Email Versus The Telephone

Email allows you to communicate similar information as a telephone does, only the other person doesn't have to be there. With email, you don't have to wait for an answering machine to turn on or to leave a message with another person. Instead, you just write your message and send it--even during the early hours of the morning! Also, with email, tone of voice is not there. You've got to realize that a person is going to be reading this and it's going to impact them emotionally. At some point, you have to pick up the phone, and you'll need to know when it's time to do that.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 1) No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when out of office. 2) Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3) Congressmen can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4) Congress will no longer vote itself a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5) Congress loses its current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6) Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7) All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

275 Lancaster Drive, Tewksbury, MA

Just sold my house - on the market only one day. The reason is simple - aggressive price - $419,900.

The Sin of Omission

The Sin of Omission by: Margaret E. Sangster It isn't the thing you do, dear, Its the thing you leave undone That gives you a bit of a heartache At setting of the sun. The tender work forgotten, The letter you did not write, The flowers you did not send, dear, Are your haunting ghosts at night. The stone you might have lifted Out of a brother's way; The bit of heart-some counsel You were hurried too much to say; The loving touch of the hand, dear, The gentle, winning tone Which you had no time nor thought for With troubles enough of your own. Those little acts of kindness So easily out of mind, Those chances to be angels Which we poor mortals find~ They come in night and silence, Each sad, reproachful wraith, When hope is faint and flagging, And a chill has fallen on faith. For life is all too short, dear, And sorrow is all to great, To suffer our slow compassion That tarries until too late: And it isn't the thing you do, dear, It's the thing you leave undone Which gives you a bit of heartache At the setting of the sun.

Are Homes Selling?

According to the Multiple Listing Service(MLS), these are the number of single family homes that have sold in the past 30 days: Billerica - 21; Chelmsford - 24; Dracut - 18; Lowell - 30; Tewksbury - 17; Tyngsboro - 5; Westford - 34; Wilmington - 22.

Tewksbury Real Estate Market

Last october, there were 111 single family homes on the market in Tewksbury. Today there are 115. Not much change. The number of sales have also remained fairly constant. Stability is good.

August is National Golf Month

There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball. A titanium driver hitting a golf ball can create a sonic boom. The longest hole on a golf course is the seventh hole at the Satsuki Golf Club in Japan, which measures 914 yards, and is a par 7. Scotland invented golf -- but then banned the game in 1647. The lowest 18-hole golf score ever recorded in competition was a 55, by pro golfer Homero Blancas, who played on the PGA Tour in the 60's and 70's. In 1962, when he was an amateur and playing in the Premier Invitational, in Longview, Texas, Blancas had a front nine of 27 and a back nine of 28. He had 13 birdies and one eagle, using only 20 putts. The longest drive on record in tournament play was hit by pro Mike Austin in September of 1974. Playing in the US Nations Seniors Open Championship at Winterwood Golf Course in Las Vegas, the 64-year-old Austin unleashed a blast on the par-four 5th hole that flew more than 400 yards, bounced in front of the green and came to rest 65 yards beyond the green. When it was paced off, it was recorded as a 515 yard drive.

Lock In Your Rate

My advice to all current homebuyers - lock in your interest rate. If the government defaults, interest rates could soar.

A Boomerang World

A Boomerang World

Written by Tim Wright, Ph.D.

Remember when you were a kid, how fascinated you were with boomerangs? You take this flat, curved piece of wood and throw it and then watch in amazement as it curves around in the air and comes right back to you.

As 'miraculous' as that seemed when we were kids, I've found that most of our life is like that. Whatever we throw out there, comes back to us.

We live in a boomerang world.

Let me explain:

If you smile at someone, in almost every case, they will smile back. Try it now with someone nearby and see if it works.

If you're kind toward someone, they will usually be kind in return. Of course, this also works in the other direction.

If you complain to someone, they will share their complaints with you. In fact, you may quickly find yourself in a subtle competition to see who is more miserable.

If you get angry at someone, they will usually get angry with you. And so on ...

The fact is, whatever you decide to throw out into the world will usually circle around and land right back at your feet, much like the boomerangs we played with as kids.

Here's what struck me this morning.

I have a choice about what I decide to throw out into my world. I have a choice about what I want to land at my feet?

If you want more joy - throw it out there.

If you want more happiness - throw some happiness out there to someone else and watch it miraculously come back to you.

It even works with money. Need money? Give some away. The spiritual leaders from the beginning of time have been telling us this, but most of us are afraid to believe it.

It works in just about every area of our life. When we give something away, when we throw it out there - it comes back to us.
So today and for as many days afterwards as you want, make a conscious choice about what you want to throw out into the world. By doing this, you will be making a choice about what is going to come back and land at your feet.

Remember the boomerang and that whatever you throw out there, will come back to you many times over.

Economic Update

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo monthly housing market index was unchanged in May at 16. An index reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The combined construction of new single-family homes and apartments in April fell 10.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 523,000 units. Single-family starts decreased 5.1%. Multifamily starts fell 24.1%. Applications for new building permits, seen as an indicator of future activity, fell 4% to an annual rate of 551,000 units. Industrial production at the nation's factories, mines and utilities was unchanged in April, following a revised 0.7% increase in March. Compared to a year ago, industrial production is up 5%. Capacity utilization was 76.9% in April. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted composite index of mortgage applications for the week ending May 13 rose 7.8%. Refinancing applications increased 13.2%. Purchase volume fell 3.2%. Existing home sales fell 0.8% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million units from a revised 5.1 million units in March. The inventory of unsold homes on the market increased 9.9% to 3.87 million, a 9.2-month supply at the current sales pace, up from an 8.3-month supply in March. The index of leading economic indicators — designed to forecast economic activity in the next three to six months — fell 0.3% in April, following a revised 0.7% increase in March. Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 29,000 to 409,000 for the week ending May 14. Continuing claims for the week ending May 7 fell by 81,000 to 3.7 million. Upcoming on the economic calendar are reports on new home sales on May 24 and pending home sales on May 27.

Comparing Homes in Tewksbury

Two homes in Tewksbury, Massachusetts sold yesterday.

Home # 1 at 588 North Street had 1258 sq ft of living, a lot of 12,690 sq ft, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, built in 1960, on a busy street.

Home # 2 at 10 Woodcrest Drive had 1600 sq ft of living, a lot of 43,560 sq ft, 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, built in 1965, on a cul de sac.

Based upon the above information (I did not see either home), it would be reasonable to assume that home #2 sold for $20,000-$50,000 more that home #1. They both sold for the same amount $290,000.

The reason is that home #1 was renovated/updated and home #2 was not. Conclusion - renovate/update before selling.

Last Week In The News

Looks like the overall economy is picking up (read below) but not the housing market.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 20,000 to 368,000 for the week ending February 26. Continuing claims for the week ending February 19 fell by 59,000 to 3.77 million. The monthly unemployment rate fell to 8.9% in February from 9% in January.

The Institute for Supply Management reported that the monthly composite index of manufacturing activity rose to 61.4 in February after a revised 60.8 in January. A reading above 50 signals expansion. It was the 19th straight month of expansion and the highest reading in almost seven years.

The National Association of Realtors reported that its pending home sales index, a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts, fell 2.8% in January after a revised 3.2% decrease in December. On a year-over-year basis, pending sales are down 1.5%.

Total construction spending fell 0.7% to $791.8 billion in January, following a revised 1.6% decrease in December. Economists had anticipated a decrease of 0.8% in January.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted composite index of mortgage applications for the week ending February 25 fell 6.5%. Refinancing applications decreased 6.5%. Purchase volume fell 6.1%.

The Institute for Supply Management reported that the monthly composite index of non-manufacturing activity rose to 59.7 in February from 59.4 in January. A reading above 50 signals expansion. It was the 14th straight month of expansion in the services sector and the fastest pace since August 2005.

Factory orders rose 3.1% in January to a seasonally adjusted $445.6 billion, following a revised 1.4% increase in December. Excluding the volatile transportation sector, orders rose 0.7%.

Upcoming on the economic calendar are reports on wholesale trade on March 9 and retail sales on March 11.

Virtual Tour of 394 Whipple Road, Tewksbury, MA

http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=2411689

Housing market Still Fragile

RISMEDIA, March 4, 2011—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released the February 2011 edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard. The latest housing figures show increased existing home sales as home affordability remains high, but officials caution that the market remains fragile, as prices are unsettled.

“In the face of the deepest economic recession and housing crisis in decades, the Obama Administration has taken unprecedented action to promote stability in the market—keeping millions of families in their homes and helping millions more to save money by refinancing. But the data clearly show that the market remains extremely fragile,” said HUD Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic. “While we cannot stop every foreclosure, we know that many responsible homeowners are still fighting to make ends meet. Through the broad range of programs this Administration has put in place, we can put help in reach to those homeowners as early as possible.”

Consumer Confidence Up Again

The consumer confidence index rose to 70.4 in February from an upwardly revised 64.8 in January. It was the highest level since February 2008. The index was benchmarked at 100 in 1985, a year chosen because it was neither a peak nor a trough in consumer confidence.

The Tewksbury Real Estate Market

In October, 2010, there were 111 single family homes on the market in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Today (4 months later), there are only 64 homes on the market. This is a dramatic decline. So what happened?

Honestly, I do not know. I can only guess that it is a result of our terrible snowy weather. Who wants people parading through their homes with snow covered shoes? I'll check this out next month when the weather will hopefully be a little better.

We're Movin

After thinking and talking about moving to South Carolina for quite some time, we finally pulled the trigger.

We are buying a single family home at Layfayette Park in Little River about a mile from our townhouse at Village at the Glens. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a 2 car garage and about a quarter acre of land. Plus we are getting all the bells and whistles including hardwood flooring, granite countertops, full appliances. Is a great deal especially compared to similar homes in Massachusetts. Real estate taxes will be only $700 which gets cut in half when we turn 65.

Feelin Groovy by Paul Simon

Slow down, you movin' too fast
You gotta make the moment last
Just kickin' down the cobblestones
Lookin' for fun and
Feelin' groovy____________

Hello lampost
Whatcha knowin?
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me?
Doo Bee Doo Doo,
Feelin' groovy____________

Got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all it's petals on me...
Life, I love you,
All is groovy___________________

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/p/paul_simon/#share

Humor

An elderly gentleman..... had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect.. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.' The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'

The Help - by Kathern Stockett

I've read some really good books this past year and this is one of them. Highly recommended.

It is about the life of maids and their relationships with their white women employers during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The setting is rural Mississippi. It is mostly told from the point of view of the maids. But it was written by a white women who grew up in the south during these times and was taken care of by a maid with whom she formed a special relationship. If it were written by a black maid, the story would have been more sad or tragic. The ending would have been more sad than happy - I think.

Nevertheless. it was poignant, funny, sad, well written for the most part and certainly made you think. Reminded me of my Dad taking me to Celtics games in the late 50s and seeing bathroom doors with the words "Colored Men" and "White Men." Will never get that out of my head. Probably the first time I realized that the world is not always so nice. "The Help" will make you think that too.

2010 The Year in Review

The problem is that I do not have a system for writing on this blog. So I write few and far between. I will now try to catch up.

2010 was an eventful year. Mom died on March 13. It was for the best. Her alzheimers was getting worse and worse. Last Christmas 2009, I wrote a reminder email to myself to be opened 2 days before Christmas 2010. I reminded myself not to bring her to our christmas eve gift opening because she just did'nt know what was going on. She did not really appreciate the gifts she gave (I got them for her to give) or received.

But also she was bad off physically. She fell down at the beginning of the year and ended up at the Blair House nursing home where she got an intestinal flu and dehydrated. Her final days were incoherent reminding me of my dads last days 10 years earlier.

The nursing home was an eye opener to me. I realized why my mom dreaded it so much. It is a place where people are kept alive waiting and hoping to die. So sad. I will do whatever I can to avoid being placed in a nursing home. Our health care system keeps persons alive longer than they should and the final days are often spent in pain and with little dignity. More on that in a future blog.

But I digress. 2010 was also eventful because I made my first trip to Hawai. This was Malle's 3rd visit. What a wonderful place so beautiful. I'm so glad that we played golf because that is one of the best ways to see the beauty of tropical Hawai. Although when we landed on the Big Island from Oahu, I thought we landed on the moon. The area around the airport was pitch black for miles and miles to the ocean. I soon figured out that it was lava which had accumulated over the years from various volcanic erruptions. But it was also very beautiful especially in contract to the blue ocean and the green tropical foliage beyond.

Malle and I took a helicopter ride(our first) to the famous Kiluaia Volcano. It was exciting and interesting and beautiful especially watching the steam created as the lava flowed into the ocean.

The 3rd and 4th memorable event(s) of 2010 was the loss of our cat Midnight and dog Penney. I had the unenviable job of bringing each of them in 2 separate trips to the vet to be put down. I cried. They were such an integrel part of our family for so long. Pen was the best dog I ever had. But I could no longer watch her walk around bumping into things. At the end she was blind. And Midnight was not much better. She had trouble climbing onto our couch. You could see her pain.

In January, we went to Vas Vegas. Played some golf and saw Bette Midler perform at Ceasers Palace

In early March we went to Arizona for a few days to a Caremark Confernece at the Gainey Ranch.

In April we went on our annual trip to Myrtle Beach to play lots of golf.

July took us to Detroit to visit brother in law Jack whose health has been failing. He just had a pacemaker placed in his chest. We also stopped in St Catherines, Ontario to visit Malle's cousins. It was nice to get to know Ronnie, Malle's brother, and Mariann, his wife. Really enjoyed their company

During the last week of July, we played a golf tournament in Maine with some friends from Tewksbury.

Malle went to Chicago in August but not with me. In mid-august we returned to Myrtle Beach for one week to play some serious golf in the heat.

Oh and last but not least, business was much better in 2010 compared to 2009 - about twice as good.