Thank a Soldier today!

I am reminded every day how blessed we are to live in the United States of America! No, it's not a perfect place, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. We have tremendous freedoms that are not possible in other countries, and we routinely take them for granted. Just the freedom to disagree and speak openly about it is a luxury that was a hard-fought battle. Christians are still being murdered abroad, yet we praise our God freely in this country. We are still able to procreate in this country, without fear that our daughters will be killed by the government. There are tragic abominations that occur throughout the world every day that are unimaginable to Americans, as we live in such a Blessed land. Of course, that can all change in the blink of an eye if we are not thankful and vigilant.



I'm not a radical Patriot, but I certainly appreciate the Veterans and soldiers who have sacrificed so greatly for this country. Please be sure to say "thank you" to our military men and women, as well as past Veterans whenever the opportunity presents itself.



To learn more, visit http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/.

I'll spend my golden years in Lahaina, Hawaii

If I ever return to Hawaii, I'm not coming back home.

It's paradise, a world away from stress and worries. All natural beauty, not commercialized or man-made. I'd sit on the shores and watch the whales and their babies swim by, or snorkel with the turtles. It's my happy place! And when I got bored feasting on pineapples and coconuts and watching the incredible beauty of the ocean, I'd hop in a helicopter and take a spin above it all, to enjoy the places I can't reach by ground. AWESOME!

Inspirational Thoughts

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."~Thomas Edison

I just came from a very powerful RE/MAX webcast where the guest speaker was Chris Gardner...the guy they made the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" about. WOW! What a positive, uplifting message he had to share in spite of all he's been through! The bottom line is this...strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. A lot of daily life is well beyond our control, but how we choose to deal with it is totally up to us.

In these trying times, with all the naysayers bombarding the media with negativity, it's important to keep things in perspective. The sky is NOT falling, tomorrow the sun will shine, and we will all survive these challenges...perhaps in a way we never dreamed of before. The key is keeping a positive attitude and being adaptable. In God We Trust!

What a Roller Coaster Housing Market!

What a crazy roller coaster housing market this is lately! I was just telling someone today I'm thinking of shaving my head and joining a monastery. Just kidding, of course, but the daily challenges we all face now just to survive this economy force us to think more creatively and aggressively than we are accustomed to doing.

Even though it's a strange real estate market right now, but it's still easy to buy a home if your credit score is over 640 and you have a dependable job.

One little caveat - if you're in a position to buy a house - look for one that's in a close-in location to mitigate fuel use, try to find one that is low maintenance - lock and leave if you want to travel or go hiking on the weekends, and look for something that is in a price range that makes sense for you right now - don't push your wallet - relieve it. And avoid new debts in the months preceding your mortgage loan application, like cars, furniture and big screen TV's.

Interest rates are at an all time low, the government is giving special incentives for a first-time home purchase - nirvana for homebuying. For more information on government Tax Credits, e-mail me your request.

Planning to wait? That's completely understandable. Something to consider, though: historically, when a buyer's market is in full swing, it is quickly replaced by a seller's market. The market tightens up and prices start to go up. So if you're in a position to buy, and can take advantage of good prices, good interest rates, and good government incentives, contact your Realtor and start looking today! Your agent can recommend several good lenders to get you pre-qualified and moving toward the goal of home ownership.

Can't quite qualify for a mortgage right now, or afraid of job changes of corporate "downsizing"? I do leasing! Chances are, we can find a great lease home for you until market conditions improve. Either way, I am at thy Royal service!

Hairy E-Mails

Have you discovered www.hairy-mail.com yet? It's disgustingly fun! Just type in your message and a magical hand with a tube of hair remover writes it on the back of this really hairy guy...then wipes it off! Yuck!!! Your message is magically drawn (or smeared) onto the back of this apeman. The gist of the anti-smoking website appears with a tagline about the same chemicals in the hair removal being found in cigarettes. Nasty!!!