Thursday May 31, 2007

For the sake of yin and yang (and to balance out the “whiners”), I hereby resolve to henceforth send our dearest editor one kudo per week. The first kudo goes to the Waste Management gentlemen: Thanks for being reliable, quiet, and neat. You make the trash disappear and leave the empty cans neatly arranged on the curb.  Kudos on doing a vital job well.

Au contraire, people do steal shopping carts, and they’re not just the homeless. Shopping cart theft adds to the cost of your groceries as the cart can cost around two hundred dollars each. Markets have tried different methods to prevent cart theft over the years, but nothing works that well. Larger stores even have people driving around the neighborhoods looking for their carts on a regular basis.

To view the avenues download Google Earth. It's free. You wont regret having this wonderful detailed map of the whole world. http://earth.google.com/

Does anyone see anything wrong with an Alabama kid shooting a pig that was perhaps one of the biggest around?  Maybe he should have let that thing go it's on way. It really wasn't hurting anything so why kill it? And what was an 11 year old doing with a .50 caliber pistol? Can you say redneck? Sort of like the gator killers on Big Pine, only higher class.

Armed with the facts about the effectiveness of teens being in driver education and new funds available from the Dori Slosberg Act of 2005 collected from traffic violations, Monroe County School District plans to expand its driver education program county-wide and year round for the 2007-2008 school year. For more information on how to develop an agreement visit the resource library at http://adtsea.iup.edu.

Driver Ed is a wonderful tool and ties in perfectly with the mission of Safe and Drug Free Schools because they also receive interactive instruction with curriculum focused on the effects of drugs and alcohol.

May 31st marks the first blue moon since 2004. The next won't occur until December 2009.

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own

Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for someone I really could care for

And then suddenly appeared before me, the only one my arms could ever hold
I heard somebody whisper 'please adore me'
But when I looked, that moon had turned to gold - oh oh oh

Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Without a love of my own

As you may already know, it is a sin for a Muslim male to see any woman other than his wife naked, and that he must commit suicide if he does. So next Saturday at 4 PM all American women are asked to walk out of their house completely naked to help weed out any neighborhood terrorists. Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti-terrorist effort. All men are to position themselves in lawn chairs in front of their house to prove they are not Muslims, and to demonstrate they think its okay to see nude women other than their wife and to show support for all American women.

Since Islam also does not approve of alcohol, a cold 6-pack at your side is further proof of your anti-Muslim sentiment. The American government appreciates your efforts to root out terrorists and applauds your participation in this anti-terrorist activity.

Does anybody remember the Grand Jury report of a few years ago that wound up summarizing the then current commissioners as incompetent, negligent and not acting in the best interest of the citizens?

After many near and real car accidents from people looking at the hotdog girl she hooked-up with fat Hal who used to have his office on a bar seat at Coconuts. I guess that he had product that she liked much more than that which she was selling. Anyway, she moved in with him and after a short time she decided that what she had to give in order to get what he had to sell was too much a price to pay. So she stole an ounce and ran like hell--never to be heard from again.

What is the deal with "The Hungarian" we see in here every day?  Is it someone who writes in or a paid ad like "Sloan"? (Ed: It’s a chance for budding writers to hone their skill before making it to the big time. Send in your story.)

OxyClinton Video

[South Beach Freaknik] Fun loving college students?  Wasn't there a double homicide involved?  Give me a break!  Even with a heavy police presence, those "fun loving" people still managed to squeeze in a couple of murders.  History speaks for itself.  When that many numbers of a certain ethnic group get together, there is always going to be trouble.  Don't blame the cops.  Blame the mentality of the crowd.

What is this vast dark region on Titan? Quite possible a sea of liquid hydrocarbons. The region was imaged earlier this month when the robotic Cassini spacecraft swooped past Saturn's cloudy moon and illuminated part of it with radar. The dark region in the above image reflected little radar, an effect expected were the dark surface relatively flat, as expected for a liquid. Other indications that the vast dark area is liquid include the coastline-like topology of the brighter regions, which appear to include islands, inlets, and tributary channels. The uninterrupted smoothness of much of the dark sea may indicate that the sea runs deep, with speculation holding a depth estimate of tens of meters. A hydrocarbon sea on Titan holds particular interest for exobiologists as it might be a place where life could develop. In 2005 the Huygens probe landed on Titan and returned the first surface images. Cassini will continue to explore Titan, as 13 more flybys are planned.

Today I went to have my teeth cleaned and the hygienist was very pleased with me.  The reason is that it was recommended to me (by someone other than this hygienist) that I could benefit greatly by buying a Waterpik and using it daily.  It worked like a charm.  I had very little plaque and my gums were pink and healthy.  I floss daily and have for years, but the Waterpik is what did the trick. Usually, I am in there for a long time and have had tooth problems in the past, including the loss of some teeth.  Today, after 6 months of Waterpik use, everything is very much improved with good prognosis for the future.  If you want to avoid the problems I have had in the past, get a Waterpik and you will save teeth and in the long run save money.

[Bush in denial reply]  We’ve been away from the web for a week and have just now seen the posting concerning Prs. Bush and “denial”.  My memory may be flawed, but I seem to remember that a major purpose of the Iraq invasion was to cause a regime change in that beleaguered nation.  Iraq had been labeled a rogue state by the entire world.  Even the Clinton administration had called for a regime change.  The targets were Sadaam and his murderous minions, we were aiming to rid the world of the threat he posed to his neighbors and to the world.  Well folks, Sadaam and his cronies are history.  That can’t be denied.  Militant Muslims, whose goal is a world wide Caliphate government, seek to deny the people of Iraq the freedoms of a democratic government and life.  Their plan is to impose a strict fundamentalist Muslim theocracy.  Sharia will be law of the land.  If they succeed the Iranians will rule and Islamic terrorism will flourish throughout the region and the world.  You must not, repeat must not, forget that these zealots seek dominion over you!  They rejoice in killing infidels, that’s you and yours.  Killing infidels it is virtually a sacrament of their religious practices and beliefs.  You can’t deny that.  That’s not fear mongering folks, it’s just simple fact.

Look, set backs and losses are a part of every conflict.  During the Revolutionary War, the forces of General Washington got their butt kicked all over the northeast; Washington even lost New York City to the Brits.  The winter at Valley Forge and Washington’s valiant crossing of the Delaware was a major tipping point in the war leading to our ultimate victory and freedom from British rule.  We were fighting to establish our freedoms and to rid us of an oppressive ruler.

In the War of 1812 we actually lost Washington D.C. before we prevailed.  We were fighting to preserve our newly won way of life and to preserve our freedoms.

The early years of WW2 were full of losses for the U.S. and our Allies.  The Japanese ran roughshod through out the Pacific defeating us on the land, sea, and air.  It wasn’t until the battle at Midway that we began to prevail.  Do you realize that the Japanese even occupied American soil on the American Continent in the Aleutian Islands?  The Germans did an exemplary job of kicking our butt in the North Atlantic.  Wolf pack subs wreaked havoc on our shipping; they damn near starved our Allies.  The Germans prowled our coast lines sinking thousands of tons of shipping on our Atlantic Coast.  Hell’s bells, they were within 15 miles of Big Pine Key, many alive today saw the flames from our burning ships.  Dunkirk, remember Dunkirk?  The Allies were damn near totally defeated, only a major blunder by the German High Command saved our troops from annihilation.  We were fighting the Axis forces to preserve our way of life, our freedoms.  Don’t forget that the Japanese, like the Muslim fanatics, saw death in combat as a blessing.

Our national history is replete with grievous losses becoming victories.  Many military historians will state that our national loss in Viet Nam was not a military defeat, but rather a loss of the will to win.  This corruption of our national spirit should be of great concern to us all.  Nonetheless many seem to delight in the fact that we are experiencing problems in the democratization of Iraq.  It seems as if a wave of joyous defeatism is engulfing far too many Americans.  They revel in Prs. Bush’s travails.  The hate of Bush blinds the haters to the consequences of any defeat in this conflict.  Our enemy has hated us for decades; the enemy despises our way of life, our religions, and our freedoms.  The Judeo Christian way of life, your way of life, will perish if the Islamic fundamentalists prevail.  They will never “like” us; we can hope that they respect us, failing that they must fear us.

And so far too many of us smugly play “Dr Phil” and attempt pseudo psychological analysis of the individual who is doing his level best to protect this country, you, and me from a very real enemy who is determined to see us dead.  One must wonder what analysis would be levied on George Washington or FDR for their refusal to quit in the face of serious losses.  By the way, where would we be now if they had embraced defeat?  Our national interests are best served by prevailing in Iraq, you shouldn’t even try to deny that.

We went to Key Deer Bar and Grill last night for their Wednesday Military Appreciation offer.  They offer 50% off your bill for food that you order.  Alcohol goes at its regular price.  The food was wonderful. Jeffrey, our server, was terrific in every way and we enjoyed ourselves very much.  We will go back over and over. Thank you, Key Deer Bar and Grill for such a generous discount for military people. Hope you all that are reading this will try Key Deer if you haven't already.  It's a great local place!

Thanks, Ed, for using a more palatable picture on the Bagel Island ad. That one with the turd-critter coming out of the bagel was too gross.

Here is what we are dealing with from our real estate "professionals": The real estate industry is still trying to fix the price of real estate commissions. The National Association of Realtors is constantly trying new tactics to get fixed commissions. They've tried to control access to the Multiple Listing Services, for instance. And the NAR has tried to get states to pass laws making it illegal for people to use alternative services for buying and selling homes. Kentucky passed one of these laws, but the state has now eliminated that statute. South Dakota has done the same thing. Texas, however, still has a very harmful law in place. Consumers lose anytime an industry tries to fix prices, and the Justice Department is going after the NAR. But the truth is that the marketplace will decide what happens. People want choices and these bully tactics aren't going to work.

Anglers targeting dolphin can also “catch” cash prizes and awards totaling more than $36,000 in the 14th annual Big Pine and Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament. Bulletin Board

[60 The Hungarian] When I got up the next morning Mom was sitting at the kitchen table asleep, evidently dad didn't make it home. Mom had been waiting up for him. I shook her and she came to, "What, what time is it? Is your father home?" "It's 6 am, mom, and dads not home. I wonder what happened to him? Did he call?" "No he didn't son. What is that noise?" "That's gunfire mom, must be coming from downtown." "Oh my God! There's going to be trouble. I better go to the store and by all the essentials before they close. Wake your brother I'm taking him with me." Waking Steve, that was a task. Most of the time that kid was still asleep while eating his breakfast. I wasn't going to play his silly game this time so I took along a glass of cold water and after I got him on his feet I threw the water in his face. He woke right up, "Mom, Imre's trying to drown me?" "Hurry up Steve, get dressed. Mom want's you to go with her." He started to get dressed but was still whining, "I'm hungry." Mom said, "Come on son and I'll fix you a nice breakfast when we get back." She gave one satchel to Steve and she took the other and they left.

I got dressed as fast as I could and ran up to Pista's. He answered the door while his parents and sister were still sleeping. "Hey Pista, do you want to go and look around?" "You’re damn right.” "Did you hear the gunfire?” “Sure I did, let's find out where it's coming from." "OK, let me throw some clothes on and meet you out front." I slid down the banister and ran out on the avenue. The wide avenue was totally deserted and I could hear the gunfire again from the direction of the Eastern Rail Terminal. I walked out into the middle of the street and looked toward the Octagon.  I couldn't see a soul, not a car, bus or a human being. Three blocks from me on the corner of the avenue and Bajza street was the Russian Embassy. There I spied the menacing forms of two T-55 tanks. Pista came running out, "Hey, Imre, which way should we go?" "Let's go toward the sound of the guns that's coming from the direction of the Eastern Rail Terminal." At a fast walking pace we headed down Dozsa George Avenue toward the terminal.

The deadline for publishing is 6am
Please include Coconut Telegraph in the subject line so our spam filters don't.
Photo Gallery

Thursday May 31, 2007

Memorial Day 2007

[I plagiarized this article from Newsweek] Denying the evidence of your eyes is the most extreme form of the coping mecha­nism called denial. But denial comes in milder forms as well. Parents refuse to be­lieve their child is on drugs; that baggie un­der his bed contained oregano. A husband maintains his wife cannot be cheating; those late nights she spends with a friend are purely platonic.

And a president who insists that a war will succeed despite setback after setback? It's risky to put a politician on the couch, but that has not kept President Bush's crit­ics from charging that he is "in a state of denial" about the situation in Iraq, as Sen. Harry Reid said last month. That phrase was the title of Bob Woodward's latest book on the war, and in January, USA Today editorialized that Bush is "in denial about the insurgency that has plunged [Iraq] into civil war."

"I do think there is denial on Bush's part in his running of the war; he seems unmoved by the extent of the evidence that things are far worse than he believes. The tip-off for denial is perpetual optimism, a pathological certainty that things are going well.

People resort to  denial when recognizing that the truth would destroy something they hold dear. Denial is unconscious, or it wouldn't work: if you know you're closing your eyes to the truth, some part of you knows what the truth is and denial can't perform its protective function.

One thing we all struggle to protect is a positive self-image. The more important the aspect of your self-image that's chal­lenged by the truth--the more likely you are to go into denial. If you have a strong sense of self-worth and competence, your self-image can take hits but remain largely intact; if you're beset by self-doubt, however, any acknowledg­ment of failure can be devastating and any admission of error painful to the point of being unthinkable. Self-justification and denial arise from the dissonance between believing you're com­petent, and making a mistake, which clashes with that image. Solution: deny the mistake. Similarly, if a political leader believes himself competent and wise, and a decision has disastrous consequences, the only way to reconcile self-image with failure is to deny the failure. A president who believes "he has the truth becomes impervious to self-correction." He blinds himself to in­formation that might make him doubt his decision. There are exceptions, however. When the Bay of Pigs proved to be a fias­co, JFK said responsibility was "mine and mine alone:' No denial there.

Does anyone remember the hotdog girl that used to be at the red light in front of Coconuts?

[Realtor, Commissions, Discounts]  The list goes on.  I moved about 8 months ago.  I found another house in my neighborhood that I loved so I took the opportunity to upgrade during a slow market.  I bought the house directly from the owner with my attorney handling the paperwork.  When I sold my house on the canal my same attorney told me if I want a quick sale I should list it with a realtor.  That would get the house seen by more people.  He suggested several realtors.  I interviewed them all and a few more that I see around town and whose ads I see in the Real Estate books.  I discussed commissions, costs and time on the market with all of them.  Most of them were pretty firm at 6%.  I will not name individual realtors because I don't want to advertise for them.  One woman from Re Max offered to take it at 4.5% but I was very unimpressed with her so I moved on.  I wanted a quality realtor not a cheep price.  I was totally turned off by Prudential whereas I had heard they were going under as a company.  After interviewing all of them I was torn between two people from Century 21 and one from Coldwell Banker.  I ended up choosing Coldwell Banker.  This Realtor told me her commission was 7%.  I questioned her saying most others had said 6% was standard.  She explained that the commission was split between the buyer's Realtor and her as my Realtor and that extra 1% would get more Realtors to push my house.  After all they are being paid more to sell mine than they are if they sell my neighbor's. 

It made perfect sense so I agreed to the 7% wanting my house sold ASAP allowing me to pay off most of the mortgage on my new house.  A month into the six (6) month listing I heard that even though she was charging 7% she was only offering the Realtor who represented the buyer 3% and she was keeping 4%.  I reminded her about the conversation we had and her telling me that 7% over 6% would allow her to offer more to the Realtor representing the buyer.  After all it is the buyer who brings the money to the deal.  She said I must have misunderstood her.  I said, no, she must have lied and I fired her on the spot.  The next day another woman from Coldwell Banker called me claiming to be in charge and said that if I sell my house before the end of the listing contract I will owe Coldwell Banker 7% of my sale price no matter who sells it.  I suggested that she may want to talk to her employees about misleading a customer and about fraud and misrepresentation.  We closed the conversation by me giving her my attorney's name and phone number.  I called my attorney to discuss what had happened.  I ended up hiring one of the Century 21 Realtors who I had also liked and he sold my house in a month for 6%.

My point is, if you want it sold and sold fast don't go for a discount go for reputation.  If someone tells you they want 6% or 7% make sure they are offering 50% of what they are charging you to the person who brings the buyer who brings the money.  My house sold for $1,150,000.  Miss 7% lost $40,250, 3.5% as she promised, that day just by being a liar.  Let the buyer beware but let the seller be informed.

There's a lot of sadness in the world. Right now, as you read this, 17 million Americans are having sex and you're on this stupid computer!

Don’t overlook the fact that the realtors’ commission is split with the selling agent and their respective brokers.  In other words, they only get one fourth of it.  Then they have to buy gas, pay at least something in advertising fees, feed the kids, etc.

Oh, I didn't know that went there!

[A real estate attorney will sell your house for $1000 to $4000]   I couldn’t let this go without a comment so here is my two cents worth.  In Florida, Real Estate attorneys do not have to be a licensed Real Estate professional to write a contract for sale and purchase between a buyer and a seller (no realtor involved), as long as it is within the scope of their job.  Most Monroe county real estate attorneys charge between $600 to $1000 just to prepare the documents.  If the real estate attorney is the closing agent, and they use Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, more commonly known as the FUND, to write the Title Insurance Policy, the closing attorney keeps 70% of the premium charged. Premiums charged are based on the sale price of the home. An attorney can reap as much as, and if the home sells in the million dollar range, even more than what a Realtor would earn in a 6% commission transaction. That is where the real estate attorney makes money, not in preparation of the real estate documents.  The difference being, Real Estate attorneys do not have to be a licensed Real Estate professional.  Florida NAR has been actively lobbying the legislature to put more restrictive guidelines in place to restrict who must be licensed to write Real Estate Contracts. (Been there, done that.)

13 years ago when I sat for the Real Estate exam, two of the requirements were, you had to be 18 years old and a high school graduate.  I would bet to say this has not changed today.  Go ahead, call FREC, (your so smart, do you even know who that is?)

In short, a Realtor (this designation is higher than someone with just a Real Estate License) and most Real Estate offices throughout Monroe County will hire only individuals with the Realtor designation. They are worth every penny they earn and then some. The more specialized they are (these are the ones who use specific designations after their name) the better represented Ms. Home Seller will be. A fiduciary relationship between Realtor and client lasts a lifetime, not just the period from listing to closing.

I agree, not all Realtor's are created equal, but most Realtor's here, subscribe to and follow the strict code of ethics of this profession.  The next time you bring down a Realtor, stop and think what hurdles had to be jumped and sacrifices your Realtor had to work around just so that you, Ms. Home Seller, will get the highest and/or best price for your home.

Does anyone have any info on a good metal roof company?

Bill Clinton ruined his own reputation; meanwhile George W. Bush has ruined our entire country's reputation

When I did real estate in the Lower Keys most of my listings were with out of town owners.  I spent countless hours checking on properties to be sure they were always in "showing condition", not to mention the hours spent showing the properties to tourists and other looky-loos who had no reason to bother me other than they had nothing better to do.

Real Estate people are sub-contractors, and good one's maintain a business model.

I had multi-page advertising in three publications, a toll-free 800 line, spent hours hunting buyers for my sellers, not to mention the aggravation of dealing with buyers getting loans, illegal downstairs enclosures, build-ability issues on lots, closing problems and the constant back stabbing that goes on in the Keys. 

By the time a house sold and the commission was split in half with another realtor (who found a buyer) and split again with my broker, I usually saw 20%-30% of the actual commission.  Back then the market was a 270 day market, meaning by the time sellers got real with their price, the house had been on the market for nine months.

How many of you out there have the ability to wait nine months to get paid for the work you do everyday?  In today's market I'd bet many Realtors in the Keys are holding inventory for much longer.

I suspect we're seeing the responses of a jealous bunch of hourly workers who haven't the knowledge or ability to perform in a free market society.

Selling your house FSBO is always an option but I haven't met many people who could navigate the intricacies of a sale without tripping along the way.

It’s so nice of some of these bands to tell us where they are playing. It saves lots of time knowing I don’t need to go to certain places and hear the same old crap.

[Realtors] The person who invented them is probably dead by now, but if he isn't he should be hung until dead. What a racket! I had one try to screw me. The house was perfect for me right off 6^th Ave in N. Miami. The realtor told me that he couldn’t sell me the house because there was some problem with the deed, but I could rent it until he worked out the problem. He just needed a five thousand dollar down payment and I could move into the house. I lived there two years paid the rent and fixed up the yard and planted trees. He show up one day and said that he has to terminate our agreement because he can't get the deed to the house. I told him; "I'm going to terminate your ass" I was so pissed. He jumped in his car and escaped. I wrote a letter to the state real estate board or whatever it’s called, but didn’t send it.

I phoned the man and told him that I was calmed down and wanted to talk. He showed up and wanted to know when I would be moving out.

I showed him a copy of the letter I was prepared to send to the state board. As he read the letter he turned white as a sheet, I thought he was going to get sick. I told him I will no longer pay any rent, I wanted my five big ones, and all the rent money returned. If not I'm mailing the letter. The State of Florida must be real tough on real estate fraud because another year went by and this guy returned all my money and I moved out.

Why can't we buy or sell our own houses? And that closing cost is a bunch of crap. 

[Using salt water from a canal for a fire] A little over three years ago our home burned to the ground.  What few possessions we had remaining that the fire hadn’t damaged were ruined by the water.  In an instance like ours when everything is a total loss, sure salt water would have worked great.  But if it was a small kitchen fire or another such instance, would you really want the interior of your home and all of your electrical wiring, etc sprayed with stagnant sea water?  I assure you your damage from salt spray would exceed the fire damage!

I love the classic real estate line "Nobody will show your house for only 2% commission since sales are slow."   Let me get this straight, few houses are selling down here, realtors are making zip, but they won't show a $1,000,000 home and each take away $20,000 in commissions. Even if they split it with a broker they make $10,000 each. I guess they don't need the money.

Traveling down the Keys this Memorial Day weekend on Sunday was a breeze. I hope you all have a good one.

As a realtor up here in St Pete I usually charge 6%. Half of that goes to the buyers’ broker. Of my half 30% goes to my broker. The remainder of which is taxed by uncle Sam at about 22-25 per cent. No rich quick scheme here.

I would like to know why so few homes have a Flag out for Memorial Day. Show respect for the men and women who, with courage and dignity, gave of themselves so you and I have our freedoms. Tell me where else can you make fun, criticize, call the president a moron (which he is not) and not be hung or thrown in prison.

Someone, apparently in the real estate business, implied that if you use a salesman that gets a 6% commission on your house it was like using a finely trained cook, but if you only paid 5% commission a lowlife burger flipper sold it. I guess someone finding the house, the house they want, has nothing to do with it. Visit the "For sale by owner" website, that’s how I found my house and saved money on commissions. I bought it from a burger flipper, I guess. Poor me.

Feral cat sighting on Fern Ave, half way between Watson Blvd. and Mango/Chickasaw Lane. This reddish feline was going into in the Boss Tract wetlands; no doubt to hunt native wildlife.

[Realtors' Commissions] I was a licensed realtor before I moved to the Keys and it's a tough business. One thing I learned is that the selling agent does most of the work; listing is icing on the cake.  So, I sold my house myself.  After some cleaning, painting, and taking care of minor repairs, I packed away most of the clutter to let people see the house and not my lifestyle.  With my computer, I made brochures.  On January 1, 2006, I put up a For Sale By Owner sign with the brochures in a container hanging from it.  With additional help from a few ads, some with a picture of the house, some with no picture, in the Keynoter, Barometer, and Citizen newspapers, and an active grapevine, I had lots of activity and a clean contract on the house by the middle of March.  We settled April 4th.

I was not willing to take a contract contingent on the sale of property and I was particularly hesitant about "creative" financing, and that put many interested people out of the running.  I also offered 3% to any realtor who could bring a buyer, but none did.  My buyer was cruising the neighborhood and picked up a brochure.  Other very interested people did the same thing. The newspaper ads produced a few calls, but the sign and brochures accomplished more.

I also lowered the price, with no hesitation, to what the market would bear. While this is emotionally unpalatable to many sellers, this is what it takes to sell a house in a buyers' market.  Since I've sold, I've tracked many of the listings of homes on the market during the same time as mine, and most are now priced around that for which I sold my home.  The difference - mine was sold in three months; theirs are still on the market after 16 months.

It is also possible to list your property on the local MLS for anywhere from $300 up.  (The activity and interest levels on my house didn't warrant it, but it was an option I explored.)  A search on the internet will give you options - some local, some not.  Figure on giving an agent 3% if you want your property shown; they have too many choices to work for less.  Another option is to give a listing agent 4% - 1% to him/her, essentially to get it in the MLS, and 3% to the selling agent.

If you go it alone get an attorney to draw up a contract for you; the legalese required is for your own protection.  Even I, experienced with real estate contracts, missed some details Florida laws require.  A contract is nice to have in your hands so that you can complete immediately the paperwork with an interested buyer.  A clause in the contract can give you X number of days to get attorney's approval, but get it as soon as you can.

One of the taboos in the real estate industry is a realtor selling his/her own property as For Sale by Owner.  Obviously, this doesn't lend credence to their mantra that only a listing with a realtor will get your house sold.  I noticed many Keys realtors selling their homes or investment properties without officially listing them.  Talk about not wanting to pay high commissions; they don't want to pay even reduced ones!

[Happy Memorial Day. Is that an oxymoron?] Yes, just like Military Intelligence, Honest Politicians, Organized Crime/Religion, and Condo's are Good.

[Is the editor’s politics showing?] So much for freedom of the ePress and an open minded outlet!

If a real estate agent charged $100 per hour for their services, they would starve to death.

I’m voting for Hillary because we’ll get two presidents for the price of one. What a deal!

I’m a great realtor. See, I even have my picture on my card, my car, in the paper, on my sign, at my office, on the bench. Don’t I look honest? I’m not full of myself.

Any of you whiners in the Keys want to try it in the real world?  Come on up. Bring money.

The latest terrorist captured.

[Faith, Hope, Charity] In his first inaugural address, the father of our current President Bush called for a “new engagement in the lives of others.” He promised to be more of a “hands on” administrator than his predecessor, and he committed his presidency to creating a “kinder, gentler” nation, more sensitive and caring to the poor and disadvantaged.

Today is Pentecost in the Western Christian tradition, the day the disciples of Jesus are said in the Book of Acts to have received the Holy Spirit. From that day forward, they were very different from what they had been before. Until Pentecost, they been frightened, confused and unruly children, and after Pentecost they were adults standing deeply in God’s kingdom and wisdom.

In the Christian tradition, the Holy Wisdom of God (Hagia Sophia in Greek) is a divine attribute in which new Christians share to some degree through the sacrament of Confirmation, when they receive the Holy Spirit and share in Pentecost. Many churches are dedicated to it, the most famous being Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Constantinople. It is sometimes associated with a sainted martyr of the same name, Saint Sophia, whose daughters are Faith, Hope and Charity.

President Bush and his president father before him profess to be Christians. I ask them, and all American Christians to consider that the symbol of the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments is the dove which is a universal symbol of peace. I ask them to consider that in Judaism the Spirit of God is known as Shekinah, which is female. I ask them to consider that in the Old Testament the female gender is assigned to Wisdom. I ask them to consider that God is not just patriarchal and what America needs now is a lot less Uncle Sam and a lot more Miss Liberty. A lot more.
       (Sunday, May 27's Today's Cock-a-doodle-doo)

I love all the feedback from the Real Estate agents trying to justify their obnoxious fees. I will never sell my home through any realtor ever. I'll burn it down first! What's wrong with a flat fee of say, $2000 for any property? It is all the same rubber stamp work load.

"Intimidation and constant harassment is a small price to pay to live in the land of the free " --Homer Simpson

The deadline for publishing is 6am.
Please include Coconut Telegraph in the subject line so our spam filters don't.
Photo Gallery

Monday May 28, 2007