Would have been perhaps a bit happier if when I went online at 4:00 this morning I had seen my Lotto numbers lined up in last night's drawing. But I can wish myself a "Happy Birthday" anyway, and Google seemed to be doing that as well, with their name spelled out in celebratory pastries this morning. I assume this is for everyone to see, so who knows what other birthday is being toasted on this date - other than the late Liz Taylor and the far "later" Henry Longfellow. So far, I haven't seen any explanation for Google's sweet offerings.
Sleep during the night was minimal and fitfull for me due to too much on my mind and too many sore muscles from hard work on the patio refurbishing we've been doing the last two weeks. Got the new gazebo up yesterday and stablized against potentially high winds; now it's raining lightly on our unfinished raw ground where I need to get a stronger fellow to put down some flagstone. We're likely to have a down-pour that will halt all progress on the work for days. Looks as though we will be entertaining guests in less-than-lovely conditions.
One of the closest friends of my youth is due to arrive here tomorrow, along with her new guy I haven't met. In fact, I haven't even seen Anita since 1968, and it's only through the Internet that we have reconnected recently. Now I know she has been twice widowed and is a retired law enforcement veteran of many years in Wisconsin. They have driven out to Arizona for visiting & sight-seeing and now are heading here and all around California to visit friends and family. I'm glad our long friendship can have this brief re-visit over this one weekend, and that "'Niter" will help me celebrate turning 69 - which happened officially a few hours ago.
Happy Birthday to us, including Liz, Hank and all other Google friends!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Impressions
"End Session" That's what it says at the end of my online banking activity. This morning's session ended after the successful transfer of $29 to assure that yesterday's $75 check will clear. But I still have an available savings balance of 83 cents if another situation should occur.
Okay, sure, we do have another account for most household expenses and personal needs. That account will still have upwards of $100 remaining at the end of the month if we are careful for the next week. Might blow part of that fortune on my birthday "celebration" on the 27th.
From 2:25 until around 4:30 this morning, I struggled with many matters, including the above, and forced myself to stay above DEpression. The result of all that thinking brought me to this topic of IMpressions when I re-awakened at 6:15.
People here in my little senior village see me as successful in real estate and readily stop me on the street or at the golf pro shop, etc., just to comment or ask advice about properties and such. It's very nice to have that respect. And in general, my wife and I have always carried ourselves with an air of success. Friends and acquaintances simply assume that we do quite well, befitting our residence here on the golf course among many fairly wealthy neighbors. Hardly any of them could guess that our nice-looking clothing once belonged to someone else. I often wonder if some golfing buddy here who is my size has figured out that the sweater he dropped off at the thrift store last week is the one I am now proudly wearing. He may not as easily identify the shoes - my most recent find is a pair of top-of-the-line golf shoes that cost me $3! I have to assume that these came from a widow who didn't want to see her deceased husband's new shoes gathering dust in the closet.
My constant activity around our village, listing and selling properties, has really given folks the most ludicrous (and a bit frustrating) impression: Big money!
Here's a tiny look inside the reality of my realty success. Home sales are not brisk but we had a dozen escrows here that involved me last year. These manufactured homes are selling now for above $100,000 but only last spring, we were finding it hard to sell for more than $85,000. My sales over-all just barely averaged the 100k level for the year. People think of a 6% commission as part of most sales, so they tend to think I earn $6,000 every time I'm part of a home sale. Don't I wish! Truth is, that $6,000 is typically split between my agency (if I listed or sold the property) and some other agency (whose agent listed or sold). The $3,000 on my side is then split between my broker (40%) and me (60%) - so I would earn $1800 on a 100k sale.
That amount isn't bad for having struggled through many small responsibilities and paperwork over an average of three months to complete the sale, all the while handling problems and concerns with an "at your service" attitude and smile.
But the real truth for me is that when I began suffering with cancer and had to rely on pain meds, then worked through three surgeries and down time, I was aware that I couldn't trust myself to be on top of every situation. So I began co-listing all my new business with another associate, splitting the work - and the commissions. Now take that $1800 and see where it ends up. $80 goes out first for Errors & Omissions insurance. Then the remaining $1720 is split evenly with that associate who helps me avoid most of the errors and omissions I would probably commit on my own.
So the folks who see me as getting rich from local home sales would be shocked to learn that my net income from real estate last year was less than their social security income. And I dare not tell them. I'm better served by their incorrect impressions because "nothing succeeds like success!"
Okay, sure, we do have another account for most household expenses and personal needs. That account will still have upwards of $100 remaining at the end of the month if we are careful for the next week. Might blow part of that fortune on my birthday "celebration" on the 27th.
From 2:25 until around 4:30 this morning, I struggled with many matters, including the above, and forced myself to stay above DEpression. The result of all that thinking brought me to this topic of IMpressions when I re-awakened at 6:15.
People here in my little senior village see me as successful in real estate and readily stop me on the street or at the golf pro shop, etc., just to comment or ask advice about properties and such. It's very nice to have that respect. And in general, my wife and I have always carried ourselves with an air of success. Friends and acquaintances simply assume that we do quite well, befitting our residence here on the golf course among many fairly wealthy neighbors. Hardly any of them could guess that our nice-looking clothing once belonged to someone else. I often wonder if some golfing buddy here who is my size has figured out that the sweater he dropped off at the thrift store last week is the one I am now proudly wearing. He may not as easily identify the shoes - my most recent find is a pair of top-of-the-line golf shoes that cost me $3! I have to assume that these came from a widow who didn't want to see her deceased husband's new shoes gathering dust in the closet.
My constant activity around our village, listing and selling properties, has really given folks the most ludicrous (and a bit frustrating) impression: Big money!
Here's a tiny look inside the reality of my realty success. Home sales are not brisk but we had a dozen escrows here that involved me last year. These manufactured homes are selling now for above $100,000 but only last spring, we were finding it hard to sell for more than $85,000. My sales over-all just barely averaged the 100k level for the year. People think of a 6% commission as part of most sales, so they tend to think I earn $6,000 every time I'm part of a home sale. Don't I wish! Truth is, that $6,000 is typically split between my agency (if I listed or sold the property) and some other agency (whose agent listed or sold). The $3,000 on my side is then split between my broker (40%) and me (60%) - so I would earn $1800 on a 100k sale.
That amount isn't bad for having struggled through many small responsibilities and paperwork over an average of three months to complete the sale, all the while handling problems and concerns with an "at your service" attitude and smile.
But the real truth for me is that when I began suffering with cancer and had to rely on pain meds, then worked through three surgeries and down time, I was aware that I couldn't trust myself to be on top of every situation. So I began co-listing all my new business with another associate, splitting the work - and the commissions. Now take that $1800 and see where it ends up. $80 goes out first for Errors & Omissions insurance. Then the remaining $1720 is split evenly with that associate who helps me avoid most of the errors and omissions I would probably commit on my own.
So the folks who see me as getting rich from local home sales would be shocked to learn that my net income from real estate last year was less than their social security income. And I dare not tell them. I'm better served by their incorrect impressions because "nothing succeeds like success!"
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Prayer Breakfast
A little after 6:00 this morning, as usual, I started the coffee and flipped on the TV. CNN was showing our president being introduced at a prayer breakfast. A PRAYER breakfast!! How absolutely embarrassing!
I have no idea what President Obama believes deep in his own mind. But that is really beside the point in our society. He is bound and gagged, completely incapable of extrication from the bonds of traditional ignorance. Supreme intelligence in a human being is still overwhelmed by the need to bow and scrape to show humble acceptance of (and "obedience" to) a phantom being that supposedly exists somewhere out there!
I am personally and profoundly offended. The TV is now on the Golf Channel.
I have no idea what President Obama believes deep in his own mind. But that is really beside the point in our society. He is bound and gagged, completely incapable of extrication from the bonds of traditional ignorance. Supreme intelligence in a human being is still overwhelmed by the need to bow and scrape to show humble acceptance of (and "obedience" to) a phantom being that supposedly exists somewhere out there!
I am personally and profoundly offended. The TV is now on the Golf Channel.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Left/Right, Human Plight
"When nothing goes right,............ go left."
The above quote drifted my way as part of an unrelated email topic. Upon reading it, I mused that this could (and should?) be a political axiom. Makes good sense in so many ways.
I also have oft repeated my own line of: "Two wrongs don't make a right - - - but three lefts will do it."
Think about it. It applied first to driving around city blocks, but now I'm seeing this could be applied politically as well!
And while on the general subject, I love reminding folks of my favorite slam against the hawk attitudes among us: "War never proves who is right - only who is left!"
The above quote drifted my way as part of an unrelated email topic. Upon reading it, I mused that this could (and should?) be a political axiom. Makes good sense in so many ways.
I also have oft repeated my own line of: "Two wrongs don't make a right - - - but three lefts will do it."
Think about it. It applied first to driving around city blocks, but now I'm seeing this could be applied politically as well!
And while on the general subject, I love reminding folks of my favorite slam against the hawk attitudes among us: "War never proves who is right - only who is left!"
Monday, February 3, 2014
SUPER(?) BOWL
Well, at least for you folks in Seattle area and your national fans, it was super. Congrats!
"Cousin" Peyton had never seen such a swarming, smothering defense. I hope he wasn't hurt other than in his pride. Funny that I had entered the game with a compassion for the Seahawks and fans, thinking there could be an embarrassing blow-out.
Oh, well - the 5-time MVP will survive and do just fine. Now onward to spring training baseball!
"Cousin" Peyton had never seen such a swarming, smothering defense. I hope he wasn't hurt other than in his pride. Funny that I had entered the game with a compassion for the Seahawks and fans, thinking there could be an embarrassing blow-out.
Oh, well - the 5-time MVP will survive and do just fine. Now onward to spring training baseball!
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