Until We Meet Again

For a number of reasons, I've decided to leave Edina Realty. This week sometime, this web site will disappear. I have to say my affiliation with Edina Realty has been a wonderful experience and yet I find it's time to move on to other things. As many of you know, I've been working this past couple of years with Rels Valuation working on a project in conjunction with Wells Fargo helping them price their foreclosures and short sales all over the country. I will be continuing with that work, and will also be re-activating my own brokers license. I hope to have JimFurness.com up and running in a few weeks. For now if you wish to contact me, I can be reached at JimFurness@CenturyTel.net or you can always call my cell at 651-472-1224. I want to thank all of you that have reached out to me over the past few years, and to all of you who visit my blog on a regular basis. Lets stay in touch. Until We Meet Again,

Fire & Rain...ends with the refrain.

Running On Empty

This past week was very busy at work and I found myself working longer days and into the weekend as well. From what I'm hearing from Realtors around the country, things are not only not getting better, they're getting worse. This coming week the work load isn't letting up and in addition I've been called to jury duty this Friday in Ellsworth. Saturday & Sunday mornings I'll be at Bandana Square fulfilling my continuing education requirements. Somewhere along the line I've got to find a way to recharge or like the song says, I'll be Running On Empty.

Merry Minuet

Back in the early 60's when I was learning to play guitar, The Kingston Trio sang a song with tongue planted firmly in cheek titled Merry Minuet. The cold war was ragging and in schools across the the country we saw films of mushroom clouds and were taught to dive under the desk if we so unfortunate as to see one. Okay, so they hadn't quite thought this through. At any rate when we heard this song, we worked it up for it's comedic value. Watching the news over the past couple of weeks, I couldn't help thinking of this old song and how the more things change, the more they stay the same. I may have to revive the old song and put it into the act. For those of you who don't know the song, here's the lyrics. Enjoy!!

They're rioting in Africa. they're starving in Spain.
there's Hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The french hate the Germans. the Germans hate the poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs. south Africans hate the dutch
And i don't like anybody very much!

But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud
For man's been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day
Someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away.

They're rioting in Africa. there's strife in Iran.
What nature doesn't do to us will be done by our fellow man.

It's A Most Unusual Day

This past Sunday was Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday and they celebrated in style at his presidential library. Gary Sinise gave a moving tribute. I've always liked Gary Sinise ever since his portrayal of Cap'n Dan in Forest Gump. So that got me thinking again about the wounded warrior project. Please, if you can, give a little each month. It means a lot to our young soldiers facing a lifetime of coping with the trauma of war. Following of course was the super bowl, and what a great game. I used to work with a guy in Ely who is Packer crazy. Back then whenever the Vikings would play the Pack, we'd always goat each other. I guess I can honestly say though, that I've always been a Packer fan. I like the idea of a small town owning a team, and they were the first team I remember rooting for before Minnesota had a team. The stars must have been lined up just right last Sunday because all in all it was a most unusual day.

On The Street Where You Live

Often during the day I have to got to Google Maps and use the feature that allows you to look at houses right down on the street level. This is a great feature. If you have the time, you can take a trip down the road looking at the neighborhood. It can give me a real good feel for what a neighborhood looks like in say Phoenix or Miami when I'm trying to value property. One day when I had some time I took a look at some old neighborhoods where I grew up and then looked at some places around Ely where I lived for a number of years. I saw my brother in law sitting in his car by the post office looking through his mail, and then again saw his car sitting in front of a mutual friends house. It was like the old game "where in the world is...". Great fun "On The Street Where You Live". Dean Martin does one of the better versions of the song if you're interested.

Baby It's Cold Outside

This weather brings to mind my time in Northern Minnesota. There was the time in 1964when I was living in Ely and walked to school one morning and found out it was 55 below zero. Thought it felt a bit cold. I think it was the same year I got into my car in Silver Bay and the shift lever broke off in my hand trying to shift into second gear because it was so cold. Then when I worked in Babbitt during the 70's the guys that came from Embarrass always had bragging rights to the coldest temperatures. If it was 20 below in Ely, you could bet it would be 30 below in Embarrass. One year in the early 70's I lived for a year in Isabella in a little cabin. One night after I had had a few people over I went to bed and woke up a few hours later when the door had blown open and the fire had gone out in the only heater in the place because the fuel oil had gelled up. The only thing I had to thaw out the fuel line was a candle. So at 2:00 in the morning it's 40 below outside and I'm out there working the candle back and forth thawing out the fuel line. And then there's Lake Superior. The cold off the lake just goes right through you. There were days walking home from school in Silver Bay when I thought I wouldn't make it. Ahhh memories. ...Stay warm out there.

Anticipation

Every now and then something happens that I'm not expecting at all. I refer to these moments as my "suddenly" moments. Out of the blue you get a phone call or an email with life altering news. You make a wrong turn and it turns out to be the "right" turn. I suppose we've all had moments like that. Lately I've had the feeling that a "suddenly" moment is just up ahead. It's a strange feeling, and I don't know if I should be excited or worried. I can just feel it coming. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, the holidays are over and life is returning to normal. I've finished all the books I bought for myself for Christmas and need to restock.

In the world of real estate, many appraisals are coming in low. We're still dealing with foreclosures, and the end to this is still a ways off.

I started watching the memorial service in Arizona on TV tonight, but it sounded more like a sporting event, so I opted out. I must be missing something.

Stay safe out there...