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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I have several boomer friends who are now calling themselves “empty nesters.” The kids are off to college…or have graduated…and curiously they’re aligning themselves with primitive avian nesting habits. They imagine that now that they’re back to being a couple (the lucky ones), they’ll have more “freedom” and revert to happy college-era activities…like going sockless [...]

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Shopping for a new bandanna? You can avoid paying North or South Carolina Sales Tax on such a purchase if you wait until the weekend of August 5-7, 2011. No such luck, however, if you want to buy a handkerchief that weekend in North Carolina. You’ll have to make that purchase in South [...]

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I just returned from a visit with my family…something I loosely refer to as a “vacation.” While navigating the overstuffed minivan for hours on end, counting down the miles and searching for a clean bathroom, I was reminded of that great line from the late Tar Heel Charles Kuralt: “Thanks to the interstate highway [...]

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When I was a kid, my pre-vacation ritual was washing and waxing my Dad’s car. I follow the same routine today. Why I feel compelled to have a clean and shiny vehicle before I face the grime, dust, mud, and suicidal bugs of Interstate travel is beyond me. But, it’s my habit…and I’m sticking with [...]

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