Isn’t this weather getting to be a bit much? I’m beginning to wonder if Putin’s so-called “secret weapon” is having developed a way to alter our weather patterns. For sure all the wild fires which have already started in Siberia will have an effect on our weather patterns because all that smoke along with the pollution in China, gets blown over on our side of the world, which promotes the seeding of clouds and creating more rain. Yes, we do need rain, but not major cloudbursts which run off instead of soaking into the soil. Speaking of weather, I can’t imagine how some of those people in India are coping with their well-over 100 degree temperatures. Now that’s scary.
I had an early morning meeting with the owner of 36 S. Illinois for a price reduction, and agreed to lower it down to $179,500 which is a hefty price reduction. I later ran out and placed a “Price Reduced” rider on my sign, just so the general public would see it. If this weather would straighten out, perhaps we’d have more showings on it. Looking at the extended weather forecast, it looks like we’re going to be getting more rain again next, which means we’ll be enduring gray skies for yet another. Ugh!
One of my little chores today, was to go out and purchase a new vehicle battery, and in spite my having called the auto parts store ahead of time, a great deal of time was wasted with their computer not working properly, then having to get extra information from me because I was writing a check, and lastly, a mix-up with the battery I wanted. They could tell I was starting to get lippy with them for all the hold-ups. I finally said, “You’re asking for more information from me than if I’d just turned 21 and trying to buy liquor.” I think they finally got the drift of my frustration.
Since my acid tongue was triggered, I had to make mention of a guy who was being waited on at another terminal, and how disgusting I find men dressing in such a fashion in public. Believe it or not, he had black sweat pants on which had dropped so low, you could see a good seven inches of his fire-red underpants. I’m convinced many of them are doing it just to be noticed in a bad way. It all goes back to the concept of your outside appearance being a reflection of your inside. Since this drop-crotching is still alive and well, we’ll be seeing all the more exposures when it warms up. Don’t think I haven’t seen nearly every sight to be seen walking past my office’s front windows, and especially when Summer arrives.
Today I checked the statistics on available homes listed in our MLS, and not surprised to find only 33 still available in the entire spectrum of price ranges. I’m sure there are less than that because there are a handful of agents who don’t report their listings being under contract until weeks later. Yes, we’re definitely running short on listings, and the maniacal buying is still taking place because one of the sales reported today, sold for $30K over asking price which means there was a bidding war going on, and for sure, that home wasn’t worth what it sold for.
One of my old co-workers from many years ago, called me this afternoon asking if I could give her some direction on the value of a home she owns, so I did some quick online digging and threw out a ball park figure which I know she was thinking more. I mentioned the only thing that may be holding the price back, is the limited square footage of the home. As I’ve mentioned many times, it doesn’t matter how nice you make a home, there’s nearly always a “drop-dead” price per square footage that has to be taken into consideration. We’ll see if she calls me to list it.
I just happened to run into a gentleman whom I’d done a great deal of real estate work for not only him, but his siblings and parents as well. His father passed away about ten years ago, and not but three years ago, his mother had to be taken to an out of town nursing home where she’s barely hanging on considering her having lost her sight, most of her hearing, and now the onslaught of severe dementia. I was almost brought to tears because I’d been thinking of her not but a day or two ago. Because she’d moved to the Manor after her husband died, she would stop by my office from time to time while out on her many walks of our Downtown. A bit teary-eyed, her son said she’d often tell her children over the years, how much she really didn’t want to go to a nursing home. I can still see her bright blue eyes and smiling face which makes me sad now knowing she’s in such a state. She was also a very good teller of stories which nearly always centered around happenings when she was young and living on the farm.
I’m sure many of our “snowbirds” have already returned by now, and likely all of them wishing they’d stayed put in their warm and sunny locales for a few more weeks. One I spoke with yesterday has not been liking our weather since she and her husband returned from South Texas the day before Easter. I couldn’t help teasing her a little bit regarding the snow flurries we had on that Sunday.
It looks like all the plants, trees and bushes have now arrived at the various stores, so if I have time tomorrow, I’ll have to make some stops, just to see if they have anything interesting for sale. I’ve been thinking about buying some fruit trees, but still a little hesitant because of how those vile deer terrorize them in the winter. I’m sure there’d be more people planting them if those herds we have in our City limits were exterminated, which will likely never happen.
I read another article today where Mikhail Khodorkovsky said the only way to win a war against Putin, is to never back down because he’s a thug, and whenever you show a thug weakness, that’s when he fights all the harder. Yes, he’s a murdering thug who must be subdued.
Tonight’s One-liner is: Ingratitude is the essence of vileness.
