Congratulations to me… Mr. Oregon

A Fun Friday break from the daily grind…

I like Friday’s.  Truth be told, I like all seven days, but Friday just seems more fun (even though as a real estate broker I don’t really get weekends “off”).  I also like Google Voice.  Truth be told, I love Google Voice.  I had the predecessor, Grand Central, way back in 2007, and when Google bought them, I just had to hope they wouldn’t ruin a good thing.  They haven’t… in fact, they’ve added to it by creating an entertainment value.

What do you mean, Mitch?

Well GVoice transcribes all my voice mails, and I get a txt and email of that transcription before I actually get to the voicemail itself.  And its in that transcription where all today’s Friday Fun is to be found.

Take a look at the screenshot from a recent GVoice transcript… (click to enlarge)

There you have it.  Me.  Mr. Oregon.  Google even says so.  Let my rain reign begin.

Enjoy your weekend.

Veteran’s Day: From the Mind of a 10-year old

We’re a little off-topic today, being Veteran’s Day, but there will be plenty of days to get back to Clark County’s real estate adventures.

Let’s not have today become the forgotten holiday. Too many people died face down in the mud so we could live our lives in freedom.  Sure, there are days when we may be frustrated with work or our government leaders or other complexities of life; but we live in a country where we have freedoms that billions of others world-wide only long for.  When you think of that, it provides more meaning to the day.  This morning, as our family discussed the reality of what today meant, especially to our kids (besides a mid-week day out of school), my ten year old shared this poem he had written.

V – Victorious soldiers leave the war;

E – Eleventh Day, Hour, and Month;

T – Together, America stands;

E – Even in Iraq;

R – Ready we are, again and again;

A – Another soldier home, hooray, hooray;

N – No more war to come near;

S – So long, war, so long.

It is imperative that we share the stories of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us with those who come after us.  When I think about it, I realize my ability to write this blog, to speak my mind, to even live as I choose, is an indirect result of the sacrifices made by those before me who stood firm in support of our country and our freedoms.

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.

John F. Kennedy

For myself, and for those who come after me, to all you Veterans, THANK YOU.

Being a Real Estate Agent is Scary Enough this Halloween

Needless to say, I have been in some bizarre situations during showings in my real estate career.  You do this long enough, and you come across all kinds of, shall we say, “interesting” things.

I have to admit though, the “dead clown in the garden” problem just hasn’t happened.  I guess I should consider myself truly fortunate.

So in the spirit of Halloween (nice play on words, huh?), here’s one of my favorite real estate videos.

Honestly, if I were these buyers, I would be more terrified about how the agent continually changes the subject and ignores his concerns than I would be about the “foreboding sense of evil”.

But hey, if you are looking for a house nowadays, congratulations… you definitely don’t scare easily.  And we should talk, because I can help make sure your purchase doesn’t become a nightmare.

Clark County Real Estate: Friday Fun in the Sand

OK, no one can be all work and no play, especially on a Friday. So to the rescue we come…

Been a long week, but still have some work to do on the ‘puter and looking for a numbing way to spend a few minutes?

Kids want on the computer, but you’d rather have them do something more “creative”?

Well, have your cake and eat it too…  www.thisissand.com is a blast. Mindless fun and creative adventure to boot.

Check out these creative masterpieces by the Canton Crew.

Enjoy your weekend, there’s plenty of work stuff to get to soon enough.

Salmon Creek Grocery (circa 1940’s)

For all of our Salmon Creek neighbors, who can tell me where this “Grocery” store is?

A lot has changed over the past 70 years since my family moved into this neighborhood.  It’s hard to imagine this being the main grocery “superstore” for the area, when we now have Fred Meyer’s, Safeway and Albertsons all within a few miles of each other.

I’m going to go through the archives and periodically post photos from this era… its always fun to see how things have changed.

If you or any of your friends, neighbors or relatives are looking to move into or (gasp) out of the Salmon Creek area, let me know… I just may know of a good real estate Broker who can help.