I knew this day would ROCK ..if I could get that Hubcap thingy!

Background story:

Last week I came roarin' around the corner of 4th and Hulman -- headed to Coldwell Banker -- and HIT the curb... HARD. 

I thought "Check that tire when I get in the parking lot."  But -- I pulled in, grabbed my bag, my laptop, my purse, my coffee, -- and forgot to look at the tire.

Got home.. got back on the computer doing a little work, Matt walks in and says "You're missing the center cap on your tire."

"Crap!  I hit that curb at 4th and Hulman and forgot to check it!"  Drove back to 4th and Hulman-- cap has walked off...

This is what I had:

This is what I needed:

E was not happy about waiting.. I told her "Give me five minutes!" We leaned against the car facing the front entrance of Baesler's with the subject vehicle in our peripheral vision. 

...We had just walked out of Baesler's moments ago with a few things for breakfast tomorrow and SMACK it hit me in the face -- there was a car JUST LIKE MINE with 2 missing center caps on the passenger side.. Could it be?  Might there be one surviving cap on the driver's side?  YES!  There was JUST ONE! 

Well, if they've already lost three.. maybe they'll take 10 bucks for the fourth.  It's worth a shot!

E was already nervous.  "No Mom!  Don't ask.  Let's just get our groceries and go home!"

...So we wait.

Everybody walked out of Baeslers and towards that car.. I tried to size them up ... imagine negotiations.

Not all of five minutes later a friendly looking girl in a Harley Davidson shirt carried her one grocery bag over to the car.

"We got her!"  I said outloud and grabbed E's arm.  She resisted, so I had to drag her just a little bit as I ran.

"Mam!"  She turned and looked at me.  (I know the feeling when some stranger comes up to you in the parking lot and begins her question with "Mam"..  I wish there was a better way..)

"I've got a crazy question for you.."

"Well, I've got a crazy answer!"  (Oh good, she's a sport!)

"That's my car over there.. identical to yours, and I'm missing one hubcap."

"I'm missing one hubcap too!" She said and pointed to the front driver's side wheel.

"Actually you're missing 3!" I walked around to the passenger side, "You don't have any over here!"

Then I pointed out the center cap on the "one good wheel" and blurted it out.

"Would you sell me this one for $10..."

YES!!!  We shook on it .. I was so happy I tried to give E a high five.. but she practically backed into traffic to avoid me. 

So instead I asked her take our picture!

Her name is Ally.. and she's a great girl!!

There IS something to be learned here..

Don't be afraid to go for it!  **  Always keep your eyes open!  **  Don't buy parts from the dealer!

Let's not "gravel" about Easements.. ok?

What have I been preoccupied with of late..

Easements and Private Road Agreements

(You have to say it like "Eeeeeeeeasements" ..so that it hangs in your ear for a while.)

Imagine this:

Houses numbered 1-9.  I list house #8.  We find a buyer.  She's a veteran - just returned from Iraq. 

The house is near the end of a Private Road.  The title company won't insure the access to this house because there is no easement on file at the County Engineers office.  (Insert my best "bear growl" here...)

An easement allows someone to access their property thru another persons property.  In this case house #1 allows houses # 2-8 to drive across a small portion of their property to get home.  House #2 allows #3-8.. and so on. 



(In the course of all of this I have found out that an easement to someone's home CANNOT be denied.  A judge will order the property owner to grant an easement to the needy homeowner.) 

BUT, who has time to wait for a judge?  We have a VET who needs to get in her house so....



I'm off to get some easement docs signed on this beautiful summer day.

Matt and the girls came with of course.. it sounded like something we could have fun doing together, right?

There were some nice neighbors.  We got to hold this baby duck and the homeowner let E name it.  Put on the spot to quickly name a duck before we moved to the next house.. E blurted out "QUACKIE!"  And the owner said.. "Quakie, it is!"

Of course shortly thereafter the girls had to use the restroom so Matt drove off to take care of business and left me to hoof it.



This is the exact spot I tweeted about the sequence and the easement docs!

Hmm, did I get all the names?  It's almost hard to believe considering 2 of the deeded homeowners are deceased, one is in a nursing home several counties away, and one land owner is possibly the most cantankerous, full-of-it, eccentric person I've EVER met.. BUT man... I would LOVE to hear more of her hair brained stories (..even though I probably won't believe a word of them.)



(Not actually her.. but you she gives you an idea..)

....Yes!  I got all the signatures.  (Except from the deceased.. although for a minute there I thought the title company was going to push me on those.  Geesh!)

What's the lesson in this story for YOU:  Do you live on a Private Road?  Do you NOT have a Private Roadway Maintenance Agreement -- be it however vague or generic?  Is your road NOT maintained by the county?  Does your title policy exempt your access to your property?  Do you have a deceased relative listed on your deed?



If you answered YES to ANY of these questions.. Check on it BEFORE you list it -- Call me I'll try to help.  It will save you some time and a headache or two later... not to mention white rock is HARD on your realtors strappy leather sandals!

All three of these stories are TRUE and all PAINFUL on some level..

Real Estate is endless.. If that key didn't shut off at 8 or 9pm we would be making appointments in the wee hours of the morning.  I KNOW I would.. Infact, I'd think that was GREAT because I could show houses while the kids were sleeping! 

And that's just not right, is it?

If only I could make all my phone calls in the wee hours.. while the kids are sleeping..



Yesterday afternoon I was  driving down Ohio Blvd.  I had just gotten some gas and picked up drinks for the girls and me to take with us as we were headed out to see Daddy. 

I dialed up a client.. ...just before G decided to give E (what MUST have been) the-most-painful-pinch-of-E's-life.

I'm explaining a Rural Development Loan to my client on the phone and E lets out a classic horror film scream from the back seat.  

I reached back and swatted the "pinchee" aka "the screamer." But I am horrible at landing a swat on anything in the back seat -- while trying to drive and talk on the phone.. so I had to try this a couple of times with no success.. just then I hear a "Toot-Toot." Huh? I look up and see a fellow realtor ..waving at us from her SUV perched above. 

Last week our cat caught a bird.. we stumbled upon this after the cat had already devoured half the thing.. the girls and I just stood there watching what he did with it next... Actually the girls stood there with dropped jaws while I was on the phone with a client quietly trying to shew them away with mere hand signals.. I have no real "shewing authority" while on the phone.. I hung up and said to them "Well, let's think of this as a science lesson."  Then I pulled them away from our backyard visual of natural selection.

(This is our cat.. Jelly Bean.  Last summer I took 2 baby squirrels to the Animal Hospital on S. 7th.. I think they both survived!)



It may have been that same day last week that I was again on the phone talking business.. G was trying to move me from the dining room to the living room.  I was appeasing her and giving her the shhh signal with my finger on my mouth.. She lead me into the living room, I continued my phone conversation.  She motioned for me to sit on a wooden rocker we have in there.. I did.  (Insert FART noise!!)

The kids have a stellar whoopie cushion collection.



The phone and the kids -- the combination of -- is still one of my biggest stressers.. Am I crazy?  Are they?  Do they HAVE to scream when I'm on the phone?  Do I HAVE to react as if they've just poked my client in the eye with their DS stylus?

I'm going to HAVE to initiate some "phone free" time at home.  Can it be done?.. I still have to get my brain wrapped around the logistics.  But it is my SUMMER GOAL!