I was 10 years old when I became keenly aware of my mother's love for coffee.  She labored over a percolator, barely able to stand on her feet while leaning into the counter for balance, as she carefully measured the right amount of water and coffee grounds.  When she was done, she eagerly waited, what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, for that little button on top to signal the perfect pot of liquid gold.  She layered her cup with cream and two spoons of sugar.  I curiously watched as she raised her cup for that first sip.  Before I could witness her supreme delight, a few drops would always spill on her clothes.  She smiled, as if nothing happened.  I too, pretended that I didn't see a thing, I knew her shaky hands were caused by her Multiple Sclerosis.  One day, I asked if I ... 04/21/2020

The Blessed Blogger.  After several years of using the pen name; The Naked Blogger, I wanted to change my pen name to something that would bring me joy, and perhaps better reflect my happy and blessed soul.What's the inspiration behind the name?  Very simply, I've been blessed with a loving family, wonderful friends, and the best career a gal could ever want.  Sure, I've had struggles like everyone, but I've tried to make a conscious effort to see the positive in every situation.  I've been blessed with some wise mentors too!  Here are some of my favorite quotes from some of my favorite peeps who have left an indelible mark on my soul.Those that are the hardest to love, need love the most - Mom (1971)What would Jesus do? - Jean Turkish (1974)You're a champion - Dad (1979)Major on the ma... 03/11/2020

You can tell a lot about a person by observing the way they interact with others.  Are they attentive or distracted by chaos?  Are they in a rush, or do they exude patience?  Are their words kind, or wrought with sarcasm and discontent?  Do they listen intently, or prefer to be heard?  Do they anticipate the needs of others without having to be asked?  Do they enjoy serving, or prefer to be served?  These are some of the qualities I observe when evaluating a new real estate recruit. Tonight, while dining at a Southern Oregon restaurant, I connected with a waitress named Christina.  She was friendly, funny, smiled a lot, and noticed the little things.  I noticed them too!  Christina was a bundle of personality, and it was clear from the get go that she enjoyed her job and the people she ... 02/05/2020

If you've ever been through a break-up that scorned you to the core, here's your opportunity to extinguish your Ex for a good cause.  Wildlife Images in Merlin, Oregon is sponsoring their 3rd annual Valentine's Day event - Feed Your Ex to a Bear!Located just outside the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Grants Pass, Oregon, Wildlife Images is a rehabilitation animal sanctuary nestled on 24 wooded acres adjacent to Oregon's wild and scenic Rogue River.  Their mission is to save wildlife by providing care and treatment of sick, injured and orphaned animals.  The non-profit organization operates solely on private donations and ticketed tours and events.One such event is their Catch & Release campaign, Feed Your Ex to a Bear, which coincides with Valentine's Day.  Scorned lovers can buy and ... 01/25/2020

Many moons ago, 20 years to be exact, I started my career in real estate.  I thought it was going to be like any other sales job that I worked on commission.  The harder I worked, the more I sold, the more money I made.  The Pacific Northwest franchise that I selected, offered what I thought was a reasonable commission split for a newby agent.  My first year in business, I paid the office $30K in fees and capped out at a 70% split.  I anticipated increasing my sales in my 2nd year, so I asked my Principal Broker where we could go from there.  He said if I signed a contract guaranteeing the office $30K in fees, I could get a guaranteed split of 75%.  I already met that quota in my 1st year, so it was a no brainer, I signed on the dotted line. At the end of my 2nd year in business, I paid... 01/21/2020

Check out these local events for a little extra holiday fun!For more events and a complete December calendar, head over to the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce Community Calendar Friday, December 13thOld Time Radio Players -At the JoCo Fairgrounds in the Floral Building at 7:00pm.  Tickets are $12 with advance reservation, $14 at the door, and $10 for groups of 8 or more with reservations.  For tickets and reservations, call 541-659-7723 A Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Dinner Show-At Wolf Creek Inn.  Tickets are $35 per person, event is from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Top Hat Theatre Co presents "Christmas, Christmas, Christmas" for this year's Holiday Dinner Theater.  Price includes: dinner, (1) free glass of wine or draft beer, and the show. Counter Concert/Ugly Sweater Party-At Double Taps f... 12/10/2019

When you think about stepping stones, you envision a path that leads to somewhere.  Sometimes the path is layered with pretty landscape and spectacular views.  Sometimes the path is a muddy maze of slippery slopes befuddled with trips and falls.  Looking back... I accomplished much in 2015, but not without a few spills.  I'm smiling that I made it out alive and sane ;-)  Here's a recap of the path I blazed...    Scaled my real estate brokerage from a 3000 s/f building to a 675 s/f conference center.  Digitalized my files and implemented 100% cloud-based 'paperless' environment.Hired a Principal Broker in preparation of expanding my real estate business in Bend, Oregon.Became the successor trustee of my father's trust, managing 7 of his properties, including a 10-acre junk yard in CA (Am... 01/12/2016

    *3 Bedrooms *3 Bathrooms *4549 Square foot *Bonus room, second living room, and workout area *Bar area *Kitchen is a chefs paradise *6 Acres *Offered at $890,000 Welcome to the Estates at Tower Heights. This elegant Old World European design has walls of windows for the incredible views. The floor plan is open with master bedroom on the main floor. Dream kitchen has Wolfe double ovens, wood paneled side by side refrigerator/freezer, teak hardwood floors, granite counters, wine rack, and much more. Over 2450 sq. ft. of deck for entertaining and a short distance to the covered hot tub area with tranquil views. Downstairs is a rec room, work out area, wet bar, living room, wine cellar, and access to the expansive lower level deck. Remarkable one of a kind home. Large RV parking area.  ... 03/31/2015

It's been raining cats and dogs these last few days in the Pacific Northwest... and the locals are howling with delight.  Not because of the gray skies, mind you.  It's all about the water! The entire west coast has been under siege with drought-like conditions and worrisome shortages of water.  Oregon is not exempt from Mother Nature's torment.  While Southern Oregon typically receives 18-30 inches of rain every year, we've had a fairly dry and mild winter so far. So... when a rural property owner asks... "Will a drought affect my well water?"  The answer is absolutely!  Check out this graph (by USGS) which provides a simple 'visual' explanation of the water cycle and how it affects our groundwater.      Let it Rain! 02/06/2015

After 16 years of practicing real estate in Oregon... I'm feeling a little girlhood giddy about the future outlook of my business.    Some of my colleagues may be thinking... she's an adrenaline junkie who's lost her mind (if it ain't broke, why fix it?!).  Okay, I confess, I've pushed the adrenal envelope a few times, having crash landed parachute sailing and hot air ballooning.  This chicky digs tempting fate ;-)  hee, hee.  My latest venture exudes a different kind of rush.  In 2015, I took my real estate brokerage virtual and paperless.  What does the new office look like minus the bricks and mortar?  Totally mobile and digital for sure, with a cool cafe-style conference center to meet and greet clients.  The inspiration for my latest leap... comes from a very cool REALTOR®, Tony En... 01/10/2015

It's the holidays... and in the spirit of giving, I'm headed to Southern California to solve Sony's problems.  Yes indeed, as I slave away on my iPad on the beaches of Malibu, I'll be offering some PR pointers to Sony Pictures on how to stand up to terrorists.  I'm hoping George Clooney will assist me ;-) In my sunny absence from ActiveRain, I'll leave you with tidings of great joy from my home to yours.  Here's wishing each one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Blessings from a Naked Blogger ;-)   12/21/2014

It occurred to me some years ago that settling isn't part of my DNA.  In fact, the mere idea breeds contempt in the depths of my soul.  Why so?  I probably inhaled a little too much smoke as a child.  When I was 5 yrs old, my brother turned my wooden sandbox on the side of the house, then pushed me in and lit a match.  I don't recall who saved me, but I know my Mother was fuming!  Everyone learned a valuable lesson that day.  My mother hid her matches.  My brother wears a permanent scar on his finger from my mother burning it on the stove (an eye for an eye, I guess).  And I became a keen temperature taker. I like things that are hot.  I have to feel something to know that I'm alive.  Where there's feeling, there's passion.  And where there's passion, there's a flame.  Raw passion comes... 11/18/2014

There's a new buzz on the streets of Oregon.  The voters have spoken and we're now a state that allows the recreational use of pot.   Whether you agree with the people of Oregon or not, this day seemed inevitable. While I respect the medical benefits of the plant, I'm not a toker and never have been.  I've always craved a different kind of buzz... a natural high.  My life is powered by joy that comes from within (although some say I've inhaled a little too much pixie dust). I will never knock another's lifestyle, particularly if their choices involve measures that must be taken for health reasons.  I've seen too many friends and family members suffer from incurable disease.  I don't judge. There's uncertainty how the new law will affect buying and selling real estate with 'grow' sites. ... 11/09/2014

Some woke up this morning asking themselves, what just happened?  Their date last night was either a huge hit or a complete disaster.  The morning after always provides a clue. Did you find yourself totally stag or enveloped with your love muffin for morning hugs?  No matter which side of the bed you rolled off of, and/or with whom, there's always something to be grateful for.  The elections are over and it's a brand new day. This is AMERICA. The land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE.  You can say what you want, wherever you want, and they won't hang you up by your toes in Times Square.  We can thank our beautiful country for that. I'm grateful to live here, breathe the air, and have the privilege of expressing my thoughts without persecution.  That's something to celebrate the mor... 11/05/2014

Who needs a special day to celebrate?  Not this Mocha Mama!  Although... if you're looking to put a kick in your step today, here's a good one!  Dutch Bros Coffee is offering 9 punches on your stamp card for every coffee you buy... all day!   And if that isn't enough to get you perked up... check out this cool site for more hip coffee deals around the country.    It's Hip 2 Sip!   This Mocha Mama is celebrating with a smile! 09/29/2014

Rogue River Trip-First Days of Vacation! My husband, two Golden Retrievers and I just got back from a week's worth of wonders in Oregon--from southern Oregon, Grants Pass area to central Oregon, then home to Fishhawk Lake.  I took so many photos (no surprise!) that I'm going to have to break the trip up. This first stop was to stay at the Riverside Inn, a dog-friendly hotel for a couple of nights. Great staff!  Our view was right on the Rogue River and we walked over a bridge to take our two dogs to a stunnning park across the River every morning, and evening.  (Our view standing on the bridge) The next morning the two of us went with about 37 people on a "Hellgate" pontoon excursion that started at 9:30ish and included lunch.  Everyone had told us to do this and we weren't disappointed... 09/13/2014

Wordless Wednesday-Rogue River Morning Grants Pass Oregon 09/11/2014

  Magnificent home on Gilbert Creek with a huge deck to enjoy the sound and entertaining. Large outdoor kitchen with a built in BBQ and hot tub. Beautiful landscaping. Large RV parking and convenient dead end cul-de-sac location. When you enter there are soaring ceilings, gas fireplace, hardwood floors, and nice kitchen with stainless steel appliances. This is a 3 bed, 3 bath home with living room and family room. This home reflects pride of ownership.   1516 NW Thompson Way Grants Pass, OR $275,000 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1852 square feet         http://playvideo.co/fb087a63-5827-4554-8c9d-6e52152df5f2     08/29/2014

I read a thought provoking post about the evolution and adaptation of sea turtles.  It was a fascinating piece (Biggest Business Challenge: Escaping the Past) offering a unique perspective about doing business in today's ever changing world. The author asked the following question:  "If you were to build your company today starting from scratch, for today's environment, would you build it differently?''  My answer is a resounding yes!  At the present time, I'm an owner and managing broker of a boutique real estate office in the Pacific Northwest.  Our bricks and mortar building is lovely and provides beautiful office space (with a kitchen to boot) for our agents to meet clients.  That's about to change! One needn't possess a PhD to understand that technology has dramatically altered the... 04/12/2014

I walked through the door, dressed casually in my blue checkered flannel shirt, black leggings and furry boots.  It was a rainy Sunday, and I would've rather lounged at home a little longer in my pjs with a warm cup of joe in hand.  But, duty called. My new listing sold in just 6 days on the market.  I wasn't surprised.  The house had good bones and I had a good Seller to work with.  Some are beginning to think I have a secret sauce for selling homes.  I humbly smile when I hear it :)   I may possess some spice for selling homes, but it's no coveted holy grail to speak of.  I've been doing this for 15 years, so my reputation has had plenty of time to precede me.  My clients know that I'm a shoot from the hip type of gal, I say what I mean, and mean what I say. There's no kowtowing, or s... 03/31/2014