Tracy CA Home Inspector Inspecting houses around Tracy California often is really like Indiana Jones on yet another adventure. Treading through clutter and sometimes destroyed belongings in some bank owned properties generally is a realistic concern. These types of homes sometimes hold the unfortunate consequences of some furious property owner where rooms will be spray painted, entry doors will be destroyed, glass may be broken plus everything deserving of equity is surprisingly gone.There's a good possibility most of these houses will likely be grabbed by first time homeowners. Whenever that occurs, a close look for hazards and even possible danger will have to be wide open for any property inspector. A lot of brand new home buyers may perhaps never have been able to afford a home pre... 07/07/2012

Today's blog will be short, completely personal and probably only meaningful to me. Yesterday was of course July 4th, the day we celebrate our nations birthday. I will have more to say about that shortly.   The first thing I will mention is that I have been sick for the past week. Not desperately ill, but, head-achy, low grade fever and just being incredibly tired. Now, for the last two days I am pretty much back to normal. It never has felt better to feel better!   Secondly I finally hit the 100 thousand point mark right here on Active Rain. It seems forever ago that a college set me an email congratulating me for hitting 10 thousand points. Active Rain has since turned in to a regular part of my daily RE life. Thank you AR for allowing me to express myself for good or bad each day.   ... 07/05/2012

  It's Monday, and I have a joke for all of us homeowners. Here we go.. The homeowner got into his grubbiest clothes on Saturday morning and set about all the chores he'd been putting off for weeks.He'd cleaned the garage, pruned the hedge, and was halfway through mowing the lawn when a woman pulled up in the driveway and yelled out her window, "Say, what do you get for yard work?"The fellow thought for a minute, then answered, "The lady who lives here, lets me sleep with her."   I'm Dale E. Bledsoe with Crown Key Realty and as always I may be reached at 209-481-6031 07/02/2012

Two women were walking through the woods when a frog called out to them and said: "Help me, ladies! I am a real estate agent who, through an evil witch's curse, has been transformed into a frog. If one of you will kiss me, I'll be returned to my former state!"One woman took out her purse, grabbed the frog, and stuffed it inside her handbag. The other woman, aghast, screamed, "Didn't you hear him? If you kiss him, he'll turn into a real estate agent!"The second woman replied, "Sure, but these days a talking frog is worth more than a real estate agent!" My name is Dale E. Bledsoe with Crown Key Realty and as always I may be reached at 209-481-6031. 06/25/2012

I let Fathers Day pass without writing about my father. I decided that today, along with my normal Monday funny, I would write a few words about him. My dad was born in 1902 on a Kentucky tobacco farm. He started using tobacco by his recollection at age nine. He was never a financial success, but he always worked hard to have a home, clean clothes andfood on the table for my mother, my brother and I. Our home was always a quiet and peaceful place. The best thing he did was dearly love my mother. Abraham Lincoln one said that the best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother. My dad did, and the happiness in our home was the result. My father passed away in 1965 from cancer. I was just 14 at the time and it was less that three years removed from my older brothers passi... 06/18/2012

I have always had a belief in karma. If I do good, then good things will come to me. Having been a hippie in my pre-bald days this is not surprising. Its how most of us thought.   On Thursday of this week I attended a Realtor breakfast at the local I hop. We meet every Thursday, but normally in a more formal venue. This week our normal spot was being used for Vacation Bible School, so we gladly relinquished the room for a week.   Our breakfast was fun and it was a nice change from our normal Thursday meeting. I had to leave a bit early for an appointment and as I walked into the parking lot I noticed a device, which turned out to be an I pod Touch on the ground with headphones still attached. Nice unit, looked new and obviously fallen out of a pocket or a car. In fact it was near the fr... 06/15/2012

I recently took a listing that I expected to sell quickly. Almost instantly we received multiple offers with one standing out above the others. I knew the Realtor representing the buyers and I knew the lender as well. A quick talk with the lender convinced me that it was the best offer and my sellers accepted it.   During the inspection process it was noted that the water heater installation did not meet state guidelines. My experience told me the inspector was correct. I spoke to the home owner who was adamant that it was correct and gave me documentation from the city approving the installation. I spoke with a city official that said if the installation meets city code state code did not apply. Hmm!   I called the California Association of Realtors Legal Hotline and explained the situ... 06/13/2012

One of the really interesting things about baseball is that you have never seen it all. Doesn't matter how many game you watch, things that you've never seen before happen. Baseball announcers mention it all the time, they'll say something like, “well, that's one I have never seen before”. Happens every week.   Real Estate is the same. The rules for each transaction (just like in baseball) are written down and every agent is supposed to follow them. New things still happen.   My broker called me a few mornings ago to say there was a message on our office answering machine that “sort of” has to do with a transaction I am involved in as the listing agent. The message was from a person, claiming to be a Realtor in another city and a parent of one of the people purchasing the property. The ... 06/02/2012

What happened to important people of 1923 Do you know who in 1923 was: 1. President of the largest steel company? 2. President of the largest gas company? 3. President of the New York Stock Exchange? 4. Greatest wheat speculator? 5. President of the Bank of International Settlement? 6. Great Bear of Wall Street? These men should have been considered some of the world's most successful men. At least they found the secret of making money. Now more than 55 years later, do you know what has become of these men? 1. The President of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, died a pauper. 2. The President of the largest gas company, Edward Hopson, died insane. 3. The President of the N.Y.S.E., Richard Whitney, was released from prison to die at home. 4. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur ... 06/01/2012

When Beethoven passed away, he was buried in a churchyard. A couple days later, the town drunk was walking through the cemetery and heard some strange noise coming from the area where Beethoven was buried. Terrified, the drunk ran and got the priest to come and listen to it. The priest bent close to the grave and heard some faint, unrecognizable music coming from the grave. Frightened, the priest ran and got the town magistrate. When the magistrate arrived, he bent his ear to the grave, listened for a moment, and said, "Ah, yes, that's Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, being played backwards." He listened a while longer, and said, "There's the Eighth Symphony, and it's backwards, too. Most puzzling." So the magistrate kept listening; "There's the Seventh... the Sixth... the Fifth..." Suddenly... 05/25/2012

The long and winding road that leads... in a big circle around West Valley mall in Tracy California. OK, not Lennon and McCartney but it works for me.   This winter my weight crept up to a new high if 211 lbs. Not wanting to go to the expense of installing an early warning system in my pants to alert me and those close by of an imminent explosion of the front button, and preferring to fit into some of my other clothes I decided to embark on and a walking program. I have a slight damaged leg (titanium rods and screws) and need a flat surface to walk comfortably. The local mall was the perfect place for me. At first I would arrive at the mall around 7:45 and join the “mall walkers” in walking the inside perimeter of the mall. Each lap past each store took about 15 minutes and countless wa... 05/16/2012

  Dale looks like a golf pro in his designer outfit, but he slices his first drive deep into the woods. Rather than accept a penalty, George decides to try using an iron to get back on the fairway. But, his ball ricochets off a tree and strikes him on the forehead, killing him instantly. When good old Dale arrives at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter greets him. "You look like a golfer. Are you any good?" asked Saint Peter. To which Dale replies, "I got here in two, didn't I?" My name is Dale E. Bledsoe and when I golf I do play from the woods after most drives. As always I may be reached at 209-481-6031 You may also visit me on the web at www.dalebledsoe.com             05/14/2012

A weed grows in Orem, Utah... I snapped this while at my son's baseball game. This was a baseball stadium with cement steps. Look at this... weeds popping through the cracks. I don't think these weeds CAN bloom but they  certainly look as if they are flousishing. 05/07/2012

SHE HAS THIS..... a house that's upside down                   She wants this.......              You see what Sally Seller thinks she has... you see what she thinks she wants... will the banks allow her to relocate via a short sale? Sally Seller is upside down on the home she purchased 7 years ago.   According to NAR people HISTORICALLY move or refinance every 5 - 7 years.  Sally Seller has reached the 7 year mark.  She can't refinance because she owes more than she can sell her home for. Her best friend, just moved across town into a home twice the size of Sally's for half the price Sally pays monthly. Sally Seller tells the bank that she can't afford her payments anymore, and she works deligently along with her REALTOR towards a successful short sale.   What happens NEXT, is a trend ... 05/07/2012

This is the third installment in the War Has Been Declared series. The series revolves around a young couple in the process of a divorce and the problems I have encountered try to short sell their condo during the process. After the first post, many of you suggested I move to another state, get an unlisted number and seek entry into the witness protection program. I chose to stick it out, but progress has been slow and painful for all of us. But we are moving forward. To view the previous installments just follow these links. Part Two:  Part One: Several new issues have come up, but both sides have been reasonably quick to respond to any requests for additional documents that the bank requires. This is a very good thing.  There was a few moments of anger when one party said they would n... 05/07/2012

Most of the Realtors I know, myself included, drink coffee. Too much coffee. We drink it, need it, depend on it and pay way too much for it. So, you know you drink too much coffee if: You grind your coffee beans in your mouth. You sleep with your eyes open. You have to watch videos in fast-forward. The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer. You've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze. You chew on other people's fingernails. The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse. You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas. You can type sixty words per minute with your feet. You can jump-start your car without c... 05/04/2012

Places I have Lived I live in the Northern California city of Tracy. Been here for 17 years, which according to a lot of my friends, makes me “the new kid”. Tracy has changed a lot in 17 years. When I arrived it was an agricultural area, but slowly then quickly became a bedroom community for the Bay Area. People moved here for the affordable housing, the good schools and the lower crime rate. As home prices skyrocketed, farmers (many second and third generation farmers) were quick to sellout to developers that paid top dollar for every inch of land available to build on. We all know how that turned out. The housing bubble burst, and thousands of Tracy residents were either foreclosed on, strategically walked away, or have been forced to short sell their homes. OK, that said, many of the... 05/04/2012

I have been a Realtor for six years now and an active Realtor for five. I have had some success, a lot of fun and seem to have earned the respect of my peers. That respect earned me a phone call from my broker asking me to mentor a brand new agent. I had never thought of myself as a teacher or a mentor, but Susan was persuasive and I accepted the responsibility. A lot of good has come from it and there are some interesting challenges attached. My mentee has always earned a regular paycheck and I discussed with her that sometimes in RE it can be a roller coaster ride. I explained that it is possible to avoid that roller coaster by carving out time to lead generate regardless of your current volume of business. Keep the pipeline full, and the roller coaster fades away. We talked at length... 05/01/2012

I have never enjoyed the priviledge of working for the government. Many of my friend have and agree that there is very little difference from from the truth and what you will read below. So, you know you work for the government if: 1. You work for an acronym, on an acronym, and your job title is an acronym.  2. You can name the project leader of more than 10 projects including your own, but still can't explain in the simplest terms what they do. 3. The process becomes more important than the product. 4. You've sat at the same desk for 3 years, done the same thing for 3 years, but have had 3 different business cards. 5. You don't see anything wrong with attending a meeting on a subject you know nothing about. 6. You feel you contributed to the meeting just by being there. 7. You realize... 04/27/2012

As a guy that is getting older, I have come to appreciate the things people told me when I was younger and thought that old was something for other people. Now, I can appreciate the stories I sat not so patiently through. Here is one of my favorites. Its called: Samples Please! An old man goes to the doctor for his yearly physical, his wife tagging along. When the doctor enters the examination room, he tells the old man, "I need a urine sample, a stool sample and a sperm sample." The old man, being hard of hearing, looks at his wife and yells: "WHAT?""What did he say? What's he want?"His wife yells back, "He needs your underwear." My name is Dale E. Bledsoe with Crown Key Realty and as always I may be reached at 209-481-6031. You may also visit me on the web a  www.DaleBledsoe.com 04/23/2012