Yet again, here is another powerful message about the positve. Lately I have been on a kick of featuring these post on my outside blog and I decided to leave this one on both blogs for this simple reason; the message.
The markets will recover, money will flow again, and it will all happen sooner than some people think. Till that time comes, you have the opportunity to look at the class as half full or half empty.
I will leave you with this thought. When I lived in Florida, money flowed freely. In today's world, that is not so. However, I have made changes, made sacrifices, and done what I need to do to make it. I have not given up on what I love; I have adjusted. What are you doing?
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
- Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, 600 BC-531 BC
This is a very timely quote. It can be as esoteric or practical as the reader wants it to be. In a difficult economy it is important that we in the real estate industry reinforce the positive aspects of the housing market. This is not some rose colored glasses approach or way to bury my head in the sand. There are enough media (print, television, and internet) pundits, average folks, and industry professionals who are more than willing to snatch those rose colored glasses and dash them on some rock. We need to balance the negative.
Is it by chance that I would open this post with a quote from the founder of Taoism? The balanced yin and yang symbol is well recognized. It represents the balance that seems to always be the object of the quest. However, just when the balance is almost achieved, something causes it to be upset. This upset is the influence of being alive. Everything seems to be moving along quite nicely; unemployment is down, property values are up, and it seems most people are happy as a pig in mud.
With perfect balance there is a tendency to become complacent and stagnant. I am not sure that the happy pig in mud was a balanced creature. It appears that it was reveling in a manic episode that could not be sustained. It is difficult right now to continuously struggle to survive. We all would like to go back several years but we cannot. We cannot undue the mistakes that now needle us to a point of discomfort. There are enough needles for everyone to skewer their hands and feet. These needles are the futile products of blame rather than responsibility. To shun all responsibility is to merely alleviate temporarily one's own discomfort by jabbing someone else with the needle.
This is the downside to the happy pig. It will not come as news to anyone that we now find our economy as the largest needle of all. With the crisis being laid at the feet of the real estate industry, the fear that seems to have gripped our country is something we have known for well over a year. To add to the negatives that ensure balance won't be achieved quickly is counterproductive. Speaking from a point of strength to help rebuild confidence in the benefit and responsibility of home ownership is one of the strongest tools we possess to help encourage the restoration of balance. I leave you with another quote from Lao Tzu.
Consider a moment the circle which surrounds the yin and yang symbol. The circle is a familiar symbol in many cultures. In Taoism, this circle represents the world. The familiar dark and light areas within it represent the interaction of the opposing energies in their continuous quest for balance. Though it seems the yin with its characteristic dark, passive, downward, cold, contracting, and weak traits is currently dominating, remember the yang with its characteristic bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong traits is trying to achieve balance. With our collective help from our respective professional strengths and encouragement from our individual voices, the restoration of a true balance can be achieved.
Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.
- Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, 600 BC-531 BC
About the Author
If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loanofficer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.
There are many ways to increase the value of a home. Some of these ideas are simple basic things that one can do and some are a little more complex. All of them are fesible and will work to improve the value not only for today but for the long run. Ultimately, when you are in a down market, one of the first things that a homeowner looks for is the way to increase the value of thier property. In this series, we will cover several ideas that will help you. We will do this covering one item at a time.
The first thing we will cover is something that a lot of people do not even think about. It is your lawn. Now, in Part 1, we will not talk about anything other than the grass itself. I am going to break this into several parts so that you can get the piture
1) The Type: Many people do not think about what type of grass they have growing. However, if you think about it, not all grasses are right for all climates. So, what you first have to find out is which grass may be right for you. The map shows the three areas where Warm (yellow) and Cool season (blue) grasses are used within the USA. In the transition zone (purple), a mixture of these two grass types is sometimes required. However the Transition zone generally favors the cool-season grasses over the warm season ones. Below is a list of the different types of seed for your lawn also.
2) The Care: The next thing that you have to consider is what type of weed and feed that you are going to use on the lawn. Now, in most cases, I typically put down just on application in the early season, but it is really up to you as they typically have fertilizers that are made for different times. One of the things that you have to figure about fertilizing your lawn is that you also need something that will also control the weeds. Make sure to water your lawn regularly. This will allow for you to have a full healthy lawn. Make sure that when you mow, that you do not over cut. Cutting to low will scalp the grass and can be detrimental to the growth.
These simple things can actually improve the value to ones home. Value is determined by desirability and desirability by aesthetics. In other words, make it look good and people want it.
About the Author
If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loanofficer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.
If you have concerns about reblogging, then you need to read this post. Reblogging is a powerful tool that is offered through ActiveRain. I have yet to see another service that offers anything like this. Digg hass a similiar feature that is built in to it as well, but nothing like this.
Midori makes a great point that these alerts are not just a one time deal. Check out her post below on how she is still getting some juice off this article she wrote.
Everyday it seems there are new terms and new tools in Web 2.0. To me I find reblogging simply smashing.
See if you really understand the concept you might think so too.
Recently I posted about Cancer Awareness monthand requested it be reblogged. I was thinking about the old stand by...you know the email that goes around the world. Jokes, Pictures, subscriptions and Newsletters..
If you take a look at the post it has been reblogged 8 times..I've seen it on 3 blogs from outside the rain..an incredible message spread throughout the world
My subscribers read it..and so did theirs..there is probably a good chance..someone else reblogged it and they possibly do not subscribe to me at all. Interesting right?
8 reblogs and 3 times on someone else's outside blog. I found that profound...just like a chain letter..you never know where it ends up...does it matter..after all I get the credit..and so do you..by reblogging!
Let's talk Google Alerts-Yes I got 11 google alerts from that one particular post. The best part was it was not all in one day..people found the post and reblogged it at their leisure and lucky me..it has been in my google alerts every day for the past 4 days. I hate spiders but those creepy crawlers can crawl all over my words anytime....and by offering the ability to reblog...they crawl each and every time.
Now some would still argue that they do not like someone else using their work..but to possibly be found in someone else's city..or in places you never expect..your subscribers..their subscribers...in your searches in theirs and what about their google alerts..your name...their alerts...
When I think of reblogging...I think repeat, revive, relive, replenish, reprise...I could go on and on..I said it before and I will say it again...Yeah Baby...you can reblog mine anytime!
Are You Convinced Yet?
Now thats power...the power of Activerain! The great real estate industry community!
The medical field is one that does not take the beatings that a lot of other professions take in an economic down time. The biggest reason for that is due to the fact that people will always need medical care. In is just according to whether that care is going to be provided by a private practice or a public care facility.
New York City is one of the largest around. It has to be in the top 5 in population. Couple the fact of the population and the fact that people need medical treatment and you bring out one of the most sought out professions. New York City Health jobs are in high demand due to this fact.
The people that relocate to New York City go there to get a career going. With that being the object of some of these people, the medical field can provide the stability that one is looking for. In a nutshell, if you are in the market to move to New York City and are in the market for a medical health job, then I would definitely check out what they have to offer. Or maybe it is the fact that you are in the medical field and might be wanting a change, then you might find just what you are looking for in New York City.
How many times have you heard the cliche "Beauty is only skin deep"? Actually I have heard it so many times that it makes me sick. To me, the best one that describes beauty is the fact that it is in the eyes of the beholder.
You see, the first one just makes it seem that you are shallow if you are beautiful. That is so far from the truth. Beauty and brains have nothing to do with each other. And though I have met my share of the dumb and beautiful, I have also met the dumb and unattractive. Which just goes to tell you, their is nothing relating the two.
Now, I am not sure if you will find any inspiration in here. But, to be honest with you, there is inspiration in all things if you look for it. If you have a chance, click the pictures and they will open a new window where you will be surrounded by beauty.
What worth has beauty if it is not seen? Italian Proverb
Beauty is not so much what you see as what you dream. Walloon Proverb
The ability to see beauty is the beginning of our moral sensibility. What we believe is beautiful we will not want only destroy. Reverend Sean Parker Dennison
People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. Salma Hayek
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy. Anne Frank
A heart in love with beauty never grows old. Turkish Proverb
Beauty is the gift of God. Aristotle
About the Author
If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loanofficer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.
Starting tomorrow I will be publishing a new series twice a week. It will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will be focused on how home owners can increase the value of their homes; even in a declining market. I got the inspiration for this series from HGTV. This is right, I am an HGTV junkie and proud of it.
I was up late night as usual and in the midst of winding down, I saw this show coming on from HGTV. It was centered around this very subject, yet it gave a crash course lesson. I am hoping that the articles that I do will not be crash course style. At the moment, I have planned 23 enteries. There can be more, but I am not sure of them yet.
Now, what I would like to do is see if there is anyone out there that would like to provide some pictures to this series that can be used. The pictures will be linked to any site that you would like to have linked.
If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loanofficer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.
When I lived in Atlanta, Georgia and worked for was working for my previous employer, insurance was one of the main benefits that I was concerned about. In the mortgage business, the Real Estate business, the Auto Sales business, the hairdresser business, and the Appraisal business, lack of insurance also runs rampant. This is only a few of the industries where it is not customary for the employer to offer insurance.
Fortunately, for the state of Georgia, there is another alternative. Kaiser Permanente Georgia has been serving the insurance needs of Georgian's for many years. And fortunately for some other states, Kaiser is around too. They are currently in 9 states and the District of Columbia.
eKaiserinsurance.com is a business to consumer insurance agency that provides their customers as well as prospective customers with Web-based insurance information for individuals, families and small businesses. Kaiser Permanente California , Georgia, and California all fall under their area of service.
California is where eKaiserinsurance.com is based out of. Just because they are, they still do not show the customers of Kaiser Permanente California any better treatment that they other two states.
As I am fortunate to work for a company that provides insuramce, I do not have to supply my own. If I did, Kaiser Permanente is definantely one that would be on my shopping list. Having over 12,000 physicans that belong to their network in the small amount of area that they cover is impressive to me.
When I read this I knew that I could not pass this by. This is a subject that has either touched us, a family member, a friend, or even a close acquaintance. It is not something that we can easily ignore. The only way that it will go away is for us to take action against it. Read Midori's post below and then act on it. Lets send this post all over the world and make a difference today.
Today Kim Wood sent me a tweet and reminded me it is Cancer Awareness Month and make sure and spread the word. This evening in my email I recieved this important message. Rather than go through my address book I decided to share with the masses. Please I encourage you to reblog this or even forward this post to your friends and loved ones.
This disease touches so many and changes lives forever..we can do the same but in a positive way!
Help me Fight Cancer...the reality is there is a good chance someone you love will be affected by this disease. Please take the time and read this email.
You never know...by following the instructions you might save a human life!
Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least onefree mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).
This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.
About 15 years ago, I was coaching youth sports. The longer that I was involved, the deeper I got into it. Also, the more detailed that I got about it. I looked at almost every gimmick that was put out. All that I was hoping to achieve was to better the players skill. One of the things that I wish I had access to was a radar gun.
Sports and Traffic Radar Guns are made similar. When I left my home town in Georgia, I decide that I would coach a team in my new city. One of the fathers of the players was an undercover cop and he had a radar gun in his car. This is where I got addicted to them.
Today I came across this site that has free shipping for every sports or traffic radar gun that is bought and shipped here in the United States. In today's economy, that is a great incentive. They have also reduced some of the prices on their guns as well. I also like the fact that these guys have warranties on their equipment.
I have to say out of the inventory of sports radar guns that Radar Sports sales, I like the Stalker Sport 2 the best. It can be used to time base runners as well as detect the speed of a pitch. It can simultaneously display both the release and plate speed of a pitch. Probably one of the best features of this is the fact that it is actually light weight too.
So, if a radar gun is in your future, check there guys out. Great price, great equipment, and a great deal on shipping: FREE.
Evan Longoria might be the new stud of Major League Baseball. His powerful bat propelled the Tamba Bay Rays to their frist ever postseason win in yesterday’s action. They Rays outlasted the powerful Chicago White Sox in St Petersburg, Florida.As for a home record, the Rays posted the best in the league with a 57-24 spot.
If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loanofficer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.
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1) The Type: Many people do not think about what type of grass they have growing. However, if you think about it, not all grasses are right for all climates. So, what you first have to find out is which grass may be right for you. The map shows the three areas where Warm (yellow) and Cool season (blue) grasses are used within the USA. In the transition zone (purple), a mixture of these two grass types is sometimes required. However the Transition zone generally favors the cool-season grasses over the warm season ones. Below is a list of the different types of seed for your lawn also.
I was up late night as usual and in the midst of winding down, I saw this show coming on from HGTV. It was centered around this very subject, yet it gave a crash course lesson. I am hoping that the articles that I do will not be crash course style. At the moment, I have planned 23 enteries. There can be more, but I am not sure of them yet.
achieve was to better the players skill. One of the things that I wish I had access to was a radar gun.
Evan Longoria might be the new stud of Major League Baseball. His powerful bat propelled the 
