Fishing Trip - June 21st, 2008

Google Search Tips

This might help you improve your Google searches.

June 11th - Kings Island Fun!

Newton Message Pad 120

A while back, Kyle and I were talking about all the computer systems and gadgets I've used over the years trying to make my life easier. I went and dug out my old Apple Newton Message Pad 120 to show him, put in new batteries, and it came to life like the old friend I remember. I couldn't believe it still worked after sitting in it's box for so many years.

This thing was a BRICK compared to the Palm Pilots I've used, and now the Apple iPod Touch. It didn't fit in your pocket, it was bulky, and the battery life left a lot to be desired, but I loved it and was the envy of every one of my co-workers. The only bad thing about getting this back out was that I have lost the cable to connect it to a PC. I'd be curious to see if it would work with XP or not. Oh the memories this thing brings back of taking notes in the many endless and pointless meetings I had to attend.

Our New Fence

Take The Muppet Test...

I'm Fozzie Bear

"Wocka! Wocka!" You're the life of the party, and you love making people crack up. If only your routine didn't always bomb! You may find more groans than laughs, but always keep the jokes coming.

The Muppet Personality Test

Sunday Again

Is it just me, or does it seem like the only chance I get to post on this site is on Sunday afternoon?

We celebrated Dana's 43rd birthday this week, and our Saturday excursion for lunch at The Greene was fun and free from rain. We ate at BD's Mongolian Grill for the first time and it was really good. A place we will definitely try again.

Not much new to post other than the fact the have started putting our dog fence up last week. It will be nice to just open a door and let the dogs out to run and play without having to have them on a leash.

Have a great week!

Another Week Gone By Too Fast

Sunday morning, and trying to play catch-up. Just got some of the pictures I took at our last trip to Cox Arboretum ready on FLICKR if you want to click here and check them out. Click on the photo here to enlarge it, it's one of my favorites.

First, I would like to express my condolences to Jim Kloss at Whole Wheat Radio on the recent loss of his mother. We are here for you Jim, and hope you are doing well during this difficult time.

We met with my dad, Lori & Rick and Patty & Charles at Marion's Pizza in Englewood Friday night for dinner. If you have never had a Marion's Pizza, you don't know what you're missing. Makes me hungry for one right now just thinking of it.

Saturday was spent running errands and getting things done that can only be accomplished on the week-end. I'm going to spend part of the day today getting the yard mowed and helping Dana get some plants in the ground that we bought last week-end and haven't been able to plant due to all the rain we have had.

I'm sitting here looking at a stack of books that I have to read and just haven't had the time. I need a 30 hour day!

Pretty Much Says It All...

OpenOffice 3 Beta New

Got this today from the good people at OpenOffice.org. If you haven't switched to OpenOffice, you need to try this totally free Offfice Suite. Stop paying the Bill! I switched to OpenOffice several years ago and love it. Mac users, this version promises to work with Aqua, so I'm not sure if this is the NeoOffice version or not. Also, if you can afford to send a few bucks to support this organization, please do. It's a rock solid package.

The OpenOffice.org Community is pleased to announce that the public beta
release of OpenOffice.org 3.0 is now available. This beta release is
made available to allow a broad user base to test and evaluate the next
major version of OpenOffice.org, but is not recommended for production
use at this stage.

If you are a regular user of OpenOffice.org, here's a great opportunity
to help us make the next release the best ever.


What's new in OpenOffice.org 3.0?

The most immediately visible change to OpenOffice.org 3.0 is the new
"Start Centre", new fresh-looking icons, and a new zoom control in the
status bar. A closer look shows that 3.0 has a myriad of new features.
Notable Calc improvements include a new solver component; support for
spreadsheet collaboration through workbook sharing; and an increase to
1024 columns per sheet. Writer has an improved notes feature and
displays of multiple pages while editing. There are numerous Chart
enhancements, and an improved crop feature in Draw and Impress.

Behind the scenes, OpenOffice.org 3.0 will support the upcoming
OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.2 standard, and is capable of opening files
created with MS-Office 2007 or MS-Office 2008 for Mac OS X (.docx,
.xlsx, .pptx, etc.). This is in addition to read and write support for
the MS-Office binary file formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt, etc.).

OpenOffice.org 3.0 will be the first version to run on Mac OS X without
X11, with the look and feel of any other Aqua application. It introduces
partial VBA support to this platform. In addition, OpenOffice.org 3.0
integrates well with the Mac OS X accessibility APIs, and thus offers
better accessibility support than many other Mac OS X applications.

A more detailed guide to the features can be found at
http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/featurelistbeta.html

Beta Availability

OpenOffice.org 3 beta is immediately available in US English for
MS-Windows, GNU/Linux, Mac OS X and OpenSolaris platforms from
http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta. This page also contains details
of where to find localized builds and language packs as they become
available. For more details, please consult the appropriate native
language project - see http://projects.openoffice.org/native-lang.html


Help us gathering bugs in May!

In order to help us release OpenOffice.org 3.0 on schedule in September,
users of the beta release are encouraged to report any bugs, issues or
errors at http://qa.openoffice.org.

If you would like to test just the new features, there is a list of test
cases by component at
http://qa.openoffice.org/ooQAReloaded/TestcaseSpecifications/OpenOffice.org_3.0

If you are nervous about reporting bugs through the formal bug reporting
system, you can simply email details to the user support mailing lists
http://www.openoffice.org/mail_list.html

The developers look forward to receiving your feedback on this beta
release of OpenOffice.org!

"2008 - the year of 3"

Judas Priest Shreds

Man, these guys ROCK! I think they were playing in Guitar Center the last time we were in there.

Eric Clapton - An Off Night

Just goes to show you that even Eric Clapton can have an off night. Oh well, maybe there's hope for my career as a guitarist after all.

I Thought It Was More Than This

68%How Addicted to Apple Are You?
I took this online quiz and thought I was seriously more addicted to Apple Computer products than I thought. I guess I would have tested higher if I owned the iPhone instead of the iPod touch.

Here's a photo with one of Kyles latest Lego creations. I used to build cars and trucks, he builds inter-stellar cruising ships (click to enlarge).

Spring Is Finally Here

Dana and I went to Cox Arboretum Saturday to see what was growing and to check on the tree they had planted in memory of her mother (it's getting ready to bloom, we will check next week and add some photos) and I couldn't believe how much fun I had just wandering around there. It was overcast and raining on and off, so not a lot of people there. I have added photos to my FLICKR site if you want to see the rest of them (click the photo to enlarge).

Not a lot going on. We did get our income tax refunds today, which is amazing since we just filed not even two weeks ago. Electronic filing is the way to go people, let me tell you.

In a very short time, I will turn 42 years old and I'm feeling it. I tell Dana every night that I'm going to get on the tread mill. Well, tonight is the night. Going to get this sorry excuse for a body back into shape while I still can.

Oh, and to Aunt Patty & Uncle Charles in PA who always check my BLOG, Hello, and I hope you are doing well!

THE 1959 BURST - A Les Paul documentary

Watch this video and maybe it will help you understand my unhealthy obsession with Les Paul guitars. Oh to be rich enough to buy one of these masterpieces.

Whole Wheat Support

Playing with Photoshop tonight and thought you might enjoy this (click to enlarge).

Adobe Photshop Elements 6

Got the new Photoshop Elements 6 for my Mac this week-end and can't believe all the changes they have added since the older version (3) that I was using on my PC. I only got to work with it for a little while today, but it's a really nice package. I can't figure out what took Adobe so long to make a new version for the newer Intel based Macs, but I'm glad it finally arrived.

A while back Dana renewed my subscription to Wired magazine, which I really enjoy reading. However, in the April edition there is a story titled Geek Brawl about two gear review BLOGS, Gizmodo & Engadget that after reading, I could hardly wait to get online and check them out. Well, the story was much more interesting than the sites. Sure, they both have all kinds of cool gear, but it's kind of all over the place on both sites. Good writing, but boring sites. My opinion, but it's the only one that counts here.

Enjoy the rest of your week-end!

Under The Weather

Hello to everyone wondering where the heck I have been the past few days. I've been sick, fighting a head cold, sore throat, congestion, etc. In other words, I feel like crap.

Dana, Kyle & the dogs have been taking good care of me. My dad drove me to a doctors appointment this morning which was a blessing. I don't think I could have made it there on my own.

More to come once I'm feeling better!

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter to everyone in cyberspace!

We had a typical Sunday actually. Dana let me sleep in and kept the dogs at bay so I could. I have the best wife in the world!

We went shopping yesterday trying to do our part to keep the local economy going. We went to Dana's favorite, a furniture store (Drexel Heritage) and one of my favorites, Office Depot. I brought a new Printer/Scanner/Fax machine that had been marked down $20.00 from two weeks ago. It's a Lexmark X5495. Hooked up to my Mac with no problems at all (doesn't everything just work better on a Mac?) and within a few minutes I was scanning a test photo.

The photo I scanned was Kyle with Dr. Creep, a local TV celebrity that hosted Shock Theater for many, many years. Some of my fondest memories of childhood were watching scary movies on local channel 22. Dr. Creep was great, and I'm glad Kyle met him.

Nothing else to report today so enjoy the rest of your Easter Sunday!

I'm Famous!

For the 40 or so people that actually listen to Whole Wheat Radio on a regular basis, I was mentioned in Jimbob's Audio Magazine today as well as having some of my photos posted on his BLOG. I'm Buckwheat by the way to those of you that have chatted with me.

My real estate sales should pick up now! The phone will start ringing any second now with new clients needing my services just by the mere mention of my name on WWR.

Hmmm, phone still not ringing. Still not. There, no, that was the dryer. Still not. Ah, no, that was Holly farting.

Oh well, what the hell. I'm still famous.

What a life

Holly
Originally uploaded by David A. Davison

Here's a quick snap I couldn't resist while I sit here working at my computer. A dogs love is unconditional!

Another Week-End Gone

Where the heck does the time go? Seems like I'm just going to bed on Friday night and the week-end is already gone. Just not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to and spend time with people I want to.

I did get a new headset/mic combo on Saturday though. Kinda dorky but I like it. Great sound and voice recording as well.

And now for something completely different - SNOW!

We survived a flooded basement and now the biggest snow storm of the year. Actually, it was kind of fun. Winston loves to play in the snow but Holly doesn't think too much of it. I had stocked up on groceries early Friday morning so we had plenty of food. Kind of a fun way to spend a week-end camped out in the living room. We watched the first 4 episodes of "Hero's" on DVD and porked out on all kinds of goodies.

Go to my FLICKR Photos to see more of our snow pictures.

Flood Update

Update on our version of Katrina, we are getting things back together and making some progress. The sump pump is working fine (all of our snow is melting and creating more water) and the battery back up has been fully charged. The electronics are drying out and I got my server to come back up this evening. All the water seems to be cleaned up and fans have dried out most everything.

Also, Holly is doing well after her surgery. She's playing with Winston a little, although she is still sleeping most of the time.

Gotta run!

FLOOD!

Yesterday was a day I NEVER want to re-live.

It started out with taking Holly to the vet for her scheduled spaying which we were not looking forward to. She is a spoiled little princess, and we knew it would be a difficult few days after her surgery. The good news is that she came through it fine, is eating a little, and mostly sleeping.

About 4:00 Dana came in the bedroom where I napping to tell me that the basement was flooded. I thought, this can't be, we have a battery back-up sump pump, must just be a trickle coming in. Well, the trickle was about 4-5 inches of water standing in the family room, my office, Danas office area, the storage room, and Kyle's train room.

The main sump pump float had gotten stuck and was not running, the battery back up alarm didn't go off like it should, and had worn itself down trying unsuccessfully to handle the large volume of water coming in. My dad came over with his shop vac to help and got the pump running again. So, it was dueling shop vacs to try and clean up the mess.

So far, we have 3 computer systems down, television, game cube, guitar amplifier, de-humidifier and various other electronic devices to see if they work once they dry out.

AARRGGHH!! At least no one was hurt and we got power turned off so we could work with the help of extension cords coming down the stairs.

If anyone else experienced problems with yesterdays flooding, I feel for you.

Dana's Violets

Dana wanted me to post these photos of her new miniature Violets that she ordered online, and I always do what she asks me to do. Click on any photo to enlarge.

No Blogging in January is over!

After my self imposed exile from blogging and most online activities for the month of January I'm glad to be back. I wanted to focus on some things that needed to be done around the house as well as in my career. All I can say is that it's good to be back!

One thing that I did do was finally sign up as a user on Whole Wheat Radio last week. WholeWheatRadio.org is an internet only station run out of Talkeenta, Alaska by former Buckey Jim Kloss and Esther Golton. I have been checking it out for the past few months, and I have to tell you, it's easy to get sucked in and spend entirely too much time on the site. It's not just an internet radio station, it's an entire community of people that I have come to make friends with while listening to some great music. The site is a WIKI and quite user friendly once you join. I especially enjoy the hundreds of photos they have posted. Go there and check it out. I'm Buckwheat in the Wheathead community if you see me in a chat room and want to say hello. (check out photos of Jim & the Wheat Palace in Talkeenta)

My social networking site for real estate professionals, RealtorTech, has turned out to be one giant goose egg. No one is using it, most of the invites to join went unanswered, so I'm shutting it down this week-end to focus on something different, although I have no idea what at this point. I can say that I am convinced there is no way to drag Realtors in this market into the 21st Century and away from their fax machines to explore some really cool technologies that will make their lives and businesses easier to manage. Too sad, but I'm not one to continually beat my head against a wall.

Enough for now. I'll post some photos soon here and my FLICKR site soon.

iPod Touch - Too Cool

My Website on my iPod Touch
Originally uploaded by David A. Davison

WOW! Has it been a long time since I posted or what?

I got an iPod Touch from Dana this year, and it is the coolest iPod ever. I'm in the process of getting all of my information from my Palm Pilot moved over to it. The Safari web browser is incredible.

I'm sure I'll be posting more about this in the near future.

Have a safe and happy New Years!

First Snow Of The Year

I knew we were supposed to get some snow, but how great is this? Kyle had the day off, the dogs were happy to have company all day playing with them, and we are able to get in and out of the driveway without having to shovel too much. Now this is how winter is supposed to feel. I even had a nice hot meal waiting for Dana when she got home from work. Hey, I love to cook anyway.

I spent part of the day today watching "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" on BBC America. I love that show! What a motivator. It's amazing that when people actually listen to him the progress the make in turning their failing businesses around. Too bad he's not a licensed Real Estate Broker, that would be a show worth seeing (Donkey! Your business is in the shit, get out there and knock on some doors and don't come back until you have a listing appointment or buyer!).

RealtorTech is still up and running with no reported issues. New invites for additional users will be going out later this week (yes, folks at Exit Realty Central will be in this round as well as a few loan officers and title agents).

If I've never told you before, my wife is quite a good singer. I can't carry a tune to save my life, but Dana has a great voice. Her home office is about 15 feet from mine, and she's singing along with iTunes as I type this. It is such a joy to hear her and know she has her mind off of things long enough to get caught up in music like that. I'm so glad I bought her an iPod last year for Christmas! She has talent. When I'm motivated to play my guitar, I usually turn it up too loud and hear Dana and Kyle shout "Turn that damn thing down". Oh, to be a frustrated amateur musician! At least the dogs enjoy my talent.

RealtorTech Is Alive & Well!

My social networking site for real estate professionals, RealtorTech, is up and running with no reported issues. I have 2 users added with several other invites out there waiting for a response. But so far, so good. (click to enlarge screen shot)

As I sit here listening to Frank Sinatra on my iPod and checking the site I can't help but wonder if I build this site, will they come? I know ours is an extremely competitive industry. I talked with a friend today at my former brokerage about the current and future markets, and that in the very near future, technology is going to have a MAJOR impact on this business no matter what your past successes have been. One major area is going to be print advertising. It's slowly on it's way out.

So, will my site be a stepping stone to the future, or another site that is ahead of its time and dies a slow death because of lack of understanding? I'm not sure, but it's sure going to be exciting to find out! As Frank would say, "I did it my way".

Beta Testing My Own Social Networking Site

It's Sunday once again, and it's cold and crappy outside. Perfect weather to get some coding done and try some new technologies.

I've started my own social networking site for Realtors called RealtorTech and over the next few weeks I will be inviting several local Realtors to help me put it through it's paces, find bugs, and make improvements. I've been on Active Rain for some time, but the problem with it is that it's not local. I've made some friends and gotten some ideas, but I like the idea of a local site where people can share ideas, thoughts, and have meet-ups in person. No one was doing that here that I could find, so I did it myself.

If you are a real estate professional or someone involved in real estate transactions and would like to help me beta test the system, I will send you an invitation to join my network.

It's fun, it's free, and it's a chance to learn about technology without being a geek. Also a great way to promote your properties to other active, local agents!

OpenOffice.org Just Keeps Getting Better!

It's been a while since I posted about OpenOffice.org (and NeoOffice.org for you fortunate Mac users out there!) and I got an email today that just proves you don't have to shell out big bucks for an office software suite.

OpenOffice.org just went live with their OpenOffice.org Community Forum page and it's great! I poked around on it for a while, and have to say, for a free product this site is pretty impressive. One more reason to "Stop Paying The Bill".

I won't bore you with my take on the site, I just invite you to click on the link above and see it for yourself. I've been using these products for years now and love them.

Enjoy!

Sunday

Got the rest of the leaves cleaned up yesterday with Kyle's help. We did have to break down and buy a new battery for the tractor ($49.00) but that's OK.

Not much else happening other than finishing off the rest of the Thanksgiving leftovers, I'm glad that's almost over.

Click here to see Apple's Small Business Tip of the week!

Week-end Again!

Too much going on and not enough time to get it done.

We had a small amount of snow yesterday morning, and I have say, I'm actually looking forward to some more of it. I went out to chop the rest of the leaves yesterday and the tractor had a dead battery. It was down so low it wouldn't start with jumper cables. So, I had to charge it for a few hours before it finally started. Now the back yard is covered in leaves again, but Kyle and I are going to take care of them today.

I just uploaded a bunch of photos to my FLICKR site for those of you interested in seeing them. Click here to see them.

Seems like Sunday already, but I'm glad it isn't. We have 2 days to get a lot of things done and we are staying home all day today, which is something we seem to never do. Dana is working inside, Kyle and I are working outside. We should all be nice and crabby by dinner time, ha-ha.



Kyle & Holly bust a move!

Monday

Still feeling a bit under the weather and feeling like I'm not getting enough sleep, even though I slept over 10 hours. No amount of coffee and vitamins seem to help.

I took this photo of Kyle while driving to dinner the other night, hope you enjoy it. And be sure to click here to see Apples small business quick tip of the week. (Click photo to enlarge)

New Monitor

I love my Macintosh as you know and recently added a 22" Samsung SyncMaster 226BW Wide Screen monitor. Here's what my work area looks like now:
(click to enlarge)

Dana is Home!

Dana returned home from a short trip to visit family in Phoenix. The flight there was fine, but she went through hell getting home. Her flight from Phoenix to Dallas had problems after they were in the air for a few minutes and had to return (they lost the navigation system). Nothing scary for her, but I would have been in a mild panic.

Getting home was trying, but we were all glad to see her today! Her brother and his family took her to her first NHL hockey game while she was there, so now she has an interest in seeing the Dayton Bombers play a few games this season, which is great! Kyle and I love watching the Bombers. So much more fun than football.

I finally turned the furnace on for the first time this year this morning. It was cold and I knew Kyle would complain about the temperature. I just wish the leaves would finally finish falling so I could get them chopped up once and for all.

Be sure to click here to see the Apple's Small Business quick tip of the week video. I know you should all be using Macs, but you don't know it yet!

1984 Apple's Macintosh Commercial

I know this is an Apple Commercial, but it reminds me of a National Association of Realtors convention. Suddenly, someone throws technology out to the masses and says "You don't have to be mediocre!". Oh, how I just wish they would embrace it.

Where Did The Week-End Go?

This week-end seemed to fly by. We started Saturday morning off with the Octoberfest parade here in town. Kyle was in the Junior High Band playing in his second parade and seemed to enjoy it. Then it was off to Fairborn to visit Dana's father and have lunch at one of our favorite Chinese places (see photo - don't know why Kyle is frowning). We then went with him to the Tile Store. It's a store that sells nothing but tile. I was interested for about 5 minutes then found a comfortable chair to sit in. Then it was off to visit my dad and take him out to dinner.

My policy of not working on Sundays is paying off by taking a much deserved break to spend time with my family and not let cell phone calls interrupt the day. We enjoyed time together and got some more work done around the house as well. I am getting Dana's motorcycle ready to put it up for sale, so if yo know anyone interested in a Suzuki Savage 650, have I got a deal for them!

We also got caught up on some sleep, which is always in short supply around our home. It was wonderful, and the cooler weather made it more enjoyable.

Enjoy your week!

Much Needed Re-Charge

Did something for myself this week-end, I took it off! No phones, no email, no meetings. It was a much needed re-charge of my batteries and I suggest everyone do this for themselves once in a while.

I got the brush pile from the back of our property loaded up and hauled away. I put a new battery in my motorcycle (which it badly needed) and started to work polishing it up and cleaning the chrome. I didn't even think about business. It's got me thinking, I deserve a life too. So, starting tomorrow:

My normal business hours are 10:00 am until 6:00 pm, with evening & Saturday hours available by appointment only. No Sunday hours. Calls to me after 6:00 pm will be returned the following business day.

I usually work through lunch, so I'm putting in the full 8 hour day. Since I don't typically do open houses (they are a complete waste of time) I've decided to take Sundays off and shut the cell off on Saturday afternoon when my last appointment is finished.

Will I lose out on business? Probably not. I will work with clients that are willing to work with me and respect that I have a life as well. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

I love being self employed!

Comic Life Part 1

Finally spent some time last night playing with some of the software I have loaded on my Mac and came up with this creation.

Thanks to my good friends Jeff & Sue Garber for appreciating my sense of humor and being such good sports.

(Click to enlarge)

Talk Nerdy To Me

Today when Kyle got home from school, he asked me about 802.11 wireless and what the differences were. He actually has a good understanding of it, which impressed me and we had a nice little conversation about it.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it?

How to Build a Laser Listener

Not sure how well this works, but it might be a good project for Kyle and I to try some week-end.

Housing Market Warming Up

Home sales statewide showed an increase during the month of July compared to June, with sales similar to those of a year ago. Favorable interest rates and a correction in prices have helped as well as a supply of housing in all price categories according to The Ohio Association of Realtors.

Locally, the Greater Dayton area shows January - July 2007 sales as:

2006 - 8,351
2007 - 8,257
Change is -3.2%

Average home sale prices for our area were reported as:

2006 - $136,765
2007 - $135,602
Change is -.09 %

The Greater Dayton area faired well compared to other communities in Ohio. Only Zainesville showed an increase in the number of units sold and an increased sale price.

So what does all this mean? It means that people are still buying and selling homes in this market, regardless of what the media may be telling you. A properly priced home will move in this market, so if you are considering buying or selling, there's never been a better time.

Real Estate Education 101

Dual Agencies and why consumers should avoid them:

According to the Consumer Guide to Agency Relationships, a Dual Agency exists when the same agent and brokerage who represent the seller also represents they buyer. When a brokerage and its agents become dual agents, they must maintain a neutral position in the transaction. They may not advocate the position of one client over the best interests of the other client, or disclose any confidential information to the other party without written consent.

Sounds simple enough. Yet, the entire reason for obtaining the services of a Realtor is to protect your interests in any real estate transaction and get you the best deal possible. How can someone have a neutral position in a deal and still claim to be protecting your best interests? They can't, it's a huge conflict of interest. Someone, usually the buyer is going to feel taken advantage of in these deals since the agent works on commission.

I advertise that I don't do dual agency relationships for this very reason, and I never will. I don't understand why the state even allows them. Yes, every other Realtor out there (well, there are a few exceptions) will tell you why dual agencies are great. But the ultimate reason they do so is to capture the entire commission plain and simple. They can argue with me all they want about the benefits to their clients, but it ultimately comes down to money in their pocket, not yours.

Yes, I will show someone a property I have listed if they call and want to see it. But I make it very clear from the beginning that if they have an interest in purchasing the property after seeing it, that they will have to work with another agent to represent them.

If you work with an agent that performs dual agencies, you are doing a huge dis-service to yourself in what is probably the single largest investment transaction you will ever perform.

Protect your interests and just say "No" to dual agency agreements.

Vintage Computer Feastival 2006

For those of you over the age of 35, how many of these old vintage machines do you recognize? Makes me wish I had never sold my old Commodore Amiga 500!

Exit Realty Central - Fairborn Office

This is the Fairborn office where I work (when not working at home).

Exit Realty Central will also be opening a new office in Beavercreek in early October. If you're in need of a Realtor, or a Realtor in need of a new home, I'd love to show you around and what we have to offer. No matter what your needs are, contacting me may be the most profitable thing you do all day.

Stanley Fat Max

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Ever since I changed to Exit Realty Central I have been busier than I ever have been. Seems like every day is bringing me new opportunities. You may hear that the market is slowing, well, I am seeing things a bit differently.

I'm listing a duplex tonight and taking along my trusty Stanley Fat Max Laser Measurer. It is one of the best tools a Realtor can have in their technology tool box. I can measure a home in minutes. I've been using it since last year. An absolutely great product!

Just got Kyle home from a dental appointment (no cavities!) and getting ready to head out for the evening. I'll post more frequently, I promise.

Another Browser

Thursday evening, and finally a little free time.  Might as well download yet another web browser to play around with.

Yes, it's true.  I love Firefox, Safari is great and growing on me, so why not add Opera and see how my website and BLOG look on it?  You can't have too many free browsers, right?

So, I go to the Opera web site and download the software.  Hmmm, pretty easy so far.  It seems to install just fine on my Mac (I know, everything works better on a Mac, there, I said it!).  OK, loads up fairly quickly.  Whoa!  How cool is this.  And it's free?  Even better.  No 'Bill' to pay.

Amazing!  Isn't technology wonderful?

3 Years of Happiness

Today I celebrate my 3rd wedding anniversary to my wonderful wife Dana! We've been through a lot in the past 3 years, and I'm glad to have her in my life.

I Love You Dana!

I Have A New Home!

Hello everyone!

Well, as of yesterday afternoon, I have a new home to hang my real estate license in. I'm happy to announce my affiliation with Exit Realty Central in Fairborn, OH. I have talked many times in the past about how happy I am to be part of the Exit Realty Family and am excited about this change. Dana and I have a lot of family and friends in Greene County and anticipate moving there next year once the school year finishes for Kyle.

Dana and I have been busy working on our kitchen. We are taking out cabinets & counters this week and getting ready to start on the floor. It should look quite different by the time we are done. All the work is driving the dogs wild, they hate power tools.