I hope everyone out there in the ActiveRain universe has a safe and happy New Years Eve!  Look after your family, make sure you remember and toast all the good things this past year, and forget about any of the not so good things. Celebrate the freshness of a new calendar on your wall, and say goodbye to your old friend 2012! The New Year is coming, like it not.  So you might as well like it, because not liking it is never much fun anyways.  Goodbye old... Hello new!   12/31/2012

So in the final days of December 2012, we are on the runway to 2013 which will arrive in the next few days.  This is a good time to choose your path for the coming year.  Every year around this time, I spend some time and write down some goals, either real or imagined, and begin to plot out my flight path for the coming year. Not all the time do I accomplish all the goals I set down on paper, but many times I do.  If you rely on 'Fate' to guide you, then you must believe in 'destiny not personally guided'.  In other words, take your hands off the wheel in the snow storm of life, and see where it takes you.   If you do not plan your own course in life, someone else will.  Life will by default make a plan for you, as it plods along.  Unfortunately, a lot of people live their lives that wa... 12/29/2012

A few months ago I was driving towards downtown Battle Creek, and I was fortunate to have my camera not too far away.  I was able to capture this moment in time, with this sunset.  I thought it appropriate to post this towards the end of 2012, as the sun begins to set on this old year, and will soon rise on a new one.   I hope everyone takes time to draw up some exciting plans for the new year, and take their future by the reigns and charges forward with wild abandonment!  If if you do not go that crazy, I hope you at least have a good time!  12/27/2012

Well, winter has arrived again in Michigan and the mid-west. Sure, it has been cold for several weeks now, and we have all been wearing our jackets to and from work.  However, there is nothing that quite hits home that winter has arrived than a good old snow storm!  Then you realize you have to go out in it, deal with the wind, the shoveling and the search for where you stored your gloves last year. I am thankful some of the miracles of modern technology at this time of year, however.  Is it the iPhone?  The iPad? No!  The remote starter!  That is my friend this time of year!  It allows me to drink that extra cup of coffee, and watch my car melt the snow on the windshield all on it's own!  One click, and the process starts! I guess it is the simple things in life that make life... well.... 12/26/2012

A goal I have had for most of my life has been to write and publish my own books.  This December, after 4 months of work, I have finally broken through all barriers and published my own Kindle eBooks.  I wrote two books on the topic of Land Contract Homes as the interest in this subject has been the strongest of all the blog posts I have ever written. I took two different approaches when writing these books.  One covers the subject in general for both buyers and sellers.  The other was written for investors specifically.   The first title is: 'Understanding Land Contract Homes: In Pursuit of the American Dream'.  The summary for this book that I posted on Amazon is as follows: "This book covers the subject of Land Contracts, also known as 'Contract for Deeds'; a form of seller-financing... 12/25/2012

Every year I seem to feel that of all months in the year, it is December that seems to pass by fastest.  Perhaps it iw the holidays, and the hustle and bustle of all the holiday activities, etc. Perhaps it is the colder weather, so people seem to shuffle from their car to indoors as soon as possible.  Or maybe it is just because it is the last month of the year, and like any last item on the list in life, it gets processed very quickly.  Whatever the case may be, I sit here on December 14th, writing my first blog post of the month, wondering what happened to the last two weeks?  I have been quite busy of late, trying to wrap everything up in my production before the whole world goes into that holiday freeze for two weeks that sends everyone coasting this time of year.  So without wantin... 12/13/2012

At this time of year, now that the holiday season of shopping has officially begun, it is always fun to go to great places.  Downtown Chicago is a wonderful place to go visit for a shopping spree.  One can get on a train right in downtown Battle Creek, and be in downtown Chicago for as little as $35 using Amtrak. The downtown area of Chicago has all kinds of shopping wonders for any holiday shopping extremist.  There is also the beautiful architecture to marvel at as well. Here is a photo of the lego store and other buildings that I took the last time I was there. 11/25/2012

I have never been able to get into the spirit of College football. Many of my friends do.  Perhaps it is because I have lived in so many areas of the country, that I never embraced any one school.  Or perhaps again, it is because I never attended a school that had a football team, much less a tradition.  However, I have all my life been a lover of the NFL.  I growing up in Arizona when the State had no NFL football team, wishing for a chance to go to a live game.  I was a follower of the Redskins in those days, although my friends were either strong supporters of Dallas or Pittsburgh.  In my adult life, when I lived in Atlanta for 15 years, I was a follower of the Atlanta Falcons.  When I moved to Michigan in the later 1990's I ultimately became a fan of the Detroit Lions, as it is the ... 11/18/2012

It is that time of year where I start to take photos of the beauty of fall.  This is one from my collection last year. The trees are turning, and the color is showing in the bright reds, yellow and golds. Taking time to pause and enjoy the beauty is what it is all about.   To me the fall colors inspire the imagination as one reflects on natures artistry and glamor. Here is a photo I took just a few days ago:  This is overlooking my backyard from our second story window. The maple leaves are red, and the leaves are just beginning to fall.  Autumn in Michigan is one of the most beautiful times of the year. 10/13/2012

As the fall air becomes colder, and the leaves begin to turn color, I just have to say that coffee is a welcome friend.  I have been working long hours in the past several months, and not had as much time to devote to my blog as I would like.  I recently visited the local farmers market type of grocery store here in Battle Creek called 'Horrocks' and rediscovered their selection of fresh coffee.  Over the years I have been a traditionalist of buying just one particular type of fresh ground coffee, but recently I decided to try some of the other flavored ones.  Horrocks has been quite progressive in this area, having expanded their selection from an initial 6 or 8, to over 50 different kinds now.  One has quite a decision to make, I soon discovered. Alas, I have resolved to try them all,... 09/27/2012

Sometimes when you are out showing vacant homes, you come across something unique that catches your interest.  There was one home a few months ago that I was showing that was a foreclosure.  The house had a lot of knotty pine woodwork throughout, and it created quite a 'cabin-like' feeling.  When I looked up at the ceiling, I saw some sections of detail.  I thought this was interesting, as they were primarily only on the ceiling rafters, and no where else.  I suppose whomever owned the home had a unique sense for details that were important to them.  They also must have enjoyed the effect of relief carvings on wood. This last one had a salamandar of sorts carved into it in relief.  I thought that was also interesting, as it was different from the others which were mainly floral pattern... 09/25/2012

'There's no use trying,' said Alice 'one can't believe impossible things.' 'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'                                                                             - Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass The above photograph was taken while dining at the H2O Restaurant in Battle Creek, Michigan.  The view is of Goguac Lake, one of the most popular lakes in the area.  Cereal Magnates W.K. Kellogg and C.W. Post often took their families to the beach along the shores of Lake Goguac in the summer.  The lake is a rich aspect of the history of the Battle Creek area.  One can dine at H2O and enjoy a beaut... 08/18/2012

I have been embarking on a journey the last two years to lose weight.  I started in May of 2011, and I began a rigorous diet that I maintained through approximately October 2011.  During this time, I lost 70 lbs. Starting at a weight of almost 280 lbs, I knew I needed to make a life change.  It took considerble discipline, and my whole life changed for the better.  However, between October 2011 and May of 2012, I abandoned the diet discipline I had worked so many months to follow.  During this time I regained 30 lbs, must to my own denial on this.  So in June, I took measures to really examine my own goals again and realized that my original goal of reaching 180 lbs I had abandoned when I reached the mark of 207 lbs.  I thought I was fine where I was, and considered that if I just maint... 08/11/2012

I just finished reading a book called 'The Art of Possibility' by Benjamin and Rosmund Zander.  I was turned onto this book about five years ago, when I heard a recording of a radio interview with the two authors.  They were delightful and fun to listen to, and I ordered the book a short time later.  Then it sat on my shelf among many other books I intended to read, and I finally got to this recently. This book is perhaps one of the most light and inspiring books I have read in a very long time.  The authors viewpoint and out of the box thinking is imparted in a magical way through the pages, and you gain a new insight into ways to approach all aspects of life.  Benjamin Zander is a conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rosamund Stone Zander is a professional counselor.  B... 08/07/2012

Looking out my window the other day at my office, I spyed an Oreo Cookie delivery truck.  I quickly grabbed a little friend I had in my office and staged this photo or 'yearning for cookies'.  I can remember hot summer days dipping Oreo cookies in milk, sharing them with my brothers and sisters without a care in the world.  The only thing on our schedule in those days as a kid was what games we were going to play, and what adventures we were going to have.  We never cared about what we ate.  That was mom's job.  We just lived and had fun!  Ahhh!!! How quickly those days go by, and one find they are all grown up with responsibilities...  However, I still have an Oreo Cookie now and then.  Being older, I have learned that I cannot eat sugar like I could when I was a kid.  Nonetheless, die... 06/04/2012

I thought I would write this blog post on the subject of fire, and how dangerous is can be.  Fire can consume a home in less time than you realize, and it can quickly get out of control.  I attended a fire safety class last year and learned that a home can be completely destroyed within 20 to 30 minutes of the initial fire starting.  When one typically thinks about fire, one often thinks about the fire in a fire place and the burning of wood at a camp fire.  This type of smoke one can breath, and not really face any harm.  However, homes today are made with so many more products than just wood.  These plastics, metals, paints, etc. can create a deadly combination of poisonous smoke that is much more dangerous than burned wood smoke.  This is why it is so essential to have smoke alarms i... 05/31/2012

I was at a stoplight the other day and looked out the window at a grassy area on the side of the road and saw thus momma goose with her babies.  I always try to keep my camera handy for those moments.  I was able to capture this photo before the light turned green and I had to move with the traffic.  Although, I suppose a few honks from the cars behind me probably would not have bothered momma goose!  The babies still had their down coats, and were quite large.  This area of town is near the river, so we periodically have our goose friends crossing the road, etc. Looking at this photo it conjures up all those 'Mother Goose' stories we read as children.  Here is mother goose and her family: 05/26/2012

One of the things that is the greatest reminder of Spring for me is baseball.  I love following baseball in my daily work.  I listen to the day games on the radio as I am driving around, or listen to a game playing softly in the background as I work.  The Detroit Tigers are my team for my area, and I mostly follow them.  However my pashion is for the sport itself, so I admire all the greats from many teams that play the game.  When I lived in Atlanta for many years I followed the Braves.  Some of my all time favorites to watch were Greg Maddox, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.  Just yesterday an article which you can read here announced that Smoltz will have his number retired in June.  The Braves have already retired Glavine's, Maddox's and even Manager Bobby Cox's numbers in recent years.... 04/16/2012

I was out showing a very low priced foreclosure in a not so popular neighborhood a few months ago at the request of a colleague who had set these appointments and could not make them due to an emergency.  When I showed the house, the lady liked it, and as far as I know made an offer the next day.  I did show her the view from the side window off the kitchen, and it did not bother her.  However, this let me to consider the question for this blog post: How does the actions of a neighbor impact the sale of your listing?  I have found that it does not impact the sale, but more so the value of the sale.  The actions of the neighbor with how they maintain their home is a reflection of the neighborhood to many buyers, and to others, it indicates they can get a deal on the house and it does not... 04/15/2012

I went driving through the Liela Arboretum last week just to take in the spring colors.  One of the spots of beauty in our city is the Liela Arboretum in Spring.  This is a park is maintained by volunteers, and contains over 600 different trees and plant species.  The circle drive is almost exactly 1 mile, so runners and joggers can partake in the beauty and get in their exercise.  It also offers great places to host a picnic, walk your dog or simply go for an escape for lunch for a few hours.  Driving through recently with the spring flowers, I had to take a photo.  I hope everyone has a great Friday! 04/12/2012