) I am not paying any closing costs. If the buyer cannot cover closing, perhaps they should rent-- The zero down loans are few and far between. Odds are your buyer is putting down at least 3.5%. For a 200k home this would be seven grand. Ask the buyer to cover another 6-8 thousand in closing will very quickly put your property out of reach. 2) Weekends are family time, let them look during the week-- You... 08/13/2010

For every photo you upload Century 21 Real Estate Corporation will donate $1.00 to help children with Autism!! Our goal with Century 21 Real Estate Corporation is to raise $1 MILLION dollars for Easter Seals (who is the Nations Leading provider of services for children and adults living with Autism and their families) Spread the word and do a World of Good! Upload your childrens photos and let Century 21 make a donation! Send everyone in your email list this link...Get the word out! Thanks! 08/12/2010

                                   Nothing gets people running to the bank faster than a shiny new home. The granite counter tops, large rooms, and large patio all scream BUY ME NOW! But what happens when that home is a little more than the consumer can afford?       Keep in mind if someone purchases a home at the top of their limit (as most do), their monthly budget is going to be tight! Such a transaction is going to have a profound impact on the family's financial health. Here are some buyer justifications I have heard for "taking it to the limit".   1) I'm going to get a raise next year---In this economy? Is said raise in writing? Odds are your other expenses (gas, groceries, utilities, etc...) will rise as well. Best case scenerio your take home pay will be the same next year as it... 08/11/2010

We all do it from time to time, some more than others. Move the furniture around, test out different layouts. Make your living area feel new and fresh! This website I found today can help you to virtually move your furniture around in one room or your entire home! Roomle.com is a fantastic site that allows you to do all of that and MORE!  Try it and have some FUN! Try different options and send them to your friends to take a VOTE. Sometime just changing things around can change your frame of mind and make you smile!   08/08/2010

                  Yesterday I received an interesting email from ActiveRain. It seems that the time was right for me to "claim my community". Honestly I did not have a clue what that meant.  After a little digging, I found that for the princely sum of 19 bucks I could sponsor my own community. Sadly, after fiddling with the system for a few minutes I can't figure out if mine is still available or not.  What is the consensus of the peanut gallery? Are you going to sponsor your community? Why or why not? 08/05/2010

                        Selling your home is stressful for the entire family, even the four-legged members. While most people spend hours prepping the house to sale, few spend enough time considering what to do with the pets during a showing. Here are some common misconceptions sellers have when deciding how to handle their furry family members. 1) People are here to look at the house, not the pet-- As such, buyers will ignore our pet. Ever been to a pet shop? Animals very quickly become the center of attention. 2) Our dog is calm--When people are home they are in charge of the castle. Once you leave, the pets rule the roost. Ordinarily sedate animals come alive when a stranger enters "their" home. 3) The Dogs will be in the Backyard--Is the back yard not part of the property? Would you... 08/04/2010

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 (New Living Translation) This passage always makes me pause.... Since it starts with your heart, from the beginning of life...and then as humans we determine what our heart longs for.....We then need to be very careful what that is! What does your heart yearn for? Are you following the Word and staying focused on what's important? Only then can we expect to have all the Blessings that God has for us! 08/04/2010

                             This is not a blog describing how ActiveRain made me a million bucks. Heck this deal won't even fund my Thanksgiving trip to Destin! But sit right back and read how ActiveRain will make a couple of Jeep payments for me this fall.   One of my past clients is relocating to a small town in South Louisiana. This town is JUST far enough away that I did not feel comfortable helping her myself. So time to find an agent!  I did not begin my search with ActiveRain. I first contacted our sister office in the city. That's why I'm not naming this small town in my blog. Let's just say those creeps won't be getting any business from us in the future! That office had all the professionalism of a Lindsay Lohan etiquette school!  Then I tried typing in the city name and Real... 08/03/2010

I'm amazed when going thru our MLS at some of the pictures agents use! You have to wonder - is that the Best It Can Be?? Here is what I see: Dishes piled up in the Kitchen Piles of papers laying on the counters and tables Clothes laying on the floor and on beds In the bathroom... Clutter on the cabinets, Toilet seats left up, Bathtubs with 10 bottles of shampoo You get the picture....well why not make it your best. Afterall we want prospective Buyers to be looking at the home ... not the junk! After I list a home, while the Sellers are there, I tell them I need to take about 30 - 50 pictures of their home. I need the Kitchen counters cleared off. Any appliances they don't use daily need to be put away. I then start to work. All paperwork needs to be put up. We don't want to entice prosp... 08/01/2010

                One of the things this economic downturn has forced me to do is put a lid on expenses. If a product/service is not providing a good return on investment out the door she goes! While this process is a little scary, the outcome only works to make my business stronger. Here are a few of the areas I have either scaled back or eliminated this year. 1) Phone Book Ads- Nope, no more, gone. I have dropped this one cold turkey (as has my broker). I just can't imagine that too many QUALIFIED buyers begin they agent hunt in the phone book. 2) Newspaper Ads for Open Houses-- In past times we would take out a color ad for a Sunday open house. Lately we have gone straight to internet and road sign advertising. The jury is still out on this one, I think some buyers still buy a paper w... 07/30/2010