Pamela STETSON

My son loves Les Paul.

Although my teenager plays the trumpet and he reads & can appreciate music, he does not play the guitar. He is by no means a musician though he listens to music 24/7. My Erik is a well-rounded kid who loves sports, his family & friends, basketball sneakers, sushi and video games. He has never met Mr. Paul nor does he know how he influenced artists, celebrities and musicians from around the globe.

Erik loves that Les Paul was a craftsman and inventor. Although Mr. Paul did not invent the guitar, he created the solid body electric guitar that became the signature for many a rock-and-roll muscian. (My first introduction to Les Paul's influence was through one of my favorite guitarists, Eric Clapton. He played soulfully on a Gibson version of the Les Paul guitar in the 70's.) Erik knows how I love Clapton and how I favor both acoustic & electric guitar music.

Erik first encountered an actual Les Paul guitar at a friends home nearby. The friend was fortunate to get one for a present ( he combined several holidays gifts). He marveled at it's shape, weight and the feel of the guitar's body against his own. He immediately ran home running over with details of the experience and put electric guitar lessons on his own wish list. He does not own a guitar, by the way.

It was later that he realized that Les Paul's name was one in the same with the version of Guitar Hero and through that video game he then recognized that so many musicians made music on one of the many Les Paul guitars. When he ran up the stairs after he put two and two together --- I told him that Les Paul lives very close by in our town, Mahwah, New Jersey. He was stunned. Together we jumped in the car so I could drive him past Mr. Paul's modest home on Ramapo Valley road.

From then on, he was a fan.

Erik did not know Mr. Paul personally. He did come to know and love him for his many dreams, inspirations and for his love of music. He also knew that Mr. Paul loved many, many generations of people from every race and religion. He was not one to look down upon the ideals of youth. In fact, even at the age of 94, he embraced their love of life. their idealism and their creativity.

On August 13, 2009, Les Paul passed away. Erik came home from basketball camp and was saddened by the news. He wanted to drive by his home again just to say goodbye. As we drove past, we nodded, each of us saying an unspoken good bye to a music legend and a neighbor.

For more information about Les Paul follow the links below:

http://www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=2539

http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/nov/12/rock-hall-to-honor-les-paul/

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/08/14/2009-08-14_electric_guitar_hero_les_paul_dead_at_94_career_spanned_from_hitmaker_to_musical.html

For more information about buying or selling your largest financial asset, contact me at CupaT@aol.com. Copyright Pamela Stetson 2009.

Back-to-school brings many changes and it brings many celebrated tradtions. We always walk our children to the school bus on the first day of school. We started this tradition with our kids on their very first day in kindergarten. Annual first day of school photos capture the event.

This year, our oldest went off to college. It has brought on a whirlwind of emotions for the whole family. I am happy and proud of our daughter's acheivements. And, I am sad for the speed in which time passes and how many season's have changed before our eyes. It was only yesterday that she started school. Now she was packed up and off to live in another state. It was the first time I did not walk her to the school bus.

My eight grader --- a strong, athletic boy --- was running around the house. Picking up items he forgot to put in his backpack. I made a pot of coffee and waited at the front door. I was holding his bagged lunch because... this year...he wanted to make his own lunches instead of buying them in school. I was hesitant, too, because I did not know what to expect. Eight grade is tough for boys. Would I be walking him to the bus?

He stumbled down the stairs, past me in a flash and was out the door. My heart sank. Then, he turned and said, "come on Mom. Grab the camera, too." My heart jumped and off to the bus stop we ran --- camera in tow.

As we chatted with neighbors and took the traditional first day of school pictures, a mother bear and her three cubs sauntered by on a nearby lawn. The cubs wrestled and tumbled behind her as she made her way into the woods. This path, was well worn for her. Her cubs had only begun the journey.

Season's may come and go, but back-to-school is a wonderful celebration of growth & change.

I was preparing one of my seller's for their upcoming closing and I developed a check list for them to refer to throughout the process. Often, the seller has so much on their plate it is easy to forget what needs to be done to help make their end of the closing --- run smoothly.

1. Set or confirm the closing date and time . Your attorney's office usually communicates the closing date with the buyer's attorney but follow-up so everyone is on the same page. A final walk through of the home with the buyer should be scheduled within 24 hours of closing and soon after the seller has moved out. Each agent and the buyer is there for the final walk through of the home.

2. Please make sure your attorney sends a letter confirming the items (if any ) completed on the inspection list. If items were not going to be completed, the attorney should also communicate the details to the buyer's attorney. If communicated in advance of the closing , no issues come up at the closing table.

3. Bring the following to the closing: a. final water bill marked paid; b. town inspection of fire, safety or Certificate of Occupancy ( CO ); c. proof of fire extinguisher/location, carbon monoxide & smoke detectors.

4. If the home is heated by oil, call the oil company for the current value and bring the statement to the closing. You will need this for reimbursement or payment for fuel left for the new homeowners. You may need to transfer the oil tank insurance to the new homeowner.

5. Contact your gas, electric and water utilities. Communicate the closing date and request a bill marked final meter reading --- bring this to the closing.

6. Review your final estimated closing costs with your attorney. This is sometimes called a HUD or RESPA statement. It should explain all fees, real estate transfer fees, taxes/municipal fees, commissions and other details specific to your closing.

7. If appropriate, order the 1 year Homeowner's Warantee for the buyer and make sure that it is paid for at the time of closing.

8. Always leave a list of phone numbers for the new buyer including the landscaper, pool person and/or snow removel contractor. It is also a good idea to leave current menus from local restaurants, banks, medical facilities --- to help your new homeowner get oriented to the neighborhood.

For more information about buying or selling your largest financial asset, contact me at 201.675.1618 or email CupaT@aol.com .

copyright Pamela Stetson 2009