When much of the rest of the country endures awful weather we had it very nice today. Our weather was warm and pleasant.
I enjoyed lunch today with friends Bob and Ron at Olive Garden in Stockton, so good to see them again and the food was simply great as usual.
I've puttered around the house today, ended up taking Lois to town so she could shop for their anniversary which hits tomorrow.
Planned to walk today but never go that far, put a new battery in the Civic tonight and that seems to have solved the problem, bright lights and quick starting now, old battery proved to be tired and ruined by no water plus age.
The Civic is a very enjoyable little car now, quiet due to the new tires and 4 wheel alignment, getting as high as 39 mpg and very comfortable to drive. But I'm driving the diesel bug right now as its a joy to drive as well.
Tomorrow I break my Sunday rule and see three properties, should be enjoyable so I won't have to endure the horrible super bowl, Seattle is a team that I have a very hard time tolerating, I remember the class of a Joe Montana, Rice, Young, those were real players who knew how to be great but didn't shove it in our faces. Its interesting that I see their photos and shirts signed so often in the homes I visit for my work, Real class act people.
I threw new filters into the furnace today and cleaned the condenser and I think I'm getting a lot more air out of the vents tonight, heats the house much quicker.
God is good and is always so extreme in His loving us, oh that we knew just how much He cares....
Love to all
Tim
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
Friday night - big week
So this morning was an early call, up at 6, shower and hit the breakfast fast, then on the road for an on time arrival in Burlingame for a full day of a class in writing appraisals. Was not sure what to expect but it turned out to be so good, the instructor is a full time appraiser in LA and knows his stuff very well.
Last Monday a new FNMA program hit all appraisers. They are looking at every appraisal I've completed since 2011 and have complied data, they can just tell you that you no longer can work on loans for them and if they do that you are out of business. So all of us are worried. he started the class today with a discussion of what that means to us. I think I have more hope now than before the class.
One thing very nice about attending classes is hearing the comments and questions from other appraisers, very helpful and I learned so much that is practical about writing reports every day. Very worthwhile and cost just $99 for the day and got a great manual too. But it was 1.5 hours to get there and 2 hours to get home, not fun.
The kicker was, when I arrived I discovered that my wallet was on my desk at home so I had no money all day, no license and it was not great at all.
But I drove carefully and made it home OK, had fuel and easy pass for bridge.
God is good all the time
Love
Tim
Last Monday a new FNMA program hit all appraisers. They are looking at every appraisal I've completed since 2011 and have complied data, they can just tell you that you no longer can work on loans for them and if they do that you are out of business. So all of us are worried. he started the class today with a discussion of what that means to us. I think I have more hope now than before the class.
One thing very nice about attending classes is hearing the comments and questions from other appraisers, very helpful and I learned so much that is practical about writing reports every day. Very worthwhile and cost just $99 for the day and got a great manual too. But it was 1.5 hours to get there and 2 hours to get home, not fun.
The kicker was, when I arrived I discovered that my wallet was on my desk at home so I had no money all day, no license and it was not great at all.
But I drove carefully and made it home OK, had fuel and easy pass for bridge.
God is good all the time
Love
Tim
Monday, January 26, 2015
Great day
After a very late night I climbed out at 7 this morning, quickly showered and made Oatmeal with a sliced banana. Then hit the office to do research and solve little problems that crop up.
Was in Orinda at 10:15 to see an impressive property. 1/2 an acre, 1750 sf home and a killer view amenity with a probable value of about 1.3 million! Location does matter a great deal.
Then having spent an enjoyable hour at the property and with a very knowledgeable dad who knew the area perfectly and was in the business I drove to Oakland to do a driveby appraisal for a property I had seen before. Then I was so sleepy that in Trestle Glen, a very safe area, I found a quiet place and took a nap. then I drove home and started working in the office, first to set up orders, then to get them on the board so I can see the whole picture, then make appointments and also to write up an appraisal that was due today.
Now its bed time and I'm going much earlier than I did last night. Tomorrow afternoon I'm driving the two hours to my dentist, Dr. Clarke, very nice guy and I need some attention to a molar that is not happy and has not been happy for the last month. Then I'll come back to do a home in Pleasanton and come home to rest.
God has given me lots of work to do right now, Jessy will come tomorrow evening to help with write-ups and since I attend a class on Friday, an all day 8 hour class in Appraisal Writing in Burlingame I need to work extra hard to get things completed.
Life is so good, God is so good to us all. It is so wonderful to have a warm house when I wake in the morning. I know the next bill will be sticker shock for me as I have to pay for this warmth but I think it will be worth it. Now if we could figure out how to still have it work and have the metal door on the side that would be a real accomplishment, has to be a simple answer, just don't know it yet.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Was in Orinda at 10:15 to see an impressive property. 1/2 an acre, 1750 sf home and a killer view amenity with a probable value of about 1.3 million! Location does matter a great deal.
Then having spent an enjoyable hour at the property and with a very knowledgeable dad who knew the area perfectly and was in the business I drove to Oakland to do a driveby appraisal for a property I had seen before. Then I was so sleepy that in Trestle Glen, a very safe area, I found a quiet place and took a nap. then I drove home and started working in the office, first to set up orders, then to get them on the board so I can see the whole picture, then make appointments and also to write up an appraisal that was due today.
Now its bed time and I'm going much earlier than I did last night. Tomorrow afternoon I'm driving the two hours to my dentist, Dr. Clarke, very nice guy and I need some attention to a molar that is not happy and has not been happy for the last month. Then I'll come back to do a home in Pleasanton and come home to rest.
God has given me lots of work to do right now, Jessy will come tomorrow evening to help with write-ups and since I attend a class on Friday, an all day 8 hour class in Appraisal Writing in Burlingame I need to work extra hard to get things completed.
Life is so good, God is so good to us all. It is so wonderful to have a warm house when I wake in the morning. I know the next bill will be sticker shock for me as I have to pay for this warmth but I think it will be worth it. Now if we could figure out how to still have it work and have the metal door on the side that would be a real accomplishment, has to be a simple answer, just don't know it yet.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Friday, January 23, 2015
Busy again, its good to be alive
Finally home after a big day, Continuing education in San Rafael today, changes coming fast from FNMA and will hit on Monday. Today's class really helped me get ready. Class lasted from 12 to 4:20, then the civic would not start but eventually did find its connection again, then I did a driveby appraisal in nearby Novato before it got dark.
Traffic on 37 was terrible and I moved very slowly for a long time but eventually it did move and now I'm home at last.
Weather was really nice today and as I drove there this morning I felt good and was thankful to be alive and well.
Not sure why the Civic would not start, sort of surprising when its been so perfect since the new tires were added.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Traffic on 37 was terrible and I moved very slowly for a long time but eventually it did move and now I'm home at last.
Weather was really nice today and as I drove there this morning I felt good and was thankful to be alive and well.
Not sure why the Civic would not start, sort of surprising when its been so perfect since the new tires were added.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
busy
God is so good to us, helping us even when we mess up, imagine how frustrating it is when I find out that an entire appraisal I did failed to record in the camera. So I go back in the morning to reshoot the photos. This aging process is not that much fun.
The Civic is certainly fun to drive with its new tires and today I spent a couple hours waiting while they did a 4 wheel alignment, now its really nice and so quiet. I had no idea how noisy the tires had become over their lifetime. Anyway it is nice now.
I have to say that having a working furnace in my home is such a huge blessing. I wake up every morning with it cranking out heat and every evening the home is comfortable. I know the next bill will be a shock but right now I'm just thankful that I didn't have to go out and replace the furnace with a sticker of $6,000 and up.
Sending love to all,
Tim
The Civic is certainly fun to drive with its new tires and today I spent a couple hours waiting while they did a 4 wheel alignment, now its really nice and so quiet. I had no idea how noisy the tires had become over their lifetime. Anyway it is nice now.
I have to say that having a working furnace in my home is such a huge blessing. I wake up every morning with it cranking out heat and every evening the home is comfortable. I know the next bill will be a shock but right now I'm just thankful that I didn't have to go out and replace the furnace with a sticker of $6,000 and up.
Sending love to all,
Tim
check out those tires
This morning I had to run to Tracy to deliver a check to the DMV for the old black bug that has not worked for years, I failed to do a non op so the fees had mounted and they were getting ugly about it. Of course when I got there I discovered it was closed solid for the holiday,
Afterwards I went to Starbucks for a bagel and decaf. Upon coming out for some reason I looked at the front tires on the Civic. I was shocked to see steel belt on one tire and the other was bald, I mean almost no tread.
My next stop was at my tire guy in Brentwood, he looked and said they were all shot and for a long time that car, the Civic has been so noisy at freeway speeds. Well he quoted me $320 for 4 tires! That was great and after a few minutes they were installed. He wanted to do an alignment but I didn't have the time, a client wanted a condition in an hour or else. When I pulled out onto the street the car was like a new car. Quiet, smooth, much easier to drive, wow, what a difference and 80 on the freeway is silent now and smooth. What a blessing that money had been deposited into my account from a lender this morning. the car feels like a different car now and I'm so glad. Why did I happen to look at the tires? No real reason but it was important that I see the trouble.
So its late again and I'm finally ready to head to bed, got an important report completed and out to the lender so now I can sleep.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Afterwards I went to Starbucks for a bagel and decaf. Upon coming out for some reason I looked at the front tires on the Civic. I was shocked to see steel belt on one tire and the other was bald, I mean almost no tread.
My next stop was at my tire guy in Brentwood, he looked and said they were all shot and for a long time that car, the Civic has been so noisy at freeway speeds. Well he quoted me $320 for 4 tires! That was great and after a few minutes they were installed. He wanted to do an alignment but I didn't have the time, a client wanted a condition in an hour or else. When I pulled out onto the street the car was like a new car. Quiet, smooth, much easier to drive, wow, what a difference and 80 on the freeway is silent now and smooth. What a blessing that money had been deposited into my account from a lender this morning. the car feels like a different car now and I'm so glad. Why did I happen to look at the tires? No real reason but it was important that I see the trouble.
So its late again and I'm finally ready to head to bed, got an important report completed and out to the lender so now I can sleep.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Friday, January 16, 2015
Blessed day, busy day
Well here I am writing and its midnight. What a big day. Up early and to Elk Grove by 8:40 through some pretty interesting fog. Great home, nice people. Then to Sacramento where on the second photo my camera died, the lense would not open anymore. so I shot that one with my iphone and then found a Best Buys. I was able to replace my Canon sure shot with a new one that sold for only $78 dollars and with tax was about $90. It takes the same batteries, I have two that I recharge so now I have two chargers and three batteries. The camera works great. not that I would have selected one that was bright red but it works, it was cheap and it all worked out. Then I headed out from Sacramento to Concord down 80 and across.
The Concord property is a real challenge. Located right on the edge of Clayton and concord and in the middle of a normal subdivision this one has 1.5 acres, so there is the challenge, finding sales of properties with large sites, I shot some and we hope they work out.
Then it was back to Antioch but it was getting dark. Of course this home did not have the power on, bank owned and they are so cheap!! But it too worked out, the new camera seems very good at taking photos in low light and then it was head home time.
I stopped at a place called Diggers Café and had a Garden Burger, so good and with a side salad that was good too.
I've worked the evening through and today a nice check arrived which will help cover the house payment that is looming right now.
God is good and kept me safe and awake today.
Love to all of you
tim
The Concord property is a real challenge. Located right on the edge of Clayton and concord and in the middle of a normal subdivision this one has 1.5 acres, so there is the challenge, finding sales of properties with large sites, I shot some and we hope they work out.
Then it was back to Antioch but it was getting dark. Of course this home did not have the power on, bank owned and they are so cheap!! But it too worked out, the new camera seems very good at taking photos in low light and then it was head home time.
I stopped at a place called Diggers Café and had a Garden Burger, so good and with a side salad that was good too.
I've worked the evening through and today a nice check arrived which will help cover the house payment that is looming right now.
God is good and kept me safe and awake today.
Love to all of you
tim
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