Having had another one of those rare restless nights, I decided to start my day earlier than normal. I would say the early morning fog was a bit beyond creepy. If it were not overcast, and there being only the ground fog to contend with, I’d say it would’ve been one of those vampirish before breaking dawn mornings where everything would seem on the surreal side—especially with the monster full moon above. Speaking of full moons, I still insist the full moon does have an effect on the general public, be it in a greater or lesser sense. I had a conversation with a familiar professional later this morning whom I found a little on the snippy side for an unknown reason. I later stopped at Fareway grocery store to pick up a six pack of Noosa yogurt which has now become my all-time favorite. It’s really, really good and I’m a bit surprised I’d not tried it before. It not only tastes good, but also good for you. When I went to reach into the case to grab one, a stranger walked up to me and said, “Why are you buying that brand?” I looked at her a bit confused and said, “Because I like it.” She then said, “It’s more expensive than the others.” By that time I was looking for any easy get away by saying as I trotted off, “Sometimes you have to pay more to get the best.” She mumbled something in the distance while I continued on my way to the checkout counter. I smiled to myself thinking, “Yup! The full moon is certainly having its effects today.”
By not having any more than two scheduled appointments, my cell phone and office phones was busier than normal along with un-expected walk-ins. It’s just another example of how the world of real estate works. I am glad I did have at least an hour to spare for a young lady in need of some serious advice regarding the possible purchase of a home. I have to keep reminding myself how uninformed many of the general public are regarding the purchase and selling of real estate in Iowa. I even had a young gentleman from Wright County drop by with some information, and while visiting with him, I couldn’t help but bring up the subject of the new slaughterhouse being built outside of Eagle Grove. I teasingly got my point across with him regarding my displeasure in that company wanting to locate here in Mason City. Sometimes good things do happen for reasons yet to be foreseen. I’m confident there will come a time when looking back, all of our residents will be happy it was voted down.
While showing a home today to an exceptionally intelligent family, we ended up on the subject of niche marketing. I insisted there’s a plethora of possibilities for small start-up businesses here in North Iowa. I was zeroing on one great possibility, but as I was driving back to my office, many more of them came to mind. Wouldn’t it be a great idea if we could get some of the most forward thinking minds in our area to come together with magic markers in hand, a hundred balloons or more, a private hall, and a tank of helium. I could envision all of them blowing up balloon after balloon, writing a possible niche market, and letting them float to the ceiling for all to see. Creative thoughts do sometimes expand when in the right company. I believe it’s the building upon the foundations of each other’s thoughts. “Hey buddy, can you pass me a balloon!”