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.