The last few days I have been posting about the Australian Open Tennis matches.  For those who follow you may already know that the unstoppable Roger Federer has won again.  It's something like 167 straight weeks he has been at #1.Well today while I was at the gym working out, they did a comparison on his record versus Tiger Woods on ESPN.Tiger's record is even more amazing with over 400 weeks at the #1 spot.Tiger actually attended the U.S. Open last year to see Roger make history.Sitting right there in the front row (you know he could afford that ticket), one amazing athlete watching another.I would be interested to here who you think could knock each of these athletes out of there #1 spots.       01/29/2007

One of my hobbies is working out at the gym.  I've been commited to this pass time on and off for over 20 years.  When I was younger, I found myself reading alot about different exercise programs, nutrition, etc.  As time passed, I figured I knew enough and gave up the reading.I still work out now 4 to 5 days a week.  Recently I have considered hiring a personal trainer to help my workout get to the next level.I feel exercising is really important especially with the demands of a real estate career.  Running long hours, eating whenever we have time, etc.I would be interested in knowing how the fellow rainers view personal trainers.Are they worth their time and money?  I've seen many at gyms just gabbing with their clients and have always wondered if the client is making improvements or ... 01/26/2007

You can turn it off whenever you want, right? Or can you? Find out what TV is really doing to you and how altering your habits can change your lifeThe average American adult watches a shocking amount of television: 26 to 30 hours a week, or roughly four hours a day. Cheap, easy, and always available, television beats out every other leisure pursuit in the United States.But here's the scariest part: Even if you watch far less television than average, you can become dependent on it--for relaxation, for companionship, or just to ward off boredom, say researchers. This dependence puts your health at risk. It increases your chances for weight gain, reduces your problem-solving ability, and cheats your personal relationships. Sure, not all television is bad (some shows do entertain or educate... 01/26/2007

Guidelines For Improved Spending Don't buy on impulse. Put items on an impulse list and wait 30 days to purchase. Obtain a minimum of three alternatives and comparison prices before purchase. Never have more than one item on the impulse list. Become a comparison shopper on all items you plan to purchase. Pay cash for everything or don't buy it. Wait for special sales - ask retailers when sale dates are planned. Double check value, repairability, price, guarantees on all major purchases. Learn to read and understand all advertisements. Read all labels and product literature carefully. Use a list for grocery and household items. Go shopping alone - especially for household and grocery items. Buy private label brands where economical and practical. Learn to uncover gyps and scams. Never ex... 01/25/2007

A few days ago, I posted a blog about tennis.  I mentioned Roger Federer and the kind of year he is having.  Especially with the Australian Open.  He beat Andy Roddick , whom I am a BIG fan.Andy didn't even seem to phase Roger with his strongest attribute, his serve.  Sometimes closked at 140 m.p.h.Roger took Andy down in straight sets 6-4, 6-0, 6-2Could Roger be stopped this year?He's looking so strong and when you are on and off the court in less then 1 1/2 hours each match, you have plenty of time to rest.Email me back tennis fans, let me know what you're thinking.     01/25/2007

I will try to figure out why I *really* need 9 e-mail addresses.I will stop sending e-mail to my wife (husband).I resolve to work with neglected children -- my own.I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm with which I answer my e-mail.I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person.I resolve to back up my 12GB hard drive daily...well, once a week... okay, monthly then...or maybe...I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet. This, of course, will be hardto estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.When I hear "Where do you want to go today?" I will not reply "MS Tech Support."When I hear a funny joke I will not reply, "LOL... LOL!"I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.I will think of a passw... 01/24/2007

Happy Wednesday Morning to all !How many AR users watch the Apprentice?In it's 1st season when Bill Rancic won, I was a huge fan and addicted to the show.I went away for awhile as a viewer and thought I would give it a try this season again.It appears I am hooked all over.Did anyone see this past Sunday's episode where Michelle quit the show.If so, please let me know what you thought about that decison.Are there many Donald Trump fans out there?     01/24/2007

A pilot, Michael Jordon, Bill Gates, the Pope, and a pizza delivery man were all in a plane together traveling through stormy conditions.Suddenly, the pilot came running back to the passengers and announced that lightning had hit the plane, and they were going to crash in a matter of minutes. "There are only enough parachutes for four of the five of us," he announced. "Since I'm the pilot, I get one!" After saying this, the pilot grabbed a parachute and jumped out of the plane."I'm the world's greatest athlete," proclaimed Michael Jordon. "This world needs great athletes, so I must live." Michael Jordon then grabbed a parachute and leaped out of the plane."I'm the smarest man in the world," bragged Bill Gates. "The world needs smart men, so I must also live!" Bill Gates grabbed a parach... 01/23/2007

Annual income aside, there's not a person among us who wouldn't welcome the idea of having more money in their savings account. This is the money we use on everything from yearly vacations to family presents. Come holiday time, wouldn't it be nice to have an extra thousand or so dollars at your disposal? Here are a few ideas that can help to make that possible. The best part is you'll hardly feel it!Bring Your Lunch to Work - The average person spends $6 when they buy their lunch yet only $2 when they pack it themselves. That's a potential savings of $20 a week or $1,040 dollars a year.Durable over Disposable - Using products like Handi-Wipes (semi-disposable rags) as opposed to paper towels, and a rechargeable razor rather than the disposable kind, can save you up to $200 per year.Hold... 01/22/2007

A guy runs into a bar and says, "Bartender, quick! Give me 20 shots of the best Scotch!"So the bartender lines up 20 shots of his best Scotch and watches this guy down one after the other. "Man," the bartender says, "I've never seen anyone drink shots that fast!" "You'd drink them that fast too if you have what I have," the guy says. "Oh my God," says the bartender, "what do you have?" "50 cents."   01/22/2007

I don't know how many of you watched the game on Sunday afternoon, but it brought back some good memories of the 1985 Bears.  I'm not a BIG football game watcher myself, but you can't helped but getting dragged into the excitement when a local TEAM is doing well.At the health club this morning they even aired the Super Bowl shuffle song over the airwaves. I found myself thinking back to when that sone orginally was first broadcasted.Wow, does time fly by.Please share the memories you had of the 1985 Bears Super Bowl.Go Bears !     01/22/2007

Here's an interesting website that others may have already been aware of that tracks gas prices in your area. Gas BuddyIt appears to be pretty accurate with what prices are currently.That is one commodity we could not avoid using in the real estate industry.When prices were over $3/gallon, it really made a difference at the end of the week.It nice to see them down around $2/gallon again.I remeber the days of less then $1/gallon.How have others adjusted to these prices that seem to be here to stay?     01/21/2007

I don't know how many people there are that enjoy watching tennis, but the Australian Open is currently going on.  I myself, cannot play the sport well, but enjoy viewing a good match.  My favorite player at the moment is Andy Roddick.  The question I have for those willing to respond is could anyone beat Roger Federer  He seems to be at the top of his game.  It doesn't appear that he is even being challenged by any of his latest competitors at the Australian Open. I would be interested to hear what other had to say.Great match on today Rafael Nadel against Andy Murray    01/21/2007

Two old guys, Abe and Sol, are sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons and talking about baseball, like they do every day. Abe turns to Sol and says, "Do you think there's baseball in heaven?" Sol thinks about it for a minute and replies, "I dunno. But let's make a deal: if I die first, I'll come back and tell you if there's baseball in heaven, and if you die first, you do the same." They shake on it and sadly, a few months later, poor Abe passes on. One day soon afterward, Sol is sitting there feeding the pigeons by himself when he hears a voice whisper, "Sol... Sol..." Sol responds, "Abe! Is that you?" "Yes it is, Sol," whispers Abe's ghost. Sol, still amazed, asks, "So, is there baseball in heaven?" "Well," says Abe, "I've got good news and bad news." "Gimme the good news first," say... 01/20/2007

On January 1st, 2007, a new law went into effect making Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) tax-deductible for new borrowers whose personal adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less. Designed to protect the lender from default and foreclosure, PMI was viewed as a double-edged sword by consumers for many years. On the one hand, PMI was a requirement for loans exceeding 80% of a home's value or sales price. On the other hand, many consumers could not afford or even qualify to purchase a home without PMI. The new law makes PMI more beneficial, creating an opportunity to finance a more expensive home or to potentially obtain lower payments for the same-priced home, while reducing income taxes.And, while those who financed their home prior to 2007 cannot take the deduction, more options are ava... 01/19/2007

1. Hold It SteadyA problem with many photographs is that they're blurry. Avoid 'camera shake' by holding the camera steady. Use both hands, resting your elbows on your chest, or use a wall for support. Relax: don't tense up. You're a marksman/woman holding a gun and it must be steady to shoot. 2. Put The Sun Behind YouA photograph is all about light so always think of how the light is striking your subject. The best bet is to move around so that the sun is behind you and to one side. This front lighting brings out color and shades, and the slight angle (side lighting) produces some shadow to indicate texture and form. 3. Get CloserThe best shots are simple so move closer and remove any clutter from the picture. If you look at most 'people' shots they don't show the whole body so you don... 01/18/2007

A President of a democracy is a man who is always ready, willing, and able to lay down your life for his country.A backscratcher will always find new itches; a brown-noser will always find new sense.A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.A bird in the bush usually has a friend in there with him.A bird in the hand is always safer than one overhead.A bird in the hand is dead.A bird in the hand makes it hard to blow your nose.A boss with no humor is like a job that is no fun.A clean tie attracts the soup of the day.A closed mouth gathers no foot. 01/18/2007

A little girl and her dog are walking through the forest when they suddenly fall into a pit. They scramble and scramble but can''t make their way out. The little girl yells, the dog barks, but no one is around to hear their calls for help. Slowly, the night sky turns black and they find themselves engulfed in utter darkness. Off in the distance, the wolves begin howling. Each howl is louder and closer than the last. The little girl holds the dog close to her chest and says sadly to the dog, "This is the worst mess in which ever have found ourselves, my darling Sparky." "Yeah," the dog says, "we''re really screwed." "Sparky," the girl says, astonished, "I didn''t know you could talk." "Well," the dog says, "I was kinda waiting for the right time to tell you." 01/17/2007

Pretty grim, but we mustn't forget the trends which, the forecast said, come and go; however, in the last five years there have been three trends that have "remodeled housing finance and become fixtures of the housing market." The first trend is a higher level of refinance activity. The housing boom and the general obsession with real estate have made homeowners more aware of refinancing options and savvier in utilizing them while at the same time technology has reduced the cost of originating mortgages. This has, over the last 15 years, led to three refinancing booms when the number of homeowners refinancing has constituted over 50 percent of all mortgage origination activity. Each time, as the refinancing frenzy ebbed, the bottom was higher than the time before: in late 1993 refinanci... 01/17/2007

Yes, ceiling fans can actually make you warmer. Let's see why. In the summer, when the fan is on a high speed, the fan blows air past you, removing the hot air that surrounds your body, making you feel cooler. In the winter, you simply put the fan on the lowest speed. That's usually not fast enough for the air to blow past you and make you cooler, but it's fast enough to push down the warm air that collects near the ceiling. (Remember, hot air rises.) So the key is: fast speed for summer, slow speed for winter.You can also try to use the switch on the fan that changes its direction. You can have the fan blow UP in the winter, which will push the warm air off the ceiling and bounce it back towards the floor along the walls, without rushing it past you to make you feel cooler. And if you ... 01/16/2007