This misty cold rain we were getting today was exceptionally annoying considering I had to be out in it more than I wanted to be, but as we all know, we can’t have near perfect weather all the time. I do hope this coming month of May will be more pleasant than it was last year because I felt as though we’d been cheated out of a normal summer.
After visiting with a colleague today, I’m convinced we’re heading into a “no man’s land” with these over-the-charts sale prices I’ve been seeing reported as of late. All I can say is, our local economy had better get more robust than it is, and all the faster because I’m not so sure if our average working class is going to be able to sustain their current debt loads for extended periods of time.
There were two homes that were recently reported sold which I know are going to pollute valuations going forward when attempting to come up with fair valuations on future listings. Having been in both of them, I can’t see how those buyers considered themselves having paid fair prices because I could find existing listings that haven’t yet sold to be noticeably superior. Oh well, I’m beginning to believe there are buyers out there in possession of more money than brains.
When visiting with an area building materials supplier, he believes our new construction market to be almost dead, and not looking for much improvement in the near future. Even the re-modeling and additions are slacking off which means money is growing all the tighter.
One of the delivery people stopped by today to ask about housing because he so desperately wants to get his wife and himself out of the apartment complex they’ve been living in for the past five years. He said he’s been looking for a decent rental for the past month, and can’t find anything even close to what they can afford that’s in their realm of livability. I just do not understand how some of the homes our rental barons own, can command such high rents.
Around noontime, I did a final walk-thru on a rental that a tenant just moved out of due to an opportunity they were given to relocate to a warmer clime. They were the perfect tenants who kept their home very clean and well cared-for. It’s no wonder they took such good care of it because their rent was about $250 less per month than the far inferior house they were previously renting. That family is just one more strong thread of our City’s fiber that’s being pulled away. I wouldn’t be so concerned if I only knew their replacements are standing in line to fill the void they’ve just created.
I spent about a half hour visiting with the most delightful young couple this afternoon. I can say they’re both of the old school and determined to teach their children values they themselves learned while growing up. I was delighted to hear how careful they are about giving free access to all those tablet and smart phone games which I’ve recently branded as being “parasites of time”.
When seeing some of the clever creations the husband made, I couldn’t have praised him more for making something that looked like it was out of a page of one of those glossy magazines we see in professional offices. I teased him a little by saying, “I’m envious of you now when knowing you created something that I didn’t think of first.” You can be sure I encouraged him to continue expanding on his designs. Having been given the opportunity to see his artistic work, was indeed the highlight of my day.
Please don’t forget about this Saturday and Sunday being our area Realtor’s Public Open House Weekend. I’m personally hosting an open house at 341 S. Carolina Ave. which is an exceptional family home offering all the updates nearly every buyer is looking for. You’ll not find a cleaner and more maintenance-free home in its price range in our Mason City/Clear Lake market, so if you think you or someone you know is considering a change of housing, please stop by because I can assure you, it’ll “wow” you.
I almost forgot to mention a story I heard today out of the mouth of a gentleman regarding a rental home he and his family lived in for several years when he was in high school. I didn’t pay much attention to some of the creepy things he experienced while living there, until he spoke of the time when he and his father were alone watching television in the living room. In spite of being focused on whatever they were watching, they both heard this “clicking” sound coming from the kitchen. When they got up and walked out there, they discovered one of the pilotless burners on the stove was trying to lite. His dad went into denial, turned the burner dial back to “off”, and walked back in the living room pretending as though nothing had happened. After that hair-raising experience, my storyteller was all the more convinced there was some evil “thing” living in their house that wanted everyone know it was still there. Little did my visit know that I am more than familiar with that house.
Tonight’s one-liner is: The energy of the mind is the essence of life.
