Here are a few photos I have taken along the way over the past week or so while running around the county. Most were taken with my iPhone – as they really WERE on the fly while I was working with clients. But its fun to see what people are doing. Halloween has become such a fun holiday in Westchester that its getting up there with the 4th of July in terms of internet searches.
This post is inspired by Tni LeBlanc who wrote about getting a steal of a deal in real estate today In her post she suggested that HGTV might want to take this one up….
So I have a proposal for HGTV – Let’s create a show entitled “The Real Estate For Robber Barons Challenge“ By turning it into a competition we can create criteria for the best Robber Baron. Think competition like Design Star with the ruthless cut-throat edge of The Apprentice.
Each week contestants need to find a distressed seller who is willing to sell their home for a fraction of its actual value. The ability to achieve this is based on the contestant’s capacity to con the seller to ignoring the basic principles of mathematics, common sense and their own best interests. The contestant then creates almost instant profits via the the slum Lord route or by flipping for an obscene profit. This is all done with minimal seed money that the contestants saved in a cookie jar over a period of six months.
Real estate agents are known to spend a lot of time on the road. I am no exception. My car is my second office and depending on what I am doing on a given day – I sometimes bring along my social secretary, and friend – Jade. I have two other dogs but they are not what you would call great work companions. They are lively and active and a real blast – on a hike or any other doggie adventure - but not at work. Jade, however, is so mellow and relaxed that bringing her along actually makes the day run more smoothly. Gentle and quiet – and a bit shy, she makes any trip – work or otherwise – more fun.
Today was cool and comfortable. So Jade tagged along when I went out in the late afternoon….I was taking some photos quickly and when I came back to the car to put my camera away – there she was – apparently she had been tracking me and was looking out the back window…..I actually was able to grab a quick shot….since I already had the camera handy…
© 2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
Save for a few Wall Street executives and the Big Banks just about everyone I know has been touched by this recession. Some very severely, some more lightly, others by association. At the very least, everyone knows someone who has been negatively impacted in some way. But sometimes you have to realize that it is always darkest before the dawn. Sometimes its just when things look like they will never get better – they just do. I’m not being a cockeyed optimist here – but I have seen this pattern before. Indeed – there are signs of just that in some sectors of the housing market.
In any case, there are times when you can either laugh or cry – and perhaps this is one of them. Right now – lets have a laugh. My friend Lisa, sent me this email. I sent it to some friends and it got a great response. So I am sharing it here with you. I wish I knew the author – but I don’t..
I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
Wives are sleeping with their husbands because they can’t afford batteries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Every once in a while someone does something very clever on Twitter. The Bronx Zoo cobra has done just that – telling of her exploits while traveling NYC.
For those who have literally been hiding under a rock with their pet cobras – The Bronx Zoo reported a missing female Egyptian cobra. Until last night she was out on the town and having a great time according to her twitter page. Within days she had almost 222,000 followers….Wish I was that popular – but then I don’t lead nearly as an exciting a life as she does…..
If you want to follow Bronxzooscobra follow the link. Meanwhile – here are a few entries….
If you see a bag of peanuts inexplicably moving along the ground at Yankee Stadium today. Just ignore it. It’s probably nothing.
Does anyone know if the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle sells organic mice?
Getting on the ferry to Ellis Island. Let’s hope this goes better than that time on the plane.
Right now I’m suffering from smart -phone envy. Since my robbery of three weeks ago – I have been sans much of my smart-phone capacity. The police are holding my sleek new iPhone captive as “evidence.” And getting that phone back has become something close to an obsession. The old phone that a resurrected was not in great shape. the battery drains fast, but it charges slowly. The letters aren’t allowing me to type messages. On a good day I can read my email but can’t answer it. For a real estate agent spending time on the road – it makes me want to tear my hair. Horror of horrors – I’m taking the laptop and searching for WiFi to plug into the internet. I knew things were getting out of hand when I felt insanely jealous of a client receiving and opening an email while I was showing homes. Its amazing how addicted I have become to a piece of technology that I have only possessed for a little less than three years.
Some things just come across my desk or into my email in-box that are just too cute not to share. This is one of them. They didn’t have a Siberian Husky, but I can forgive them for that because the dog o’ lanterns that they created were just amazing – particularly when put next to the “source of their inspiration.”
©2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
If one of the signs of maturity is that people cease to take themselves too seriously – then I guess I’m very mature – bordering on ancient. Making fun of real estate agents appears to be a favorite indoor sport of many. But of all the videos out there that make fun of agents – these two are favorites.
The first is about an agent that takes “pushy” to a whole new level. Its amazing how the actor morphs from a jolly young man into a Boris Karloff look-alike.
Plenty of blame to go around on this one. The only blameless soul in the mix was the center of attention Shirley Sherrod. So much of this has to do with the partisan bickering that seems endless these days. But at the end of the day EVERYONE was guilty of reacting to quickly. Jon Stewart is able to put everyone in their place with a sense of humor and sarcasm that would be more hilarious if it weren’t such a sad commentary on the state of our union.
Enjoy the clip – and have a great weekend!
(Here is the link to the video – from the Daily Show Site – should the embed not be working.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
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© 2010 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.
A friend of mine sent me this link – and I was having a great time playing with it. I can’t embed this deficit calculator on this blog, but here is a link to the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Deficit Calculator.
With the 2010 House of Representatives elections as well as the 2010 Senate races coming up and the majority in both houses up for grabs – the budget is going to be a huge bone of contention.
Although I can’t embed the calculator – I did play with it – here is what I came up with – There I just solved one of the nation’s most pressing problems!
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