Blogging for Midland

Facebook: Work? What work?

2009-03-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

Yet again, I have managed to be absent from this blog for entirely too long, but hey! There's past stuff on here that's still a good read!

Anyhow, to anyone that finds me from Facebook, this is my blog. It is my bullhorn to the world, where I get to vent and brag and boast and yell and various other things because my opinion is just SOOOOOO important. ;)

One of these days I hope to return to work and actually accomplish something. Thank God duty pulls me out of the office so I can get off the stinkin' computer!

Anyhow, surf and enjoy... or not. I'll be back again soon to tell all the Obama voters "I told ya so." Peace!

Welcome to the world: Norah Raelyn Boswell !!

2008-11-24T11:29:00.002-06:00

Yes, baby is HERE! Norah Raelyn Boswell : Born Nov. 20, 2008 at 12:43pm. She was 6.5 lbs., 18" long, and has RED HAIR!! In lieu of flowers, prayers to St. Patrick for this red headed child to have mercy on her parents will be greatly appreciated. ;)

Pictures will soon be posted on Walgreens.com so you can view them, and if you want to, order them. We've found it to be a very easy and helpful website for photo taking. I'll keep you posted as this occures.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!

Update on Midland, Texas

2008-11-18T14:46:00.005-06:00

Greetings and Salutations!

Well, time to take a fresh look at Midland again, been a while since I've taken time to do that. And yes, there is much to report: some good, some not so good. Or is it?

First off, let's get some of the obvious updates out of the way, for those who aren't in Midland:

1) Midland Savings Building finally came down. This was a 14 story impolosion that cut into the saturday morning TODAY show, so it must have been big news! Formerly owned by Leona Helmsly, the MSB has been a blue/green monster that was so outdated, there was no saving it. It just had to come down. And it did. Two more to go: Metro Building and First National on corner of Texas and Colorado. Google maps is soon to be very... out of date. ;)

2) Loop is booming! We have 3 new hotels out by the 2 newer stadiums. Another hotel is going up on Loop 250 just west of Midland Drive, next to the new Nissan of Midland dealership, which is down the road from the new West Texas National Bank. Maurices is next to Kohl's now, and that finished of that shopping center, though they have a little space to lease now. And we have a new place called "Massage Envy" just across from Kohl's. Very posh massage therapy center. Reasonable prices to, though I need to schedule a time to get in there.

3) Tons of houses still being built. One oil company has purchused land south of Midland with the intention of building houses for their employees. Now THAT's thinking out loud, eh? Go team! Despite oil taking a dip, there's still much going on around Midland's housing market.

4) The two new apartment complexes are filling up. The Palms is nearly full, with construction just completed. Vantage apartments on north Midkiff is making rapid progress, but I think they are still wrapping up construction... though they are leasing. They have been a big relief to the many people moving to Midland.

5) Price of oil is still dropping. :( Down at the bottom of this blog is a chart I found on line that keeps and up-to-the-minute accounting of the price of oil per barrell. If nothing else, it will get my "hit count" going up because I check it everyday for sure. (I'm sneeky like that.)

That's about it for now. I have many ideas of things I've wanted to talk about: journalism, the 2nd amendment, parenting, etc. I'll be trying to get consistant again... as if anyone cares what I have to say. BUT... if you do, keep coming back! OR if you have a question of me, or a topic you'd like to discuss, send me an e-mail: jaeboswell@yahoo.com I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are once again welcome on this blog, just no spam. I had to knock off comments for a while because of spam stuff, but I'm back up again.

Comment away...!
Thanks,
John

Welcome the 21st Century

2008-11-12T11:33:00.003-06:00

"The King is dead! Long live the King!"

The days of old have now passed, as will many other things of "old." Obama did indeed win the election of 2008. I am pleased that a black man in this nation has risen to the highest position of power. I'm happy for change, as I have no doubt change is coming. The only question now is, what will it be?

Economic change: Wall Street is currently on its ear. The dow jones industrial, a barometer for financial times around the world, has been in flux for months now, and is currently in a spiral from which no bottom is seen or heard. The major industries of yesterday are in cardiac arrest. Auto, Insurance, Airline, Investments, Banks, are all crying for help. Even the oil industry, which normally is the exact opposite of everyone else across the nation, is floundering about in doubt and disbelief of the worldwide crisis at hand. This is all going to change.

Domestic change: Gay marriage was voted down in California, but just today, Connecticut passed gay marriage into law. And don't get me wrong about California, even though the people voted it down, they are fighting in the courts to legalize it anyway. It'll pass eventually. It is California after all. Like the concept or not, this is a change that will alter the landscape of American domestic development for years to come. How? I have no idea. But I have no doubt that it will. This is all going to change.

International change: Money that was previously being invested in the United States is now going overseas. Dubai is booming like no one's business. Dubai, a desert nation that has nothing except central location to Europe, Africa & Asia ... and oil. The worlds eyes are no longer focused on the U.S. and companies that had grown lazy and fat are now in a panic. This is all going to change.

Political change: The GOP is G no more... Grand Old Party my foot! Sen. McCain, a fine man and decorated war hero had NO business being the republican candidate for president. He's 72 years old, part of the establishment that needs to go, uninspiring to listen to, and this is the best the GOP could do? Mitt Romney was shot down for his religion, being Mormon. Name me one other reason he was NOT selected as the candidate? Mitt could run circles and DID run circles around everyone during the primaries. This nation was FOUNDED on the freedom of religion. Shows how tolerant we truly are, doesn't it? This to is all going to change.

Change can be good, and change is needed in this country now more than ever. People have forgotten what is means to earn a salary, work a real job, get your hands dirty, appreciate the fruits of your labors. Too many of us grew content with the "status quo" and forgot to keep an eye on the people with the real power. And in the dead of night, they let loose the reigns of this great nation and look where it got us... hell.

So I say... let the 20th century die. Let the past be gone, and lets work on a better tomorrow. Lets only look back to learn the lessons of yesterday, and take none of it with us into the future that is upon us. And to the newly elected President Obama, as I have said before, I hope you are nothing like I believe you to be. But it doesn't matter any more. We are here... now. So change everything. It can hardly get much worse. And if it does get worse, we'll have learned one more thing to never repeat.

Talkin' bout a revolution

2008-10-16T14:52:00.002-05:00

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

In the interest of full disclosure, it has been a philosophy of mine for a couple years now that the only way for us to make a change in Washington would be to vote out everyone. Well, I still believe that, no matter how painful it might be.

So, as much as it truly does pain me, I’ve got to tell you that my vote will most likely be going to Obama for 2008. I’m not doing this because I like the guy, quite the contrary. I’m doing this for many other reasons.

1) America deserves Obama. If the people of this once-great nation believe that he is the instrument of change in Washington, then we deserve whatever he gives us. Higher taxes, shoddy health care, fewer jobs, greater turmoil overseas, we deserve all of it. If the people that vote in this country can’t educate themselves beyond the talking points parroted back to us by the evening news, then by God we deserve the hell that comes with such a lack of knowledge.

2) Obama does equal change. He stands for change, and I don’t doubt that for a minute. But let’s look at the change he’ll bring us. Higher taxes, which will equate to more lay-offs, higher unemployment, less productivity, less exportation, and further recession. Healthcare for all, which will bring about fewer doctors (because they will quite before working for cheap or nothing), over-loaded hospitals, poorer quality of care, and huge delays in that care. The only ones who benefit from all this will be the insurance companies and the pharmaceuticals, so if you’re looking for a new profession… look there.

3) McCain is part of the “establishment.” As much of a maverick he likes to think he is, he’s just as guilty as the rest of the Keating Five who stood up for a crooked bookkeeper some years ago. Did McCain break any laws? None that I know of. But he’s shown his true colors when he brought pressure to bear on an investigation of someone he had financial ties to. Everyone in Congress who has accepted campaign funds is beholden to someone. They’re all dirty… it’s the nature of the business.

4) Time to accelerate the beginning of the end. Listen, America has had it good for a long time. We’ve got public education, the best hospitals in the world, strong universities that are the destination of students from around the world, home ownership, fast and varied transportation, we’ve got it made! We have so much going for us… and no one stops to appreciate the fact that we have it now. Oh no… it’s not good enough. We need cleaner cars and energy; we need better education for elementary and high schools. We need cheaper health care and EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE full coverage on health care. Damn the cost, 100% of the people are entitled to it … or so it is said.

“…a little rebellion now and then is a good thing,”
Thomas Jefferson ~ January 30, 1787

Time for change has indeed come, but it isn’t what anyone is thinking of or expecting. Congress has grown fat and lazy on the greed that is modern day politics. And “we the people” have grown ignorant and lazy, we do not learn nor do we try to learn about what is going on at the national level until it is too late. Coming up in the next two years will be the national I.D. card. Did you know that? Professions across this nation are being expected to produce fingerprints for identity purposes, so they say. Wire-tapping is done on regular citizens in the name of national defense. One by one, our freedoms and liberties are being stripped away by the very people we put in office to defend us… and no one seems to know about it, and when they do learn, they choose not to believe.

So do us all a favor, come next election day, go on out and vote for Barack Obama and lets put the ball in his court. Either he’s the “savior” that the media elite have built him up to be, or he is the catalyst for the even greater change that this country is so very long overdue for. It is time to close our eyes and step off into the void of Fate. Because I know with every fiber of my being… we sure aren’t on the path our forefathers set us upon.

IT'S TIME TO GET MAD!!

2008-09-26T13:12:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've been here, but hear me out on this:

It's time to get LOUD, MAD, and in the face of Capital Hill... RIGHT FREAKING NOW!

Politics is an ugly business. Anyone involved is automatically a liar because you are forced to vote for "bills" that have little hitches in them that you would NEVER vote for, except for the fact that it's in there and it ain't coming out. (ear marks, pork spending, etc.)

So here we are, about 50 days away from the presidential election, and the economy is taking a nose-dive into oblivion. Why is this? Well, let's follow the money. Less than 10 years ago, "regulations" were changed so that lending institutions and investment houses could keep less liquid capital (cash) on hand, and thereby invest more money into other things. However, the reason for keeping cash on hand is so that if the economy ever hits a snag, you can roll with the punches. Right? Well... enter the snag.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were lending money like crazy. Loans were made to people that should have never been given a loan, and just as soon as they cried "uncle" and foreclosures started to happen... guess what? Notes got called. Notes on loans that were not backed up with anything other than paper. Now look at what's happening: Merrill Lynch, Lehmann Bros., WaMu, and others we don't even know about yet are all screaming in fear of hell breaking loose.

The Dow Jones, nothing but an indicator of what is to come, is swinging drastically, hundreds of points in either direction, because no one knows what the hell is going on. ENTER: Congress.

Democrats: "We're gonna fix it!"
Republicans: "We're gonna fix it!"
Both of 'em secretly: "we're gonna fix it and pad our 'special interest' buddies pockets" wink wink

I sware, if we don't start getting out some of the old wood, and get in some new blood, we're going to see worse than a tanking economy in the next ten years. People like Reed, Pelosi, Kennedy, Frank, and the rest of them... are doing NOTHING but GETTING IN THE WAY!!!

Why else would congress have an "approval rating" of 9. Yes, NINE. On a scale of 1 to 100, 9% is all they get. You know what THAT means? In a democrat led congress, even the DEMOCRATS hate them!! BUSH, who all demorats hate, has a higher approval rating... and he's ticking me OFF right now!! "Let's bail out Fannie and Freddie." uh... excuse me? When a company goes under, they go UNDER. Bankrupt. Kaput. Dead. Then someone comes along, buys them out, and sells off the company for parts. But OH NO... not Uncle Sam! We're gonna buy this thing, and profit from it ourselves (the government) and leave things JUST LIKE THEY ALREADY ARE!!! Setting themselves up for yet ANOTHER LOSS!!!

Damn it people, get Mad! Remember Eddie Chiles, and all the bumper stickers that said, "I'm mad too, Eddie!"? He was mad over gas prices and how liberals were beating up on the oil companies. We'll, it's beyond that now. Not only is oil up, it's WAY up. Gas is up. Food costs are up. Demand in the world is up, and nothing can be done about that. However, congress is tying the hands of oil companies so we can't even refine the oil we have RIGHT HERE!! Do you realize, we literally export crude oil, and import the refined stuff? TRUE STORY! Yet one more reason for congress to get the hell outta the way!

As if the oil crisis weren't enough, the mortgage crisis is now upon us, this is already effecting the banks and investment industry, this will then domino into God only knows what... and we're left holding the bag. AND WHY? WHY ARE THINGS SO BAD???

Congress. It's high freaking time that we start OUSTING the damn people in congress. Impeach the President? The hell! Impeach Congress! They want to launch investigations into steroids, into pork spending (that they did themselves), into pictures on the internet of POW's being embaressed, HELL! Harry Reed tried to get an investigation going on Rush Freaking Limbaugh who did nothing more than point out the TRUTH about how REED has his hands into CORUPTION in Nevada real estate!!! And what did Rush do? He got his hands on the letter that Reed wrote, auctioned it off on e-bay, and raised millions for veterans and their families.

Take that, Harry!

I'm serious, people. If we don't CHECK congress in November, we're all going to hell in a handbasket. At the rate things are moving right now, I feel safe in predicting a second civil war in my lifetime. Washington D.C. is so outta whack, short of a civil war, I don't know what else can change it. I'd run for congress myself, if I weren't so scared of getting sucked into the b.s. too! Or being seen as politically impotent due to the powers that already "BE."

Get mad, people. Get loud, and get mad. And tell your rep's to do the same. Conaway! That means you, too! I want to see you on the news, red in the face for all the yelling I want to hear.

Get after it!

Midland, Texas makes National News!

2008-03-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, Midland didn't exactly make national news... today. But why haven't we??

RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT:
Midland has held the record for unemployment state-wide for over a year. As fast as we're building, getting new business, expanding existing businesses... people are finding jobs. And pick up the Sunday paper anytime and you'll find a dozen pages, front and back of "help wanted" ads. Everything from fast food, to medical, to executive, to oilfield related.

RECORD GROWTH:
Midland had over 500 housing permits sent out in 2007 and in 2008, we're going to dwarf that number. Basic Energy bought THREE different buildings downtown, tore one of those down and are planning on a huge retro-fit of the other two with parking and retail... and that's just one little corner of downtown! Seriously, if you haven't been downtown Midland lately, you have no idea.

RECORD EXPANSION:
Midland has annexed large tracts of land and have expanding the city limits greatly to the northwest. A water tower is under construction to help water pressure in the part of town because the growth has been beyond belief. Development of business districts, downtown and near the Midland International Airport is moving at an unbelievable pace. But no matter how many facts I give... who the hell's gonna believe me!

NO ONE... believes just how much Midland has grown. And we're just one city. Stanton, Big Spring, Andrews, Odessa... and God help "Penwell" when we finally do slam-dunk a futuregen project of some kind. Oh... it's coming. Do not doubt me. The oil industry needs the CO2, west Texas needs the electricity, this nation needs the technology up and running... the list goes on and on.

OIL... just hit $110 per barrel. As much as the New England states might dread that, for Midland it means growth, expansion, and money. And when do you see oil dropping? Five years? Ten? No. Twenty? doubtful. But with the population of Texas due to DOUBLE ... by 2030...???

I'm sorry folks, but we're on a roll and there's nothing gonna stop it. Question is: are you here getting in on it? or are you going to let this RECORD BREAKING time pass you by???

What is it going to take to get the national press coverage west Texas deserves... AND NEEDS... in order to help us launch off all the pinned up potential?

Anyone know Rupert Murdock? Better yet, get Mr. President to come down for a visit!! I think he needs to fly over Midland and give us his take on how things are changing here. ;)

Midlanders need a place to live! ...and go vote.

2008-03-04T09:12:00.000-06:00

Can someone explain to me why, when Midland is desperate for housing and places to live... the city council failed to vote on passing or not passing on a proposal to build a new apartment complex?

Here is yet another city council meeting I'll have to attend to make sure things get done. *sigh* I'd much rather be working.

Speaking of work, Midland is still on a boom. Met more people from Kansas, Arizona, and a couple more places. It really amazes me how people are flocking to Midland these days.

Today is "junior Super Tuesday" whatever the hell that means. The media is such a joke anymore. Reaching, stretching, grasping for anything and everything to come up with a "story." Anyways... GO VOTE! Don't make me tell you again. And don't do that silly "vote for Hillary" thing to beat Obama that so many people are talking about. After Barry's Canada snafu, he's just as bad as Hillary and neither deserve the time of day. I voted for Romney, personally.

What do you mean he's outta the race??? D'oh!

Have a nice day!

Integrity

2008-02-19T21:40:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary

integrity
Main Entry:
in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation:
\in-te-gr-tē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
Date:
14th century
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness
synonyms see honesty

Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.

Question: What "code" of moral values do you look toward for guidence? The Bible? Koran? Torah? How about in your profession, do you uphold a professional code of ethics as a doctor? lawyer? business professional?

When I was in the Boy Scouts, many years ago, we had a candle lighting ceremony where we lit candles as we read about the Boy Scout pleadge: "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,brave, clean, and reverent." When we got to 'brave,' the candle decided to melt and drip on my hand. It was hot... damn hot. BUT, I bit my lip and was brave. I endured the moment's worth of pain in order to have a story to tell you now. I was once brave when it mattered a lot... to me.

I still think back on those values from time to time: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient. Let's stop there. Kind? I can admit I could do better there. Obedient? That depends on to whom, and why do I owe them my obedience. For the most part, I can think for myself and that can get me in trouble... when "obedience" might have served me better. Cheerful? eh... sometimes, though there is a synic alive and well in me. Thrifty? Work in progress. Brave? Yup. Covered that. Clean? Sure! Just don't look at my desk! Reverent? That's a matter of opinion. God and I know each other well enough to know where I stand, but other's might have an opinion on my "reverence."

So, getting back to Integrity, "where are you going with this, John?"

Good question, thanks for asking.

And while your at it, that is my point: Ask yourself what guide you use for a moral compass? A Scout pledge? Code of Ethics in your profession? Can you remember one line from that "code?"

I was just thinking, words have a meaning. Codes... have meaning. If there is a "code" in your life, whether it be the classic "Ten Commandments" or something else, why not go refresh yourself a bit? It never hurts to freshen up a bit.

This public service announcement brought to you by a busy-body with far too much on his mind than he can ever spill at one time. Remember? I'm still working on the obedience thing. And cheerful... and reverent.... and get outta here. But hurry back!

Presidential race? Vote : None of the Above

2008-02-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry, but I gotta tell ya... I'm just not happy with our (limited) choices this time around for President of the United States.

On the one hand, we have John McCain as the leading contender for the Republican party. However, he's for amnesty for immigrants, spends money like everyone else in D.C., fouled up the campaign contribution world of politics with his "fix" of it, and will make a deal with a Democrat, and stab his own party in the back... at the drop of a hat.

Then we have Hillary and Obama. Obama is inspirational. I kinda like the guy. His heart is in the right place but he has no experience, and what he DOES have experience in doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Hillary, on the other hand, has all KINDS of experience: cheating lying husband, dirty back-room law deals, takes money from anyone willing to hand it out... only to later deny knowing who they are or what they do when you KNOW she knows. And what has she "fought" for all her career? Status. The whole thing is just a game to her. She didn't want to be Senator Clinton from New York! She wanted to be Senator Clinton... candidate for President of the United States!

That was her one and only purpose from the word go, and you & I know it.

So what do we do?

Well, first of all, come March, I'm still voting for Romney. I think he KNOWS more than all 3 others will ever hope to know about business, finance, budgets, spending, etc. I think he is a moral man and will "do the right thing" no matter what that might mean. And then, come November, I'm strongly leaning toward taking my voter registration card to the nearest news camera... making sure they are filming me... and burning it.

Yes, that's right. Burn it.

To hell with the "system" because it's broken. Since when did "taking the lesser of two evils" become a good thing and not an evil thing to do? If you have to vote for Lucifer or Lord Sauron as the next President of the United States, why are we voting for Lucifer? Because we know our real guy will beat him in the end?

How's about we vote for neither? Better yet... don't vote! Let's all protest next November 4th, or whatever day it might be, and tell Washington D.C. we choose NONE OF YOU!!!

Choosing the lesser of two evils? Sounds evil to me. It is evil to choose... because either way, your choice was wrong. Damn wrong.

Just something to ponder. I welcome comments on this... any and all will be welcome and posted.

Welcome to Midland, everyone from North Dakota, Idaho, Michigan, California, Montana, Wyoming, Florida...

2008-02-14T15:21:00.000-06:00

Seriously, this is a quick "Howdy!" and a "Welcome to the party!" to everyone new to Midland from other states. I've seen nearly a dozen different state license plates in the last week. Yesterday, I even saw a car (jeep?) from Alaska. So welcome to you eskimos too!

On the downside, traffic is backing up and getting a little more crazy around here. So if anyone out there has issues with Midland growing? expanding? developing? Might I encourage you to drive from downtown Midland to ... oh, I dunno, the mall perhaps? or Loop 250 and Midland drive? Yeah, do that. Drive from downtown Midland to Loop 250 and Midland Drive... and see how long it takes you.

You can even take the loop if you want, but don't say I didn't warn ya. ;)

Welcome to one and all! Now grab a hammer, we got some building to do around here!

Basic Energy : Congratulations!

2008-02-10T16:53:00.001-06:00

Congrats to Basic Energy of Midland! After years of hard work, and the benefits thereof, they have made such progress as to warrant two new buildings and are laying the groundwork for development in downtown Midland.

Basic recently aquired the "Hightower Building" downtown on Illinois Street, as well as another office building and the old and infamous "Belt Buckle building" next door on Illinois. They had a ground-breaking ceremony this past Friday on their plans to level the old BBB and put up a new structure in its place. We know parking will be involved in their new plans, but dare we hope for a new resturant location? or perhaps some shops of some kind? Tons of potential... literally.

Work is still going forward on Big Spring St. and Texas where two builds were leveled. It is my understanding the Metro building and adjacent bank on the corner of Colorado and Texas will soon meet their maker and also be demolished. Now... if we can ever get the MMMD to make up their mind on tearing down the old Midland Savings on the corner of Wall and Colorado, then we'd have some serious prime real estate just ripe for development down there!

Still no word on the old Vaughn building becoming Midland Sky Tower. I haven't given up hope for it. With Midland making national news as frequently as we are, we're due for about 5 to 10 more good years of growth.

Did anyone ever doubt me? All my predictions about Midland and its future growth?

Of course not. Who would dare doubt me? ;)

Have a great week!

Happy Anniversery, Blogging for Midland!

2008-02-08T14:54:00.001-06:00

Yes indeed. Three years ago today, I started a blog that has been rather interesting to me. I've met people across the nation, found readers who are friends, neighbors, and even my "betters!" (notice I didn't say "elders?" *grin*)

I was thinking the other day how I need to change up the content a bit. Last few posts have seemed a little repetitious. But I've learned something over the years, something that aikido and real estate each have taught me very well: repeat, repeat, repeat.

You can't try something once and think you understand it. You can't attempt anything once, and "know" you know it...you're just kidding yourself. You can't advertise "here and there" and expect people to know who you are.

"Good things come to those who PERSIST."

Remember that. It's a truth that I came across years ago when I was the wandering philosopher I once was. I was pondering the thought of "good things come to those who wait," when it occured to me: the hell it does!

You can wait your whole life for Mr. (Ms.) Right to come along, and you'll never see them. You can wait your whole life for the perfect job, perfect house, perfect (fill in the blank here) and guess what? You'll miss it, not see it, let it get away, think it is something else all together... and you'd be wrong.

No, good things do NOT come to those who wait. It comes to those who persist. You have to work FOR something, TOWARDS something, in the general DIRECTION of something.

In this world, you can either be the Cause of your life, or the Effect of it. Ever heard the saying," God helps those who help themselves?" You have to give God something to work with in order for God to Work It!

There is another saying that drives me absolutely batty: "I guess it was just meant to be." You hear this all the time from reality t.v. people, and so many others. The DANGER in this particular thought is... you are placing yourself in the position to be the effect of any and every outcome situation there might be. How terrible is that?

Car breaks down? Meant to be.
Lose your job? Meant to be.
Go into bankruptcy? Meant to be.
Divorce? Meant to be.

Uh.... EEEHHH! Wrong. You could have budgeted and fixed your car. You could have come in early, stayed late, work through lunch or bring the boss lunch to save your job. You could have not charged up a dozen credit cards to AVOID bankruptcy. And you could have done a million different things to work on saving your marriage, but I'll grant you this... it takes two to make a marriage work, so sometimes it can be another's fault.

BUT... point is, don't just sit back and take it. Get out there and work for what you want. NAME the thing you want so you know, without a doubt, what it is you are going after. WANT what you just named. Do you REALLY want that? or are you just mentioning it because it is what someone else expects you to say? Ya gotta want it. Finally, ya gotta go for the gusto. GET what you want. Don't sit back and wait for it to happen along... go, go, go!

Okay, I'm getting preachy again.

Just think about it!

"Good things come to those who persist."

Start.

Anyone else feel the ground shaking...???

2008-02-07T14:18:00.000-06:00

Busy these days around Midland? Traffic getting a little more congested than usual? How about going out for a bite to eat, longer waiting time? And have you seen the classified section of the sunday paper lately? If you haven't answered "Yes" to at least one of those questions, then you are not in the Midland, Texas area. And that's just a shame.

Midland is booming right now, and I mean BOOM-ing. Well, for that matter, so is Odessa and Andrews, Texas! MSNBC recently did a segment on Andrews and all the work going on there: experimential nuclear facility that the University of Texas is building, the uranium enrichment plant between Andrews and Eunice, N.M., and also the nuclear waste storage facility the government is building. The next day, people were packing up and moving from California, Montana, Wyoming, and Michigan to move to Andrews. ANDREWS!! Okay, it's a good town, but what is their population? Maybe close to 10,000 people now? Multiply that by TWENTY and you've got Midland and Odessa with even more growth going on.

Yes my friends, we are booming. I feel like we're all sitting on a powder keg just waiting for it to go off.

This past monday, Montana Properties group from Alberta, Canada came before the planning and zoning commission of the city of Midland and announced their intentions to begin develpment of over 640+ acres of land in north Midland. In a time when the rest of the nation is slowing down to catch their breath, investors from coast-to-coast, literally, are coming here to BUILD! And we are building.

Right now, these are the facts:
Three (3) hotels are under construction out by the stadium, one is nearing completion.
Several new resturants have just opened, or are about to open in the next few months.
Midland and Odessa have collectively over 50 subdivisions building up, the majority of which are new within the last year! And those are just the ones that have broken ground. Still others are in the works to break ground this year!
Interstate 20 is undergoing a major renovation at Cottonflat Road which is in actuallity a continuation of Garfield Drive.
TXDoT is breaking ground right now on the "reliever route" north of Midland that is soon to become the next "loop" of Midland. (mark my words)
Opening in two months is the newest apartment complex boasting rentals from just under $1,000 per month to as high as $1650 per month for very nice, very spacious apartments with attached garages! Last one built was what... 20 years ago?
Midland Reporter-Telegram has a classified section that is over dozen pages or more (for jobs), and last I checked Saudi Aramco is hosting a job fair in Midland! Even OPEC is coming here looking for help!

Midland is about to see a lot of change. Now, I know a lot of people are not that comfortable with "change" but you just gotta get over that. People from around the nation are starting to notice Midland/Odessa in a big way, and that means we're going to see a lot of people come here. Now is the time to really buckle down and keep Midland running. People need to exercise patience on the roads and watch out for the other guy. Friends and family need to spread word of mouth when someone comes along needing a job, some place to live, somewhere to shop, or just looking for something to do.

But the one thing I would like everyone to do, more than anything, is: Get Involved! Right now, the city of Midland has dozens of committes and boards that need volunteers to help. Once or twice a month, you'll get together with others and help the city make plans and decisions that will guide our growth over the next 2 to 25 years... and beyond! There's a lot of change and Midland needs our help. We need workers to fill jobs, we need houses for those workers, and we need volunteers to help the city make sense of it all.

Get active.

Get involved.

But get with the program, because we're growing by leaps and bounds and there is literally nothing we can do but hold-on and help guide things when we can.

Welcome to the new "Wall Street" of Midland

2008-01-15T15:42:00.000-06:00

As many of you probably know, 2007 was the year Wall St. in Midland got a face lift downtown. Now, before all you ney-sayers start to chime in, listen up for a second... it looks cool!

For years now, I've listened to the skeptics tell me downtown "isn't worth saving," and that "it's a waste of tax payers dollars," and "there's nothing down there, so why bother?" Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again: "Midland is the 'Tall City.' Downtown isn't going anywhere and it is plain FOOLISH to think if we ignore it, it'll just go away!" No, downtown Midland is in all actuality an asset to Midland and is only just now getting the face lift it needs to breath life back into it.

TxDOT and the city of Midland just did a great overhaul last year to Wall St., a good chunk of downtown. And thanks to the foresight of the City and citizens working with the city, six blocks of Wall St. right next to downtown have been rezoned PDNS, or, Planned District Neighborhood Services. Now then, what does that mean?

From N Street to I street (I think that's correct) is a six block area that had previously been zoned strictly for offices. BOR...ING! Sure, some look good, but others need a little help! But now, with the change, shops of various kinds can open up along Wall St. and breath new life into the gateway to downtown Midland! Monument signs will be used instead of pole signs, meaning businesses will have signs no taller than four feet tall. This will allow for the oaks to remain and stay the nice feature that they are. Shops of all kinds can come in, pharmacies, various services, and there is even talk about a "collectible cars museum" coming in to the area! Being that it is just a couple blocks from the Museum of the Southwest, it's very fitting and can only prove to be a further asset to Midland.

Things are happening in Midland, and changes... good changes, are all around us. Through the participation of the citizens of Midland, bigger and better things will come as well!

Speaking of which, the new city council met recently and declared they would bring back a "ten minute" section of time at their council meetings for citizens of Midland to come and talk to the council about... get this.... ready??

ANYTHING!

Yes, you to can have 2 minutes of uninterrupted time to speak with the city council about anything and everything you feel you need to voice to them. Want a stop sign in your neighborhood? Tell them. Like what they are doing? Not? Tell them. Want something changed? Left alone? TELL THEM!

This blog is my bullhorn and by God, I'm gonna tell you right here and right now:
SPEAK UP! We elected people to listen to us and work for us. They can only do that if they know what the heck we're thinking! That can only happen if we talk to them.

Now is your chance. Get to a council meeting and make yourself heard. You'll never feel so free as getting out in the open, all the thoughts and ideas you've been bottling up for years. Be brief. Be concise. But be heard.

Okay, I'm done here. I'll be back next time with more news I think you should know. I'm cool like that. ;)

Happy New Year 2008 !

2008-01-04T15:52:00.001-06:00

Greetings and salutations!

Well, the calander has finally flipped and 2008 is well upon us now. FutureGen took the easy way out and went to Illinois. (*sigh*) Oh well. With as much work has been done on this already, I have no doubt that progress will now step forward to something even bigger and better than a government funded project anyway.

The Permian Basin has officially seen $100/barrell oil! History has been made. Sucks for us at the gas pump, but it foretells a productive year for Midland and the oil industry.

Other things to look forward to in Midland 2008:

Real Estate development.
"The Palms" apartment complex is very near completion and will be the first of many new apartment complexes for Midland in a long time. Nice too.
Shopping centers. Development around the new Wal-Mart on I-20 is still going like gangbusters. Holiday Inn Express, Complex Community FCU and many others are either out of the ground or getting ready to break ground. There is also a new shopping center going in north of ClayDesta along Big Spring. Looks good!
And how many new housing additions do we have now? A baker's dozen or so? I can't even keep up. Between new apartments and new housing developments going up, I think 2008 will be the year we can kiss our "housing shortage" goodbye.

Now where's all the people?
Unemployment in Midland keeps hitting record lows. I e-mailed MONEY magazine and told one their writers about Midland. I had read an article recently about "Prosperous Cities" despite the housing downturn around the nation and was surprised to see Midland was not mentioned. Well, I moved to correct that rather quickly. But will I get credit for turning that idea over to a national publication? NOOOOooooooooooo........... (Cue the Steve Martin impersonation) Ah well, maybe Midland will get a blurb or two. Who knows.

New Politicians. Joy?
OH... the drama! Midland has a new Mayor now, and new city council members. I'll be at the Midland Center Monday for their swaring in. It was a very dramatic election for many reasons, but we made it through and now... we have new people coming in. I wish them all well and hope for good things. We'll soon see if it was a good thing or not.

There's plenty more to talk about, but the clock is ticking.
Y'all have a good one and I'll be back again soon.

Ciao!

FutureGen on the way?

2007-12-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

Well, despite the wishes of the Department of Transportation, it seems the FutureGen Alliance is going ahead with their announcement on Dec. 18th to let the world know where they intend to build the first "clean coal burning" energy plant.

Hopes are high that the location chosen will be the Odessa/Penwell here in west Texas. Illinois locations are very hopeful that they will be the ones to become home to the 2 billion dollar plant, but it really is up in the air until the 18th.

If it does come to west Texas, hold on to something. You think we're in a "boom" time now? You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Austin Hill Visit 2007 - Realtor Style

2007-03-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings friends!

Yesterday proved to be a fun-filled and adventurous day for me and several of my peers, as we did a trek to the State Capital building in Austin.

The State Legislature named March 27, 2007: Texas Realtor Day, and I can assure you hundreds of Realtors showed up to show our support. A group of ten of us flew down to Austin, leaving Midland at 7:00am sharp. SouthWest Airlines got us to Austin ahead of schedule and we were on our way. Now, how we managed to fit nine people into a seven passenger van is beyond explaination, but quite funny! No, I can't post any photos of the event. Suffice to say we all know each other much better and the term "bonding" has taken on new meaning. (*Sardines anyone?*)

Seriously though, the event was a huge success and quite the learning experience. We met with Drew Darby of San Angelo, Kel Seliger of Amarillo, Buddy West of Odessa and Speaker of the House Tom Craddick and his beautiful and gracious wife, Nadine Craddick. Mrs. Craddick knew a couple members of our party personally, and was generous enough to invite us back for a tour of the newly renovated residential space of the Speaker. For those who do not know, millions of dollars were raised and spent for this renovation process, and I'm happy to report it was well worth the resources. The new space now has the Speaker's office, conference room, living room and dining area, all of which is used to welcome and accomidate delegates and dignitaries from near and far. Texas is a far more welcoming place with this new space at the ready.

The Texas Association of Realtors put together a very well organized and fruitful day. Every member, as far as I can tell, of the Texas Congress, has been met with and visited with on behalf of every home owner, as it is our highest priority to protect home owners and all real estate owners in the state of Texas. One photographer, whom I found myself following all day, said that she was indeed following the Midland group around. "You all are organized, you know where you are going. You're a good group! You can pretty much count on being in the next magazine." Awesome! Now if I had only asked her which magazine she worked for?? ;) I'll report back when I know for sure, but more than likely the Texas Realtor mag. We'll see.

Anyhow, it was a great time! Permian Basin Board of Realtors was well represented and I'm proud and glad I was able to join in with them, and everyone we had worked with yesterday. Thanks go out to Carolyn Arnold of PBBR, Laura Lyons President 2007 PBBR, and everyone else in attendence. Special shout-out to Skeet Doss and Kay Sutton for their close friendship with Mr. & Mrs. Craddick, and the opportunity to visit with them and get the extra guided tour. What a rare opportunity that was, and so much fun!

Take care,
John B.

Blogging for Midland? Oh yeah! I think I've heard of it...

2007-01-23T11:04:00.000-06:00

I know, late again. Go figure. :p

What can I say? Life has been a little busy, so I'll try to catch up.

First off, Baby's Birthday! Aiden turned 1 this past week and we had a party for him on Sunday. All Grandparents and adopted Grandparents were in attendence. He loves the attention. Good thing he's humble like his Daddy. (not!) No toys! Just send money! ;) haha!

Wife, Baby and I went to Ruiodoso after Christmas! LOVE the snow. Love it! Not enough at the time we were there, but we got our skiing "fix" in and had a good time. Aiden didn't know what to think of the snow. I put his hand in it and he looked at me like," what the hell is THIS stuff?!" Cute little bug!

Work at Darrell McDonald Realtors is going great. LOTS to do in Midland, these days. We have people moving in, Investors swooping in and buying up tons of houses. Other investors buying houses to "flip." And if that wasn't enough, new construction as far as the eye can SEE! Some examples:

Ashley Furniture is up and running now, big nice store.

Comet Cleaners and Jack & Jill Doughnuts are building a new store (building) on Briarwood in NW Midland. That should be up soon.

There is a new strip mall going up by my office on Midland Drive just west of the Town & Country (also on Biarwood).

The Marriott Courtyard is going up by Sam's Club and Clear Spring's Cafe. Also over there will be Permian BMW, if my sources are correct. They should be breaking ground this year.

Also to break ground: Gander Mountian. They are an Out Doors type store with hunting, fishing and boating equipment. I think they will be a welcomed addition to the Permian Basin.

Wall Street's reconstruction is more than half way through and with it, condominiums are planned for a building at the corner of Wall and Main, just west of the main post office. These are anxiously looked after by many people in Midland. I'm very interested in them myself!

I'm sure there is plenty I've left out. It's nothing personal, it is just busy around here!
Things to look forward to in 2007:
The New Engineering building on the UTPB campus.
The New Fine Arts building and Performance Center out at 1788 and 191 (C.E.E.D. Building)
Casino news in Texas? May be a possibility
La Enterada industrial park building being filled? More than likely
Condo's all over downtown and other buildingS (Plural) coming down!!
More residential construction
More commercial construction
More investors from California and elsewhere
More oil being pumped out of the ground
and more of John being late with updating his silly blog. ;)

Anyone interested in being my secretary? I'm cheap, but funny! :P HA!

Take care and stay warm!

Yes! We Do Property Management!

2006-08-21T14:07:00.000-05:00

Give me a second to... catch my breath!

"Welcome to Darrell McDonald Realtors! Now get to work!" Ladies and Gents, I have been on the run since day one! WOW! Calls, Renters, Owners, Buyers, Sellers... I knew I was a jack of all trades, but never did I know I could do so much, so fast in so little time! :P

I arrived in Don Byerly's office Monday morning, August 14th. I'll spare you the details, suffice to say I haven't made it home before 7:00PM YET! I have talked to 3 home owners considering renting their property, and one has signed. The other two have a little more work to do to get their home ready to go. Also, I have a couple very nice four bedroom homes coming on the market soon! Which is good, because there are what? A whole 20-25 houses on the market that are four bedroom in Midland?

Midland is growing by leaps and bounds. I think what amazes me is the number of areas where builders are putting up new homes, and the streets they build on are on NO MAPS! We're talking 2005 maps that are so out of date, 6 to 10 city blocks are built up and no where to be found! You just have know what is going on!

That's where I come in. ;)

Call me! Leave a message if I'm not here and I WILL call you back! If you need to buy, sell, rent or rent out a property, I can take care of it for you.

And by the way:
WE DO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT!! If you have a property (house or duplex or anything, really) and you don't want to manage it for whatever reason, CALL ME! Don and I can take care of it for you! What is better: owning a property and working it? or owning a property and collecting a check every month? And if you don't own property, for which you would like a check, call me... we can fix that problem too!

Gotta run! Stay in touch!!

Darrell McDonald Realtors: John is coming over!

2006-08-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings, friends!

Kindly John Boswell here, coming to you from Midland, Texas! You know, the land of bumper to bumper Escalades (if you listen to the bogus news on t.v. ;) !

(*True story: CBS did a story about the oil business and then focused on Midland and how "everyone" is getting rich. Huh! Some "investigative journalism" that was! Not.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/27/business/main1840054.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories *)

TRUTH of the matter is, Midland is STILL hoppin', we are growing by leaps and bounds, and I did buy a newer vehicle, but it was a mini-van, not a luxury SUV. Sorry CBS... maybe next time.

In the midst of all this growth and development, my time has come to make a change. Though I have been with John Williams at Williams & Associates for over 7 years, I will be making a move over to Darrell McDonald Realtors of Midland: http://www.mcdonaldrealtors.com/

Kay McDonald was the President of the local board of Realtors when I first got my license. She was also the listing agent on the house my wife and I bought almost one year ago! She is one of the nicest people I have dealt with in real estate, and I'm really looking forward to teaming up with her in the future on many interesting real estate ideas we have been discussing.

Also in this move to Darrell McDonald Realtors, I will be working with Don Byerly, the property manager in their office. He manages over 160 properties and is expanding that inventory still! Between the two of us, we will have one of the largest (if not THE largest) inventories of privately owned houses and duplexes in all of Midland! SO, if you move to Midland and want to avoid "apartment" life, give us a call!

My official starting date isn't yet concrete, but it is looking more and more like August 14, 2006. I will be going back and forth in the meantime, to "learn the ropes" and get to know everyone there.

Many thanks need to go out to John M. Williams! I grew up with his kids here in Midland and has been as much of a father as he has been a mentor and broker. Through his guidance, I've learned so much about Midland, construction, remodeling, property management, and most importantly... I've made many clients and friends.

Time at Williams & Associates has been invaluable to me. But alas, change is on the wind and now... so am I. BUT LOOK ME UP!

Renting? Buying? Selling in Midland? Call me:

John A.E. Boswell
c/o Darrell McDonald Realtors
4801 N. Midland Drive
Midland, TX. 79707

(432) 689-0021 (as of Aug. 14th)
(432) 488-3223 pager (Punch in your number... I'll call you back!)

Downtown Midland is hoppin' !!

2006-06-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

Hello again!

Well, the auction has come and gone, and it went very well. All the buildings sold, bringing in far more than I ever thought they would. Something close to two and a half million for all four buildings! I look forward to seeing what happens with them next! I think all of Midland does.

Wall Street is now under construction. There are many nay-sayers on this one, though. Wall St. is to be narrowed to three lanes, sidewalks are to be torn out and re-done, trees will be planted, drainage will be corrected and many asthetic changes are to take place. I, for one, am looking forward to it. Many others area screaming,"Don't spend my tax dollars on that!" But, what do you do? When you have a downtown area in need of serious renovation and work, do you just let it sit there and rot? I'm mean, seriously. Come on! Downtown Midland is the home of county courts, District Courts and Federal Courts. We have lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, city officials, oil businessmen and women, accountants, bankers, and countless others down there everyday. Much of Midland's business takes place there... and we don't want to spend a little money to fix the place up? Granted, a couple million dollars isn't a "little money," but it is when you consider that compared to the overall picture of Midland.

Midland is not small town, and it is getting bigger and better every day.

Residential housing is booming in North and West Midland right now. Every contractor and sub-contractor are booked up with work well into the next year. Plans for a new class A apartment complex are in the works and should be breaking ground within a year. Not to mention all the other development coming to Midland:

Ashley Furniture is under construction next to Kohl's on Loop 250.
La Quinta Inn has broken ground two blocks away from that.
Holiday Inn Express is nearing completion near the Saturn dealership on the loop.
A christian book store is under construction next door to the Acadamy sporting goods,
as is another Rapid Lube oil change center. (I gotta admit, this one is a bit redundent in Midland.)

In the not-to-distant future, Midland is expecting a luxuary car dealership west of the loop on Hwy 191. Also, a new yet different sporting goods store is expected to be built in west Midland. Construction is due to begin soon on East Loop 250 to complete its extension to east Hwy. 80 and Intersate 20, which will be a huge imporvement for East Midland.

Midland recently had a "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony on a new bike trail in southwest Midland. This has been a much desired addition to the city and has finally been realized. Also, a new Dog Park has been completed out at Hogan Park to rave reviews.

So much is happening, and 2006 is going to be a big year for us.

Hopefully I'll be back soon with more news to keep everyone posted! Go check out the Midland Forums on-line for more information and to keep up with current events. I'm so busy, I'm lucky to be able to do so myself! ;)

Midland Auction : Four office buildings downtown

2006-05-10T14:13:00.000-05:00

Greetings again!

Well, as usual, too much is going on in Midland to report. However, there is ONE bit of very exciting news that I wanted to share about Downtown Midland: Real Estate Auction!

Myco Properties of Midland is selling off four office buildings in downtown: One Wall Plaza, the Vaughn Building, and the Permian Building and the Gihles Tower. One Wall Plaza is a great building, already home to numerous companies and offices. The others have been out of commission for a while, but with so much activity going on downtown, these properties will surely become a huge asset to someone!

More information can be found here: http://www.higgenbotham.com/index.asp

In addition to this auction, plans are already underway to narrow Wall Street to two lanes in order to widen the sidewalks and make them more pedestrian friendly! Plans are underway for shops, cafe's and various businesses to come in to the area, once the "face lift" has been done. More on that can be seen at the Master Plan for Midland 2025 here: http://www.ci.midland.tx.us/engineering/cp2025.pdf

SO MUCH IS HAPPENING! SO MUCH IS GOING ON! If you haven't been keeping up with Midland, then good luck... because you've got a lot of ground to cover. ;)

All Things In "Moderation"

2006-04-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

*click click*

"This thing on...?"

Hello everyone! Sorry for being gone so long. So much to talk about, so much going on. I would LOVE to tell you everything, but I'm going to try and pace myself a little bit. In the not-to-distant future, I will be going into detail on the enormous growth "boom" that Midland is experiencing at the moment, life with a new baby, more on real estate, the desire to return to martial arts training... and so much more.

BUT for now, I will start off by talking about one of my new hobbies: Forum Moderator.

If you look to the left, and down at the bottom of the list, you will see a link called "Midland Forums." These forums are the community bulletin on the web for people to come together, share information, relay stories and jokes and pictures. It really has been a fun place to socialize. In the "real world," many of us from the forum have gotten together to meet and talk and have fun. And it is fun!

But even more fun is the opportunity to be a moderator for these boards. As of now, I am the forum moderator for "Economic Development" and for the political forum "Moderate Forum." Both of these are very interesting as news regarding the development of Midland, new or expanding businesses and city expansion takes place... all discussed on the E.D. forum. "The Moderate Forum" is for people who want to discuss politics, but not get mired down in talk about only Republicans or Democrats and how one party is better than the other... or worse. ;)

My job as a "Moderator" is to keep things civil, keep things entertaining, keep things moving and to encourage conversation about the various subjects at hand. It isn't a paying job, nor is it hard, nor... is it even a really job! However, it does require one to be vigilant and aware. Things can quite down and soon you'd have no one talking. No fun there. Things can become heated and confrontational, which requires some tact to keep in line but not shut down abruptly.

I'm happy to say that the Economic Development forum has been highly productive. Very useful conversations take place, people thinking of new ideas for Midland, sharing news about businesses coming to the Permian Basin. It is also a sources for "links" to other websites relating to the Cities of Midland and Odessa and the economic development each city is working on. Please feel free to stop by and check it out sometime. ;)

http://www.myopenforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=477cc2d382788d7a78b950a97fb0e44b

As for the Moderate Forum, well, that's a "Member's Only" forum due to policing the activity in there. Anyone interested has only to e-mail me and explain your intentions and reasons you'd like to join. In truth, I'd like to have everyone come participate. However, not everyone, I've found, can "play nice." So... e-mail me if you, too, would like to join us and discuss politics in a positive light with ideas on how to get things done!

snowshadower33@yahoo.com

Anyhow... I'm going to run, but I'll be back again soon. Hope to see you all on the forums! Just don't take everything too serious. If laughter is truly the best medicine, we'll have you're cure on the boards. (Might catch something else though! LOL)

REALTORS : Do you really need one?

2006-02-03T11:23:00.000-06:00

On a local internet forum, a conversation has been brought up about whether a REALTOR is necessary or not, and why wouldn't someone just sell their home For Sale By Owner (FSBO). It is an interesting question and one worthy of addressing, as I'm finding a lot of misconceptions about real estate.

First of all, let's consider what a real estate agent does.

Not all sales people in real estate are REALTORS. To be called a Realtor, with a capital "R," you need to not only be licensed in your state, you have to be a member of the National Associate of Realtors. As such, we pay dues and fees to be members of the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) in order to provide immediate access to all properties listed in your area. This helps expedite the sale of your home or your future purchase. More on the MLS later.

Also with Realtor, you have a highly trained individual at your beckon call, ready to answer any questions that may come up from you or your buyer. Inspections, Surveys, Title Policies, Disclosure Statements are all items that should and will be discussed, but not everyone knows what these are or the value of them. A Realtor does.

Most importantly, a Realtor is an Agent. An Agent is a person who is authorized to represent you and your best interests. Buyers need agents just as much as Sellers do. For years, professionals in the field have seen every manner of problem come up in the sale of a property that many people would never give a second thought. Contracts are written in such a way as to leave no question about: what fixtures stay with a property after the sale, who is responsible for the taxes on the property and up until what time, does the buyer have the right to walk away from a contract even after it has been signed, and what happens if the Buyer can't get financing in time?

So many legal ramifications take place during the sale of any property. REALTORS are no attorneys and can not give legal advice. But we do have excellent advice on how, when and why you can sell your property and for how much.

In a fast-paced market, like we see across the United States today, houses are selling every day and often are going under contract the day they are listed for sale. One might think that in such a market, Joe Public could just list his own property in the local paper and sell it themselves. Well, that's easier said than done.

Today, loans can be gotten over the telephone, fax, internet or from a local bank, credit union or mortgage company. Companies are created and offering loans so quickly, Title Companies who help ensure the proper transfer of ownership, do not even know who is offering the money! And when they do receive the paperwork, they see high interest rates or closing fees that far surpass the norm. An agent can help advise on this subject, keeping their clients out of bad deals with scrupulous lenders.

Disclosure statements are also provided, among hundreds of other documents, to Realtors so their clients can let buyers know everything there is to know about a property. This protects both buyers and sellers alike, so that after the deal is done and the new buyers go to move in, they don't walk into a home with no light fixtures or find the satellite dish and stove have been taken out.

So much can be taken for granted in the world of Real Estate. I, and thousands of others, have taken courses, seminars, watch videos, have meetings and consult members of the legal profession all in order to protect YOU. We spend hundreds of dollars to become members of an elite association, an association that serves to set high standards in quality and integrity among its members.

How much are you willing to pay for a trained professional to take care of you? You would never consider paying a stranger to clean your teeth or hand you medication if they were not trained and licensed as a doctor, would you? If you ask your neighbor for legal advice, do you really think you could win in the court of law? It would be nice to think that you can sell your house, you HOME, on your own. But how well do you know the sales market in your area? Do you study it everyday? Do you negotiate deals and know what people are willing to pay or not pay for what your home has to offer?

It is not an insult to think to yourself," I don't know what to do " when it comes to buying and selling a home. It seems simple at first, but once you are in the deal, it really can get complicated. REALTORS take the complications out of it and make your life easier. Like the commercials say,"We let you live your life. Real Estate is our life."

I hope this answers a few questions. Should anyone have others, feel free to e-mail me anytime. I'm here to help. It's what I do.