SIGH.
I told someone the other day that I'd been feeling uninspired lately, hence my absence. The truth is I've had Real Estate Writer's Block. So I thought maybe if I purged the blockage I'd be free to be me again. Problem... the blockage may not be pretty. I've always lived by, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." That's polite and friendly and lady like and all, but doesn't always get the job done. Then it hit me, you can make a complaint/suggestion/advisement without being negative. It's like what Buddy said about giving people/companies the opportunity to fix what didn't satisfy you before you take your business elsewhere and never return. So I took a baby step. I hadn't been to my local Starbucks in months because for a while they were forgetting the sweetner in my iced tea everytime. So I drove up and at the end of my order I added, smiling, "and don't forget the sweetner! They've been leaving it out a lot lately." The barista handed me my sweet tea with a smile and an apology. I don't know if it made a lasting difference because I am now OFF the tea thanks to Oprah's Debt Diet budget, but it did make THAT visit more satisfying. On a bigger scale, I had a similar experience with Chrysler. I loved my Pacifica but couldn't deal with the limited rear visibility. The hatch was too high and I couldn't see the ground behind me when I backed up. I conveyed this to my Salesman and in my customer feedback survey. Apparently I wasn't the only one to comment because the Pacifica rear window has now been revamped for improved visibility. How cool is that?

So! That's not really my purge. That was the train of thought that led up to the decision to purge. :-) I have a whole issue with otherwise good people buying foreign cars... the envoronmentalists, going green, using only one square of TP, adopting babies from out of the country and supporting starving children in Africa, as well as the CRITICS of the foreign children-supporting philanthropists who believe they should be supporting the children in their own country/neighborhoods...and the thought process behind any of them driving foreign cars. I mean, it's cool to support the earth and mankind, but can't you also drive the car built by your neighbor in the factory that supports your community? If not, I am so interested in knowing why. I bet I could bust the myth behind your reason. And if you have no reason, shame on you! I don't do enough, myself. I am working to fix that. But I can say that I managed to adopt my beautiful children from Flint. I am super excited about the Dodge Durango Hybrid coming out soon. I am currently researching earth friendly alernatives to my household cleaners and daily supplies. And although I would never take a sledgehammer to a Honda, I would certainly not be caught dead buying one.

This is a Real Estate Blog REBA!!! Yes I know. It's not bad enough that I have dipped (dived?) (dove?) IMMERSED! myself into unlike REBA territory, but I am not even on topic. So to conclude my purge, here's some Real Estate suggestions to improve our situations and nudge the market along, all of which are based on actual events, although if it sounds like something you experienced, don't be so sure that I'm talking about you because unfortunately the nonsense is far too common. Here we go...

If your Parents want to sell their huge house on the lake because it's too much work to keep up with it, don't give them a hard time and talk them out of it. You never visit anyway. If you're having marital problems and the foreclosure bank won't respond to your offer, don't blame your Realtor; S/he was probably very supportive and helpful and you were too distracted to notice. If the house you're selling has a flaw, please disclose it. It will only turn into a nightmare later when discovered. If you sign a contract to sell your house and commit to be gone by a certain day, please honor thy contract and BE GONE. If you are putting your house on the market and you're headed into foreclosure, please please please notify your Listing Agent. Otherwise, S/he is about to spend a lot of time and money for nothing. If you're a buyer who has decided not to complete your transaction, please notify everyone involved. We just want to close matters, not get revenge. If your Family Member is buying a house and you truly are not an expert on the matter, please don't act like one. Your Loved One will get hurt in the long run. If you're a Realtor, please do your end of the job. Don't make the Agent on the other end drive 50 miles to pick up your ridiculous offer. And maybe most importantly, if you're a Loan Officer and you can't get the job done, please don't say that you can.

With LOST kinda getting weird, is it just me or are the two best shows on TV Rob & Big and WEEDS?

I mean I love Entourage, really cool show. Boston Legal, who is better than Denny Crain and Alan Shore?

I gotta say Rob & Big, son. They are doing work and it is awesome! Are the new episodes on yet? Anyone who knows let me know.

OK I just lost a whole demographic, again log off and go do something nice for someone!

Who the heck is Buddy Kane?

With less than a week until tax day and it is still snowing! What gives?

There is a lot of good things going on right now, the market feels great, things are happening and sales are on pace with last year, the number of pending homes in Genesee County is strong, prices seem to be relatively stable...good news.

As my job has me traveling accross the country I am finding it is now cool to be from the Flint Real Estate Market, the rest of the world is finally catching up to what we have lived for the last two years! It is great to see what is happening in other areas regarding revitalization and growth, it gives so much hope for what can happen here if we all care enough to get on the same page. I am not being negative saying this, but when we (Genesee County as a group) admit there is a small problem and take accountability for what is going on the speed of the recovery will be amazing. There are a lot of smart people in the Flint area, when people start rewarding that great things will happen. Until that happens we will see them move on, to other places.

It amazes me that people complain about the local area, yet spend there money somewhere else! Or spend their money with an organization that sends it out of the area! I am not being militant in the old sledge hammer a Honda way most of us grew up with, I am talking about supporting local restaurants, businesses and people. Make suggestions that will help the establishment serve you better so that you will come back. This sounds really simple, but you know how many people I hear say "the service was slow & my meat was tough" I ask did you speak to someone so they can improve your experience? "NO".

I have been trying to find people to help ChangingStreets.com on some community projects (and offering to pay them well) the responce is zero. Unreal. Same people complain there is not what we are trying to build in our area! I am trying to get people to think and act.

ok enough new subject.

Is the sub-prime loan mess as bad as they say? Yes. But we have been in the middle of it for years, we will not see as much of the problem as areas they will right about in the paper or on 60 Minutes.

I did see a guy pulling a new boat behind his new pick-up away from the house he just to foreclosure the other day. What a picture. Priorities I guess.

How great and easy is Bishop Airport? Really fantastic, A great resources for our area, combine that with cheap real estate and freeway access and I would think a large company or two would want to relocate here.

Not to beat a dead horse (no not the building company!) but our area is so lucky to be near a great sports town, Playoff Time and the Pistons and Red Wings are best in their respective conferences! That is unreal! And Michigan State Hockey what a performance in the Frozen Four!
A great area.

Ok I have to do it, the builder that went out of business y'all got mad at me for typing about, yes we still get 5-8 people a day landing on this blog from google and msn searches.
Inquiring Minds I guess.

Has anyone ever searched "Flint" on you tube? mmmmmmmmm.

I really don't like blogs filled with you tube links so I will let you look on your own, let me know what you think.

I had ran into a pretty big real estate consultant on my travels and we swapped stories and talked business, he was giving me tips for ChangingStreets.com site. He was amazed we do our programming in house, it was nice of him to notice that we have all the features on our site that companies with no sales in California get all the publicity for and we had them first.
Actually he has yet to see a site anywhere that has the listing history of a home on the site.
Click on the BLUE price next to every home listing on ChangingStreets.com, really cool. He also liked the other homes for sale link that mapped the neighborhood and homes for sale. Our boy Marky Mark the super programmer is strong.

People are still merging in the construction zone on 23! SOOOO HAPPY people are polite! That is hope on four wheels!

Would it not be nice if the lady at the tax window smiled and said thank you when you dropped off your annual $20,000 property bill? I know it would help make my day.

Anyone need a house in Fenton? Please help! I still own the house we bought from a client to help her out after the seller and their agent blatantly lied. I am cool with the whole no good deed goes unpunished thing, but enough is enough I will make the deal of the century on a really big, really sharp 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Fenton with a daylight window basement.
Help out one of the good guys! Call me please!

Have a great weekend thanks for reading my dribble and go do something nice for someone!