titus and philemon: It's Official!
- 09/23/23 01:53 PM
Up North we don't need a calendar or follow the different equinox's to know when it is Fall.
The picture above was taken earlier this week and about half of those leaves up there are now down upon my yard.
There are other sure signs of Fall in our yard, like this Doe and Fawn raiding local gardens. Keep in mind I live a half mile from downtown in a City of 50,000 and not somewhere rural.
I was more than surprised to see the ribs on the Doe as we have had a very good growing season so their should be no shortage … (25 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Now That Is Just Rude
- 09/21/23 01:22 PM
No one likes to be startled yet people always seem to think it's funny. I am married to someone who startles very easy and I've learned to be very gentle in approaching her when entering the same room.
Of course we need to be careful not to startle people in the Real Estate business or they may just flip over to another agent.
There are a lot of things that can startle a Real Estate Buyer and a few that can startle a Seller. A Buyer can be startled at any time and sometimes it can result in:
In doing my research for this post … (28 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Follow the Guinea Pig
- 09/21/23 07:17 AM
Following a guinea pig makes just as much sense as following many of the leaders today. Of course my mind went immediately to lemmings. Doing a quick search of "lemmings on the cliff yielded so very fun cartoons representing many popular views on FaceBook or what ever it is called today. Here are a couple.
Have you ever wondered what a real lemming looks like? I think they are cute... for a rodent.
… (13 comments)
|
titus and philemon: I have a hard time reciting a phone number.
- 09/20/23 01:21 PM
Reciting the first 10 digits of Pi would be beyond me, much less 1,000 digits. Now with smart phones remembering everything I couldn't even tell you what my wife's phone number is.
Back in the day I was a phone book junkie. I could spend an hour just looking through the white pages and on rare occasions I'd look through the Yellow pages. Today's phone book is a mere fraction of the size it was just 10 years ago and there is so little information in it I seldom even pick it up more than once a year.
20 years ago you were … (24 comments)
|
titus and philemon: It Must Be The Weather
- 09/19/23 09:13 AM
Being follicaly challenged my bad hair day is never ending being I don't have any. That being said I am surrounded by those NOT follicaly challenged and when they have a bad hair day it usually gets blamed on the weather (humidity of wind).
Weather plays a BIG part in the Real Estate world as well.
Obviously the weather can make it hard to view homes at times. Less obvious is how does the home handle weather events? It the home properly insulated? Does the roof leak? How has the home stood up over the years to ground water problems or even flooding.
These questions … (14 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Motivation Stimulates Action
- 09/14/23 07:41 AM
Food is a great source of motivation for both man and beast alike.
Real Estate was far from my first occupation and I hate to admit it but Real Estate ranked pretty low on my motivational scale. That being said even lower was my attempt to follow in my dad's footsteps as a Life Insurance agent. I did find some motivational inspiration however when my dad gave me a book by Joe Gandolfo, the only life insurance agent to sell a billion dollars of life insurance in a single year (and that was back in the 60's). His book was The Thrill Of … (16 comments)
|
titus and philemon: I'd Say That One's Enough
- 09/13/23 11:34 AM
I hope that cloning (as portrayed in SiFi movies) never happens. Just think of who would come back from the dead... Hitler, Stalen, Pol Pot, Joe Biden, yuck!
Of course if that technology got into MY hands...
My Real Estate application to Timmothy's strip is:
Remember when homes were unique? I like unique and shrug my shoulders when I see a builder use the same plan for 20 homes in a row. For god's sake at least paint them different colors! Obviously it doesn't bother some people as when I enter one of these neighborhoods all the homes are sold.
Did Sears start this trend … (22 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Another word for "Dirty Trick" is SCAM
- 09/13/23 06:13 AM
Timmothy's cartoon today was easy to lead into a Real Estate topic... unfortunately.
Thank you to GHBA Huston for the art work.
This post was very easy to find material for but the best post I found to tie in comes from:
https://financebuzz.com/real-estate-scams
I read the entire article and it opened my eyes to a few I was not familiar with before, especially #8 "We buy homes". Those signs were all over Minot after a flood in 2011 that destroyed 1/3 of Minot's housing.
10 Common Real Estate Scams (And How to Avoid Them)
1. Business email hacks and wire transfer fraud
2. Lock-out agreements and processing … (16 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Fall is in the air.
- 09/12/23 06:51 AM
I agree with Philemon, now is the time to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Since our last equinox we have lost hours of daylight and the temps have dropped about 20 degrees from the highs and the lows of the day. I woke up this morning to about 36 degrees... way to close to freezing for me.
If you are new to the Northern climate and a new home owner as well there are steps you need to take immediate action on. I would suggest starting out by visiting with a local expert (not YouTude) at Home Depot as to what are … (15 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Caught In A Lie
- 09/11/23 07:48 AM
I subscribe to the line of thought that if you always tell the truth you won't have to remember what lie you told. This is so important in Real Estate or any other customer service field. Lying is so uncool !
I vaguely remember the movie LiarLiar but I do remember enjoying it and loving the message. I really liked Jim Carry on SCTV but not so much as Ace Ventura. I was glad he seemed to grow up a bit for LiarLiar.
… (7 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Turn On That Sunny Disposition!
- 09/08/23 11:41 AM
Timmothy, the author of Titus & Philemon, has a wonderful "Sunny Disposition" which I think shows often in his cartooning and other art work as well. I on the other hand need to work on it. Active Rain often helps me smile and the BEST teacher of obtaining a sunny disposition has to be Anna "Banana" Kruchten .
Most of the time, if I am feeling gloomy, I need to flood my space with a lot of light. Everything looks better to me with a lot of light. I just spotted this beauty on line. I think I will order two!
… (14 comments)
|
titus and philemon: DIY Often is NOT the Best Solution.
- 09/07/23 06:44 AM
Now there is a twist I had never heard before. Timmothy's comic strip is about two guinea pigs (Titus & Philemon) and their owner Joe. Titus discovers a human hair in his bowl and it grosses him out.
It's been decades since I've seen a barber but then again that is because I am follically challenged (at least on top of my head). I assure you that my dog, Baby, will not find one of my hairs in her bowl. That being said I am a DIY'er and if I had hair I just might give myself a "bowl cut".
This subject is an easy … (22 comments)
|
titus and philemon: My Labor Day
- 09/06/23 07:35 AM
Some people like to boast, like Joe. I don't know what Titus and Philemon contribute (they are guinea pigs after all) but at least they are modest.
I feel like I work hard helping my adult children out but it's a labor of love and I'd probably go nuts if I didn't have work to do.
I hope you all took a day off over the long holiday. We enjoyed our last camping weekend of the year.
Although the pictures say "Fall" the 80 degree temps said Summer. We enjoyed company that stayed over night on Friday and into late Saturday. We also enjoyed the … (18 comments)
|
titus and philemon: What You Pet Is Thinking
- 09/05/23 12:13 PM
I know many people here at Active Rain would agree with Titus that, "pets are people too". I don't agree but I do believe that pet owners have a very strong obligation to take care of and protect their pets as if they were children.
Just like a child we don't leave Baby home alone or kennel her when we go camping. Even though she barks way to much we love having her along with us.
… (14 comments)
|
titus and philemon: A Clear Mind
- 08/31/23 09:09 AM
Sometimes I find it necessary to do a "mental reset" so I can re-evaluate a situation or even just "get right before God". I've never thought of it as resting my eyes but more of resting my mind.
It usually doesn't take much time. I usually start out with a simple prayer for serenity and then try to think about floating on a cloud or some other pleasant thought.
It's important to have a clear mind, especially when working with clients. A little meditation, a little prayer, a cup of coffe and I am ready to go.
… (14 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Home Invaders... A Salt them
- 08/30/23 02:13 PM
By this time of year I am sure we are all pretty accurate with a fly swatter. Now is the time to prepare for a home invasion. As temperatures start dropping bugs are going to find all the places they can to stay warm inside your home.
My favorite way to stop the intruders from entering into my home is to spray Home Defense all around my homes foundation, I use electronics, and I double check the caulking around pipes or wires entering my home.
If you want to have some fun you might want to try one of these.
… (10 comments)
|
titus and philemon: A Spicy Fact.
- 08/30/23 10:58 AM
I don't remember a time that pepper had ever made me sneeze but then again we use little pepper in our home.
I did find some interesting facts about pepper in putting this post together which I will share in a moment BUT I want you to know that I only have a couple of "spicy" Real Estate stories to tell... which I am NOT going to share.
Pepper facts: Known as the “king of spices” because it is one of the oldest and most popular spices in the world. Pepper was so valuable that in ancient Greece and Rome it was used … (6 comments)
|
titus and philemon: This Ones For The Books
- 08/29/23 11:26 AM
Poor Titus. Doesn't he know that books are for leveling uneven table legs?
Then of course there are the other kind of books, the books the Real Estate Commission loves us to keep on all our trans actions.
If you are an agent chomping at the bit to get your Brokers license you best understand that a Broker is responsible for every agents paperwork under them. If your State is anything like North Dakota that paperwork must be meticulous or you will get noted and it must be corrected quickly.
North Dakota audits a Brokers books every two years. I remember my first audit... … (22 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Day 4 of the Magic Napkin, Flerting With DANGER
- 08/25/23 12:06 PM
For four days now Titus and Philemon have been enjoying the ride of a magic napkin. No I do not know where Timmothy gets this stuff BUT I know where I am going with this.
As Real Estate agents we are given a license to fly.
SO WHAT KEEPS US FROM DANGER?
Ask the trainees who ask us that annoying question.
The fiduciary duties of a real estate agent are: Loyalty. Obedience. Confidentiality. Disclosure. Accounting. Reasonable Care. … (14 comments)
|
titus and philemon: Seeing Eye to Eye
- 08/23/23 08:20 AM
The story of the magic napkin continues in Timmothy's cartoon strip and the importance in relationships carries over into Realtor/Client relationships.
As experts in our field it's easy to think "shut up and listen to me" which is totally the WRONG attitude in any service orientated business. We are here to SERVE our clients and not here to lecture them. As Nina Hollander, Broker said in a comment to one of my posts earlier this week "We are here to serve and to teach". I agree and I for one am not good at learning from a lecture. Obviously college was not for … (13 comments)
|
;)
;)
;)
