IS YOUR HOUSE ECRU?

Don't get me wrong...it's a fine color. It's what I painted my first two houses I owned 30 years ago. You can put just about any other color with it and it goes with everything. It is a safe color that will not offend your visitors. Guests will not dislike your for your taste in decorating or see a side of you that they didn't know about.
Then one day it hit me...people didn't know me. My own house was not a reflection of me but a reflection of no one. After all, who was living in my house? Who spent most of their time in my house? Me! So why wasn't I decorating for me? So, what color is my house now? Flame yellow, mist green, doeskin brown, slate blue, red and periwinkle. It's me and if my guests don't like it, then they don't have to come to my house.

Do you approach your blogging posts the same way? Do you prefer to not write at all rather than let someone know what you are about? Do you write safe posts that don't risk an offense? Or do you take the bumpy road of letting people know where you stand? Do you comment when you don't agree with a post? Do you let people get to know you?
I say, take a risk! The rewards you receive are bountiful. You may not have as many followers, but the ones you have are people who enjoy you and look forward to your next "get together". Have fun! Post away!

LAND PARK PACIFIC LITTLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION...IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

Aahhh, baseball...the roar of the crowd, the anticipation of the first pitch and the thrill of the crack of thebat! All of this can be experienced in Sacramento's William Land Park and Dooley Field in the spring of 2010! From the excitement of the 5 year olds donning their first uniform to the budding athletic talent of a 14 year old, now is the time to register...it's not too late!

You can register your child on-line by clicking Land Park Pacific Little League . Register now and have a great baseball season!

WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD, WHO ARE YOU PROTECTING?

I was at a luncheon the other day when a Realtor shared her story of a short sale listing she has. It had received multiple offers and one of the buyers agents had offered to pay her seller $5000 if her seller would take their offer (of course, AFTER close of escrow). She had told the story because she was surprised that in this day of regulation upon regulation, someone would still think it was okay to offer this.

However, when we asked her what she did, her response surprised me. Now, I can think of a multitude of answers to this buyers agent (notice I did not use the term "Realtor").

1. Fine, as long as it is on the HUD statement and so, transparent. (We all know this wouldn't happen!)

2. While I am sure my seller could use the extra $5000, this is fraud and I will not recommend to my seller that they proceed with your offer.

3. I am not willing to risk my license in order to sell a house...and believe me, it can happen.

4. Speaking to the seller..."If you do this, and the lender finds out, you could be in serious financial jeopardy."

She told us that she was concerned that she primarily represent her seller's interest, which would be to take the $5000. However, understanding that this was fraud and her seller would be at risk, she would let her know about fraud and then let the seller decide. She said she didn't want to appear to be the expert in this situation.

I just couldn't restrain myself. I told her that she IS the expert in this situation. Her seller hired her for her expertise and was expecting her to guide her through the short sale process. Of course you tell her that this is fraud and that you will have nothing to do with it. Not only does it put the seller in jeopardy, but it puts the agents license in jeopardy as well.

I wouldn't hesitate to put my own livelihood before knowingly committing fraud. But then, that's just me!