Trey's Blog: Trey Thurmond, College Station , Texas Homes (Classic Realty Associates)

As part of my plan to better myself, I try to be disciplined in my bible reading.  Today....it was Luke, Chapter 6.  Here's the quote for the week...

 ²⁰Looking at his disciples, he said:
   "Blessed are you who are poor,
      for yours is the kingdom of God.
 ²¹Blessed are you who hunger now,
      for you will be satisfied.
   Blessed are you who weep now,
      for you will laugh.
 ²²Blessed are you when men hate you,
      when they exclude you and insult you
      and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

 ²³"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
 ²⁴"But woe to you who are rich,
      for you have already received your comfort.
 ²⁵Woe to you who are well fed now,
      for you will go hungry.
   Woe to you who laugh now,
      for you will mourn and weep.
 ²⁶Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
      for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Love for Enemies

 ²⁷"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 ³²"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful

Larry Bettag - Regional Vice President, Midwest Region

Illinois FHA Specialist

630-417-7172

  

               

An Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee

 

After more than a year of the Great Recession, many are pointing fingers at politicians, bankers, Wall Street tycoons, lobbyists, and at their neighbors for making financially irresponsible decisions. And what have we gained? Little of consequence.

 

Many seem to believe the problem doesn’t lie with us, but with a vague and indeterminate “them.” Few are willing to take personal responsibility for the nation’s problems and find it much easier to lament their plight, throwing up their hands in defeat. But they fail to acknowledge that: No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood.

 

Neither politician nor lobbyist sees their complicity in the corruption of our political system. The teen stealing a candy bar doesn’t view his actions as a symptom of growing dishonesty. The unfaithful spouse cannot envision endangering the sanctity of marriage. The classroom cheat, careless driver, dishonest businessman; all see their actions as separate and unique. But it is the combined actions of individuals that create our society.

 

And it’s not just our deeds; by failing to take action we are also responsible. When we—each of us individually—fail to hold politicians and business leaders accountable; when we fail to contact them to express our concerns, we encourage dishonesty and indolence. While only a small percentage of voters ever contact their senators or representatives, 100% of lobbyists do. And few take the time or effort to “vote with their feet,” and refuse to patronize corrupt businesses, while those same businesses spread their tentacles ever deeper into our daily lives.

 

Henry David Thoreau said: “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.” Are we just “hacking at branches?” Have we misdirected out energy, noisily shaking our fists while avoiding our responsibility? Let’s strike the root and truly make a difference.

 

The Housing Guru: The one source for all your housing questions

A new study came out this month which shows that a home's "walkability" can have a profound effect on its value.  

The report, "Walking the Walk: How Walkability Raises Housing Values in U. S. Cities" by Joseph Cortright, was comprised of 94,000 real estate transactions in 15 major markets.  In the study, it was determined that in 13 of the 15 markets, higher levels of walkability were directly linked to higher market prices. 

Of the areas tested, the differences in property values for above average Walk Scores ranged from $4,000 to $34,000.

Apparently, even in this turbulent economy, there is a tangible value that can be assigned to convenience. 

In the past, real estate value has been measured primarily by square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and whether or not the home has a finished basement, a pool or other amenities.  It's now becoming clear that consumers are also placing weight on how close they are to restaurants, schools, parks, shops and other destinations. 

The fact that the price of gas has the potential to skyrocket is also part of the equation.  The less we have to depend on our cars, the better off we are.  

The program uses a Walk Score Algorithm, which works by calculating the closest amenities to any particular address.  It then assigns a score from 0-100.  A score of 100 indicates the best walkability -  A score of 0 is the most car-dependent.  

It's been known for some time that walking is good for our health. It may now also have an effect on our home's value.

Take it for test run.   Walkscore.

 

Copyright 2009 - Claudette Millette, President,TheBuyersCounsel -  800-392-1446, E-mail    

Learn More about Relentless Home Buyer Representation - Greater Boston and MetroWest Massachusetts -  Serving Home Buyers Since 1992 

  

So I finally got a copy of the Neil Cavuto appearance.  Here it is.  I think most everyone I know missed it, so here's a chance to take a look in your own time. 

I got to bump elbows with Chris Wallace, Ted Olson and Ann Coulter while at the Fox News studios.  What a neat experience.  Glad I didn't go with my first thought which was, show up in jeans and a t-shirt... change while I'm there.  Better to have shown up in a suit.  First impressions mean a lot.

 

I just read a great post by Jon Zolsky, What To Blog About...And How.  In it Jon shared some great basics and he got me to thinking about all the different variety of ways to format a blog post.  As I read some of the blogs on Active Rain, I'm amazed at the quality of writing and formatting that I see here and the level of creativity that goes into many of these "Works of Blart" (I think I just made that up).

Here's a few creative ideas that I've seen where writers stepped outside the box to convey information in a different way.

1. The Interview- I love the interview.  It gives your blog an injection of flavor in the form of someone else's thoughts and opinions.  It's a great way to network and build good will with those that you respect.  Who wouldn't be flattered to be interviewed about their business, their charitable cause, or their event?  Find someone who interests you and "pop the question"!  Mary McKnight gives a good example of an interview blog HERE.

2. The Review - So many things can be reviewed.  Introduce us to your inner critic.  How did you like the latest book you read?  Go to any good restaurants lately?  What stood out at the last event you attended?  In addition to reviewing items, events, and experiences, you can review blocks of time.  What happened to you today, this week, this month, this year?  What changes have transpired?  What insights do you have?  Russel Ray blew my mind with his recent ActiveRain Week in Review.  I know it's a lot to aspire to, but why not try to be that good?

3. The List - When I need some inspiration I always turn to the list.  You're reading a list blog right now!  Sometimes I feel like the characters in High Fidelity (Top 5 songs about death - Go!)  But seriously there's always more than one way to do things well, most people find a list to be helpful.  Castellum Realty put together an awesome list of Active Rain bloggers who also use Twitter.  Check it out HERE.

4. The Rant - If you're fired up, passionate, and need to set the record straight, the rant might be the right blog for you.  Rants can be controversial, so be prepared for a hot and fiery comment stream.  Make sure you cool down and double check you aren't violating the Terms of Service before you hit the publish button.  Remember sometimes you say things in the heat of the moment that you may regret later, cooling down before publishing will ensure that the rant is in the right spirit and that you don't damage your reputation.  Check out what Elizabeth Ramsey is ranting about HERE.

5. The Motivational- I think this is my favorite type of blog.  The motivational blog gives its readers perspective, enthusiasm, energy and strength.  If you've got something positive and inspirational to say, please share it with us!  My favorite Motivational blogger is Gary Woltal.  If you're not subscribing to his blog, you must not want to have a good day.  Check it out HERE.

6. The Prediction- Many times this blog is based around current events.  Do you have have some insight into where policy decisions or changes in society could take us?  These lines of thought often make for interesting blog posts.  Matt Heaton made some pretty bold predictions about 2008 HERE.  But was he right??  I was on the edge of my seat!!  Check out the results HERE!  And he's at it again this year!  The suspense continues!!  Check out the latest predictions HERE.

7. The Hypothetical- Otherwise known as the "What If".  It can be fun and mind expanding to take a possible scenario and disect all of the potential implications of that scenario.  What would it mean for your business if gas went to $5.00 per gallon?  What if the Govt Actually taxes those AIG scoundrels 100% on their hefty bonuses....what could that possibly mean for you and me?  Bob Stewart asked the question What if we could license ActiveRain out......  It's a great whimsical read, check it out!

8. The Debate - Every issue has 2 sides.  It can be fun to tackle a issue and air out both sides of the argument, or perhaps just one side and encourage your readers to provide "counter point".  There's nothing wrong with a spirited exchange of ideas, as long as the exchange is respectful.  Michael Tarabotto presents two opposing arguments on Credit Default Swaps HERE.

9. The Satirical- Ok, sometimes people and situations just present too big of a target.  As the folks on Comedy Central demonstrate nightly, there is no shortage of material for this brand of blog.  If your parody and satire is well written and gets people to double over in laughter, don't be surprised if you get a lot of subscribers and back links to your blog.  Moving Careers put together this Video Parody.  It's pretty funny, check it out!

10. The Poll/Survey - The key to this type of blog is to pick a highly publicized and controversial piece of news and present it in such a way that people feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings.  If there's not enough controversy, there won't be much interest in participating, so keep it hot!  Steve Loynd shares a poll he developed to measure consumer confidence HERE.  Ooooo is it up or down?

11. The Contest - It's a human weakness, we can't resist free stuff!  If you can offer a prize to your readers, don't be surprised if your flooded with traffic, comments, and entries.  The key to this is to provide a compelling prize and carefully evaluate the entry criteria.  If you make it too challenging, people might shy away - again human nature.  Pat and Wayne Harriman are hosting an awesome contest where anyone who doesn't already have an Outside Blog can win a FREE one for 1 year.  Stop by HERE and tell them why you should win!

This of course is in no way a thorough or complete list of every creative type of post, but it may be a starting point for you to incorporate some new ideas into your blog.  Keeping ourselves interested in blogging in turns keeps our readers interested in what we have to say and makes blogging sustainable, so change it up every now and then, have fun and keep blogging!

Jason Sanders