Hey Richard!! Yes, we are getting spammed horribly!! Thank you for posting on this. I noticed that several of my old listings had spam. I truly hate spammers and the fact that they are using this site and its forums to “advertise” their products. I have reported several posts and will continue to do so. Its sad, because this is a great site. Hopefully the accounts that are spamming will be deleted. Ugh!!! So annoying. Please everyone do not click on links that are not part of the EN family. We all know who they are. Really ticks me off!! The poor EN team is probably fighting this everyday. I think it is just part of the marketing effort. We put it out there for fellow inventors to join in, however, spammers found that it was a great way to get their products and viruses out there. Blah!

All of these back to the top postings from me, were to get these back to where they belong, after the last spammer attack put these back to page 4 and 5. That was the last thing I did before I went to bed last night. All of the recent posts, that were showing, were from 3 years ago. I had to search to find the formerly current postings.

@Jane!! Thank you!!!! Yes, they are my pride and joy… although the teen has been acting like it is painful to talk lately. LOL. Yesterday I asked her how her day was and she mumbled intelligible things, then managed to get out “FINE”! HA HA HA. Gotta love teens! I am trying to keep the 8 year old, well 8. She adores her sister, luckily she is a loving, caring little being. Although she has her moments. She will use words out of context to correct me. I chuckle and then act real stern…then I make her clean something. The kids and hubby are sure right… I do punish with cleaning a lot! ha h ah ah ah. A girl needs help here! I will take what I can get! LOL. Its great to be back! I missed you too!!!!

@Frank. Ya, that was my baby. A pure German Rott, imported, beautiful. Certified for hips. We had to pay through the nose, we thought we were going to breed her, which meant getting permission from her breeder. We were going to donate the puppies to the k-9 unit of the two cities we were from. I actually met a guy that had an all red rotty! So beautiful! However, they are not recognized by the AKC and breeding Harley with him would have ruined her. Eventually, as she got older, about 3 years, she started “adopting” things like a kitten (yes, she had a baby kitten and brought in milk for it….she hated cats, but loved this kitten. They were together till she died. We couldn’t get close to that cat, it hated people). Once she died, the cat just disappeared. I always wondered what happened to it. We called her black kitty, she was all black so the name made sense. The lengths we would have to go through to trap her to take her to the vet was unbelievable. Harley used to catch her and hold her by the scruff of her neck. Then she adopted a toy. Started having false pregnancy’s so we had to fix her. I wish now that I would have had a baby of hers. She was an amazing dog. She will always be my baby.

Ya, Jack is my first adoption, and of course I start off with a dog with issues..big ones. LOL. I do need Cesar! LOL. Actually, he has come so far! He didn’t know how to even walk on a leash when I got him. He is leash and house trained, does tricks, comes when you call him, sits, lays, rolls over, does yoga doggy, sits pretty, speaks….LOL…. I am now trying to get him not to speak. We have tried trainer advise. Its driving me mad!!! Now he is coped up in this apt, its 113 out, so no running. Its sad, he used to love the bark park. I am sure you are right, every since the first attack he has been weird. I bet the other dogs do smell the fear. He is massive, has a huge neck and is pure muscle, but he won’t fight. Not at all. He did flip a dog over once and straddle it. The dog would not move. The dog was coming after me. I don’t think Jack knows how to use his mouth to fight. He was a bait dog, so they tie their mouths shut in order for them to not bite the “fighters”, they beat them and let the other dogs chew on them, they are a sparing partner, but can not fight back. I think that is where the barking and fear comes from. He does not know he has defenses. His snapping lately has been warning snaps. The trainer said he found his mouth but still will not use it. Its just a “hey, I have a mouth, I might bite you so leave me alone!!”…. Which we need to nip in the bud. I need Victoria Stillwell or Cesar!!! ASAP.. Oh boy.

As for the audition. I think you are right. My old neighbor, a Phoenix native and ex-PD, called me the other day and gave me the low down on the company. He seems to think they hired a professional, had all of us come out and the professional act like a average joe. The results were fixed from the beginning. My dad and I calculated that I had at least 12% of the vote, which is pretty good. I was second on most viewed on you tube and the top rated. Not making at least top 5 does not make sense. But if there is something funny going on, I am glad it all stopped right where it did. You and Lisa nailed it. I asked for a copy of the tallies, just curious, however, they will NOT provide them. There are a few contestants that are quite ticked…. I am over it. We resume taping in July for the pilot. So it all worked out. I just got an invite to a private premier that another production company did, that is friends with my production company. I am going to go for sure! Also, the director of my pilot Jay Lee said he would use me over and over. Its lining up work, he said he had his doubts at the audition, I was new with no real experience, so it was a crap shoot. He liked my personality so he gave me a shot. By the end of the first day of shooting, he said I did excellent, that once the cameras were on I was just a different person. The timing, facial expressions, everything was spot on. That made my confidence rise so much! The Exe. Producer wants me to do stand up….. Not so sure about that one. LOL. I thank you and Lisa so much for all of the support!! You guys have been awesome!

@Richard. Yep, back to the top….I will get there some day! LOL

Back to top.

   Those are some BEAUTIFUL dogs, Katie!!!     Harley looks like a pure Rotty; such handsome animals, and perfect guardians for the little one!
   It looks like she’s smiling for the camera!     It’s too bad there are the issues with Jack… the continuous barking must be hard to deal with, especially in an apartment setting… he must have had a lot of trauma early on to get him in the state of mind he’s in.     The other dogs (at the bark park) obviously smell/sense the issues and their nature makes them come after him.     It would be great if you all could hook up with Cesar Millan and see if he couldn’t get Harley’s mind right.

   It may be a good thing that your director and Exe producer were irritated that you didn’t get the ABC deal… as it may influence them to keep you in mind for an upcoming project?     The first thing out of Lisa’s mouth when I showed her who won was “I bet they are playing up to their target audience”, just like you related earlier!     It’s terrible how some feel a slave to political correctness instead of quality!     Like you said, it wasn’t meant to be, and if they are pandering you probably wouldn’t want to be a part of that anyhow.   

@Jane – Your cat looks like he’s about as content as he can be, in ALL your avatars!! <:-)

Your family is beautiful, Katie!! I can see now why you smile ear to ear :-). And your dog looks like a sweetheart.
So glad you’re back in the forums. Missed you!! I love reading your posts.

Okay, one more shot

http://www.edisonnation.com/users/kdpacello/alb...

Okay…. I guess that link does not work. How did you post your picture Frank?

http://s3.amazonaws.com/edisonnation/albums/162....JPG

my girl Harley, about a year and a half old. So pretty and very missed.

Oh Frank. Our babies. We sure miss them! Jack is borderline on his way out. I love him to death. However, his bark is still an issue. The shock collar never worked, instead would couple his bark with a yelp, then bark, then yelp. I took the dang thing off. He had little burn marks in his neck. The citronella collar was a no go, the dog is too smart and figured out how to empty it out. It did work the first couple of times, but then he soon realized if he barked enough he could empty it. Funny, he would make these low weird noises, then I would hear the spray…it would continue, and soon the collar would be empty. He is such a little Sh!t. LOL. Our next try is training again. I took him to the bark park this AM to give it another shot and sure as all can be, he got attacked again by a lab, mastiff and boxer. Poor Jack. I am going to take him to the ball fields and let him run it out. Its 113 out so we have to go early or not go at all. Other than that the trainer says they can help, but we had a trainer and it didn’t help. They think he is scared to death that someone is going to hurt his family. He also has his excited bark where that just does not stop! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I have never had a barker before and it is literally driving me mad! I feel bad because he is in the Apt. all day. Yesterday, while outside he acted like he was going to kill this big guy outside. Harley would have glared but kept on doing her own business….I am positive it is a confidence factor.

Thank you. I am sure the economy has hit everyone in one way or another. I had a rough day yesterday. I was on the phone with a Realtor about a deal. This poor guy has been in Real Estate since the 60’s and seen it all. An older man, he just short sold his family home not to long ago. He put a lot into perspective for me. I told him how emotionally draining it was to go to these deed in lieu’s, BK’s, divorces, forensic reporting, etc…… He was the first person to say that I was doing people a favor, that I was a part of helping them move on with their lives and start fresh. He was a very wise man, very kind and in the same boat a lot of people are out here. It is what it is. Your right, it is a crap shoot. I just did a BK for a doctor yesterday. You just never know. I appreciate your confidence in me. Oh boy , I hope it takes off. Its been fantastic. We begin taping again in July. The director now wants to use me for additional projects. I really enjoyed the writers meeting. They are actually using the two suggestions that I gave them. Funny, when you are with a group of writers, and you mention your idea (s), the whole table starts talking. They thought it was so funny!! It really made my day. My director and Exe producer were irritated that I didn’t make the commercial, but it all works out. Also, the show I am pitching is coming together quite well. The producer I am friends with has a lot of ins. Thank you frank. I pray that it will take off. I will still invent though. I have a few products I am working on right now with a partner that I think may do well. I got a R8 in ASOTV 2011 q1, however, I got a message that they don’t think it is the end of the road for the product. I am on pins and needles to hear what they have to say!!! I really appreciate your support. This week we are slammed with appraisal orders, which is great, its next week I worry about….. day to day and week to week in this biz…. I really do appreciate your support!!! You Rock Frank!!

You’re right, Major wasn’t a barker either… the only time he would bark is if heard footsteps outside, but only until I got up to look (of course he had to look too!) :) I liked what you said: “They will warn ya, but they were just being nice at that point”… that’s the truth!! I saw him attack a stray lab mix that wondered past Major’s urine borderline one day he was out with the kids… he came at him in a full run and knocked him down, then clamped onto his throat before he could get back on his feet…. he didn’t bite into him, infact, before I could get out there he’d already got off of him, snorted out real loud, and the lab jumped up and took off… Major peed, scratched the ground, and came prancing back into the yard like Secretariat after the Belmont Stakes!!!! LOL He was like… “see what i just did, aren’t ya’ll proud of me?”
I love hearing about Harley and Jack too! It never ceases to amaze me how well dogs acclimate themselves into a loving, caring family, even from rough beginnings, they seem to just BLOSSUM into themselves when they are happy, and take it upon themself to defend/support the family who loves them! I think they take a GREAT deal of pride in being associated with their FAVORITE humans!
And WE, take a GREAT deal of pride having them around too!
I hate hearing how the economy and things have bit into your alls appraisal business; it’s hard to know the right direction to go sometimes when chosing how to make a living… most of the times it’s a crap shoot anyway because so many factors can alter your demand. I’m confident something in the acting and/or inventing arena will materialize real soon… that will be so nice!

LOL Frank! Love ya!! I love hearing Major’s stories. It melts my heart. Ya, I would not mess with a Malamute, that is for sure!! Ya, that poor officer would have lost a hand for sure if Major or Harley was there!!!!! Harley wouldn’t bark if she felt threatened, she would just attack. A lot like Major I am sure. They will warn ya, but they were just being nice at that point. ") Oh, how we miss our babies.

Yes, the Pit Bull has fallen into horrible hands, bad breeding and been made notorious for being vicious. Its truly sad what humans have done to the breed. They were born to fight other dogs, but to be human friendly, as must were family pets way back in the day. Then they got this bully dog rep, and the wrong types of people were buying them. Not buying or breeding them for love or companionship, but to have an aggressive dog that looks crazy mean. Couple that with neglect and no training, or training to attack and you got one bad pooch. We are blessed with Jack. The vet thinks he was bread to be a fighter, but because he is not aggressive, they turned him into a bait dog. Poor guy. When he wasn’t useful they tied a bag around his head and let him go in the desert. Luckily someone found him. He is a total goof ball. I love him, but on the protection aspect, he will protect and bark at the door, but hides under the bed if he feels too threatened. HA HA HA.

@James, sorry if my writing annoys you and thank you for the apology. Its just who I am. Frank, Toni, Jane, they all know. ") If I knew I was being graded I may have responded better! ha ha ha. No worries, I really am a mellow person, so I pretty much thought what Frank said. Your comment didn’t bother me. I do write, and I write a lot. I truly do not worry about structure or length, as apparent by my posts. I am just communicating with my friends on EN.

Surprisingly I was an honor English student in High School….. Clearly WAS is the key word. ha. Its just me being me, I can’t apologize for that :). I do have better form when working. The software helps. LOL.

Ha! Funny Frank… You are right. I should not try to tell somebody how to write or be… sorry Katie.

Then don’t read it, Chappy… LOL…. You go ahead on Katie!!

It sounds like Harley and Major was of the same frame of mind when it came to our daughter’s well being! Their Guardian Angels…. long suffering and would happily die to protect them! It’s a good thing that bum in the dugout didn’t start toward Jordan!! The Rotty and Malamute have their size and looks to back them up… where the Pit has it’s reputation. Anyone who has spent more than a couple years on earth are fullty aware of these reputations as well… that’s where teaching Major to grin came in handy… if someone was being a smart a_s, I’d look down at Major and say; “He’s/She’s not being nice… what d’ya think, Major?”, and the choppers came out!!! If I went “Sheeeeeewww” after that, he would stand up, lay his ears back, and get this big hump on his back… by that time all you would see of the offender was Shoe Soles & Elbows!! LOL Had Harley or your Pit been there when that police officer trained his gun on you, they may have lossed a hand!!!
It is so hard when it’s time for them to die, because they become such a working part of the family’s everyday life. Here’s to our best friends!!

Darn it Katie… The single paragraph novel post again… My grandmother was an english teacher and that paragraph is just painful to read! LOL

@James! LOL! That was too funny.

@Frank. Time sure does fly by. What a sweet story, he is beautiful, I can see how you couldn’t resist!! Reminds me of the movie/book “Call of the Wild”. What a looker! I can’t believe that little girl in the picture is all grown up now. Harley, My Rotty was a German import. Loved her to death. She was the runt of the litter and ended up being 120lbs… Luckily we got her back down to the typical weight of 90lbs. Still a big dog. Had that Rotty Smile. Harley grew up with Jordan when she was just a baby. They were best buds and she will always be my favorite. She used to guard Jordan like no other. She always had to be next to Jordan while sitting down, or if Jordan was on her bike she liked to be about 3 steps in front of her. She once even blocked Jordan from a car pulling out of its driveway. Dave used to coach Jr. League at the ball field. He volunteered his time to help maintain the fields. It was perfect because Jordan could go ride her bike around in a gated area, they had about 4 fields in all. We would go there and I would lag behind. Harley one day would not let Jordan enter one of the fields. She refused. She sat in front of the gate. I moved her and let Jordan in, Harley went straight to the dug out, there was a homeless man in the asleep. We never had that issue before and I thank God she scared him away, barking him all the way out of the park. I could only imagine she was saying “Stay away from my baby!”. We loved her to death. Valley Fever took her a couple of years ago. I was devastated. We had an apt to put her down, her once strong body had dwindled down to about 40lbs. I couldn’t take her suffering. The vet messed the Apt. Time up and we had to bring her home. She couldn’t even walk by this time. She passed away at home. I found her and the image has never left my head. She now sits with me at my desk in her urn. Her name death date ,collar and picture are right above my screen. I have to choke back tears thinking of just what a great dog she was. After two years, my old landlord had a vontage phone. Their kids called 911 and it linked it to our house. I was in the rear yard getting the pool ready and the next thing I know, I have a gun pointed at me. All I saw was the gun and literally my mind went spinning about the girls in the house, me, what was going to happen, is this a home invasion……. I soon realized it was an officer…. he was there an hour, looked through the whole house. Dispatch kept calling the number back, but my phone wouldn’t ring. Finally it was figured out that the phone call came from Iowa, but since it was linked to our address, the police came. My garage door spring had literally broke that morning and I had a dent in the bottom, no one answered the door, so he had to follow protocol. Had I had my Harley on the side yard, the officer said he would have approached it differently and that big dogs are great to have as deterrents. Needless to say about a month later I was in petco to get crickets for our lizard spot (who for some reason has lived the last 10 years. ha, I can’t even keep a plant alive..LOL), anyway, my girls saw this dog with a sad face, the only dog in the Hope for Cats adoption day. People would look at him and just pass. I got the please mommy, please…. I had never had a pit bull and was weary. After talking to his foster mom, she had never had a pit bull either, she said he was just wonderful, loved kids, cats, everyone. They took him out and I was still scared. As soon as I saw him lay by the girls feet and give um a lick, I was hooked. He was so tame, so skinny and very pretty. I brought him home, still scared on a trial basis. He has never left since. He is no Harley, but he is a great dog. He has now taken the role as my youngest daughters protector, but he is a big baby. LOL. His looks scare people and I am fine with that, especially where I live. He is scared of Males, but I would be too if I were used, beaten, starved and almost killed by one. He is our little work in progress. As for kids, he is so gentle. They can pull his tail, ears, etc… not that that is encouraged, but he is so mellow with them. As long as they touch him he is in heaven. He is also my shadow. I can’t even go to the bathroom with out him sitting right outside the door! ha. Right now he is laying under my feet. I do love him so much. I am lucky that AZ is a pit bull friendly state. He really has changed my mind about the breed! That is for sure! Although one day I do hope to adopt a Rotty. My favorite of all breeds.

Chappy – When he was about a year old, it only took a half bag of bacon chews to train him to show his teeth on the command: “What d’ya think, Major?”… when he heard that, the toothy grin came! (had a lot of fun with that over the years)

Thanks Katie… Angela is all grown up now with three children.
Major was THE best dog we’ve ever had! We got him at a little country store/gas station in south Georgia while taking the scenic route back home after a vacation at Panama City in 1992… he was about eight weeks old and looked lost… he pulled every trick in the book to make us feel sorry for him… it worked too!
He showed his appreciation every day we had him by being very loyal, and we showed our appreciation by never leaving his side. The last night he was with us, he went around to each of us and licked our foreheads… unusual because he normally just done that to Angie and Rebecca… he went on his way easy and peaceful.

My what big teeth you have!

Hopefully they will get rid of the post above, I hate Spam! Its on a few pages. I don’t know who that person is, but I wouldn’t click any of the above links.

Okay, Frank, that dog is 1- Huge, and 2- Beautiful!!! Ya, I wouldn’t go near him either….. He is beautiful, but also really scary! LOL. He looks like one of the werewolves from Twillight! Gosh what a great looking dog!!!

Also, your daughter is very pretty.

If I saw that dog, I would run. If he winked at me, I would run!!! Gosh that dog is a looker though. Did you get him from a breeder? or Adopt him? He is just perfect!

Wow!! Ya, I would be on my merry way….not that I am dangerous, but is is awfully intimidating….at minimum. LOL

@Katie –
You were talking about your Pit while ago, and we talked about our dogs the other evening; I found a picture of Major when he was in his prime, watching over our middle daughter one day… this was probably around 1998 – 99.

Major was our daughter’s guardian Angel when they were younger… NObody or NOthing could get close to them if they were outside playing. He was part Malamute and very large, he kept the kids corralled by continually trotting in a wide circle around them, and “moving” them back where they belonged if they wondered too close to HIS boundry. He would get along well with anyone as long as he sensed they were cool, but Lord have mercy… if he sensed someone was up to no good, his entire countenance changed… he’d puff all up, drop his head, then look back at them slowly while emitting this very low pitched MOAN, with his eyes on fire! That look sent MANY on their merry way! LOL

You sound like me. My sister has been a broker for the last 17 years, my brother in law is a RE Attorney, my great grandfather Shea was a contractor and an architect and started building tract housing way back in the day. I was an RE assistant, but found that Real Estate, the buyer/seller, side was not for me. I got into appraising, started with commercial then residential. I have been doing it ever since. Sad to say, but I didn’t use any of my industry knowledge to make money or set myself up. I was dumb and bought the million dollar home, cars to match, wardrobe, you name it. Funny, now as I sit here, I think “what was I thinking!!!”, but it is what it is.

All of my friends are Realtors. Its really bad out here. I usually get comments like “I hate appraiser’s but not you”. Because there are some really bad things going on. When FHA opened the Flood gates to any and all appraisers that were certified to sign up, there was a slue of appraiser’s with little experience, no FHA experience, that became approved. Back when I did it, I had to take a class and pass an exam. Anyway, I do it now, because it pays the bills. I do about 50-75 appraisal products a month, which is great, and a tad less then the hay day (for me personally, my office used to do in the 100s), but getting paid poorly by a third party has really effected our lives. The Dodd-Frank Act went into place and appraiser’s are fighting tooth and nail for Customary and Reasonable fees. Its rough to do, however, when there are other appraiser’s in the industry that are hiring out people that have no experience to go inspect homes, then the appraiser writes the report. They are able to do hundreds because they are never in the field. It is illegal in AZ. The laws differ from state to state. I have my Realtors that I work with and love. They are the smart ones like you, that didn’t just jump in when the market was going nuts to make money. They actually love the business, have seen the ups and downs, and have a extreme amount of clientele, especially from Canada, we get a lot of Canadians here.

Sorry, when you said West Coast, I took it for what I consider the west cost to be. I read the prior comment on the Black berry, in the sun and should have waited until I got home. I see what you are saying. I defiantly need my glasses to read my giant computer screen, what was I thinking reading from a 4 inch bb screen? LOL.

Congrats on your continued success. As for me, as soon as I can get out of the business, the better. I used to love my job and I still take great care in providing quality reports. However, this is not what I want to do the rest of my life. I see some of the worst of things, especially on the litigation side. Its wearing me down daily. As for my husband, he is going to be great. He has learned so much about the industry over the past 10 years and especially within the prior 3. I have a lot of faith in him. Hopefully someday he will post that he sold 50 houses so far…….. I think that is fantastic.

Jaguar’s are nice, not my favorite. I want my old 66 mustang back. I loved that car, and if the tranny went, it was cheap to repair. I drive my toaster now (Scion XB). I like it, defiantly different from the beamer, but great gas mileage and it has some get up and go. I understand, presentation is presentation. ")

Katie, I am a Realtor in Naples FL. It is in my Blood. My girlfriend is a Broker with 20 years under her belt. We buy a house/yr. She has a bunch in Philadelphia. My whole family deals in real estate except for one of my uncles who is gay; he sells jewelry.

I love the buy/sell game. Just remember to sell in a sellers market and buy in a buyers market and all is good. We have a full time appraiser on our team. We sell 75-100 houses per year. More that 50 so far this year.

I need a new car bad but it has to be good enough for the judgement of the Neapolitans… I hate that but it is true. I drive a Jaguar S-type and I hate it. The transmission is failing slowly but surely.

@ Julie!! Love it!! Thank you!

@James, what part of the West Coast? I used to live in California. Northern, bay area. Back in the hay day when I first started appraising I bought a nice house for $480k, a year and a half later i sold it for $640k.

You are right about Real Estate. I do it for a living. Have been an RE appraiser for 10 years now give or take. You have to buy right, that is essential. Some people buy short sales and do not get a good deal and do not understand what a short sale is. They buy it, dump a ton of money into it, over-improve it, and its worth about the same as they bought it for when all is said and done, as Arizona (most areas) are declining still.

I do forensic work for the banks. There are a ton of foreclosures and deed in lieu’s that haven’t even hit the market yet!! The banks smartened up and instead of placing all of their inventory on the market, they are slowly releasing them. Some are even improving them and reselling them, themselves, competitive pricing for the market.

For instance, I just did a appraisal for a purchase in an area that got hit hard, really hard. 2,600 sq. ft. house, needed just some cosmetic work (paint, carpet cleaning, touch ups), for $66k, Now, I have a feeling that the people are going to do just that, maybe toss in some granite counter tops and bam if they do it quick enough they are looking at a 10k + profit after fees and all. There are even better deals where the homes have say excessive damage (no kitchen, etc..) I have seen these puppies go for 10k and they are only 5 years old!! Put about 40k into it and now you have a home that would easily sell for $120k. (I do investor work as well…). I find that some people put too much into a property, like a pool, which value can not be recaptured with resale (surprising in AZ, but in the price range and neighborhood a pool is not a selling point), or travertine, granite, cherry wood cabinets, etc.. In a neighborhood that just doesn’t support those improvements. Tile, maybe granite counter tops, some paint and a good clean up would hae netted the people way more. Some end up all flipped up in costs by over improving. Now, where you live, it sounds like the more higher end improvements the better. You have all the amenities that would attract someone looking for a good quality , upgraded home. But when you are in a 100k neighborhood and bought the home for $80k, its better to just compete with what the market will support. Granite may help you sell it faster in one neighborhood, but for the same price of those selling with laminate. Its all about location, location, location.

I recently did a investor consult for a person buying a home for $50k in a historic neighborhood. Comps for the size, bed/bath count, which were restored were in the $250k-300 range. Now, this was an out of state buyer. Had no idea you have to get all exterior improvements improved by the historic preservation office..etc.. It all has to conform and there are only a hand full of contractors that are able to complete these jobs. Had this person proceeded correctly, they would be rolling in the money. I got there, however, and he had all the picture windows pulled out (bad bad bad) the original windows are worth a fortune and could have been re-glazed. He spent a ton of money on high end triple pane windows, which the historic preservation office did not approve. He had to rip them all out. Instead of refinishing the front door, which is all that was needed, he replaced it with a high end heavy wood door with a lead glass insert and wrought iron…. bad bad bad, again not approved. The inside was made to look like a track home. It looked nice, but people purchasing in this area want the homes to be original, yet have updated wiring, etc… A restoration company could have saved him $$$$$$$. Needless to say, at the end of the day, he lost about 80k in what he did to the property. The roof wasn’t even approved….egads! So, of course he called me on the next one. That time he did it right, sold it in a day and made a ton of money.

Real estate is huge, buy low, sell high. I wish I had the money and credit to do so, but I don’t. I have a house in a rough neighborhood. I bought it at $70k (which was a steal back then), it needed about 20k worth of work and at min. would sell in a heartbeat at 170k. Great steal… However, my husband, God bless him, wanted it to be his project, hired a contractor who stole all of his money, didn’t keep checking in, just kept handing over the cash, and the house was never quite finished. Then the market turned, homeless people moved in and stole the new copper, and everything else, ripped up the flooring, stole the kitchen and bathrooms and I am sure someone is living in there. I hated to tell him I told you so, but I had to. I told him to get a signed contract with a reputable contractor. Keep receipts, go every day to check on the property, etc.. I was told to mind my own business. So I did…. needless to say you couldn’t give it away at this point. The contractor is no where to be found and someone stole the A/C the other day. Ugh.

Its going about it the right way, which you are clearly doing. A lot of people need guidance. Its not rocket science, but employing a re agent, broker, etc… can help someone that is not as savvy as you or I, in the right directions for appropriate improvements. People are making a killing out there. I do wish I had the money to start off, but right now, its not in the equation. Luckily, Dave learned his lesson, big time (this was years ago) and after finally listening to me, knows the difference. An additional 4 years of helping me, has helped him, and now he is on the right track. Our market, AZ, is going to take quite sometime to recover, however, there are steals out there and with paypal bringing in people, it is going to be awesome.

You are very wise my friend.

I got what you were saying. LOL!!!

Katie,
But I am not on the east coast… I am on the West Coast in the eastern time zone. The west coast of Florida is certainly different than the east coast. I live in a 1700 sf home on a golf course and a lake less than 100 yds from the clubhouse, rec center, 2 pools, Weight room and 150 yds from tennis in one direction and in the other the Driving range with a putting green in between. The house is all Travertine Marble floors and level 4 granite in the kitchen. The Bathrooms are updated Miami-contemporary and a two shower heads in the marble shower in the master bedroom. The 330 sf tiled Lanai has an outdoor kitchen and overlooks the 10th green, lake and driving range.

That all sounds like bragging but it is not; it is about buying right. We bought it as a foreclosure for $118k and put $60k into it. Right now I could give it away for $225k and the retail is between 250-285; bigger houses that are less updated are selling in the 300’s just down the road.

Moral of the Story: “BUY REAL ESTATE!!!”
The market is turning. Over the next two years we will see the final major dump of shortsales and foreclosures come on the market. Investors are poised to snatch them up, you should be too. Over the next 7 years prices will start going back up in most areas. In Florida, Sellers are just itching for that to happen. in 10 years from now you will see prices on a steady incline and in 15 years we will see this market again.

How do I know? My mother is a realestate broker, Grandmother the same, aunts are all agents, Grandfather was a developer and my uncles are in construction. I have seen this cycle twice in my lifetime and we will see it again. Now is the time to buy!

The Pit Bull on teh other hand is a different story. Pitbulls are strongly frowned upon in most communities. We are helping a friend find a house and she has a pit mix. Found her a great place wiht great value built in…

Everybody should by real estate, darn it!

One day I will have achieved my dreams too.
If life is like the ocean then the tides are always changing. At times it is high thers it is low. Just never forget to stop swimming.
You know, a funny thing aboutthat analogy is that if life is like the ocean then “Having Options” is its depth. The further you venture away from shore the scarier it is but the more options that become available…

Or is it the “People” in your life gives it the depth? People give you the options…
I dunno, whatever. Wisdom on-the-fly never works under all conditions and you know what I mean… lol

The word ‘spunk’ came to mind when I thought of you so I looked it up and was happy to see that I chose the right word:

spunk
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: courage, nerve
Synonyms: backbone, determination, doggedness, fortitude, gameness, grit, gumption*, guts*, intestinal fortitude, mettle, moxie*, pluck, resolution, spirit, toughness, true grit

Ya, I was surfing the web trying to see if there was any news… none so far. My friend Paul is a police officer in Chandler, so I will probably check in with him to see if he knows anything. I am sure he does.

Naples sounds beautiful. I love the east coast. I have always wanted to see New York, Long Island, etc… I lived in Toronto Canada for a while. Loved it… was a tad cold, but an awesome city.

Chandler is actually a very nice city. We used to own a million dollar home in a nicer area. John Lott, the strength and conditioning coach for the Cardinals, was my neighbor. Then we had to sell, because I had to close one of my companies. (I used to own 2). After that it got worse and worse. Free enterprise was taken from appraisers because of the HVCC (Home valuation code of conduct), all of the accounts I had built up with a handshake, dinners, etc…. we either wiped out by bigger banks, and the ones that were still around could not order from me directly. Now everything goes through a 3rd party company and we make 1/4 – 1/3 per appraisal service that we do. There are people fighting, some places try to pay as low as $100 for a full appraisal, which we have to inspect, write up, and store for 5 years. We also have to pay our insurance, licensing fees, software fees, medical, taxes, etc… so it gets rough. I can not afford to do a $100 appraisal. They are getting better and more laws are being put into place but to get paid even half of what we used to is like pulling teeth. My husband started driving a Taxi two weeks ago to try to help out. He used to work for me. I have had to let everyone of my contractors go. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. Now some of the AMC’s (Appraisal Management Companies) send the orders to the fastest and cheapest. Needless to say it has driven fees down and they expect orders within 24 hours of appraising the home, which can lead to liability issues. I stay up until 12am sometimes trying to meet deadlines. But work is work. Dave works until 3-4 am trying to earn fares, its just what it is. Going from making 500k a year and thinking “Wow, I finally made it” and then bam, nothing, no savings, no cars, nothing is rough.

We should have down-sized a long time ago. We went from a $6,500 monthly mortgage payment to a $9,000 a month payment. Finally we couldn’t do it and had to sell the property. We thought we did great “down sizing” to a $3,400 a month rental in a very nice area down the road, on a lake, with a pool. We still wanted our kids to have some sense of stability and figured based on our income that we could do it. Then another blow came, more law changes and the appraisal products I was able to do was limited. So we moved yet again. A smaller home $1,800 a month, nice area, beautiful neighborhood. No crime. One of those neighborhoods you could leave the door unlocked with out a worry (even though I wouldn’t). After 2 years, of a broken dishwasher, and a slumloard, we had to move. Both financially, and because we went without A/C for 3 days in 115+ weather while the owner shopped around for pricing to repair the A/C….

So, we decided to move to an apt. However, due to our short sale, we found that most places would not take us. Its been almost 3 years since the short sale. This was the only place that would take us. We have a 1,200+/- sf apt 3 bed / 2 bath and our rent is really inexpensive. Even with that, we are having a hard time, but its better then before when we were virtually robbing Peter to pay Paul. We share 1 car, and have basic cable. I have thinned out everything possible. Our hope is that we can save money and buy a small home in the better part of town. I defiantly realized that I do not need a 4,000 or a 2,000 sq. ft. house. My eldest will be in college in 3 years, so we just need something we can retire in.

The apt building we live now is the last resort for most, and a step up for those from the even rough part of the area. It is hard, because I always promised myself that my kids would not grow up they way I did. We are safe, during the day it is great. My Pit bull Jack scares most people away just by his looks. I love him, he is a great dog, and this is the one instance I am using the bad rap the breed gets to my favor. If people ask if they can pet him, I say no!!!!. One guy actually tried to steal him from me one day. He was like, “let me hold his leash” I said “No, he may attack you, he hates men, he is a ex-fighter and we are working with him”. Jack is a rescue. He was a bait dog, but a lover. He does hate men, but he was found beaten and starved on the street… he is a great dog, I just don’t want anyone around here to know that. LOL. So, mostly people leave me alone. My youngest doesn’t understand why she can’t play with the other kids in the area or hang around on the playground…. (the kids are worse then the parents, and the play ground is disgusting). We go to the pool by the sales office, because that is the safest place to be…. Once in a while. Other than that we try to go outside of the complex. The scorpion problem here is horrible. At night roaches are everywhere…. Luckily I sprayed my apt, and do a scorpion sweep every night before bed. I keep it very clean, because bugs can hide anywhere! So, that is the jest of it. We signed a 6 month lease, however, we may end up being here a year. We shall see. Dave is getting his Real Estate license, and has a great hook up. Its just paying for the state exam and test we are saving for as well. We will survive all of this. Mostly I mind my own business here. My neighbor Bev is very nice and made us a pie the other day. Not everyone is bad, but if you took a drive around our complex at night, you would want to get out of it asap. LOL.

Someday, I know I will be in a better place. Financially, mentally and locationally. Until then we make the best of what we have and thank God that we have a roof over our head. When I get upset about everything I always think, it could always be worse. At least I have a job and a roof over my head. There are so many out there out of work, homeless, and hungry. I refuse to let that happen.

OMG, Is everything ok?
You need to be on the west side of the east coast…

Naples is the safest place in the US. You can get a ticket for jaywalking because the police are so board. The metermaid at the beach sees the most action out of all the departments in Naples. No acting jobs here though. The best living is Doctors, Lawyers and Realtors oh yeah and funeral directors… lol.

They say that this town is Gods Waiting room. One section of town is even called “Golden Gate”… Hey, but its safe. The drivers are horrible though. You can barely see a head peering ove ther steering wheel in some cases. Many sightings of elderly driving on the wrong side of a median-seperated highway and a few going the wrong way on an exit ramp.

No crime though…

Ah! So that was the casting call. Okay, well, I have nothing so, I am out. LOL. I can’t afford a pre patent…again another out. Oh well. One day I will get out of this neighborhood I am in, one way or another. I believe there was a murder last night. 9 cop cars (that I could count, a lot of yelling, then about an hour later the coroner was there. I grew up in a rough area. So when I took the dog out, say the police and heard the yelling, I went right back up, locked all the doors and windows, and had the kids stay in my bedroom (their bedrooms face the front). One thing I learned growing up where I did. About an hour later, I peeked through my daughters window and saw more police and a coroner there. This is a weekly event. Last week it was 3 fire trucks, 2 ambulances, and 3 police cars. I need to get my family out of this place. I work, but not enough to rent a house for now. Hopefully something will pan out soon. Right now, this is the “safest” place I can live based on my income. I sure miss my old house "(. No daily violence there.

Katie, I read that casting call as I was considering it. They state in the first line the risk of giving up your rights to your patent and they want you to be at a minimum of a “patent-pending” stage for your submitted product.

Gotta Love EN more and More!

Hi Betsy,

Was it the Casting Call for an Inventing Show Lucky Dog? That one looks like you have to have a food invention to submit. Or was there another one? I got to page 4 and then decided to ask. Thank you so much for the info!!

@James. LOL. It is a Novel for me… LMAO! If you put all my posts and comments together, you would have the most nonsensical novel ever written! LOL!! ha.

@Betsy and Andrew. Thank you!!!! Hummm I will check it out. Sounds like a good fit, but my tattoos usually get in the way. Still, why not give it a shot! Thant would be awesome. Thank you guys!!

Katie, Everything happens for a reason! You have a great outlook and I sure you will be very successful in any path you chose to take! Keep us all posted on your current projects! Love Betsys idea about trying to get on an inventing show…

Katie — why don’t combine your passions…acting and inventing. Check out the EN Blog section…there’s a casting call taking place for a new inventing show. These shows are not only looking for good inventions , but also people that have fun personalities. You’d be great!

Katie, You are sooo funny. That is the only novel I have ever read that is all in a single paragraph format…lol

Thank you so much Betsy! I truly appreciate it!! I just sent in my photo card for a small audition out here, fingers are crossed plus its paid…not much, but something is better than nothing. I really love your input. Hummmm Public Office…. ya, that is out for me…. I have more then 10 Skeletons in my closet. LOL. I am excited about the pilot too! It is going to NAPTE so I am hoping it gets sold and they keep me on. The director and exe. producer said if they can get funding they want me to stay on. So we shall see. I am learning the lingo slowly. When they first said “Dirty Shot” my head was spinning on what kind of pilot this really was…LMAO….When they said DP…I started getting really scared. ha ha ha. I had to ask, because I felt it was going to be something else. They explained that a DP was a director of Photography, etc.. ha ha ha. Then with my show I am pitching my producer called me and said we were going to do a sizzler instead, I again had to ask what the heck it was! ha. Its been fun. The Googman pilot actually let me get involved with the writing and the exe. Producer wants me to start doing stand up…. I am debating..because I am really not funny, I just do stupid things all the time. ha! I need to pick up a good agent out here and learn the ropes. So far its all been on my own and I feel like I am missing out. I am going to sign up for some classes for auditioning. Last time I did anything with acting was in HS drama class which was 16 years ago!!! LOL, we also shot a small straight for video movie that sucked, but it was really fun because I got to experience being in front of a camera. Its like I am another person. I appreciate everything you have said. You are a producer, correct? Everyones input was great and I took it down to my sole. Inventing is my first priority, acting second. I am getting up there, so I better hurry. ha. Susan Sarandon (sp?) is my hero. LOL. I am also debating getting into a small theater out here. Funny, my 8 year old knew my lines better than I did. She wants to get into acting, but I am hesitant. I want her to persue her goals. However, my sister and I modeled briefly as kids for Olen Mills. Its so cut throat. Anyway, I will stop this novel I am writing! ha. I really appreciate everything!!! More than anyone could ever know! Thank you!!

You’re awesome too! So much talent and so much class! Now that we’ve all got this voting this down pat——do something else that we can use our collective clout on. Maybe——public office! :-) Very excited about the pilot you’re working on! And things do really happen for a reason! Fingers crossed!

Thank you Toni and Mike!! I really appreciate it.

Everyone has their theory on what happened. Some speculate that the winners were chosen regardless of the amount of votes, which I would hope is not the case. I am sure that the top 5 made it fair and square. If not, then its something I didn’t want to be involved in anyway.

Funny how things work out. Yesterday I got a message from our director and exe. producer on the pilot I am acting in. The schedule would conflict with the Nissan Gig and I was trying to figure out how to juggle both just in case I became part of the top 5. Luckily I do not have to stress about that anymore and can refocus on inventing, acting and getting my sizzler done, plus appraise homes, which makes people hate me. LOL. Anyhow, I believe everything happens for a reason. This was just not meant to be. There are so many opportunities out there and I am eager to try them all. Thank you all again for your support. I think Danielle has it in the bag for the competition, just my opinion…. "). You guys are awesome!

Sorry you missed it, Katie. Now go and make them regret it. Upward and upward, indeed.

Katie you are a shooting STAR! Best wishes with the TV pilot. I’m certain you will go far!!!

@ Richard, thank you so much for the compliments, kindness and vote. I really, truly appreciate it!!!!!

@THE EN TEAM, AND WELL, MY EN FAMILY!! I want to start off by first thanking all of you for the enormous support, kindness, votes and compliments each and everyone of you have shown. I can not express how much I appreciate it. I am over-whelmed by the support of the EN team and members. This has meant the world to me and has shown how truly all of you guys care and were supportive of my endeavors outside of inventing and appraising. This has been a wonderful experience and has really brought to light how much we all support each other. I truly, truly appreciate all of the votes, tweets, kind words, critiques and compliments. I don’t think I can really express (again) how much all of this has really meant to me. Unfortunately, I did not make the Top 5 for the search. I found out this morning. But that does not mean the end. I am still shooting for a TV pilot, I have my own show filming (actually a sizzle to sell to other networks) and my inventions. So, a lot is going on. This was a great experience and has only 1-empowered me to reach for the stars, and 2-its reminded me of just how important ALL of you are to me. I again, appreciate all of the support. The top 5 did do a great job and I wish them well in their Journey with ABC Nissan. You guys are truly an amazing group and I will never, ever, forget this experience and the support that you guys have all shown. Thank you all again!!!!!!! You GUYS ROCK! I will be seeing you all in other forums. Onward and Upward "). Katie

Katie, I just finally saw this thread, don’t know where it was hiding. I also looked and listened through all the pages, and think that your stiffest competition is Danielle Williams and Brent Miller. But I felt that your voice carried very well and you not only looked good in front of the camera, but you looked REALLY GOOD in front of the camera. (:^]) I also voted for you. Good luck Katie.

@ ANdrew!! Yahhhoooooooooooo!!! Thank you!!! You guys are awesome!!!!! Yay, I can feel the top 5 now!!!! Ya Baby!

voted (again!)

@ Margaret. Thank you so much!!!! I really appreciate it. Time is ticking away. I should find out tomorrow. I really appreciate your support!!

@ Carlos. Thank you so much for the vote and the great compliment. LOL you are funny! I am married, but very flattered. LOL. That just made my day. ")

You got my vote…great job…oh, I’m single…lol

Good luck Katie! Sent another vote your way.

@Holly!! Thank you so much! You ROCK! That was very nice of you. I really do appreciate the votes. THANK YOU HOLLY!!!!

@Matt Thank you so much!!! I can not express how much I appreciate the support of the EN Team. This has been amazing of you guys and just goes to show how much you truly care and support the success of your members! Way too awesome. I am spreading the word, as I have in the past. Before I stumbled on this site trying to get an “in” with Spencers, I was totally lost. Everyone, from the team to the members have treated me as part of the “family”, the information provided is excellent, and I have made great friends on here. I thank you and all the EN team for having this site for us, and your continuous support in my other endeavors!! Thank you so very much!.

@Betsy!! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I am on pins and needles. A second car would be great for our family right now. Plus it may open more doors (more than car doors..LOL) I really appreciate it and I wish you well on your success with your product. I can’t wait to buy one!! LOL. I was thinking about it this weekend while cooking, that is going to save me so much freaking time!!!!. I love to cook, I just hate the whole process, I want the outcome! LOL.

@Toni!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!! You are awesome. Congrats on your G8 that is wonderful. I am a tad behind so I am going to have to figure out what it is! I am sure it is wonderful!!! I really appreciate the support and confidence you have in me. I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people on my side!!!!!!

I will let everyone know tomorrow if I make it to the top 5. After that, if I make it, we shoot a video in the car for a day and it gets posted for the public to comment on it. Then we have dinner with the owner and Judges on the 7th of July, where the winner is announced based on public comments and the judges final opinion. I am going to try to wear long sleeves to cover my tattoos….LOL..but its hard because its 112 right now and supposed to be next week (I am already thinking positive….LOL..like I am in it). I have my day planned and have been working on a story board. I may just annoy the general public on their thoughts. I love cars, so I am studying the specs of the Cube… LOL. I have a scion so I love the toaster like cars! Every time I see one, I slug bug who ever is in the car…. needless to say, my family is 2 seconds short of killing me. LMAO! Have a great day and thank you all so very much!!

Good Luck, I got in one last vote for you too!

Way to go Katie! You’ve got them beat and you’ve got my vote!!!