Christian Real Estate Professionals : Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ (Patriot Land Transfer, Inc.)

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up???...And A Career Suggestion...!!!

If you had the kind of childhood I did you had plenty of grownups around all the time...AND...

You would be asked repeatedly the question in the title to this post...WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP...?

I don't recall how I responded to these oft asked inquiries, but I know some expected me to be a doctor, and some expected to have a priest in the family...

And in some respects these expectations have been fulfilled...let me explain...

Of course I have no college degrees of any kind...And I maintain a strong distaste for blood...And I enjoy having fathered nine wonderful children...BUT...

I have been instrumental in 'CURING' many title problems over the years, and I certainly am no coward when it comes to SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS...

So see, with no college degree and without being ordained, I have been able to ‘heal' and ‘instruct or inspire'...

This Sunday, while I kneel briefly in my usual pew, I intend to ‘give thanks' to The Lord through Whom all things may be accomplished...!!!

 

P.S. Oh, and by the way, if you need some career guidance and a suggestion for what to aspire to.......Try tattoo removal...!!!

16 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • July 10 2010 11:37AM

Fran’s Friday Forum...Two Computers Byte The Dust...!!!

What an unlucky week...two computers bite the dust...My TOSHIBA laptop of many years...victim of some nasty trojan virus...AND...

My netbook...cracked glass screen...

So while I'm mourning their passing in the excessive heat advisory conditions of the Northeast...

My thoughts will turn to the District Baseball Tournament this weekend...

Have a great weekend, and enjoy A/C or good baseball...!!!

Oh, BTW, any suggestions for a computer replacement...???

 

 

P.S. Please ignore the lack of graphics...this post written on my son Justin's borrowed computer...!!! 

7 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • July 09 2010 12:05PM

Tender Gender...The Way God Made Us...???

 
I was raised and taught by both instruction and example that women were to be respected and placed on a pedestal and honored as THE FAIRER SEX...

The women's lib movement and other social, economic, and legal pressures have attacked and keep attacking that assertion...SO...

Are women to be treated differently than men...Are they THE FAIRER SEX...???

When the women in my family stop asking the men to open jars and bottles with tight lids...

When the women in my family start throwing a baseball like males throw it...

When the females in my family can beat the men at arm wrestling...

When the vanities in our bathrooms are missing various and sundry bottles, jars, lotions, and makeup supplies...

When the women in my family can outeat the men...

When the pile of women clothing equals the pile of male clothing to be washed (measured head to head)...

When the women in my family show as much interest in watching televised sports, especially baseball, football, and basketball...

Well, let's just say.......when some or all these things happen...WELL...

Maybe, just maybe...we'll forget about THE FAIRER SEX...!!!

Heck, I was also taught that there were 3 genders...Feminine, Masculine, and Neuter...For a while I witnessed society's attempt to render all things UNISEX...eliminating any distinction between masculine and feminine...BUT...

With all the body piercings, tatooing, and attempts to appear colorless...I'm not so sure that the goal isn't to render all things...NEUTER...!!!

As for me, I prefer ‘Viva la difference'...Heck...Variety is, still, THE SPICE OF LIFE...!!!

 

 

8 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • July 08 2010 10:31AM

Fran’s Friday Forum...How To Squeeze Ten Pounds Into An Eight Pound Bag...!!!

There's an old adage that warns us when we're carrying too much baggage...or at least more baggage than Frans Friday Forumwe can handle..."You can't get 10 pounds of something into a 5 pound bag..." 

I've found on my recent search for a car replacement that the same is true for automobiles. When you're trying to haul 8 or more passengers, you just can't do it in most of today's 5, 6, or 7 passenger vehicles. 

Oh, I remember the good old days when you opened the rear door in one of those big old sedans or station wagons and just piled in the passengers until you could close the door...Of course, that was before seat belts, bucket seats, and center consoles...Heck, there was even an outside chance of winding up in one of those rear facing back seats in a fancy wood trimmed and heavily chromed station wagon. 

Or...maybe they need to reinvent or rediscover THE RUMBLE SEAT... 

For those readers of this blog who have never heard of a RUMBLE SEAT...Picture the trunk lid of your car opening opposite of the way it does only to reveal accommodations for another two passengers (sans roof, or rain protection of course)... 

Yes, this post is a kind of rant for those, like me, who have a family of seven and a dog who might enjoy taking a Sunday spin in the country together...and sometimes include Mom or Sis...!!! 

Have a great 4th of July weekend...!!!

 

9 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • July 02 2010 03:23PM

The Season To Get Stoned...!!!

Watch out...!!!!!!!

This is a warning primarily to my male friends in particular...!!!  

After several bouts with KIDNEY STONES some years ago I decided that something drastic had to be done to prevent a recurrence of this dread and excruciatingly painful problem...!!!  

So I set about to find out all I could about KIDNEY STONES...!!!  

Of course, of the two main types of stones that can be formed, I would have the one that cannot be broken up with lithotripsy...SO...  

I set about altering my diet to include lots of CRANBERRY JUICE, and plenty of other body-friendly fluids, including water, to prevent dehydration, the primary 'seed ground' to propagate the formation of these evil little stones...!!!  

I'm not an expert on KIDNEY STONES, but I have compassion on anyone who goes through the painful process of trying to eliminate them from their kidneys...I'm told the pain is much like labor pains, but unlike labor pains the discomfort is constant...not letting up until the stone passes or lodges itself in a non painful location...OR MORPHINE IS ADMINISTERED...  

In any event, this is the season to be on the alert and on the defensive to try to nip the problem in the bud...Roughly April through July...!!!  

My advice......stay VERY HYDRATED...DRINK plenty of fluids, especially CRANBERRY JUICE and LEMONADE...cut back on caffeinated drinks and beer...Do your own research, consult your own doctor...AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED...!!!  

Have a healthy and STONE FREE summer...!!!

 

 

5 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 29 2010 11:39AM

Fran's Friday Forum...Whether Often Depends On Weather...!!!

Did you ever marvel at how quickly a summer thunderstorm can develop...AND how many picnic plans and outdoor activities can be dashed in an instant as a result...???  

Another reminder that God is in charge and our advanced technological expertise is still wanting and lacking in perfection...!!!  

Who knows...there may come a time when humans can control weather, but they will never master CREATION...  

Everything that man creates requires some substance that can be manipulated or transformed, but GOD CREATES FROM NOTHING...  

That is the FAITH and HOPE of all believers...  

Thank you, God, for all the gentle reminders you place around us, and thanks that you are still in command and care for all our needs...!!!  

An artist is always bigger than what he/she creates, and so God is bigger and greater than the universe...  

What comfort in that thought...!!!  

Have a great weekend, and before you make summer plans look up and appreciate all that God has created...!!!

 

 

9 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 25 2010 09:19AM

Common Sense And NUNsense...One And The Same...!!!

I was blessed and fortunate enough to be raised and educated by caring parents and relatives and dedicated teachers...And most of the teachers, at least in my most formative years, were NUNS...religious Sisters...bound by vows of POVERTY, CHASTITY, and OBEDIENCE to follow CHRIST'S TEACHINGS and EXAMPLE...!!!  

And so they did...and well indeed did they do it...  

And I could never in a million years repay those dedicated women for the love and care they administered daily to their charges...among whom I was blessed to be counted...!!!  

Since this post is not intended to be a heavy treatise on Catholic education, nor a recollection of 'The Good Old Days' which may never return, I am recalling only the many cliches which were popular at that time and which many of The Good Nuns dispensed very liberally...Among which were...  

"Two heads are better than one, even if one is cabbage"...What a classic and humorous saying which has served me well on many occasions...  

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness"...Another well thrown around adage which has withstood the test of time...  

"Moderation in all things"...If the world would ponder this one frequently it might not have as many problems as currently exist...  

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...This one too has proved to be very wise and true...  

"Silence Is Golden"...In a world where NOISE seems to be exalted, this one is sorely needed...  

These are just a few of the many expressions which my classmates and I heard from our dedicated NUNS on more than one occasion...  

Which makes the last one even more significant..."Repetition is the mother of inventionlearning"...  

In an age where BOREDOM is seldom welcomed, we have already learned that not ALL CHANGE is good...!!!  

Have a great and JOY FILLED week as THE SUMMER BEGINS TODAY...!!!

 

 

5 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 21 2010 10:45AM

Sliding Into Second...Look Mom...No Hands...!!!

As a lifelong baseball lover, sliding into second base can be one of the most exciting plays to witness in baseball...UNLESS...  

You're watching your own kid, in a tournament game, in Medford, N.J., an hour and a half away from home, the day before his 12th birthday, try to stretch a ball hit over the center-fielder's head into a double, only to injure his right hand sufficiently enough to keep him from playing in the remainder of the tournament games...NOW...THE REST OF THE STORY...  

Our team, The Douglassville 11U Tournament Team, ended up finishing first in their division in the weekend tournament, having played some spectacular defense, pitched many excellent innings, hit some great hits including one home run, and supported one another on the field, in the dugouts, and even at the motel at which we were housed on Saturday night...  

My son Jared, the one incapacitated by the bruised right hand, quietly and selflessly turned to me upon receiving his first place trophy, and said, "Dad, I got my birthday wish...Our team won the tournament"...  

What can I say...If it were me, I probably would have been praying for a miraculous healing of my bruised right hand...!!!  

Yes, there is HOPE for the next generation...  

They're smarter, healthier, stronger, better looking, and.......THEY CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER...!!!  

Have a great week...OH, and please pray that Jared's right hand injury is ONLY A BAD BRUISE...!!!

 

 

10 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 14 2010 11:10AM

R.E. Professional...What Does It Really Mean...???

If your looking for a post that defines what 'REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL' really means you may be disappointed...BUT...  

If your willing to invest a couple of minutes and decide to read and contemplate the message of this post...you may be pleasantly surprised and rewarded...!!!  

Let me start out by first stating what I've shared in many of my posts...in fact, it may be the main theme of this BLOG...  

'The industry that doesn't 'police' itself will invite 'policing'  

That basic truism may be expressed in many ways...pick the one that best suits you...!!!  

Frankly speaking, over the years, there have been many shenanigans perpetrated in the REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY...an industry which generates the amount of money that ours does usually provides an open invitation for the best of scoundrels and scam artists and downright crooks to ply their craft(s)...  

The fact that the LEADERS of our industry have focused more on income than on PROFESSIONALISM is bearing fruit...  

Real estate agents rank right there around used car salesmen, politicians, and lawyers in trustworthiness...  

You see, the abbreviation 'R.E.' in this title is presumed by most to mean 'Real Estate'...BUT...Leaders with a better vision for the industry could have taken those initials 'RE' to stand for 'RISK ELIMINATION'...  

That would surely shift the focus from income and money to consumer care and customer service...THE HALLMARKS of every successful business...  

Not only that, but it may have been all the shift that would have been needed to bring our industry into the true realm of PROFESSIONALISM...  

It's not too late to adopt a positive and healthy and ethical outlook about our industry...all we need to do is WORK HARD and NEVER FORGET WHO WE WORK FOR...!!!  

On a personal note...Forty years ago I entered this industry because of the monetary allurements...BUT...in short fashion I readily saw that in order to be truly respected as a PROFESSIONAL and EARN and COMMAND 'RESPECT' (BTW, a word which leads our AR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES), rather than think RESPECT can be DEMANDED, it would be necessary to alter my focus...more correctly, I had to allow myself to grow and mature and BECOME A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL in every aspect of the term...!!!  

So, what does it really mean to be a real estate professional...??? Try becoming one and discovering a life rewarding experience...not measured by the income you accumulate, but by the number of people you have helped...!!!

 

 

11 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 04 2010 10:19AM

Fran's Friday Forum...Always Learning...Never Knowing...!!!

I hope you haven't spent your entire life accumulating knowledge without actually learning what TRUTH is...!!!  

WARNING: THIS POST HAS RELIGIOUS IMPLICATIONS...!!!  

Actually, I 'stole' the title of this post from 2 Timothy 3:7...scripture passages that warn about the 'dangerous times' that will come in the 'last days'...  

Oddly enough, there surely must have been millions who have read these passages over the centuries and have considered them apt for their exact day and age...  

In a sense, that explains the timelessness of Scripture and the Eternal Nature of The Creator...  

In another sense, a careful reflection on these passages reinforces the unity of the Spirit within us with the Holy Spirit encouraging us to keep on searching...as long as the 'end' has not yet come...searching...  

Searching for God...???  

Searching for TRUTH...???  

Searching for more knowledge...???  

Yes, we can acquire a staggering amount of knowledge, but not have wisdom...  

We can acquire huge amounts of money and possessions, but not have wealth...  

We can search practically everywhere, but not find the 'Pearl of Great Price'...  

Because the 'Pearl of Great Price' has been given to each one of us who has the gift of LIFE...  

Problem is, TRUTH is not a THING...  

It is A PERSON...He told us Himself...HIS NAME IS JESUS...!!!  

And He has left us many CLUES...!!!  

FindDiscover HIM this weekend...The Truth Will set you free...!!!

 

4 comments • Fran 'The Title Man' Gaspari Title Insurance-PA & NJ • June 03 2010 11:40AM