One Way to Begin My Tallahassee Day

The word “day” is one of the first words in the holy bible. The word is throughout the bible, starting with “day” as newness, a beginning of something great. Later, “day” has a tone of inspiration to prophets, and a symbol of hope. Now, I am looking out the window at a new day, a new beginning, further hope, here in Tallahassee, Florida.

First of all, I have been reading so many mini blogs at http://twitter.com. This is a blogging service that goes on day and night, 24/7, just like there is always, day, somewhere on earth.

 On Twitter, I can read what my friends and others are doing at the moment, what they are thinking, what they are wanting, what they are cooking, what they are making, where they are traveling, how they are doing what they are doing. It is a real life storyline of events and thoughts. I jump into the mass of writers, and express myself as well. I tell the world who I am, where I am, what I am doing, how I am doing it. I discuss in the limited amount of space offered, about 140 words

Such is one way that I can start my day. Not the only way, I begin my Tallahassee day, welcoming all that the day brings.

To be in our Florida’s state parks

Around Tallahassee, Florida, there is an abundance of nature. There are state parks, with forests, lakes, rivers, and sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is a state with an abundance of state parks and recreational areas. There are 161 state parks in florida with 700,000 acres and 100 miles of beach front. Florida is among the nation’s leads the nation in number of parks. We have nature, and plenty of it. This is the nature I grew up in as a resident of Florida for most of my life.

July 13th is a special day in our state’s park system. Admission that day is free. The state is encouraging individuals, children, and families to get out into nature. This is a state, and national attempt to contribute towards the reduction of that nature deficit disorder which seems to be crippling many of our children and young people who spend hours a day indoors and on the computer. Hey, I am a computer geek too, but I love the outdoors too. I get my love of nature from my childhood roamings through nature.

You see, as a child, I had a forest in back of the home, that I often played in, hiked in, ran in, made forts in. My buddies and I made plenty of forts in the woods back there. We made our own trails. We even made little fires for fun, and fished in the little creek that ran through the woods in back of my Milton, Florida, home. I just about memorized the trees, paths, interesting land formations, and route of the creek. Even today, I have the forest all mapped out in my thoughts. I remember those moments of solitude, and those moments of hanging out with friends back there, and the team work involved in making forts, and having our own special club. The things we did, hahaha. Boys will be boys. Those were the days before the widespread use of computers, in the seventies. Yeah, those wonderful seventies.

Prior to that, we lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and we had an arroyo not far from the house. Along the dried up arroyo, there were streaks of bamboo forests, and open land. I am my friends played there, had rock fights from one side of the arroyo to the other, wrestled in the arroyo, made sand trails, hiked as far as we could toward the Sandia Mountains. Yes, nature was all around us. I also learned the ways of the high desert trees, bushes, wind, cliffs, arroyos, and the southwestern sky.

Now, in my Tallahassee home, my back yard is beside a green zone on Little Lake Jackson. We have deer, fox, rabbits, lizards, snakes, alligators, and different bird species. Nature is alive here as in almost every place I lived throughout my life.

When I was a kid, dad took me camping in the New Mexico mountains, and when living in California, during the first eight years of my life, dad took me into Yosemite, Sequoia, Big Bear and other parks and forests, and taught me how to climb mountain rocks, how to walk across mountain streams, how to set up camp. Dad also loved nature.

Where will I be July 13th? I will be in one of Florida’s state parks, reuniting again, as always, with nature, along with my wife and son. We will be out there smelling the green of the trees, hearing the sounds of the creatures, hiking the paths of the park, swimming in the lakes or rivers, bicycling around the park, canoeing. Wow, so many things we can do. Outdoor recreation is almost unlimited. Free admission.

If you want to buy a piece of nature in or around Tallahassee, Florida, I can help you with that.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B 102
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell: 850-339-5753
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Web: http://KennethFach.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

My Old-School and My New-School Doings

There is this old-school way do doing things, what we sometimes call, “old-fashion,” not “in the times,” “not with it,” or “living in the past.” I have lived part of my life in the old-school. Now, I live in the new-school.  There is also a new-school and old-school in rea estate. Both can be good and both can be bad.

Examples of old-school include:                       Examples of New School:
Going out side to pick up the paper.                         The paper comes to you online.
Using “him” before “Her.                                            Using, “her” before “him.”
Getting the mailbox full of junk.                               Subscribing to what is wanted via email.      
Going to the store to shop.                                       Going online to shop.
Sending bills through the mail.                                 Doing online banking, and sending bills.
Calling friends on the phone.                                    Instant messaging friends or emailing them.      
Doing business out of brick and mortor.                  Doing business electronically.
Keeping walls a neutral color scheme.                      Experimenting with color schemes.
Working in the box.                                                  Working outside the box.
9:00 to 5:00 job.                                                       Working your own hours.
Going to church every Sunday.                                  Worshipping in your own way.
Going to live talks, conferences, meetings.              Reading/listening to what you want online.  
Blogging to be wordy, and to make a point.              Micro-blogging to get right to the point.
Living in a big house with a room for all.                  Economizing, and sharing rooms.
Thinks Microsoft is the only game in town.               Using other operating systems.
Using a box computer.                                              Using a flat screen computer or laptop.
Saying, “I will call you later.”                                      Saying, “I will email you later.”
Using a mobile phone for calls only.                         Using a smart phone as database, internet, email.
Planned out activities hour by hour.                          Instantaneous planning, not hour by hour focus.
A yard of healthy green grass.                                   A yard with a vegetable garden, and compost bin.
Upsizing, getting the biggest home, car, etc.            Downsizing, getting a smaller home, car, etc.
Rejecting alternative energy.                                      Wanting to explore alternative energy.
Leaving a carbon footprint.                                        Finding ways not to leave a carbon footprint.
Drinking coffee black.                                               Putting things into coffee: vanilla, chocolate, etc.
Buying a home away from shops, stores.                   Buying a home with a town center nearby.
Real estate agent going to office to search homes.   Agent having the MLS on her/his smartphone.

This is by no means a complete list of what I consider to be old-school and new-school. You can think of many more or have a different list altogether. I find myself going back and forth in some of the items, and as we are progressing to a high level of living with each other, we often fall back into the old, limiting ways of doing things.  Where I most see old-school struggling with new-school, is in peoples’ use or no use, of technology. I see in the workplace, employers not using the latest more useful technology. Even in technology companies, I see old-school technology, or technology programs being used.

As a business man, who has to go out and meet people, I prefer to be a mobile office. I like to have everything in the palm of my hand: database, customer lists, Multiple Listing Service, spreadsheets, email system, internet access, camera, notebook, instant messaging, as well as the phone applications. I have all of that on my Treo 700wx. I have used Treos for years now, and have no interest in going to a different phone, at least not now. Treo gives me the new-school world when in or out of the home. I have not had any problems, or complaints in the years that I have been with Treo, starting with Treo 650, and not the 700wx.

Now, why do I think phone calls are old-school?

How often do we get a call when either, we are not able to answer it, in the shower, sitting at the dinner table (is that old-school too?), on another call, using the phone to work on the internet, or check email, in a conversation or meeting, or the caller is soliciting for business?

With email (or in my case gmail, since I am a Google addict) I can view the message when I want. I can carefully study the message, and respond fully to it, not with the distraction or time issue of a phone call, and not having to have the answer right on the spot. We can carefully craft our message response to someone electronic communication, and we can create a message to send to someone after having edited it, and noted what should be in the message. So many times have I hung up with a caller, and regretted not mentioning something. I just do not have the environment to craft a verbal message on the spot, like I do with electronic communication via email/gmail. Even instant messaging has more to it in terms of carefulness than a phone call.

Here is where a mix of old and new can be a healthy balance, and I am seeing this more now than years ago. Maybe a trend, maybe a long-term fact now. What I am seeing is more of a sense of people and businesses coming together in community. New homes with the beauty, and practicality of old times, having a spacious, covered front porch for entertaining visitors, greeting walkers and runners as they go by, and with a town center within walking distance, having shops, eating establishments, offices, and with a park also within walking distance, are all the features of this new sense of urbanization, in a healthy, green environment. Trees, shrubbery, walking paths, a lake or pond, benches and tables, all add to this, hopefully, lasting trend. This new urbanizations combines the old-school with the new-school, creating a better school. Yes, we can mingle more with neighbors, and visitors, since things are closer by, and yet, have the privacy, and state of the art technology of the day. We can be indoors, in our home office, or sitting outside with our mobile office, and still have face to face contact with the community. 

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Cell: 850-339-5753
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com  Web: http://KennethFach.com  

Each office is independently owned and operated.

My Wonderful Google Tools

I absolutely love Google, and all that Google has to offer.  Google is my lifestyle. As a real estate agent, I am always going to my toolbox to pull out my Google tools. These useful tools can be for anyone, in any career, or almost for any lifestyle. Here are my favorite Google tools that I always keep in my toolbox:

Gmail
This is what I use for most all of my electronic communication, outside of the social/business networking sites. I like Gmail because you get so much storage power, great spam filters, Google’s search system so you can find any email you need, and a system to organize your electronic communications called “conversations” and which are organized by “labels.” I use Gmail on my Treo 700wx as well as on my laptop. Gmail is my number one favorite Google tool. Go to http://gmail.google.com.

Google Alerts
This is tied to my Gmail account. I set up Google Alerts for any subject that interests me, and these alerts go directly into my Gmail inbox everyday. Some of the alerts I selected and receive include: real estate, Tallahassee, Japanese Gardening, Organic gardening, ranch style homes, soccer, camping, Florida, mortgage, homes. Instead of going to Google Search field, and keyboarding the subject I am interested in, I can have Google research that for me and send me daily alerts. Go to http://alerts.google.com.

Google Docs
I keep all my documents, spreadsheets, and lists in Google Docs. This is a very user friendly system. That is why I like it. You get the date something was placed into the database, and you can file documents and spreadsheets into folders. Go to http://docs.google.com.

Google Maps
So many trips have I been on alone, and with family, and instead of using other mapping tools, I use Google Maps to get me to where I need to go. I have it on my Treo 700wx. I simply input the location, and state, and Google Maps will find it for me, and even provide highlighted road directions on the map, and text directions so I can read how to go to my location. It also keeps a history of my searches. Goolge Maps is super easy to use, and with fast results. You can zoom in and zoom out, and even get a satellite view. Go to http://maps.google.com.

Google Search
This is a great tool to not only search for any subject of interest, but I use Google Search to find myself on the internet, and to see how I am placed. Each entrepreneur or company can do this and see what is visible online about the company or yourself. I can see what sites I am strong on and weak on. This is also a good way to see where your competitors are online.

Goog 411
I can call 800-466-4411, and speak the business and city for which I am searching, and Google will provide me with the listings as well as text message with phone and address information of the business. Goog 411 will even connect me directly to the business listing. Cool!!!

Google Calendar
Now this is a very intuitive system. On my Treo or laptop, I go to calender.google.com, input the event and date, and Google will put it on the calendar for me. I will also get a text reminder. This is awesome. Try it and you will see the intuitiveness of this technology.

Blogger
Now I absolutely an attached to WordPress, but I use Google’s Blogger, for my other online blogs, which are more of a social, personal interest. Like everything Google, Blogger is easy to use, popular, and there is so much you can do to make your blog shine. Google provides the tools and the answers. I often go to Blogger to read others’ blogs and make comments.

Google Reader
As an avid reader of a variety of subjects, and with such a busy work schedule, I don’t have time to search everthing on Google. However, Google does much of that for me in Google Reader, as well as with Google Alerts. Google Reader will store, organize, and receive your blog and rss feeds. Now, you have more reading to do on the subjects that interest you.

Google Notebook
I know, I can always use my Treo tasks, notes or word mobile, to input and store my notes, but I like to be able to keep my notes on the web, so that I can check them from any computer, as well as on my Treo, by accessing Google Notes. You can sort and print your Google Notes. You can also export your notes to Google Docs.

Google News
We all know that Google’s search technology is the best. With Google News, you can search what category of news you want to received, or what topic interests you, and you can get the latest news in your Google News account. I use Google News to search blogs from other people, and to keep up with business news. I can personalize my Google News page. You got to try this. Here you get all the news you will probably want.

Google Talk
I use this to talk via the computer to friends and networking contacts. I may be expanding this and including my customer base. I can get to Google Talk when in my Gmail account. It is handy, and all right there.

Google Products Search
I can go to http://labs.google.com/productswml.html on my Treo smartphone when out shopping, input the product that interests me, and find a list of the best buys for that product. This is so useful.

Google Suggest
When going to Google Labs, you can go to Google Suggest, and input keywords. As you input the keywords, Goolge will create a list of related keywords, and the number of results on the internet for the keywords, so you can visit those sites.

Now, there are many other Google tools, but these are the ones I like the most. I did not always like Google. When I first got serious about the internet starting in 1994, I though Yahoo, Netscape, WebCrawler, DejaVu, Ask Jeeves, were awesome. When Google became one of the three big search engions among Yahoo, MSN, and Google, I stayed loyal to Yahoo, and used Yahoo for all my online researching. I even used Yahoo when working on my master’s degree at Florida State University. However, around 2004, I discovered that Google has it all, and I left my loyal ties to Yahoo and the other search engions for the ever expanding universe of Google. I stopped using my yahoo email accounts, and started using Gmail. Google continues to amaze me, and probably amazes you, too.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, Florida  32309
Cell 850-339-5753

Each office is independently owned and operated.

An Oriental Rug Adds So Much to the Interior Decor

It arrived yesterday: an Oriental Rug, 100% wool, no synthetics, and made in the part of the world where these rugs are famous.

The rug was not bought on the internet, which I would be more inclined to make my purchase, but instead, from a Tallahassee retail store. There are many oriental rugs for sale here, and there are good deals.

After paying only $199 for a $600 Oriental Rug, I felt good about getting this rug. I like Google searching for rugs and especially natural Persian or Oriental rugs.

Rugs add so much to the interior décor and designing. People notice the colors,intricate designs,and the eye catching geometric lines and curves, all interacting and twisting around each other to form a story in our imagination. Each of us can look at one of these rugs and have a different story in the imagination. Each of us will see something different in the rugs. Actually, no two natural rugs are the same. The naturalness and uniqueness interests me.

Now, I am the proud owner of my fourth Oriental rug. I will not stop looking at more rugs on the internet.

With our dark living room color scheme, café, peanut butter, and beige walls, the Oriental rugs fit right in, bringing out the red tones of the dark neutrals.

Some things I look for in a n Oriental or Persian rug are the following:

1) Color schemes need to be earth hues or natural, muted colors and neutrals.

2) Has the colors faded into into other colors.

3) Is the knotting thick, thin, tight, loose.

4) Are there more fibers or fewer fibers on on a knot or strand of fibers.

5)How does the texture feel after rubbing the hand flat-opened, along a stretch of the rug. I look for lumps and inconsistencies.

6) What is the material made of. Wool is a natural material and a typical material in these rugs.

7) Are there any synthetics used. What is the age of the carpet. Older rugs carry more value.

9) Are there any tears, holes, cracks, torn areas.

10) Where did the rug originate from and in what community was it made.

11) Finally, the pattern itself. Are there imperfections, faulty arrangement in the designs that catch the eye’s attention. Are the patters what would be found in these types of rugs.

Between my tasks as a real estate agent, I like to admire these beautiful rugs wherever I may find them: in Tallahassee stores, when traveling or on the internet. I like to admire my own possession of these ancient art mediums. On my world map, I like to locate the cities or regions where the rugs I find, originate in. It improves my geography knowledge and appreciation or other cultures.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753
http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

These Ranch Style Homes Sure Look Familiar

Another Fabulous Florida State Park

You know, I am in awe at the beauty in Florida’s many, many state parks. They all contribute to protecting Florida’s nature, and wildlife. I am blessed to be living in a state with so many natural areas where we can run, and play, view nature, swim, fish, camp, hike, and interact in so many ways with the outdoors.

 

 I recently went on camping trip with my son, to Three Rivers State Park, in northwest Florida. It is on Lake Seminole which is on the Florida, Georgia border. It is a large lake, and there is a dam, on it. It is the first hydroelectric that my son ever saw. We walked as close to the dam as possible, and found some people fishing in its waters. I explained to my son, that often, where there are dams, there is boating and fishing going on.

 

The weather was PERFECT. We set up our tent, made our campfires, and my son, helped to prepare, and cook some meals for us over the fire. He is a good boy scout, and knows how to make campfires, the right way. He knows that a good campfire needs proper attention, including oxygen and fuel arranged correctly. He knows fire safety as well.

When we camp, we follow the rule of “Leave no trace,” at the end of each campout, so that the next individual or family, will find the campsite so natural and clean.

The main highlight of Three Rivers State Park, is the lake activity: fishing, canoeing, boating. It is not a park for swimming however. The campsite is densely wooded, many, many trees, compared to some other parks. There is a very big, open picnic area, great for those day get-togethers, birthdays, family reunions. It is a good place for those frisbe games, or for the kids to run around in.

My son and I went canoeing on the lake, and found the water to be kind of rough. We were in one spot and found about 4 feet in front of our canoe, a big alligator swimming perpendicular to the canoe. This is Florida, and probably, most lakes do have alligators. This was a big creature, and so graceful as it swam away from us.

My son and I are eagerly waiting for our next fun-filled campout, in another state park.

The King of Knots as Metaphor for Economics

A knot is a useful tool for many purpose, and is one of the oldest tools used by people. The king of knots, called the Bowline Knot, functions as a very useful rescue tool, a tool to anchor ships to posts, a tool for lifting object or people, a tool for hanging things, and so  many other purposes. I like to think of this knot as a metaphor to describe economic cycles, real estate, mortgage, market cycles.

Having been a boy scout as  youth, I studied knots, and had opportunities to practice, demonstate,  and use knots in my boy scout training, and outdoor activities.  I am so grateful for that opportunity. I have had occasions to demonstrate my scout knotting skills through the years especially in camping situations as I am an avid camper.  Now that I have a son, I get to help him learn the knots too, and their uses: square knot, two half hitches, taut line, clove hitch, sheet bend, and of course, the king of knots, the bowline, which is also, my favorite knot.

To create the bowline knot, you form a loop and hold it with your left hand. Then, you take the bottom end of the rope with your right hand, and take it around towards the back of the loop, and into the loop leaving through the front, and going around the standing top end of the rope, called the tree (for fun), and then, back into the loop from the front, or the cave (for fun). Next, we take the non standing rope end, the bottom end, and tighten it away from the standing end of the rope and pull it snugly. We now have a tightened loop, that stays in place, and does not slide. If it slides, it is not a bowline. If there is no loop, it is not a bowline.  The loop needs to be larger than a simple hole. If the ends of the rope are coming apart, then there is no proper knot, since the whole operation gets messed up. The ends may need to be whipped with string to keep the strands united, or the ends can be fused to keep the ends united. With knot tying, practice is the key to success.  With economic planning, practice, trial, error and more practice is the key to success.

Just like making a bowline knot, you must follow the correct instructions when managing economics, and finances. Use loops when appropriate, make sure the ends are secure, make sure the right end is going into the loop in the right direction, and make sure the length of the rope is adequate and the loop is of adequate size for the purpose of making the bowling knot in the first place. Good economics requires planning, and direction. When there is some trouble in the financial world, I think of someone incorrectly tying a knot, such as a bowline knot. There is a process of making a knot, such as what I described above for the bowline knot. It would be a good idea if politicians, so called experts, business leaders, and individuals, spend time practing making knots, and practice the correct process with regards to economics and finances, whether mortgage finances, or real estate finances.

Just like knot tying, financial planning needs to be:
1. Simple and not difficult.
2. Must not unravel, or come loose.
3. Must be useful, and practical for many specific purposes.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B103
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Cell 850-339-5753

Each office is independently owned and operated.

 

This Tallahassee Real Estate Professional Is not Going to Make a Mess for You

I can tell you now, that I will not make the kind of mess you see here on the floor of a local store, here in Tallahassee, Florida.  My work is clean, professional, customer oriented, reviewed, and thought out with detail, and scrutiny.

When I look at messes made by other professionals, I am annoyed since there is no room for mess ups in a customer oriented perspective of doing business.

In my work as a Mortgage Consultant, and Real Estate Agent, I take in the best view of a situation, to benefit my customer, or client. No messes allowed. In the mortgage field, I look for for guaranteed rates and lender fees, with no surprises for my buyers. In my work in real estate, I provide all the information necessary for my customer, following the rule of doing good so that good is done to me. There is a perfectionist in me. I am proud of that.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B103
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Cell 850-339-5753

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Tallahassee Area’s Newest Park

Today, I took my family to a new park in Leon County, beside Lake Jackson, one of largest lakes in the Tallahassee area. Jackson View Park has plenty of open green space, trees, walking paths, covered picnic tables, a childrens’ playground, and a boardwalk looking out at the area’s nature. Green is the most common color found in this region it seems. There are so many parks, nature, and evergreen trees in Tallahassee, Leon County, and surrounding land.

We heard the happy sounds of birds. It is so comfortable walking in a park, and listening to birds. I get that from my dad, and his dad, who were both avid bird watcher. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to identify that many birds, but I do want to pick up my dad’s old bird books, and learn how to identify them. I also want to learn how to identify their sounds.