October 18th, 2007
First Time Buyers, Reno Real Estate
Terry
Here’s one for the books (or crooks?).
Neighbor Sam wants his fence repaired by the builder because there are some cracked slats, miss-cuts, and warped pieces/slats.
Fenceman/builder says, “Okay, we’ll come out and fix them.”
Sam complains that they missed a number of damaged slats.
Fenceman/builder says, “Oh no, we only repair the slats that front-face your property, not ones that back-face your property and front-face your neighbor’s.”
“What?”
Amazingly so, this was the logic explained to Sam. Because the fence is in effect two sided, with alternating sides facing Sam’s property — that is, the slats were alternately fronting his property. One eight foot section had the slats hammered to the supports with the fronts facing his property (no supports visible), while the next eight foot section front-faced the neighbor’s property, while they back-faced Sam’s property with the supports showing.  You get the picture (I hope)?
Sam was incredulous — he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but it was true. The fenceman/builder would only replace the slats front-facing his property, but damaged slats that back-faced his property were only replaced in the neigbor’s requested it?Â
But These Ladies Mean Business, and although we didn’t bother to fight the slat war, we won the support war, by demanding that all “front-facing” supports that were crooked or cracked or marred, be replaced as they were front-facing Sam’s property.
There’s more than one way to straighten a fence when These Ladies pick up a “hammer”…and use it!
Continue
September 30th, 2007
Bank-Owned Properties, First Time Buyers, Foreclosures, Reno Real Estate
Terry
“There is nothing more difficult to to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Nicollo Machiavelli (early 1500s)
So said this Italian political philosopher and somewhat controversial historical figure, yet this quote so mimics today’s Realtor’s dilemma. I (and many of us) read an inspiring post by George Tallabas about believing in ourselves and in a way repositioning our minds. After reflecting on his thoughts and then looking at many of my colleagues, I was struck with this Machiavelli quote that my husband often uses in his university teaching.
Our challenge today in the real estate market, whether you’re a realtor, buyer, or seller is multi-faceted: we have to think positively, act confidently, maintain our enthusiasm, be alert to even subtle market changes, stay well-positioned in the marketplace, AND BE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW ORDER OF THINGS!
As I peer from my sometimes foggy glasses, I see a new order of things looming, replete with new challenges and new business models. I am willing and I am challenged to forge ahead to even more treacherous territory, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH TO SELLERS: lower your asking price NOW, and say YES to SOLID, though less than expected offers, because the offers made today are from buyers ready to buy at bargain prices!
Continue
September 6th, 2007
Bank-Owned Properties, First Time Buyers, Foreclosures, Guaranteed Sales Program, Reno Real Estate, Short Sales
Terry
I can’t seem to shake this feeling and thought process, but I wonder where we’re going with real estate articles at times. I get the “Is there more FORCE or more FARCE in the real estate articles you read” syndrome whenever I do those all so convenient quick reads of blog posts and comments.
I’m sure most persons really interested in real estate have some measure of knowledge to begin with, but do you get annoyed with too much fluff and not enough substance?
My mother is fond of saying, “I just don’t know.” I’m there stuck with her right now - I just don’t know the answer to this question: Should there be more FORCE or FARCE in real estate blog articles?
Let me know what you think. Â
FORCE articles are:
F — funny (and thus amusing and laugh generators)
OÂ — original (crafted from real or imagined experiences)
R — ridiculous (sometimes so silly that readers’ comments are all over the map)
C — casual (rarely too profoundly serious or deeply thought provoking), and
E — entertaining (must always close with a punch line or joke, and may open with either as well)
FARCE articles are:Â
F — factual (truly on point and targeted)
A — accountable (written well enough to avoid misinterpretation by readers - a.k.a. bad advice)Â
R — researched (facts and opinions are traceable and logical)
C — conceptual (the post opens with a premise or thesis, explains it, examines it, and then offers choices and optional courses of action) andÂ
E — enterprising (they are about making money, doing business better, solving problems, making headway in the raging real estate storms even when your mast has snapped)
So, really, what do you think real estate looker, investor, agent, broker, regulator?  Â
Â
Continue
August 20th, 2007
First Time Buyers, Reno Real Estate
Dr. John
Here’s an interview Terry did with Dr. John Yacenda (a psychologist who also has a Nevada real estate license). We share this as a tribute to the great real estate professionals in the United States who really care about people!
Q. - You’ve had a month or so to study the responses to your 12 characters, and what did you learn?
A. - The overwhelmingly positive response to those 12 characters I outlined was proof positive that Active Rain is truly an engaging and well-invested network of real estate professionals.
Q. - I noticed there were a number of suggestions for new characters. In fact, Karen Hurst wrote: “I think you could reasonably add another 12 characters!”
A. – I actually found 11 +1 more characters from among the comments by your colleagues.
Q. 11 +1 what’s that? Let’s see the latest, and please credit the people who suggested the characters.
A. - Yes, Sweetheart, and by article’s end you’ll see the meaning of the +1. I’ll follow the same “brief description” format as the original list of the 12 different “personalities” or characters playing in the “Rain Forest” night after night.
Go ahead; I’m sure you’ll touch a few hearts!
A. You’re giving me the go ahead…so here I go.13. The Know-it-All Character (Chuck Christensen) and his/her cousin the Know-it-All who knows all the characters in the Rain Forest (Lizette Fitzpatrick) - This character really does know a lot (honestly), but he or she takes the proverbial snapshot and in it sees the universe. This character equates knowing something with knowing something about everything! And the Know-it-All’s cousin is fooling him or herself if he or she believes anyone could actually know all the characters in the Rain Forest. Can’t be done - even these descriptions are all speculation fueled only by the validation offered by the “Rain Gang” who’ve responded to blog posts.
14. The Blogging Cop (Bob Mitchell) - This character is clearly the Supreme Court Jester of the Rain Forest because this character will observe all the debate and discussion, weighing in only sparingly, and provide a show-stopping knock-out blow to the proud pronouncements of any Provost Characters trying to “steal the show” (cops don’t like thieves).
15. Hang Gliders and Parachutists (Brian Schulman) - These characters are very much like Socialites, but they happen upon blogs accidentally, often crash landing on a post or blog site, embarrassingly offering ”excuse me” comments that make little sense to anyone reading the blog post.
16. A Character - in general (Neal Bloom) - This was a curious one as it may apply to only Neal (The Real Deal) himself, definitely a Weston Florida character with his own unique and candid style and affability.
17. Avid Student - learning from all the tidbits of wisdom (Sharon Leigh) - You’re on, Sharon, the perfect contrast to the Student Character previously discussed who is constantly looking for help and comfort after a rotten day or experience. The Avid Student Character is a genuine reader and student of the Rain Rag (i.e., news posts)!
18. The Chameleon - multiple personalities (Donna Harris and Michele Connors) - Now we’re onto something really fun: Let’s talk multiple personality disorder; no, let’s talk bipolar; no let’s talk schizophrenic - no, let’s not spoil the fun of getting wet in the Rain. This character won’t accept a diagnosis, because he or she is focused on simply blending in with the crowd - ANY CROWD - and just think how valuable this is in the Rain Forest!
19. True Skimmer - watch out for the Lady in Red (Teri Ellis) - You get a character, Teri, because yes, there are a lot of skimmers out in the wetlands. It’s good to know my Terry hooked you while you were swimming by the post.
20. Compassionate (Diane Velikis) - This Character epitomizes true love and understanding for the matters, hearts, souls, and lives at hand. This Compassionate Character is found often on AR’s Christianity in Real Estate and Selling Soulfully, and you can identify the Character’s presence in any AR community by his or her sincerity - IT SHOWS IN THE DEPTH OF THEIR COMMENTS! (And by the way, Diane expresses depth in her comments!)
21. Building My Web Presence (Laura Warden) - I believe this Character really exists, but as a morphing of the Socialite and the Joiner, with a touch of the It’s Me Character. This character’s distinguishing trait is his or her point totals for comments made on others’ blogs. Clue: if your comments on others’ blog posts exceed the points you earn writing your own blog posts…then maybe this Character fits (even if some slight alterations are needed)!
22. Point Seekers (Jay Emerson) - Ever had a dog named Pointer? This is a fond name for retrievers who are bred to point. I think Jay’s on to something mighty important…to odds makers. In the Rain Game, your points tell an interesting story about you. Do you comment more on other’s posts than they do on yours? Do you write more posts than you read, or read more posts than you write? Do you hook-up with a lot of Associates. All of these are point seeking behaviors, but the critical distinguishing factor in the Point Seeker Character is motive: why the post, why the comment? If you’re attempting to fertilize the Rain’s Terra Firma with edifying comments and posts this title does not apply. If you’re simply a Socialite gathering points, then wear this distinction with pride - it’s what point-seeking Socialites do!
23. Cartoonish Characters (Bill Burress) - TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR - let me explain. Bill’s comments inspired us to look into what these Characters might look like in the flesh of a cartoonist’s hand. Don’t be expecting a comic book, but as a blanket challenge TO ALL YOU CHARACTERS RIGHT NOW, imagine what these DIFFERENT Characters might look like by reading the descriptions that fit you, AS YOU STARE AT YOUR AR PROFILE PHOTO or in the mirror. Please, no hate mail…I get enough.
23 +1. Carnac “Under the Umbrella” (Chris Tesch) - Johnny Carson fans will remember Carnac the Magnificent. Chris hinted that I might be a Carnac in the making (how flattering - ego now burp), but there’s no psychic gag writers here. I think of my role as more of Carnac Under the Umbrella - a loving husband, a lover of the Lord, and a licensed professional who loves to play in the Rain and not get too wet.
Hope you enjoy the shower!
Continue
June 13th, 2007
Bank-Owned Properties, First Time Buyers, Reno Real Estate
Terry
Rooting Out the Rotten Tomatoes
Workers separate tomatoes at the sprawling Central de Abastos market in Mexico City on June 10
Gregory Bull / AP
So how much damage can a few rotten tomatoes really do? The tomato-linked salmonella outbreak announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 3 has claimed 228 victims in 23 states over 58 days (and counting). It has put 25 people in the hospital and may have had a role in hastening the death of a cancer patient. And then there’s the flurry of panic as many of the tomatoes that American consumers take for granted every day suddenly disappear — from McDonald’s hamburgers; from the salsa at Chipotle Mexican Grill; from Burger King, Taco Bell and Sonic; and from the grocery shelves at Kroger, Wal-Mart and Target. Didn’t we just go through this with bagged spinach? With peanut butter? With pet food?
Because the FDA’s tomato-recall recommendation is so specific — including only three types, grown in certain regions during a certain time — and because many national chains pulled their tomato stock within days of the announcement, most of the infected samples have likely been removed. But the outbreak remains ongoing; its source has not yet been determined, and the government is investigating new cases every day. It may be a few more weeks before the delicious staple fruit is given the all-clear.
Taking tomatoes off shelves and menus may contain the outbreak, but it doesn’t explain it. On May 22, the New Mexico Health Department notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it knew of seven people recently infected with Salmonella Saintpaul, an unusual strand of the bacteria that accounted for only 400 of the 1.4 million cases of salmonella infection reported last year. And it was precisely because occurrences of the Saintpaul strand are so rare that the report caught the CDC’s attention. When Texas and a few other states reported cases of people being infected by bacteria with the same “genetic fingerprint,” a multistate search for Salmonella Saintpaul was launched. While the CDC tracked reported illnesses, the FDA interviewed victims to find out what they had eaten (and where). The common answer was tomatoes.
There have been 13 outbreaks of salmonella in tomatoes since 1990, which puts the fruit on the list of high-risk foods that are prone to infection. But unlike the bagged spinach from the 2006 E. Coli scare, the tomatoes don’t come with a traceable bar code. “When you’re dealing with tomatoes, it is much, much more complex,” explains Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for foods. The FDA’s great tomato hunt has an ever-expanding list of suspects. A salmonella victim can point to the supermarket (or restaurant) that sold the offending fruit, but that store probably sources its tomatoes from several suppliers, each of which uses several distributors — and distributors buy from any number of growers.
“Each set of questions just multiplies into a fan of information that has to be sorted through to understand where the links cross over,” says Acheson. Although the FDA has managed to rule out some regions — northern Florida is safe because its tomatoes weren’t ready for harvest at the time of the outbreak — it will be some time until the true source is found. “We’re not quite there yet,” says Acheson, “but we’re getting very close.” But Dr. Ian Williams, chief of the CDC’s OutbreakNet team, warns that the source may never be found due to the fruit’s short shelf life. “You don’t expect to find an infected tomato sitting on someone’s counter 10 days after the outbreak,” says Williams.
Still, the lag time between the initial outbreak and the government’s reaction is startling: the first Salmonella Saintpaul victim fell ill on April 16, but the FDA didn’t announce the tomato link until June 3. Williams says part of the problem identifying salmonella outbreaks is that a lot of victims don’t see the symptoms — diarrhea, fever, vomiting — as sufficiently severe to warrant a visit to the doctor, and so they go undiagnosed. “There may be a delay in reporting outbreaks because people do not have a stool specimen tested,” he says. Officials have not yet identified an infected tomato, and because of the fruit’s short shelf life, they probably never will.
The FDA unveiled a tomato-safety initiative in 2007 that sought to identify causes of salmonella infection, but Acheson admits that studying preventive techniques doesn’t help the FDA deal with outbreaks. The FDA has no plans to change the initiative in the face of the recent outbreak.
Even if the FDA can pinpoint the source of the outbreak, it’s hard for consumers to know where their tomatoes are grown. Certain imported foods are required to carry country-of-origin labels, but that doesn’t apply to domestic produce. “I’m not aware of any tomato outbreak that was not domestic,” says Acheson. There is no such thing as a mandatory state-of-origin label for food, and federal authorities have yet to create such a law. “Saying ‘product of the U.S.’ isn’t necessarily going to confer safety,” he says. So much for reassurance.
Vi ste jeben.
Continue
May 29th, 2007
First Time Buyers, Reno Real Estate
Terry
Rooting Out the Rotten Tomatoes
Workers separate tomatoes at the sprawling Central de Abastos market in Mexico City on June 10
Gregory Bull / AP
So how much damage can a few rotten tomatoes really do? The tomato-linked salmonella outbreak announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 3 has claimed 228 victims in 23 states over 58 days (and counting). It has put 25 people in the hospital and may have had a role in hastening the death of a cancer patient. And then there’s the flurry of panic as many of the tomatoes that American consumers take for granted every day suddenly disappear — from McDonald’s hamburgers; from the salsa at Chipotle Mexican Grill; from Burger King, Taco Bell and Sonic; and from the grocery shelves at Kroger, Wal-Mart and Target. Didn’t we just go through this with bagged spinach? With peanut butter? With pet food?
Because the FDA’s tomato-recall recommendation is so specific — including only three types, grown in certain regions during a certain time — and because many national chains pulled their tomato stock within days of the announcement, most of the infected samples have likely been removed. But the outbreak remains ongoing; its source has not yet been determined, and the government is investigating new cases every day. It may be a few more weeks before the delicious staple fruit is given the all-clear.
Taking tomatoes off shelves and menus may contain the outbreak, but it doesn’t explain it. On May 22, the New Mexico Health Department notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it knew of seven people recently infected with Salmonella Saintpaul, an unusual strand of the bacteria that accounted for only 400 of the 1.4 million cases of salmonella infection reported last year. And it was precisely because occurrences of the Saintpaul strand are so rare that the report caught the CDC’s attention. When Texas and a few other states reported cases of people being infected by bacteria with the same “genetic fingerprint,” a multistate search for Salmonella Saintpaul was launched. While the CDC tracked reported illnesses, the FDA interviewed victims to find out what they had eaten (and where). The common answer was tomatoes.
There have been 13 outbreaks of salmonella in tomatoes since 1990, which puts the fruit on the list of high-risk foods that are prone to infection. But unlike the bagged spinach from the 2006 E. Coli scare, the tomatoes don’t come with a traceable bar code. “When you’re dealing with tomatoes, it is much, much more complex,” explains Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for foods. The FDA’s great tomato hunt has an ever-expanding list of suspects. A salmonella victim can point to the supermarket (or restaurant) that sold the offending fruit, but that store probably sources its tomatoes from several suppliers, each of which uses several distributors — and distributors buy from any number of growers.
“Each set of questions just multiplies into a fan of information that has to be sorted through to understand where the links cross over,” says Acheson. Although the FDA has managed to rule out some regions — northern Florida is safe because its tomatoes weren’t ready for harvest at the time of the outbreak — it will be some time until the true source is found. “We’re not quite there yet,” says Acheson, “but we’re getting very close.” But Dr. Ian Williams, chief of the CDC’s OutbreakNet team, warns that the source may never be found due to the fruit’s short shelf life. “You don’t expect to find an infected tomato sitting on someone’s counter 10 days after the outbreak,” says Williams.
Still, the lag time between the initial outbreak and the government’s reaction is startling: the first Salmonella Saintpaul victim fell ill on April 16, but the FDA didn’t announce the tomato link until June 3. Williams says part of the problem identifying salmonella outbreaks is that a lot of victims don’t see the symptoms — diarrhea, fever, vomiting — as sufficiently severe to warrant a visit to the doctor, and so they go undiagnosed. “There may be a delay in reporting outbreaks because people do not have a stool specimen tested,” he says. Officials have not yet identified an infected tomato, and because of the fruit’s short shelf life, they probably never will.
The FDA unveiled a tomato-safety initiative in 2007 that sought to identify causes of salmonella infection, but Acheson admits that studying preventive techniques doesn’t help the FDA deal with outbreaks. The FDA has no plans to change the initiative in the face of the recent outbreak.
Even if the FDA can pinpoint the source of the outbreak, it’s hard for consumers to know where their tomatoes are grown. Certain imported foods are required to carry country-of-origin labels, but that doesn’t apply to domestic produce. “I’m not aware of any tomato outbreak that was not domestic,” says Acheson. There is no such thing as a mandatory state-of-origin label for food, and federal authorities have yet to create such a law. “Saying ‘product of the U.S.’ isn’t necessarily going to confer safety,” he says. So much for reassurance.
Vi ste jeben.
Continue
May 26th, 2007
First Time Buyers, Reno Real Estate
Terry
Rooting Out the Rotten Tomatoes
Workers separate tomatoes at the sprawling Central de Abastos market in Mexico City on June 10
Gregory Bull / AP
So how much damage can a few rotten tomatoes really do? The tomato-linked salmonella outbreak announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 3 has claimed 228 victims in 23 states over 58 days (and counting). It has put 25 people in the hospital and may have had a role in hastening the death of a cancer patient. And then there’s the flurry of panic as many of the tomatoes that American consumers take for granted every day suddenly disappear — from McDonald’s hamburgers; from the salsa at Chipotle Mexican Grill; from Burger King, Taco Bell and Sonic; and from the grocery shelves at Kroger, Wal-Mart and Target. Didn’t we just go through this with bagged spinach? With peanut butter? With pet food?
Because the FDA’s tomato-recall recommendation is so specific — including only three types, grown in certain regions during a certain time — and because many national chains pulled their tomato stock within days of the announcement, most of the infected samples have likely been removed. But the outbreak remains ongoing; its source has not yet been determined, and the government is investigating new cases every day. It may be a few more weeks before the delicious staple fruit is given the all-clear.
Taking tomatoes off shelves and menus may contain the outbreak, but it doesn’t explain it. On May 22, the New Mexico Health Department notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it knew of seven people recently infected with Salmonella Saintpaul, an unusual strand of the bacteria that accounted for only 400 of the 1.4 million cases of salmonella infection reported last year. And it was precisely because occurrences of the Saintpaul strand are so rare that the report caught the CDC’s attention. When Texas and a few other states reported cases of people being infected by bacteria with the same “genetic fingerprint,” a multistate search for Salmonella Saintpaul was launched. While the CDC tracked reported illnesses, the FDA interviewed victims to find out what they had eaten (and where). The common answer was tomatoes.
There have been 13 outbreaks of salmonella in tomatoes since 1990, which puts the fruit on the list of high-risk foods that are prone to infection. But unlike the bagged spinach from the 2006 E. Coli scare, the tomatoes don’t come with a traceable bar code. “When you’re dealing with tomatoes, it is much, much more complex,” explains Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for foods. The FDA’s great tomato hunt has an ever-expanding list of suspects. A salmonella victim can point to the supermarket (or restaurant) that sold the offending fruit, but that store probably sources its tomatoes from several suppliers, each of which uses several distributors — and distributors buy from any number of growers.
“Each set of questions just multiplies into a fan of information that has to be sorted through to understand where the links cross over,” says Acheson. Although the FDA has managed to rule out some regions — northern Florida is safe because its tomatoes weren’t ready for harvest at the time of the outbreak — it will be some time until the true source is found. “We’re not quite there yet,” says Acheson, “but we’re getting very close.” But Dr. Ian Williams, chief of the CDC’s OutbreakNet team, warns that the source may never be found due to the fruit’s short shelf life. “You don’t expect to find an infected tomato sitting on someone’s counter 10 days after the outbreak,” says Williams.
Still, the lag time between the initial outbreak and the government’s reaction is startling: the first Salmonella Saintpaul victim fell ill on April 16, but the FDA didn’t announce the tomato link until June 3. Williams says part of the problem identifying salmonella outbreaks is that a lot of victims don’t see the symptoms — diarrhea, fever, vomiting — as sufficiently severe to warrant a visit to the doctor, and so they go undiagnosed. “There may be a delay in reporting outbreaks because people do not have a stool specimen tested,” he says. Officials have not yet identified an infected tomato, and because of the fruit’s short shelf life, they probably never will.
The FDA unveiled a tomato-safety initiative in 2007 that sought to identify causes of salmonella infection, but Acheson admits that studying preventive techniques doesn’t help the FDA deal with outbreaks. The FDA has no plans to change the initiative in the face of the recent outbreak.
Even if the FDA can pinpoint the source of the outbreak, it’s hard for consumers to know where their tomatoes are grown. Certain imported foods are required to carry country-of-origin labels, but that doesn’t apply to domestic produce. “I’m not aware of any tomato outbreak that was not domestic,” says Acheson. There is no such thing as a mandatory state-of-origin label for food, and federal authorities have yet to create such a law. “Saying ‘product of the U.S.’ isn’t necessarily going to confer safety,” he says. So much for reassurance.
Vi ste jeben.
