Cary, NC

John Lennon

October 9, 1940- December 8, 1980

John Winston Lennon was born in Liverpool on this day in 1940. He would have been 68 today had he not been tragically murdered outside his hotel in Manhattan.

From the day he picked up his first guitar, the music world was never the same. As a founding member of the Beatles, John Lennon took music to new levels and led the way for a social and cultural revolution. Whether you agreed with his methodology or not, Lennon’s intentions evoked a simple philosophy:

Give Peace A Chance

From the Beatles debut album, 1963's Please Please Me, to Abbey Road six years later, every record represented a considerable artistic progression. But all of them were themed around peace, love and good will towards your fellow man. This was a message that John Lennon constantly spread in his music, his art, his interviews, and, sadly posthumously.

Imagine all the people living life in peace…

I recently went to visit my old stomping grounds in Manhattan with my dear friend Christy who had never been north of DC. We immediately gravitated to Strawberry Fields in Central Park to spend a few minutes. It turned out to be a few hours as an impromptu band had set up and played Beatles tunes. People just continued to stop and listen, and before you knew it, there was a large group just singing Beatles songs and sharing a moment of peace and music in the middle of the world’s craziest of cities. John Lennon himself probably would have been proud to see people of all ages, colors and backgrounds gathering as one with a shared goal:

And the world will be as one…

So, today my fellow Rainers, take a moment out of your busy day to watch the attached video and when you’re done, go out into the world and…

Give Peace A Chance

Using "Find Your Home" on my site, MikeJaquish.com to search for a home in the Raleigh Cary area, just got better!

Today, Hal and the guys at Goodtree & Co. took my new IDX real estate search solution, BestHomePro, "Live." Hubba Hubba!

The user interface is revolutionary among third party search providers. It is map-based, and uses Microsoft Virtual Earth as the mapping solution. Microsoft Virtual Earth offers aerial photo views, Microsoft 3D images, and "Bird's-Eye" views. Birds-Eye views make me feel like I am right in front of the home, and then allow me to circle the home by pressing the rotation arrows. One fact I really like is that MS Virtual Earth is also the mapping solution for the Triangle MLS. We have consistency in presentation when offering clients automatic MLS searches or seeing results in our IDX searches.

We now also have access to local businesses, services, and schools, parks, and recreation on the map with BestHomePro.

The search will rank the results in the order of "Best Fit" to your criteria, which you will input with the use of sliding scales, depending on how important each feature is to you.

I am a huge supporter of visitors using agents' search solutions without registration, without fear that Realtors will pester them regularly trying to force a sale. If I can be of service, I hope that the visitor would be comfortable enough to just "raise their hand," and make a request.

BestHomePro does require that users register when saving a search, saving homes, sharing listings with others, or other advanced uses beyond searches. They need contact information to drop a cookie onto your computer to identify you, I guess. Hoping my cookie is chocolate chip.

Users need to know that my personal policy is unchanged. Use the search feature as much as you wish. Save searches. Share homes. I respect your privacy, and will drop you a personal email welcoming you after you get the automatic welcoming email. After that, you will not hear from me until YOU contact ME, with a need or question. No Hassle Home Searching is here to stay.

So use it. Drive it like you stole it. Get comfortable. Pop over to Apex, NC, or up to Morrisville, or anywhere in Wake County. Find that home, and don't hesitate to let me know that you need further help.

Welcome to BestHomePro and "Find Your Home!" Come back often and call me when you care to.

The first presidential debate is over. Boring!

The VP debate shed no new light on any of the topics that concern America's families.

And now the 2nd Presidential debate has come and gone

Did the debates leave you undecided as to who to vote for in the upcoming presidential elections?

Well, you're in luck. I've got this whole election thing worked out for you. You can go back to work and concentrate on the things that make you money instead of worrying about who to vote for.

Here are your choices...

You can vote Democrat.

Barack Obama seems like a nice guy! His message "Change We Can Believe In" is very plausible.

You can vote Republican.

John McCain and his "Straight Talk Express" will most likely be rolling through your town soon!

Of course you can go the Green Party route, or perhaps Libertarian. There's even a Communist choice if that's what floats your boat!

Or........you can vote for me!

That's right! Me! Craig Rutman! I feel strongly both ways on all the issues! My business partner Linda Jandura will be my running mate as Vice President so you won't have to worry if Joe Biden is "too Washington" for you. You won't have to worry if Sarah Palin is too inexperienced for you.

I've started a grass roots initiative for my campaign.

Since I've only recently given up on my quest to be King of the World, I'm settling for President of the Unites States of America instead.

I know some of you will think I'm not realizing my full potential, but President of the USA is still a lofty goal! We'll still be providing the excellent service you've come to expect from us in your Raleigh area Real Estate transactions. We're just taking on the role as President and Vice President in our spare time!

View the beginnings of my campaign below. And, remember to vote for me this November!

Last weekend marked my one year anniversary on Activerain. I can honestly say...it's changed my life, and the way I look at things. It's affected my confidence, and my "self talk." I was introduced to it during an all day conference last September on "Using the Internet to Market Your Business."

I've always been skeptical about marketing plans that did not start with "networking," and up until then, I thought that meant looking someone in the eye. In our industry, tons of people make money by dialing for dollars or sending out postcards to people they've never met - but that's not the way I built my business...So I was skeptical.

Plus... I'm in the last years of 40, and I'm a complete idiot when it comes to "techie" things. I figured "techie and 50" were not very sexy, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go there!! And so I sat in that all day class where they talked about CSS and PHP and the pros and cons of "hosting your own"... and I wondered why I was there.

Then a fella' got up and started talking about how he'd "met" people on Activerain, and how you could use it to recruit, and prospect... "Thousands of people go to National Real Estate Seminars every year, and if you ask them why they go it's going to look something like:

• To Learn More
• To Meet People who can refer business to me

Not necessarily in that order. Well, that's what Activerain is all about - without leaving your home, or changing out of your pajamas... and it's F-R-E-E" THAT I could understand - and so with no other information, I set out to learn about ActiveRain.

I've learned about long distance friendships. Growing up in the State of North Carolina, I've got friends in other cities... but up until a year ago, most of my friends were people I'd met, eye to eye, beer suds and all. The friendships I've made on AR have been every bit as fun, deep, and revealing. I'm not talking about leaving comments for someone. I'm talking about picking up the phone and talking - text messaging a friend on a Sunday night in August when you're laughing so hard you could cry because your favorite rock station is playing all night CHRISTMAS MUSIC just because the DJ was "in the mood!" I'm talking about a friend who will help you do research on a 400 year old golf club...talk to you at night when you're worried about (fill in the blank), and have a virtual party on a Friday night - with high heels, cosmos and lots of "zingers."

I've learned about the various strategies that work (and don't work) on AR. One strategy is "Pick me to be Your Agent!" To be honest - I don't this one is a winner. Another one is to provide information for folks moving to your area, or folks looking for activities in the area - this works well for many, and flows great into Localism. Some people are just "here" on Activerain to Network, and make friends (I often fall into this group - afterall, I'm subscribed to 89 people)... and others are here to learn (techie stuff, home staging, marketing tips) or teach.

And I've learned that you need a balance. When I first came to AR, the markets were down, people in our office were depressed, real estate wasn't selling very well, people were having trouble getting loans approved... it seemed like a safe place to hide - a great place to be learning while all of that "other stuff" was going on... Well, it's a YEAR LATER, and that "Other Stuff" is still here. It's going to be here. So fortunately I've learned how to make friends (who refer business to me) AND create my own leads by writing about those things folks in my area are interested in. I've learned how to set up 3 outside sites, and I'm busy connecting all of that. I've joined Tweeple Groups, and SEO Meetup groups... and yes, I was the oldest kid in the room - but now, a year later - I can at least follow the conversation!

Maybe Slightly Techie and Leaning Towards 50 CAN BE HOT! Thanks AR!

What an absolutely wonderful weekend for the upcoming Susan G. Komen PinkFest 2008 being held at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre this Sunday from 1-6 PM. The day is predicted to be a bright sunshiny one with temperatures in the mid 70’s – a perfect fall day in the Carolinas.

Here’s more information from the Susan G. Komen for the cure NC Triangle;

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Buy Your Advanced Tickets Now!

Sunday, October 5, 1-6pm (please note that printed tickets say 1pm-5pm, but the event concludes at 6pm)
Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Tickets: Breast Cancer Survivors $10, Adults
$20, Kids 5-15 $15 (free for kids under 5)
For more information or to purchase tickets: Click Here!

Advanced tickets purchased now will be available at Will Call on the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at Koka Booth for an additional five dollars per ticket.

All Survivors receive a goody bag and event t-shirt!

Important Program Highlights!
1:00pm - Gates Open
1:45 pm - Survivor Ceremony, including the presentation of the Maureen Thomas Jordan Spirit of Survivorship Award and Survivor Photo
2:45pm - First round of Silent Auction closes
4:00pm - Get your groove on with Zydecopious, a hot, swingin' Zydeco band guaranteed to make your feet happy!
4:45pm - Second round of Silent Auction closes. Get your bids in!

Other special entertainment not to be missed!
- Back by popular demand! Interactive Drum Circle from Music Explorium
- The Spin Man - basketball handler extraordinaire, rivals the Harlem Globetrotters. (No joke!)
- Juggler, face painting for kids and adults
- Special gifts and surprises from our sponsors

Come Hungry!
A delicious spread of Barbeque, Italian marinated chicken breast and all the fixings from Dickey’s is included in your ticket price so come with an appetite! Food from Dickey’s will be served from 1pm-3pm or until it runs out! Koka Booth’s vendors will all be open during the event as well.

Don’t Miss the Silent Auction and Raffle! Just a few of the amazing items include:

- Four days and three nights in a fully equipped three bedroom beach house on Topsail Island
- Gift certificate from Vietri, the largest importer of exclusively Italian handcrafted dinnerware
- Hockey stick autographed by the Carolina Hurricanes
- Pink Hoops for Hope basketball jersey from NC State Women’s Basketball
- For a special Survivor raffle - Nicholas Sparks’ 14 book collection autographed by the author

Make a Pink Ribbon Promise
In keeping with the spirit of the day, we encourage you to make a Pink Ribbon Promise. Help us save more lives while honoring and remembering loved ones who have battled breast cancer. For a donation of $25, a large ribbon with the name of your loved one will be included in a special Pink Ribbon Promise display at PinkFest. Choose the Pink Ribbon Promise option when purchasing tickets.

Support a Survivor
Purchase a ticket for a survivor who cannot afford one for herself. Choose the Support a Survivor option when purchasing tickets.

Seating
There will be some tables and chairs set-up close to the stage, but please feel free to bring your own blankets and lawn chairs to relax and enjoy the festivities.

Thanks again to our fantastic Local Presenting and Spotlight Media sponsors for PinkFest:
Local Presenting Sponsors: Airplus for Her, Coldwell Banker Howard, Perry and Walston, Duke Medicine

Spotlight Media Sponsors: Coalmarch Productions, WRAL TV-5

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We hope to see you out & about on the 5^th!!!

Raleigh Realtor – Pamela St. Peter