About Westchase's Westchase

Flash back to 1973, senior year of high school and a book I was required to read, "A Hero ain't nothin but a Sandwich", about a young boy living in the inner city. Why I thought of this book specifically and at this time I am not sure, because if yesterday you had asked me about it I probably wouldn't have remembered it. 1973 was quite a few years ago.

But the book suddenly came to mind while watching the news on television and seeing the ceremony where Marine Cpl Dakota L. Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan two years ago while saving the lives of 36 US and Afghan soldiers. He is the first "living" Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, so you can see it usually comes at a great sacrifice.

Later, in the same newscast, was an update on the motorcyclist in Utah who was trapped under a burning car after an accident. Numerous bystanders came to his aid and lifted the car at their own peril, to in all likely hood, save his life.

This people are truly "hero's"! One of the dictionary definitions is "one who shows great courage" and these individuals definitely fit that description. But, in a few days, weeks at most they will be forgotten. Off the front pages of newspapers and out of the 6 O'Clock news updates, back to their everyday normal lives.

Who will we remember, who do many of us look up to and call our "true hero's". Usually sports figures or movie and TV "stars". People who have done nothing more important than carry, throw or hit a ball or others who day after day "pretend to be someone other than who they really are by "acting".

It's unfortunate, but true hero's really aren't interesting enough. They can't repeat their actions over and over to keep top of mind and in the news regularly. True hero's are replaced daily by another and another, in every town and state and country. Many we never hear of, but in their own quiet way they realize they made a difference. and that is what makes "hero's" out of all of us. Knowing, that when necessary, we will draw on something within and make a difference.

That was the headline in the "local" section of yesterdays St. Pete Times Newspaper, and then today the following headline appeared in MSN News from Realty Trac "Foreclosure Activity Increases 7%...". Is this Armageddon; the beginning of the end or just the inevitable result of the current market and actually the solution to the current housing market.

I know in my market area here in Tampa Bay that on nearly every residential street I drive there is going to be at least one home on average that has had at least a "Lis Pendens" filed in county court indicating the owner is delinquent on their mortgage. Some were filed last month and others were filed months and in some cases years ago. But, because of our "robo signing" fiasco and the closing of three of the major law firms handling foreclosure filings, the banks have apparently been observing a self imposed moratorium on new foreclosure filings.

Apparently, that may be about to change!

On those same streets that I described above, where there is one house with a pending foreclosure on record, I can also pick out the ones where a filing should be or will soon be filed: multiple newspapers and advertising fliers laying in the drive or on the front porch, grass not mowed and weeds taller than the original landscaping, trash in the yard and along the sides, window shades missing or damaged....etc. I know in a sense, "legally" it is trespassing, but I stop at these homes and "door knock", at least to insure that know one is home and to take a closer look.

If there are furnishings visible through the windows, then maybe someone still lives there, but not always. Some owners have abandoned their homes and their lives and moved on. To where I wonder, they could have stayed and not paid the mortgage until the bank forced them out; but then maybe they couldn't afford the utilities or the shame of their neighbors knowing of their situation. Most of the time I will never know, but it's a "lead" and possibly someone that I can help!