Recently my experience with active rain has been....well....less than pleasurable. I realize that there are growing pains with any group, business, or platform, but this is crazy.
As much as I enjoy reading the blogs on Active rain, I can do a ton of work while I wait for the next page to load.
The thing is that I budget small bits of time in my day to blog and I need the system to work. I want to put something out there and at the same time, get something back by reading several other blogs.....and that is what isn't happening.
I am addicted to the Rain, and will not be leaving....but I sure would like to know why it is suddenly running like a beauracratic institution. I am about to call it ObamaBlog, full blog rights for all the people.....
After completing the January Challenge, I said....no more for a while, but then thought, what would be fun?
2 months? 90 days? ONE FULL YEAR????????
So I am shooting for 90 days. (FIRST) It is a milestone and I am sure that it has been done before, but NOT BY ME!
What are your thoughts, am I crazy to try it? Since there is no contest and it is not sanctioned by the AR Gods.....there is no real incentive such as extra points and such as maps in our schools for U.S. Americans and such as.......
So what are your thoughts.....have you bogged more than a month, did you go slightly insane, like VanGogh insane, or just not able to communicate in a articulate and coherent fashion insane?
Your thoughts and responses would be greatly appreciated, and I promise not to take Active Rain off the air again........just joking, it wasn't me......it was the Egyptians.
This began as I got re-involved in Active Rain.....I kept seeing all of these December Challenge posts and frankly wondered what they were.....
Curious as I was, it never dawned on me that it was a Blog every day contest until I saw the January announcement. Talk about a challenge......
I mean, I like to write...Really, I wrote some very important papers for a living and while very few people had the special rights required to read those words, almost anyone can ready what I decide to put here on Active Rain....and that makes me happy.
So while have truly enjoyed this contest, and blogging every single day of January, I must say I am somewhat glad it is over. I will do it again, but it will not be February...(Although that is the shortest month) Maybe around the middle of the year.
I also decided that I would attempt to be the very first person to complete the JAN Challenge. I have a few things going in my favor on this....
1) I live on the East Coast and unless I get beat by someone in The Bahamas.....I should have it.
2) I am up working on some other projects, my favorite coffee is coursing through my veins, and I am wide awake.
3) I type fast.
This contest also created a feature that I am going to attempt to continue....a Saturday Menu of food only suited for college kids and dads.
Without further adieu......here are my ponderings over the previous 31 days.
1) So there is a January Challenge too????? 31 days you say? Count me in!
2) 3 Dead Bodies
3) What is the right amount for an agent to do?
4) Another Bank Fiasco
5) New Congress, does it matter?
6) Ground Hog Day was a Great Movie but Lousy Blog!
7) They told you WHAT?????? Call from a client!
8) Saturday Blog: Manly MENu
9) Active Rehab
10) A SIGN of the Times
11) Southern California "Super Lawyer" Makes Bank Of America Sweat
12) Tenant call goes horribly funny and wrong.
13) 50,000 POINTS....Way to much!
14) Pasco County, The Bomb-Diggity
15) Saturday Blog: Manly MENu Part Deux
16) Appliances, A/Cs stolen from Manatee County house
17) So your Sister's best friend's cousin's ex-girlfriend is ALSO a (part time) Realtor.
18) Today was a Monday Part II
19) Do I really need a.........(Fill in the blank)
20) What FLAVOR is Active Rain? (Update $20 gift card)
21) Lock and Load, Saddle Up, Fall in....It's Listing Time
22) Closing out my Friday!
23) Saturday Blog: Manly MENu, Trifecta
24) Laundry day
25) And the Email Question of the Week goes tooooooooooooo
26) House destoyed by police.
27) Do you know Value
28) The Judge will see you Now!
29) Saturday Blog: Manly MENu, Gasparilla Edition
30) WOW, I really don't like your business model....anymore!
31) No link.......you are reading it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone has that one signature dish that they are asked to bring to the party. For me it is the simple Rotel concoction that makes everyone one step closer to Cardiac Infarction. With a twist.
For today's recipe you will need to hit the super market and start buying everything spicy.....
Not really. The secret here is FRESH!
FRESH Jalapenos
FRESH Celery
FRESH Garlic
FRESH Parsley
FRESH meat
Velveeta Forget the Cheddar...Veveeta is better....whatever, but it melts!!!!!!!!!
OK, grab two cans of ROTEL. 
I like the original, but it is your dish, so have fun and try a few.
Grab a six-pack of beer. I have had the best luck with Heineken and tend to stick with that. Open a beer and pour about half into the crock pot. Put it on high, place the cover on and I guess....if you must, drink the other half.
Now I mentioned fresh.
Parsley, Garlic, Jalapenos and Celery. As much or as little as you wish......I always use three medium Jalapenos, a bag of celery, and garlic and parsley to your liking.
Chop the Jalapenos into thin slices and spread them into the warming beer. Open the two cans of rotel and pour over the beer and japs mixture.
Next add the chopped celery and spices and cover.
Begin browning what ever meat you like. I have tried everything and the best two (depending on the target audience) are venison and of course Extra lean ground beef.
(Turkey and sausage are delicious as well)
I will also sometimes add cube steak for flavor, but it does not add to the consistency and texture.
Open the crock-pot and stir your mixture briefly and savor the beginnings of a fantastic aroma. If no-one is looking, taste the spoon.....you know you want to.
As the meet continues to brown, begin cubing the velveeta into 1/4 inch cubes and dropping them into the now warm beer / rotel mix. Add a little more beer as necessary but not to much.
This should take you about as long as the meat takes to brown on a low heat. Strain the beef and place it atop the melting cheese and cover.
Now the important part.....sit on the couch and wait. This entire process takes about two hours. Monitor so that it does not burn and keep the crock-pot on a medium setting, but you should have a melty, cheezy, delicious treat to take to you party. Don't forget the chips.
Oh, cleaning the crockpot is a pain....leave it at the party, you can pick it up next week......!!!!!!!! LOL
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Welcome to our new corporate office. Bay Vista Realty is a Family owned firm that is home to some of the best and Brightest in The Greater Tampa Bay Region. Stop at our Website to glean all you can!
YOUR FRIENDS AT BAY VISTA REALTY PROVIDE COMPLETE REAL ESTATE SERVICES FOR HOME SELLERS AND BUYERS IN THE TAMPA BAY MARKETPLACE, COVERING ALL OF HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, AND PINELLAS COUNTIES.
WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HOME, REAL EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
Bay Vista Realty & Investments and our team of Professional Full Time REALTORS are ready to help you with
ATTENTION Military Service Members!!!
Having served more than 23 years in the Military, I have a direct knowledge of the special needs and circumstances which military and government families face.I understand the hardships of having only one family member pick out the living quarters for the next 3 to 4 years and I have designed my staff and service to accommodate that.
We have a complete video system on hand for the best idea of what your "Advance Party" has picked out. With Bay Vista Realty, you never go it alone. If your service or organization is relocating you to or from the Tampa - Saint Petersburg area in the near future, contact us and we can develop a plan of attack for your particular need.
We also have a team member who is well versed in the process of VA home loans and other mortgage remedies for Veteran or Military home buyers in Florida.
If you are transferring to MacDill AFB, maybe into my old slot at US CENTCOM, Contact Me and we'll go over your financing needs and find best financing opportunities readily available to your special situation.
Feel free to contact us on our facebook page. We enjoy the interaction of our friends and clients and use social networking to ensure that our clients have the most success with the transaction process.
For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” real estate transaction. Knowing how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities are not merely good skills to have in today’s market — they are critical.
As a ‘Certified HAFA Specialist’ I :
* Understand Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program
* Can navigate the ins and outs GSE and non-GSE HAFA transactions, including details on HAFA process, timelines and documents.
* Am able to properly apply HAFA to help distressed sellers
* Receive HAFA program and Servicer updates
* With this additional certification I am more able to negotiate your short sale through the difficult waters ahead.
The De Pury Team Concept:
I manage a Team of Professionals that combine their efforts to maximize our marketing plan. Members of my team are specialists in the various Aspects of every Real Estate Transaction. From my Financial strategist to my Closing Coordinator. Together we can sell a home much faster and for more money that the typical "one man show" and no For Sale By Owner can ever match our market presence.
Languages.
In 2000 I took a hiatus from Real Estate to study languages full time at the Defense Language Institute.
I now am a lifelong student of the Serbian and Croatian languages and use them on a daily basis in my Real Estate Practice. Combining my knowledge of the language with my experience in Real Estate, I have become one of the areas leading Realtors in helping our newest citizens find the home that fits their needs.
Personal / Comments
As a Native of Tampa (my family arrived in Tampa over 100 years ago) Originally started, as the story goes, that My Grandmothers Grandfather was Teddy Roosevelt’s Personal Doctor and became the Doctor/Surgeon for the Rough Riders. The Riders camped out in Tampa Bay at what is now Fort Homer Hesterly.( I began My Military Career there) on the way to Cuba. The story also tells us that while the soldiers were fighting (the popular version depicts Teddy leading the charge up San Juan Hill) My Great Great..Great Grandfather and Teddy were on the veranda of the Bacardi Hacienda enjoying the local delights. One of which later became my Great Great Great Grandmother.
So anyway.... I know this area as well as anybody can. Please contact me so I can discuss various areas with you and together we can find the right home for you based on your needs.
Primary Specialties Residential - waterfront / luxury and Residential - investments Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, I have studied Spanish, Portuguese, Albanian and Russian, and a little German.
Languages Spoken
My other passions are the Military and helping the younger soldiers understand Real Estate and getting involved and then finally as a Private Pilot, I will sell anything that requires a quick jaunt in my Cessna for the Listing Presentation. Key West, no problem, I'll see you in a couple of hours.
I primarily work within the Short Sale and Investment communities.
Also having been a professional negotiator for most of my Military Career, I have a much better idea of what it takes to establish a bargaining position than your typical agent.
I entered this business seasoned, and have grown and learned form my transactions and my peers every day. Of all the things that I have learned in this business. As Realtors, we subscribe to a code of Ethics and by and large, most Realtors take great pride in their work and their business ethics. Having said that, I always like to believe in my fellow man at the beginning of every transaction. But I am always on the lookout for the “tells”. Those little actions or words that let me know when the principle (my client or the other) is hiding something. I have “Fired” many clients for not being up front with me from the beginning and I have “displaced” a few agents as well. Honesty, loyalty, and Integrity are utmost in my firm.
Other interests are Public Speaking, and teaching. I always try to make any classes or seminars as fun (Funny) and enlightening as possible. I am a firm believer that one can retain more by laughing as much as possible. More people can remember a joke that they heard 20 years ago than can remember the Pythagorean Theorem. So when ever I teach a seminar, I spend the first month of Prep. looking for funny stories that have to do with the topic. Then I get the remainder of the class ready. One day I would love to be a circuit speaker.
The ultimate culmination would be teaching Soldiers how to invest by traveling the country, appearing at various military Installations and making them laugh and then having them occasionally buy property through my firm. If I could do that in my private plane, That would be the best.
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If it weren't for Gary, and his Bay Vista team, I wouldn't have half the house that I have now. I am in the industry and I know allot of realtors, Gary has proven himself to me to be the only one that I will ever refer again. Most are out to earn a quick dollar, Gary is out to earn your trust and friendship. Bottom line up front, Gary has both from me. Listen, the bottom line as Gary likes to say is how much you net. I tried for 3 months to sell my home and it was only seen twice. Gary asked me one question, why did you buy this house. Because that is how I plan to market it. I hired him and the rest is history. My Net? $184.00 more than my ORIGINAL ASKING price. Susan Buckhorn
For Sale By Owner is for [Expletive deleted]. After having two contracts fall apart on my house, I was about to sell it for a lot less to the third guy, and he "forgot" to show up for a scheduled appointment, making me late for my T-time with my own potential client. I lost my t-time, almost lost a large account and would have sold for thousands less if I hadn't heard Gary's number (917-Gary) on the radio.
I called Gary in route to the course, he met me that same day, he seemed allot like me and not pushy and that's why I hired him. Gary is, how can I say this, dedicated. He made me feel like his only client. Once I had his sign in my front yard, I began to notice them all over Tampa, so I knew he was working for other people, but I never could tell from him.
Readers Digest version, Gary brought me two qualified buyers and they started bidding against each other. in the end, I netted more than if I had sold on my own. With no stress and no appointments missed.
After the closing Gary said something that really made me think, he told me that trying to sell a home on your own is like picking up a hitch hiker, you still take all of the risk and they end up with a free ride. I don't know why he said it then, but the fact is I don't pick up hitchhikers, but I did allow my wife to show our house to countless unknown individuals, that was the scary part.
Jeff Baker
Medical Sales Consultant
As a new investor, it is important to me to know that I am not alone in my real estate projects. I´ve sought great comfort in knowing that Gary De Pury is dedicating his talents towards my endeavors. My success is dependant on my peace of mind. Simply put, Gary gives me that peace of mind.
Sunshine Dalrymple
Accounting Student
Having served with Gary overseas with the Army, I trusted him with my life. When we returned home, it was second nature to trust him with my future. Gary dedicates himself to my needs, ensuring that we both pursue the courses of action in real estate tailor-made to the goals that I have set. I wish that all real estate agents were as intimately familiar with the goals of their clients as Gary is to mine. Unfortunately, most of them are not, but most of them don´t hang up their work suits next to their Dress Greens, either.
Armando Casanova
SFC, US ARMY
I was frustrated and losing money. My Realtor did nothing to get my rental condo occupied. I fired her and hired Gary based on his seemingly ridiculous promise to get me more money per month and do it in 30 days. 29 Days later, my condo (which had been vacant for 4 months under [Removed]'s management) was leased at $14,000.00 per year and Gary has been my Real Estate Go-2-Guy ever since!!
Ron Diaz
Local Talk Show Host
AM 620 "The Sports Animal"
Joe Minardi
Gulf Coast Appraisal Group
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