Extreme (paper) Hoarding Solved...Just Get a Scanner!

In all likelihood your desk (or someone you know) looks similar to this one.

Paper tends to act like that mythical creature from Star Trek known as the Tribble. Tribbles multiply with reckless abandon - so can paper. Managing paper is one of the banes of the daily grind in real estate and often isn’t managed at all. Most paper simply gets shoved in a file, placed on a stack, or shoved in a drawer; that’s hardly good file management.

As much as we hate all this paper, we also have a strange obsessive love affair with it. We can’t seem to part with it. I want to just throw all the paper away – but then the thought that plagues hoarders and non-hoarders alike creeps up from the depths of our amygdales…. “I may need that someday…”

A couple of years ago, that all changed for me when I purchased a Fujitsu desktop scanner (I have the older model S510 that is no bigger than a small inkjet printer). It scans in color or black and white. It scans double-sided in one pass. It can auto-feed a stack of up to 70 sheets of paper. It has optical character recognition (OCR) so I don’t have to re-type stuff. Quite simply, it is AWESOME. At the time, I was debating whether to get a scanner or a printer and I’m so glad I went the scanner route because scanners eliminate paper. Printers create more paper. Office space and filing cabinets are expensive. Memory storage is cheap.

You may be thinking “A scanner – hah! Old news!” Maybe so. But few things in my daily activity have done so much to eliminate the piles of paper as well as stifle the little voice chanting “you may need that someday”. Instead of filing paper, I scanned it. I scanned everything! Receipts; invoices, contracts, addenda, conference notes, business cards, flyers, mailers, greeting cards… if it fit in the scanner, I scanned it and filed it electronically. I was amazed at how good it felt to clear my inbox; to clean out my lateral file; to clear off my desk! I felt freed from the burden of keeping paper.

I made a commitment to not create more paper. Between using my scanner and the terrific services of DocuSign, I rarely print anything anymore. As a matter of fact, I rarely have to leave my desk when keeping office hours because it can all be handled via email, texting, cloud-based storage, or scanning. Since all the scans are stored on my laptop (with a back-up on an external drive), I have all my 'paper' with me all the time. Brilliant!!

Now, about the filing system on my computer… what did I name that document that says I may have just won 10 million dollars?

For more posts on how other folks have eliminated inefficiencies check out this link: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2988103/eliminating-inefficiencies-in-real-estate-a-contest.

18 Miles from Steamboat Springs - An All Inclusive Dude Ranch

Steamboat Springs has a lot to offer for warm weather activities and summer vacations, but what you might not know about is an all-inclusive dude ranch that's one of the best to be found west of the Mississippi. About a half hour outside of downtown Steamboat Springs, in the Elk River Valley, you’ll find The Home Ranch. There’s something to be said for the name, as you’ll enjoy western hospitality at it’s finest with gourmet cuisine, lodging options that include private cabins and live music around a big, warm campfire.

The Home Ranch 18 miles North of Steamboat Springs

What’s a day like at The Home Ranch? Well after a scrumptious breakfast you can:

• Go for a hike in the Rocky Mountains with a guide or by yourself if you prefer
• Go horseback riding and/or take equestrian lessons
• Enjoy fly fishing at its finest, and endorsed by none other than Orvis
• Swim in the on-site pool
• Let your kids enjoy the outdoor adventures in the Children’s Program
• Take the shuttle in to Steamboat Springs to shop, relax in the hot spring pools, bike the core trail, attend a festival or any number of Steamboat Springs’ summer activities
• Hayrides, barn dances and dinner shows are offered throughout the week on The Home Ranch grounds
• For next winter, keep in mind that The Home Ranch offers cross country and skate skiing along with a host of winter activities

Of course Steamboat Springs is known for skiing and can proudly boast its Champagne Powder® and Ski Town USA® name, but this time of year when spring and summer are just around the corner, you might not think of Steamboat Springs for an all inclusive summer vacation…now you can. Steamboat Springs and The Home Ranch offer an unbeatable western experience and with summer activities and events every week. The Yampa Valley and Elk River Valley welcome you for a summer get-away you’ll never forget.

Steamboat Springs Hot Air Balloon Festival

More big news for Denver foreclosures: In the largest industry settlement since the US settled with the tobacco industry, 49 state attorneys, including John Suthers of Colorado, filed the $25 billion agreement in court on Monday agreed to last month.

We're still waiting to see exactally how this plays out and if it will impact the number for foreclosures and Denevr short sales on the market. the deal is supposed to help roughly a million borrowers to see a reduction in the mortgage debt, but only time will tell.

From the Denver Business Journal:

The complaint alleged the five mortgage servicers’ misconduct “resulted in the issuance of improper mortgages, premature and unauthorized foreclosures, violation of service members’ and other homeowners’ rights and protections, the use of false and deceptive affidavits and other documents, and the waste and abuse of taxpayer funds.”

Colorado had the nation’s ninth highest state foreclosure rate in 2011 among the states and 12th highest in December 2011, according to RealtyTrac.

Most of the settlement amount, about $20 billion, is slated for home refinancing and principal reductions for struggling borrowers. About 1 million borrowers can expect their mortgage debt to be reduced by lenders or to refinance their homes at lower rates.

If you'd like to learn more about Denver foreclosures or Denver HUD homes, give our team of foreclosure experts a call at 303-726-1874.

Inventory is still way below average levels and is nearly 40% below where we were at this time last year.

What could possibly be better than an evening spent watching a troupe of talented canines do amazing tricks? The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing!

And on March 24th, at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins Old Town, you can see Chris Perondi's Stunt Dog Experience! America’s favorite canine stunt dogs soar, spin, jump and fly! These amazing “Extreme Canines", which have all been rescued from pounds and animal shelters, have performed on Animal Planet’s Pet Stars, Amazing Animal Videos and even The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They’ll make you laugh, cry, cheer and beg for more! This is a Vegas style show that is entirely scripted, choreographed to music, has comedy antics, unique skits, and is a one-of-a-kind theater experience like nothing you've ever seen before.

Tickets are available online, by phone - 970-221-6730 - or at the Lincoln Center box office, 417 W. Magnolia St., Fort Collins, CO.

Here are some news articles presented by Unifirst Mortgage, and passed along to you from The Zappa Team, Montrose Colorado's Real Estate Experts.

Relocating to Montrose Colorado, call The Zappa Team, Montrose Colorado's Relocation Experts.

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