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

I decided I would try to read the tea leaves today, so as to provide some direction in this crazy real estate market and confusing economy...

Here's what the 'TEA LEAVES' said...

Gas prices appear to be sneaking up, prices on consumer goods are doing likewise.......does this mean we are looking at inflation revving up, or are consumers finally gaining confidence and beginning to spend...???

I'm betting on the former...How consumers can have any confidence when their jobs are at risk, if they even have a job, and security in the future has a dark cloud looming overhead...

This is what you get when rich politicians are sitting in Washington playing MONOPOLY with our lives...hey, it's the tea leaves, not me...

My productive career in real estate is practically over...at 66, my thoughts turn to my kids and grandchildren...

And as optimistic a person as I am, I do not envy them...

The burden we are placing on their shoulders is like tying a twenty pound weight to a newborn then asking he/she to learn how to crawl...!!!

In my life, whenever things seemed to be topsy turvy, it was time to go back to the basics...PROGRESS sometimes means taking a step or two backwards before you can gain any meaningful ground...There is nothing new under the sun, and God is still in charge...We must be careful we don't try to move ahead of Him...

Often, we take a wrong turn...no big deal...it's human nature...we're flawed, not perfect...

But the right answers always come from an unflawed God who is PERFECT...!!!

Thanks.......TEA LEAVES...!!!

After a great Saturday spent with my 3 youngest boys roaming and exploring the hills of Pennsylvania, I came into work Monday morning welcomed by a virus scare on our computer network...!!!

Last week, there was a virus spreading like wildfire, that had something to do with Facebook...Needless to say, I stayed away from everything 'FACEBOOK' as if it were 'THE PLAGUE'...

We thought we had the virus contained and confined to one computer...until Monday morning, that is...

I must warn all those reading this...I never send Email through 'FACEBOOK'...if I wish to contact any of you, I will do it directly by phone or by Email...Please stay on the alert as to this condition...

It detests me to know that there are 'experts' out there wasting time trying to infect people's PCs...that practice is abhorrent, repugnant, nasty, cowardly, and unlawful...AND...

If those doing this claim to be Christian, they are highly mistaken, as this behaviour constitutes a serious sin against The Lord and mankind...accept a brotherly warning...!!!

Getting back to the topic at hand, the other thing that bugs me is that these scoundrels and cowards use terms that bring to mind the great American pasttime of FISHING...and corrupt something good and wholesome, turning it into something ugly and sinister...TERMS LIKE...

PHISHING, WORM, SURFING, NET...traditional terms used in fishing parlance, have been adopted into their vocabulary...I hope they all get caught and convicted...HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER...!!!

This post is a good 'Lenten' exercise for everyone...!!!  

I have met people who said that their whole goal in life is the 'accumulation of wealth'...I have known people who can't acquire enough knowledge as if 'the one with the highest IQ wins'...  

At one time, I myself fell somewhere between those two ideologies...!!!  

And then I discovered the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom...  

Now there is nothing wrong with WEALTH...And there is nothing wrong with INTELLIGENCE or KNOWLEDGE...BUT...  

Simply stated...both goals rely on the SELF...whereas WISDOM involves a source which is not only very reliable, but inerrant...incapable of error...  

Wealth, can be very volatile, especially as we have witnessed it over the past 5 years...  

Intelligence...always falls short...tomorrow, there will be some knowledge discovered that we don't know today...  

But WISDOM...aaaaahh...!!!  

Wisdom, like its author...lasts forever...!!!   

Seat of Wisdom...Pray for us...!!! Have a great weekend...!!!

P.S.

Quote #1: "Early to bed, early to rise, make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."  B. Franklin

Quote of the day: "Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."    Texas A & M contest winner...!!! 

 

 

We have a President that is 'hell bent' to feed his ego and thirst for power and control by getting this highly controversial health care bill passed by Congress...!!!  

In this age of instant recall of former speeches, time after time our President has been shown to have reversed his opinions on various subjects...and ignored results of elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts and hundreds of TEA PARTY gatherings throughout the Country...  

In fact, whatever is expedient to suit his purpose...he seems to use...regardless of what WE THE PEOPLE want or say or do...!!!  

Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, he waves his magic wand, and people believe...  

It reminds me of the night I took my oldest son to a 'professional' wrestling match. Seated next to me was an elderly wrestling enthusiast...a lady in her 70s with a large smile on her wrinkled face...About three quarters of the way through the program, she turned to me with a now somewhat serious look on her face and a bewildered distinguished frown etched upon her forehead, and asked, "This is REAL, isn't it?"...Unwilling to burst her bubble and curb her enthusiasm, I smiled back at the sweet lady and retorted with a resounding, "OF COURSE"...  

You would have done the same thing...  

But this heathcare thing is UNreal...bordering on the SURreal...  

In a government founded and authorized by WE THE PEOPLE, HE THE PRESIDENT has spoken...  

Instead of CHECKS & BALANCES...WE GET SMOKE AND MIRRORS...!!!  

It seriously reminds me of Professional Wrestling...Staged, Embellished, Hyped, Exciting, Practiced, Scripted...AND PHONY AS HECK...!!!  

On a more serious note, as a practicing Catholic I avail myself of a wonderful Sacrament, one of the SEVEN major ones we Catholics celebrate...RECONCILIATION...A Grace filled and life renewing event that is very sacred...where I acknowledge my sinfulness, seek forgiveness of God, am reconciled with other brothers and sisters, and receive His renewed message of REAL HOPE...  

Now even the word 'Reconciliation' is being profaned by a wayward Congress and an irresponsible gaggle of 'Public servants' who use the term sacrilegiously to thwart THE PEOPLE'S VOICES and demean our Constitution...  

No more SMOKE...No more MIRRORS...No more MAGIC WANDS...No more MISREPRESENTATIONS...No more MESSING WITH OUR CONSTITUTION...No more DISREGARD FOR WE THE PEOPLE by YOU THE PUBLIC SERVANTS...!!!

 

 

I don't like starting a post with bad grammar...ending a title with a preposition, but if it catches your eye...well that's what titles are meant to do...!!!  

A reading from the Preamble of the Constitution of the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania:

"We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution."      

(I invite you to share similar instances and/or references from your own State Constitutions in the comment section below...go ahead, do some research, do some homework...)  

We live in an age of diversity...!!!  

Diversity in cultures, ethnicities, religions, career choices, skills, etc...  

We can thank God that living in a free country like America has provided opportunities to achieve that diversity...  

Without true freedom you don't have diversity...  

Did our founding fathers see this, and did they expect the US to become a 'melting pot'...???  

I think so, because the wisdom they displayed could only have come from a loving God...They knew this and acknowledged God's primacy in many ways...  

Read the preamble to our Constitution, your own State Constitutions, the slogans on our currency, and the many other places in our history where faith in God played a large part...!!! In fact, many have given their lives to defend an individual's right to be an atheist...!!!  

And don't be afraid of history...you can learn a lot from a study of the past...  

One thing you learn is not to throw the baby out with the bath water...You learn to not reinvent the wheel...You learn, by the mistakes of others, and the hard work of others, and the dedication and selflessness of others...You learn to appreciate NOW...  

If you don't have this appreciation and pride in our Country and its pioneers, perhaps you're listening to a different drummer...  

Perhaps you're too resistive to becoming part of the 'melting pot', where, although we come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, we are reluctant to be ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL...!!!  

Take some time, go back and reread our history...reread it carefully and reflectively...particularly reread, carefully and reflectively, the pledge of allegiance...then see if you don't hear that drummer in the background beating as one...!!!

Well, we're finally finished with February...a month where both Presidents and groundhogs were commemorated...and it's ironic that the shortest Month on our calendar gave us record snowfall for any month since weather has been reported...!!!  

March, which carries with it a caution...'Beware, The Ides of March'...still brings with it Dr. Suess' Birthday, The return of Daylight Savings time, St. Patty's Day, St. Joseph's Day, the first day of Spring, Palm Sunday, and Passover and the guarantee of the beginning of Spring flowers...not to mention being the month in which The Lion AND The Lamb are both commemorated...  

So, those of us 'up North' will be on the lookout for that traditional yellow bush, the forsythia, to make its annual debut and spread some color across our sepia toned landscape...  

For me, St. Patty's Day, March 17, signifies the exact Day in 1906 when my Grandfather set foot on American soil at Ellis Island in New York...!!!  

St. Joseph's Day, March 19, I recall, was the day, as a child, we got our first parakeet, JoJo, and presents an opportunity to ask St. Joseph to intercede for those seeking work in our Country and around the World...St. Joseph, for Catholics and others, is the patron saint of laborers...!!!  

Of course, The First Day of Spring, is what it is...JOYFULLY...!!!  

Palm Sunday and Passover are both reminders that the Greatest Christian Mystery is about to unfold and be commemorated and celebrated as Holy Week begins...  

Lots to look forward to with great anticipation and expectation...!!!

So while we are bombarded by the fear mongering that comes out of Washington, we must remember the words that The One who redeemed the world gave us as a remedy filled with real hope...Jesus repeatedly reminded us, "Do Not Be Afraid...I have overcome the world..."  

Have a great March...!!!

Let me start this post by declaring my ignorance of the origins of 'blue vs red'...how 'blue' came to represent Democrats, and 'red' came to represent Republicans escapes me...  

I would have thought that 'red' would be more appropriate for those 'bleeding heart liberals', most of whom are Democrats, and 'blue' would be more representative of those with 'conservative Republican values'...you know...TRUE BLUE CONSERVATIVES...  

In any case, it is what it is...AND SO...  

Isn't it curious, though, that a significant number of 'red states' have the lowest rates of unemployment in the Country...  

Here's the order:  

1. North Dakota
2. Nebraska
3. South Dakota
4. Utah
5. Wyoming
6. Iowa
7. Oklahoma
8. Montana
9. Louisiana
10. New Hampshire  

Further, the states with the greatest rates of growth are for the most part 'red'...According to 'The Hill'..."the most severe fiscal and economic basket cases largely are concentrated in places such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon, and, perhaps most vividly of all, California. The last three have among the highest unemployment rates in the country"...  

And after watching most of the 'health care summit', and its aftermath, I am convinced that Washington just doesn't get it...  

LEAVE US ALONE...red, blue, or white...we're raising the 'white flag'...We don't trust you, Washington...  

The irony of all this is that when we elect a person with a huge ego and a tremendous thirst for power, WE THE PEOPLE want just the opposite...  

Perhaps a quote from the New Testament is appropriate here:

Matthew 20:25-28 (New International Version)

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Yes, there is no room for 'EGO' here...We are the home of the Red, White, and Blue... 

And still the Country of WE THE PEOPLE...!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR MEMBERS ONLY...AND NON MEMBERS...!!!

Several months ago when our beloved web site, Active Rain, became bombarded with outside spammers, it was recommended that we AR members 'disable' non member comments...  

Being the team player that I am...hmmmmmm...combined with my love for Active Rain and my fellow bloggers here...I promptly followed suit and altered my blog settings to allow ONLY MEMBER COMMENTS...  

Well, as time went by, and the AR gurus, those selfless techies behind the scenes that faithfully and ably monitor this big 175,000 member ship we affectionately call ACTIVE RAIN, solved the spammer problem...  

I inadvertently forgot to RE-ALLOW non member comments.......until yesterday, that is...  

It is with great pleasure that I announce through this post and for this blog...to members and non members alike...  

Have at it...Fran's Blog is open for business...and welcomes all constructive and civil comments...!!!  

Agree or disagree, but do it in the spirit of healthy debate, without personal attacks on anyone...and please know that you are always welcome on this blog...  

Oh...and please state your name so I will know whom to thank...!!!

I have been listening with great interest to the 'Health Care Summit' that President Obama convened this morning at Blair House in Washington...!!!  

The supposed non partisan attempt at adopting some sort of health care reform, or at least provide some sort of common ground, has resorted back into a philosophical debate of left vs right...  

An age old quandary between 'Federal Control' vs 'States Rights'...  

In other words, who do I trust more, Washington or Harrisburg...  

In a sense, I believe that Health Care is a lot like Real Estate...in that, it is very local in nature...  

Unless there is a special need, most health matters are dealt with on a local area basis, by local health care professionals...These doctors, nurses, and other professionals live in our communities, work in our communities, their children are educated and play in our communities...they have both a stake and an interest in the general welfare of our community's residents...AND...there is much to be said for that...!!!  

In this age of unheard of levels of National Debt, of repeated scandals occurring amongst those in national politics, why would the Senate and House members expect that we voters would trust them...  

That lack of trust has been displayed by voters in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts in recent elections...  

Yes, it is all about TRUST...and TRUST can not be legislated...In Washington nor in Harrisburg...TRUST MUST BE EARNED...!!!  

Health Care Reform is ultimately a matter of CHOICE...The CHOICE of THE PEOPLE far outweighs THE CHOICE of a few hundred politicians in Washington...!!!

I think this may be my shortest post...!!!  

It is 'AIMED' at those who need something to ponder during this season of LENT... SO...  

To give you something to think about, chew on, unravel, dissect, and inspire...  

This post will serve as a kind of LENTEN HOMEWORK...a 40 day research project...  

TRUTH IS NOT SOME 'THING', TRUTH IS 'A PERSON'...HIS NAME IS JESUS...!!!  

No Jesus, No Truth...KNOW JESUS, KNOW TRUTH...!!!  

There you have it...PURSUE THAT...!!!