We finally received a bit of a reprieve from the heat with a little bit of the much needed rain we’ve been waiting for these weeks. Now that we’re down to more palatable temps, perhaps the tempers of much of our general public will get cooled off.
I decided to stop at Casey’s early this morning for a cup of java, and when pulling up, I noticed a man standing next to the building on his cell phone. When I got out of my car, I could plainly hear him yelling at the person he was talking to. I’m not one to normally judge by looks, but the language he was using would’ve made a sailor blush. From just my quick glance his way, I noticed he had many “not cool” black tattoos on his neck and exposed arms. When I came out with coffee in hand, he was still going at it on the phone. He gave me a very angry glance when I got in my car. All I could think of was to be sure and pray to never encounter him in a dark alley late at night. He must’ve been a recent transplant to our City because I certainly would’ve remembered seeing him.
As I predicted, my Monday was filled with many things to do in preparation for closings coming up at the end of this week. I’ve got nearly all of them ready to go with the exception of one which is still missing some necessary documentation. We’ll see what tomorrow brings in hopes those documents will arrive in enough time to get that transaction closed.
After a short conversation with an owner of a home today, it was confirmed once again how neighbors really aren’t as neighborly as they used to be. As far as I’m concerned, too many homeowners actively alienate themselves from those living around them to where they consider those who border them to be hostile insurgents. They couldn’t possibly step back enough to consider that it’s not those around them who are possible troublemakers, but rather themselves. I was pleasant during our meeting, but after my front door closed behind them, I walked back in my office in hopes they’ll never darken my door again. Users and chiselers are people I’d rather not associate myself with. It seems the more tight our real estate market is becoming, the more people with those mindsets seem to show their true colors.
A real eye-opener came today while out at a lumber yard ordering a new storm door. I’m not a person to always be out buying one, but “wow”, the prices have sure gone up since the last time I purchased one. It’s no wonder so many homes in Mason City don’t have acceptable looking storm doors. It’s just one more example of how many of today’s buyers don’t realize that there is a life expectancy on almost every component of their new homes. Nearly all dwellings are not like George Forman grills to where you set them and forget them. Yet again I say, “There is a great need for homebuyer education in our country.”
On a lighter note, I noticed a hidden barn swallow nest today and snapped the above photo so to share with you. I love to watch them dive after flying insects–especially during those glorious minutes around dusk.
