Jul. 27, 2008 - Royal Peacock Opal Mines

Royal Peacock mines offers the opportunity to dig for the beautiful stones known as fire opals. 
 
   Mine Phone: (775) 941-0374

Summer Mine Mailing Address: the other site.
PO Box 165, Denio, NV 89404

Winter Mailing Address
HCR001-9535, Winnemucca, NV 89445

Winter Phone: (775) 272-3201

DIG YOUR OWN VIRGIN VALLEY OPALS ALL YOU FIND ARE YOURS TO KEEP

OPEN
May 15 Thur Oct. 15
(Weather permitting)

Rock Shop hours:
8 am - 5pm

Mining hours
8 am - 4 pm

Here is a new link with up dated information it should help you have a fantastic gem hunting experience.  Click on the link below for everything you need to know.

LINK:       New Hours and updated information

Jul. 26, 2008 - Another Side of Foreclosure

The Darker Side of Foreclosure

     I just read a story at Fox News.com about a women that sent a fax to the lender on the day of her house being auctioned.  She said in the fax that it did not matter she would be dead before it happened.
When buyers came to preview the house before the auction her body was found in the house.  This 53 year old wife and mother had shot herself.  Her husband stated he had no idea they were in financial trouble.  What?  How could he not?  This happened in Massachusetts but it could happen anywhere.
     Our homes tend to define who we are.  How well we are doing in life.  Where our children have grown up and we have kept up with the Jones.  Dr. Ablow who contributes to Fox News.com is quoted as saying,“People’s homes are tremendously important to them emotionally,” “It’s an American and human fact that we project our self image through the houses that we buy and redesign and where our children grow up  and to some measure it is our face to the community and to ourselves.” “There can be feelings of desperation, hopelessness and shame,” Ablow told FOX News.com. “Financial chaos in ones life brings up very deep questions related to much earlier life stresses and experiences. For example, financial turmoil in your family of origin or questions about whether you measured up personally or economically.”
     If you are in a position where you could lose your home, seek help just as soon as possible.  If you ignore it things can only get worse.  Take control of your future before it takes control of you.
     If you know someone who is in financial distress there are warning signs to watch out for.

•  When someone seems to be drawing a line in the sand psychologically and saying that they cannot envision the future
•  Signs consistent of major depression including:
•  Episodes of tearfulness— Low self-esteem,
•  Inability to concentrate
•  Lack of appetite
•  Inability to sleep or sleeping too much and any expression of suicidal thinking

Jul. 7, 2008 - Money Exchange Now Open At McCarran Airport

           This little unit is a currency exchange.  For a long time there has been no where in McCarran airport for in bound passengers to exchange their money.  After 911 the business center we had that would do office like things, exchange money, and hold bags went out of business.  The main reason was they were no longer allowed to hold any baggage.
          The situation has been very frustrating for our passenger's from Canada, Japan, Mexico and Europe.  Now we have this cute little unit that fills the need of the money exchange. 
          It is located by claim number 7 and has operating hours of 8:00 A.M.-10:00 P.M. 7 days a week.

Jul. 5, 2008 - Solution for Vacant Houses

        There has been a lot of debate on home staging.  Is it worth it to a homeowner to pay a professional stagger to come in and make a home show ready?  Or can a homeowner just clear all their clutter and remove personal items to make a home in ready condition for buyers to come and look? 
     What about vacant homes?  With so many homeowners going into financial distress and either losing their home to foreclosure or just walking away.  What about the homeowner that just plain has to move, and with the market as it is can not sell their home fast enough?  So the home becomes vacant and vacant homes are largely unappealing.  Most buyers would rather see some furniture and a clean home for visualization purposes, than an empty somewhat dirty home. Vacant homes are being broken into and vandalized. 
    There was a crew of guys going around Las Vegas subdivisions with a van.  The van looked very much like a service vehicle, so the neighbors did not think too much about it. Well they were stealing air conditioners units and breaking in and taking all the appliances. Other homes are just getting broken into by homeless people and a lot of damage is being done to the interior of the homes.
     Well I have run across a company that may just have the solution for people that have to move and leave their home vacant while it is trying to be sold.  The company is called  Property Solutions of Las Vegas, LLC.    ( they have branches in a lot of area's of the U.S. not just Las Vegas)
      I was very excited when I ran across this company because it is at NO COST  to the homeowner or the Realtor® that is marketing the property.
   Property Solutions of Las Vegas,LLC   has teamed up with CareTakers of America who has been in business since 1985.  They have people who live in the home with their furniture and keep the home in show ready condition. The homeowner still makes their mortgage payments but there is no cost to have this service provided.  Think of the peace of mind the homeowner who needs to leave the area will have knowing their home is being taken care of.  The caretaker even pays the utilities. 
    Read for yourself all the materials provided on both websites and let me know what you think.  As far as I can tell it is a win/win situation for all concerned.

Jul. 2, 2008 - Can We Survive The Challenges of Today?

Today's Challenges Impact All of Us

The market today certainly is a challenge to everyone, Realtors®, real estate agents, buyers and sellers. loan officers, appraisers, even home inspectors.  Short sales talk have become a dinner topic along with foreclosures, and bank owned properties.  For sale signs litter the landscape of our neighborhoods.  Is it just me or does the main stream media just delight in putting out every bit of negativity they can find?

One of the things that  is having an  incredible impact on everyone is GAS PRICES.  They are impacting every aspect of peoples lives and I discover something new that is being impacted daily. 

As a Realtor® I need to look at working smarter.  When working with new buyers I need to really ask questions to get their desires down.  All their wants and do not wants.  Use email to send properties and ask for feed back.  Make sure that they have visited a lender of their choice and have be pre qualified so we know exactly what price range we are looking in.  Listing agents this is notice to you put as many quality pictures in the MLS that you can.  When I have my buyers in the office and we are picking out what we are going to look at there had better be pictures. Even better a wonderful video or an excellent REAL ESTATE SHOW©  If we can't see pictures well, let's just say your chances of getting your property shown goes way down.

When I take a listing you can bet I will point that out to the home owner, today more than ever pictures are worth a thousand words and more showings.  It will also behove me to make sure my presentation is such that the seller understands what a good price right up front is most important.  I have to make them understand what kind of competition is out there and why it is different than any other market in recent history.

I am a Survivor and I will survive this market.  Daily I am trying to think of ways I can work smarter and not give less service.   What can you do to make sure you survive too?