John Crosby's (johncrosby) Blog

While shoveling out from the latest snowstorm the other day I received a voice mail message from a former listing client.  My client due to a work transfer moved to another state several years ago just prior to the collapse of the market. We tried like heck to sell her property but the mortgage ...

I received a frantic phone call the other day from a friend who is an agent at another agency here in town.  My friend had just had a very contentious phone conversation with a listing client who doesn't understand why their house is getting no showings.  In our phone conversation I reminded my f...

Over this past hectic week of Holidays and a Blizzard I've pondered what event will pop up as a Pay It Forward moment to write about.  There was gift giving, phone calls, shoveling snow all tossed into this past week, but what strikes me the most and leaves me with the warm and fuzzys is an encou...

I'm not sure if this is "pay it forward", "pay it back" or simply "Merry Christmas".   For years a really nice elderly neighbor makes sure to toss a biscuit to Mr. Dog whenever he sees us walking around the neighborhood.  I've always thought of giving him a little gift at Christmas time for being...

A couple days ago my partner and I helped a client clean out their basement in preparation of putting the property on the market.  We took a couple of loads of trash to the dump in my partners truck.  On one of the trips to the dump my partner stopped at the bank in town to cash a check and I wai...

I have a very wonderful Big Chocolate Lab "who" I take out a number of times a day for a walk.  The walk is great  I get some exercise, chat with the neighbors and get some fresh air.  Also, along the walk I notice how litter collects in the unattended areas.  Like most dog walkers I carry a coup...

Every year over the first weekend of December our local Chamber of Commerce puts on a Holiday kick off called "Christmas Walk" for our local merchants with a tree lighting Friday eve and a Santa parade on Saturday morning. A number of years ago I was involved in a local Veteran Firemans's organiz...

Good Mexican food is hard to find on the North Shore, No Longer!  The Howling Wolf Taqueria located across Derby Street from the Central Fire Station is a needed and great addition to Salem's growing selection of "to-die-for" restaurants.  This amazing eatery has an upbeat atmosphere with lots of...

While on my way to the Assessor's and Zoning Offices at City Hall the other day I found a terrific parking space directly across the street from City Hall.  As I pulled into the space I noticed an older gentleman rummaging around in the car in front of me.  I noticed he continued rummaging around...

When I was a child my Dad insisted that I practice common courtesy to others.  He usually would say things like "It doesn't cost you anything to smile at a stranger!" or "It doesn't cost you a thing to say Thank You!" or  "It doesn't cost anything to be polite!" etc. etc. This past week on a sunn...