Fat Tuesday is here…and like Fat Albert, a fat wallet, and Fat Bottomed Girls (the great song by Queen)…it’s something to celebrate. Fat Tuesday in French is Mardi Gras, a day with deep roots in the Christian religion. It’s become a day to overindulge and have some extravagant fun before the sober weeks of fasting that [...]

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This year 2012 is a Leap Year and we have one extra day this month to do something. Since doing something is the whole point of these monthly blog posts, we’ll take advantage of the extra day by adding an extra thing to do. It may be the shortest month, but it’s chock-full of activities [...]

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As a young child growing up near the Pennsylvania Turnpike (the nation’s first “modern” turnpike), I was convinced that my parents were paying “the troll” to enter its broad swath of concrete. I would duck onto the car’s floorboard in order to avoid laying eyes on the hideous, man-eating (but very short in stature) beast. [...]

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Did you know that the month of January, what I refer to as the month of empty pockets, is named for Janus…the God of the Doorway? (Who knew there were doorway gods?) So, let’s walk through the door to 2012 and 5 things every North Carolinian should try to do in January. (Sorry about the [...]

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I have some history with Wallace Wade Stadium on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC. That’s where I last saw the Rolling Stones perform on a rainy night in October 2005…a rockin’ experience for this Rock and Roll REALTOR®.  Built in 1929, the horseshoe-shaped facility is named for the legendary Duke Football [...]

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I’ve always been a bit creeped out by “bucket lists” and “Things to See/Hear/Read before You Die” books. I don’t need to be reminded of my own mortality on a regular basis. I also don’t respond well to pressure…particularly with such a grim deadline. That being said, I do have a list for you…but these [...]

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In this season of Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for a small moment in time that brought me back to North Carolina and a new beginning. Many years ago, when I lived in Detroit wrapping up a career and a first marriage, I was saved by a wonderful collection of essays by poet Donald Hall. I was [...]

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Reminiscing again. Maybe it’s the cooler weather…chili on the stove…fire in the fireplace. Whatever it is, this former DJ has tunes in his head that are revolving around hearth and home.
I remember working at a “free-form” radio station many years ago. “Free-form,” I think, meant the jocks worked for “free” snacks and concert tickets but [...]

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If you’re reading this blog, you’re a bit of a “house junkie.” You are interested in residential real estate (maybe even a bit obsessed) and learning as much as you can about purchasing it, selling it, owning it, renovating it, building it, insuring it, and maintaining it. Here’s another thought. How about just feasting your [...]

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Back in late 2001, I wrote a staff memo (on paper with ink…pre-blog) that attempted to implore my associates to take a hard look at how well they were balancing their personal and professional lives (That’s sometimes a difficult task in the real estate business). After all, 2001 was the year of the tragic events [...]

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