michael thornton: (not so) Speechless Sundae...
- 07/02/11 11:24 PM
(not so) Speechless Sundae... Gee, time sure seems to be fun while one is on the fly. Like the flying flowers that flit from blossom to blossom, stopping only briefly to sip the nectar of the gods, we dart from customer to customer to drink from the chalice of success. But unlike our flying friend who is here today and gone tomorrow, and whose sole need is to satisfy today's needs, we need more - much more. Soon our hot, busy selling season will start to wane as the cool aumumn winds blow throuh hill and dale. Hopefully, we will … (30 comments)
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michael thornton: Survey Said...
- 07/02/11 01:47 PM
Survey Said... The other day, I posted a survey asking the community for some feedback. Here is the link to the original post. Only 7% got the answer right. Like any business person, I am always looking for ways to generate business and will welcome most opportunities open armed. Here in Tennessee home inspectors are required to carry E&O insurance and my carrier makes it mandatory to have a signed inspection contract with the client. Failure to do so will negates coverage for this inspection. Because I did not have a signed contract with the client and because I … (17 comments)
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michael thornton: (unofficial) ActiveRain Blogging Stats June 2011...
- 07/01/11 11:15 PM
(unofficial) ActiveRain Blogging Stats June 2011... Gosh, Can you believe it? Half the year is down the tubes and the last half has just started. In the next few days, many of you will be posting market reports and other vital stats on your area. And because it is the first of the month, here is the unofficial ActiveRain blogging report for the month of June. June's numbers were down a little from May's. I'm hoping that the reason was because folks were busy selling houses. (which is a good thing)! As a community, we had 5 - 2000+ posting … (35 comments)
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michael thornton: Friday's Fotos...
- 06/30/11 11:16 PM
Friday's Fotos... Yesterday was one of those rare, picture perfect days for this time of the year here in the middle Tennessee area. On the way out to a job in the Spring Hill, TN area, I once again eyeballed this old barn next to the defunct Saturn plant. Every time I would go by, I would look, study, and tell myself, "One of these days..." Yesterday was that day. Bright warm sun, cobalt blue skies, contrasting colors; what more could a shutter bug ask for? I'm not sure whether it was the texture of the faded, peeling paint or the … (35 comments)
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michael thornton: Old Habits Are Hard to Break...
- 06/29/11 11:26 PM
Old Habits Are Hard to Break... And so here I sit. Staring blankly at my monitor wondering what to write. Not that I don't have anything to say or things to write about and the dreaded 'writer's block' is not an issue. My quandary is nothing is really pushing my 'hot button'. Sure, I can post another picture of a flower, bird, or something that resides in my 2TB digital abyss, but as most of you, who follow my blog know, I don't like to post the same 'ol same 'ol. My other dilemma is habit. It is rare … (29 comments)
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michael thornton: You've Got to be Kidding Me...
- 06/27/11 10:48 PM
You've Got to be Kidding Me... One of the things that makes for a good home inspector is exceptional bedside manners. By this I mean just staying calm and collected no matter what one encounters. Believe me, I have seen stuff that just makes me want to scratch my head with a pick axe. In the "You've Got to be Kidding Me" department, comes this interesting little diddy I ran into yesterday while inspecting a "Flipper". My first impression was, "Oh, this is a CO detector." Wrong! This be a smoke detector. Guess where the CO detector was? I'll give … (30 comments)
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michael thornton: Needing Some Feedback...
- 06/26/11 11:24 PM
Needing Some Feedback... As most of you know, I run two businesses, a home inspection company and a photography company that focuses primarily on real estate. As I am wanting to grow the photography side more, I am looking for ways to make the product better for my customers. So I need some feedback from you, my ActiveRain critics. Below is a YouTube video of a listing I just shot and the link to the listing is as follows: 6326 Sunnywood Dr.
What do you like about the video and what don't you like? The same goes with the webpage. … (38 comments)
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michael thornton: (not so) Speechless Sundae...
- 06/25/11 11:15 PM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...My friend, Craig Rutman, and I immerse in several deep, meaningful and engaging conversations every week. Say What? Okay, let's say we talk several times a week. Nevertheless, we did hit on the subject of whether it is better to be a little fish in a big pond or vice-versa. While puttering around in one of my ponds yesterday, I noticed this little fry swimming around above one of the lily pads. My thought turned immediately to, you guessed it... "Well, I guess fish are going to be fish." Seriously, though, if you had the choice or option, … (56 comments)
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michael thornton: Dog Gone It...
- 06/24/11 11:23 PM
Dog Gone It...We all like our animals, however; animals in listing photos and showings is definitely a no no. Yesterday while shooting a listing for a client, Pooch Face would not relinquish his favorite snoozing lounge. What's a photographer supposed to do?
My friend, Craig Rutman, reminded me the other day of a feature in Photoshop called Content Aware. Since I could not get pooch face to physically remove himself, I removed him from the photo in post production. I highlighted him and "Presto Chango" using the content aware feature, he was gone in the click of a mouse. … (49 comments)
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michael thornton: Parting Shots for Friday...
- 06/24/11 11:09 AM
Parting Shots for Friday...As I said in a post the other day, I have been in the home inspection business for years and nothing really rattles my cage or surprises me. But there are things that make me want to burst out laughing and scratch my head and wonder, Why? Maybe they... Nah! no one can be that obtuse can they? <sigh> All in a days work I reckon...
… (30 comments)
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michael thornton: Friday's Photos ~ Rediscovering My Community...
- 06/24/11 12:20 AM
Friday's Photos ~ Rediscovering My Community...I am often guilty of driving through communities in my area and not even giving anything a second glance. Why? If I have seen something once, I have seen it a hundred times. I find it ironic how one turns a blind eye towards one's own community yet when I go somewhere, out comes the camera and before I realize it, I have filled the card with photos. As a professional in the real estate field, my business depends upon clients who are purchasing or selling property. People buy on emotion, yet I often feel nonchalant … (42 comments)
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michael thornton: Thankful Thursday Ramblings...
- 06/23/11 01:37 PM
Thankful Thursday Ramblings...Can you believe it? Tomorrow is Friday. Where did the week go. It seems as if it were only yesterday that I was goofing off and this week has been just a total blur. And to top it off, I have only posted 4 articles this week. I must be slipping.I just read an article that said home sales were up 24% in the south. I can believe it. The first quarter of the year was slow, but this 2nd quarter has been robust. I have appointments scheduled into next week already. Not complaining - just very thankful. Although … (13 comments)
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michael thornton: Functional or Sloppy Workmanship...
- 06/22/11 11:35 PM
Functional or Sloppy Workmanship...As a professional home inspector for the past 11 years, nothing rattles my cage. I think I have seen it all - the good, the bad, the ugly and the sloppy. Which brings me to the point of today's post. Yesterday while in the 'Boro, inspecting a new construction property that looked like who did it and ran, the client was upset by the way the plumbing was run under the vanity. I agreed with them that the job was less than stellar and falls under the category of poor/sloppy workmanship, but as plumbed, the job is within … (57 comments)
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michael thornton: (not so) Wordless Wednesday...
- 06/21/11 11:15 PM
(not so) Wordless Wednesday...Many of you who follow my blog know my passions for gardening and photography. When encountering a scene, sometimes I am guilty of seeing with out looking. It is easy to be overcome by the presence of your subject and shoot without taking a moment to first study your shot. Lighting, angle, composition and secondary objects are vital to your shot; not just the subject. Although the first bloom of the white water lilies in my water garden is my main subject, I also wanted to capture the dragon fly larva on the leaf above (1 o'clock). Although … (32 comments)
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michael thornton: It's Back to the Old Grind...
- 06/20/11 11:39 PM
It's Back to the Old Grind...After spending a day to decompress and do the typical truckload of stuff that awaited my return from holiday, it is back to the old grind today. One doesn't realize how many chores one does during the course of a week until one takes a week off. The amount of work is almost staggering. And to get it all done in a timely manner takes the strength and stamina of a super hero or one or more helping hands. Thankfully, the cat dropped by without Thing 1 or Thing 2. He was wanting to try out … (35 comments)
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michael thornton: It's Pay Day...
- 06/19/11 11:55 PM
It's Pay Day...There doesn't seem to be anything more daunting than your first day back to the old grind. Suitcases to unpack, mountains of soiled clothes to wash, house-hold chores and pile on tidying up business details. I am looking at my To Do list and am wishing I could whip out my magic wand and "Ta DA", make it all go away. Done! finito!<sigh> Alas, there are no magic wands, just magic fingers. So here I sit, writing out my list of what is important and what is urgent. I reckon this is the pay day one gets for going … (43 comments)
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michael thornton: (not so) Speechless Sundae...
- 06/18/11 10:33 PM
(not so) Speechless Sundae...Sunday finds me somewhere between where I was and home. Batteries recharged, I am ready to hit the ground running when I return. Although I wasn't able to see and do all I wanted, I was still able to have those quiet morning walks. The ones that inspire my creative juices.This will be my last post for the week. I hope to see you all bright and early tomorrow. Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there...
… (40 comments)
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michael thornton: Parting Thoughts for Saturday...
- 06/18/11 08:28 AM
Parting Thoughts for Saturday...Photography is a unique blend of subject, composition, lighting and technical knowledge. Mastering these techniques takes time, persistence and willingness to take a bunch of bad shots. But it through the trial and error process and the help of others we learn and begin to master our art.For me, low light and night shots were my nemesis, especially, taking shots "on the fly" without the aid of a tripod. While this technique will not work on point-and-shoot cameras, it will work on most dSLR's. ISO settings are how the camera film or sensor reacts to light. The lower … (17 comments)
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michael thornton: The Wow Effect...
- 06/17/11 11:13 PM
The Wow Effect...This week I have the opportunity to visit a lot of attractions. Some good and some not so good. The difference between the really great and the mediocre boiled down to detail and the experience; whether expressed or implied.Reflecting back, this is what separates the really good from the rest of the pack in the real estate business. I liken this to the "Wow" effect. I am guilty of falling into the trap of giving "good" service. This holiday week has left me with thoughts of; If my business was a theme park attraction, what would my customers say … (34 comments)
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michael thornton: Friday's Thoughts...
- 06/17/11 11:54 AM
Friday's Thoughts...I like the Britt's and some of the verbiage they use especially when it comes to taking time off from the normal, grinding, rat race, that we refer to as our "Work-a-day World", they go on Holiday. Makes perfect sense to me. After all, it is a holiday from all the afore mentioned and then some; but we here in the States, we go on vacation. How boring and mundane. However, most of us cannot take a holiday from those thousands of horrible pictures we take to remind us of all the fun we had, or were supposed to, and memories we … (30 comments)
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(not so) Speechless Sundae... Gee, time sure seems to be fun while one is on the fly. Like the flying flowers that flit from blossom to blossom, stopping only briefly to sip the nectar of the gods, we dart from customer to customer to drink from the chalice of success. But unlike our flying friend who is here today and gone tomorrow, and whose sole need is to satisfy today's needs, we need more - much more. Soon our hot, busy selling season will start to wane as the cool aumumn winds blow throuh hill and dale. Hopefully, we will … (30 comments)
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