Living in Contra Costa County

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

This was the Traditional Easter Greeting and Response in the Church I grew up in. I just want to say:

He is Risen!

Everyone knows John 3:16 but John 3:17 is also a great Vs:

“For God sent the Son into the World, not to condemn the World, but that the World might be Saved through Him.”

Our God has Risen From the grave. He has conquered Sin and Death. He has saved me from my sins!

On this great Easter morning I just wanted to share the joy of his Resurrection with my friends here on ActiveRain.

Ugly Little Secrets about Selling a Home in Brentwood or Discovery Bay

Selling a Home is tough for people and they have lots of questions. Today on a bulletin board where I sometimes answer questions a guy Selling a Home post a question on Short Sales. I didn't think much of it. I rarely get clients off the bulletin board, but I like to help people out when they are Selling a Home and it was a reasonable question about Selling a Home.

One other agent in the area had responded before me and his Home Selling Information seemed reasonable too; although our responses were divergent on the issue they were not mutually exclusive.

After I posted a response I thought that would be the end of the story. Then I get an e-mail that there is another response. I almost deleted it, then decided I would see what someone else had to say. Well it was the first agent. Apparently he had done a little research on my Brokerage.

This agent went on to offer the potential Home Seller some warnings about working with one man offices that are out of the home, or part time agents, and to make sure the entire team was licensed. Every thing he said would make me look bad.

To clarify I am a Broker – not just a Real Estate Agent – that alone should say something. I am full time. Having every member of a team licensed would be like having every member of a football team be a quarterback. Here is my response.

I find Nick's response some what humorous. He has obviously looked me up and did a little research. I do work out of my home, however, I am full time. As a mater of fact working at home allows me to work more. I spent 10 years running 7 offices and a dozen employees in another business; I like working alone now.

A team is more than a collection of agents. Sometimes a collection of agents is the last thing you want. It is Title and Escrow, it is Escrow assistants, and they are all things I can out source as do many agents. But when a client wants service I am the one they call - not another team member for this or that.

Which agent style works best for you is your choice. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. If you have an agent already great. If not and you want to give me or Nick some consideration great. I really do not know him, he may be a fine agent.

I would suggest you do one thing right now - Go to Google and do a number of searches on hyper local terms, If you search Short Sales in Discovery Bay I see me twice on page one - not one of my best search results but not bad. Do other hyper local searches. You will find me all over page one. Do you want your house on Page 1? Go to ActiveRain.com - the leading blog platform for Real Estate - you will see me at # 6 in the state and the best locally - of thousands of agents.

Have a great day.

There is no right or wrong size of a firm. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. It is about personalities and how to get the most out of your self. If you are Selling a Home it has to do with your values and the type of companies you work best with.

In my last business I was doing something I loved. Then one day I found I was not doing what I loved but managing other people who did what I loved - but not as well.

I like working with people and doing Real Estate Sales – I like owning my own business – For now I choose to be a one man Brokerage. A one man Brokerage can do things for you a larger firm cannot do when Selling a Home. Your Home For Sale will be listed on the MLS for all the agents to see and have access to. The difference here is when you call you are always talking to the boss.

For more information on Selling a Home in Brentwood, Discovery Bay or Beyond – Short Sale or Traditional Sale give me a call at 925-260-4321.

Separation of Church and State?

I have been watching the primary with interest. The topic of Separation of Church and State has become a big issue because of some of Rick Santorum's beliefs.

What I find odd is Rick has some beliefs and some really well thought out ideas about the roll of the family, the problems with birth control and how the Sexual Revolution has been so destructive. I would agree with much of what he says, I am not Catholic and do not have a problem with contraception as part of family planning – but his thoughts are certainly worth considering.

What I find interesting is Rick Santorum never brought the issues up in the Presidential Campaign, but has only responded to questions he has been asked about the subject and then elaborated on. He has some private personal beliefs that he is being interrogated about. When a Democratic politician is caught up in Private Personal Issues (Bill Clinton, Barney Frank, Anthony Wiener, Ted Kennedy and the list goes on . . ) that many Americans find distasteful we are told it is a private issue. The understanding being is that they are not going to carry their private values into the public arena. Although they frequently do.

On the flip side Rick Santorum has demonstrated that he does not want to enforce his values via the Government in fact he has voted for public funding of contraception. I actually oppose this on fiscal policy issues and think the Federal Government should have nothing to do with the issue pro or con.

There is one Person running for President who does want to use the Power of the Federal Government to enforce his values on other Americans. That is the current president. From making religious institutions abandon their beliefs to serve the Government to infanticide.

Rick Santorum is Pro-Life and has opposed abortion on Constitutional Grounds. Although a strong Catholic Rick Santorum recognizes the basis of this country was Protestant Values and culture and has bent his faith to fit into that mold.

Religious Freedom does not mean Freedom from religion. The basis of our founding and Constitution is the fact we were a country with many strong opinions. The goal was to allow people to continue to have strong believes and values while constituting a civil government to keep civil order that to the fullest extent would allow people to continue to have a strong and vibrant faith. The government would only enforce religious values of the broadest common faith – a Defense of Life and Freedom being the two that come to mind – flowing from the Judea/Christian ethic – and not free from the Judea/Christian ethic. The rest of the Constitution was about having a limited government to make sure people could carry out their own private faith with the greatest possible freedom.

However, the trend seems to be to have government bring about religious freedom and preserve civil order by having faith bow to the government. In fact they are making government the over riding religious institution of this country with final say in all issues of faith. And then trying to use the protection of faith and the Judea/Christian in the Constitution to actually exclude those values from the culture and government.

Only in this way can government become the all powerful object of worship and control that they want.   

End of Life Panels

I think we have all been watching the shocking treatment of the Catholic Church and other religious institutions this week by the Obama Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services as they prepare us all for Obama Care.

Over the last couple years people have talked about the Death Panels under the new Health Care Laws. Although many people claim the term “Death Panels” is an exaggeration, you might begin to think more and more about how accurate that term might be.

This little video gives us an idea of how they might work. Note at the very end of the video how the Government Class moves through the scene.    

Starting in Los Angeles; but coming to a city near you! Government Attacks on Realtors – More Dumb Government – Less Common Sense!

Today I read the California Association of Realtors newsletter. The Big Head Line - LAPD Warning Against Hiring Unmanned Aircraft Operators for Aerial Photos.

The Article goes on to state that this may violate FAA Policy on flying unmanned aircraft without a license. There is also an LA County Policy about needing permits for Commercial Filming and Still Photography!

Now first off I want to state I am all for safety and technology always presents new challenges.

For years kids (and big kids) have flown model airplanes and such without permits. You can find them on weekends around big fields. However, the low cost of technology has made these unmanned aircraft much better and at the same time has provided excellent tools for unmanned military aircraft to the point where at a squad level troops may be carrying small remote aircraft with them.

Yes Technology is blurring the lines between hobbyist and series commercial/military use. Right now I can by a toy helicopter for under $100.00 designed for kids – with a camera.

I think we all want safety. We can understand that some of these “toys” could cause legitimate safety concerns and people could use them for nefarious activities. So pass local ordinances that are reasonable designed to deal with real problems. (Like maybe limit them near airports and over freeways; and perhaps altitude and range restrictions.) Punish people who use them with malicious intent, but don't restrict everyone. The FAA does permit the flying of small unmanned aircraft for recreational purposes – but once you take a picture for your real estate listing or web site you are now in FAA jurisdictions. This is an example of Government overstepping what should be decent limits of power and a failure to adapt to new technology.

What is of more concern is this thing about permits for Film and Still photography and applying it too Realtors! Guess who that impacts? That rule would seem to apply to any picture we take. There are lots of business that take video and film incidental to their primary work. (I was a PI and Independent Claims Adjuster and we took lots of pictures for our commercial work.)

This is taking one thing that was aimed at Hollywood and large commercial undertakings – probably with a reasonable concern about public safety and expenses as they work in public places – and using it to tax and raise revenue off of small businesses.

Both of these impact Realtors unreasonably.

Yes the City and County of Los Angeles will be looking at your MLS and Web Site Photos soon to fine and punish you. I am sure with the positive cash flow it will generate we can expect this to expand. Why limit this to aerial photos? They are all commercial in nature! Did you get a permit for that shoot?

What was the response of the CAR – the organization that is supposed to represent us? Well they explained the rules to us and expect us to fall in line.  

The Weltanschauung of Life, Liberty and Property

Weltanschauung is ActiveRains Guiding Business Principals. Although I know something of modern business principals and concepts I am more of a History Buff. But the 3^rd point of the Weltanschauung flows from a very historic conviction - We believe the home ownership is a positive force for social good. ActiveRain is committed to empowering real estate professionals so they can help people achieve the dream of home ownership.

Not quite as powerful as say – Give me Liberty or Give me Death! Or Live Free or Die! and the always classical A Man's Home is his Castle!

Positive force for social good is kind of wishy washy compared to terms like Liberty, Freedom and Rights. But they are correct - it is something positive.

The historic Rights of Life, Liberty and Property are reflected in the 5^th Amendment of Our Constitution. The Dream of Home Ownership in the Weltanschauung and so often talked about in this country flows from our own Deeper Yearnings for Freedom.

No one has a right to a home; 10 to 20 years ago our government went into social engineering to try and make is possible for any one to buy a home and it has lead to disaster.

But the Right to Property leads to home ownership for many. The right to property starts with ourselves, the right to our own labor. We are not slaves and everyone yearns for the natural right of Freedom. We have the right to earn a living from our own efforts, to secure the rewards of our labor and ingenuity. The rewards of our labor and ingenuity is capital to invest in things including land and home ownership for the security of our future and that of our family.

We had a government that tried to give homes to everyone – something that should only be earned with our own natural rights to property. Now we have a government that is crushing those natural rights with regulation, taxes and market manipulation.

Real Estate Agent may seem like a mundane job. But at a deeper level we are helping people to Live Free! Showing them the tools and methods to owning property and to provide for their posterity. I am proud to be a REALTOR.

Trust is Truth, Dependability, and Integrity

I think when I hear the word Trust I think of Truth, Dependability, and Integrity.

In today's world the word Truth is often reduced to meaning – not being caught in a lie. Lawyers and Politicians have shown us how to be evasive in what we say. Often times when they are caught in lies they want to explain things away as misunderstands. People couch what they say so they can have plausible dependability latter on. However, real Truth offers clarity and openness about ones own heart and motives.

Dependability is hard to find. Dependability means doing what you say you are going to do or supposed to do. It is hard to find people you can count on these days. Things never seem to get when or how they were supposed to get done. Dependable people accept responsibility.

Integrity goes beyond truth and honesty to having a character that makes the right choices, even when know one is watching or no one would know. Integrity seeks the puts others ahead of selfish interest.

I don't think anyone is perfect, but I feel these are the ideas to shoot for rather than settling for less and making excuses. Being considered Trustworthy is one of the highest compliments I can receive.

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain/Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out abut the contest by clicking here. 

Weltanschauung: Pardon Me!

I think if my kid said Weltanschauung to me I might start looking for a bar of soap; but hopefully I would slow down and figure out what it actually means.

Well according to the Weltanschauung Page at Active Rain it means the guiding principals and philosophy of an organization; a world view. So why didn't they say so?

I guess I am an old fart (or rapidly becoming one). There was a day when it was enough to be honest and work hard. In fact I think those are two things that are very good, good for all concerned, and sadly not well appreciated these days. But down off my soap box.

This Weltanschauung is a pretty good thing. It really sets down the philosophy of Active Rain. A friend wants counseled me to know my values and decide how I would handle certain tough ethical situations in advance; because if you wait until you are in the middle of the situation you might not make correct decision. You will let your emotions sway your values.

I went over the Active Rain Weltanschauung again today and it is a pretty good set of standards. Not only that Active Rain has stuck by them.

I find 6-9 (go read them) are essential to the success of Active Rain, but at the same time not things that you would see in many businesses. They have allowed us to blast them and even sponsors in the Posts and Comments. There has been very little if any censorship. I think most of the Censorship is not really formal but more of a respect for each other by members as it is an open forum; there is no hiding behind the anonymity of the the Web.

I am sure there are many issues that come up. It is great that Active Rain has a set of principals they can look to when making a decision about what to do.

Has this Happened to Your Kids?

Most of my kids go to School here in our Excellent Brentwood Schools. However, son number 2 goes to Middle School in Walnut Creek.

Now Walnut Creek is one of the more “upscale” communities in Contra Costa County. My son is an excellent student; primarily A's with some B's.

He was given a quiz in math where he was assigned with a team of 4 and each had to solve a problem. Then they were given a grade as a group. My son gets his problem right, the others do not. He gets a poor grade on the quiz and this drags down his semester grade. My ex is fighting this battle – I fight other battles for my older son who is with me in school.

I have seen similar assignments in my older sons high school, but not this extreme. But I wonder what the motive is.

My thinking is that the schools need to drag down those that are most successful to promote others that should fail or at least get remedial help. They can also avoid having to admit failure with some kids and it helps them to do social promotion.

I have not seen a lot of this but I note it is creeping in. I suspect teachers unions and liberal educators are slowly working on something to help them achieve the Socialist Agenda many desire.

Has anyone else seen this?

Morons want to change Calendar!

The Calendar we us now has rarely been changed. Our modern Calendar was instituted by Julius Caesar in 43 BC. In 1582 The Calendar went through some minor changes to make it more accurate in regards to actual solar years.

The Gregorian Calendar is generally accepted world wide for most international and commercial dealings. Although many cultures also use their own Calendar for religious and social events. I know in ancient times the Romans had an 8 day week.

I will refer to this Calendar as the Moron Calendar and you can see the article for yourself. The main purpose seems to regulate the length of the months and to make sure holidays always fall on the same day. Each Day of the month would be on the same calendar day each year.

They claim this would make life easier. One of the examples I read was we could then easily coordinate summer vacations.

Well here is my 2 cents – these jackasses need a better job and I can see right now a place to cuts some spending. I don't want my Birthday, Christmas, or other holidays to fall on the same day of the week every year. Change is good. For some Christmas on Sunday is great – for others a pain in the neck. Keep it moving.

The other thing is it sounds like top down management of our life and our economy. We have a system that seems to be working fine. I don't want a jerk at the UN or some government functionary to be debating what day Christmas should fall on.

Interesting note on Calendar Facts: The turn of the century is not normally a leap year, however, the year 2000 was because the turn of the century is a leap year every 400 years.