BUILD A WALL OF HAPPINESS!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: "To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." - Henry David Thoreau
"To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." - Samuel Johnson
"Before I built a wall I'd ask to know What I was walling in or walling out." - Robert Frost


BUILD A WALL OF HAPPINESS!

To affect the quality of anything first requires action of some sort. Affecting is the opposite of passivity. In a passive state we can only BE affected, but we ourselves have no effect on our surroundings or other people. Hold that thought for a moment and consider next the result of your "affecting."

If, as Johnson recites, being "happy at home" is the ultimate result of your ambition, then why are you working so hard? Is there a way to avoid working evenings and weekends? Could you schedule your child's soccer game into the week's plans? Is that next appointment more important than celebrating life with your spouse at anniversary time?

One way to affect the quality of your day, which in turn may result in happiness at home, is to "build a wall," to paraphrase Frost. Keep in mind that walls may limit you if they are constructed of heavy gauge steel and mesh rimmed with concertina wire. Walls can also be formed as a low hedge or a split-rail fence - even more simply as a line in the sand. Rather than limiting us, they become a mere reminder of how far we are willing to go.

As we affect the quality of our life and push our ambition to the limit, we may also make choices about the boundaries of our lives. By choosing sound principles of living, for example, we may say "No" to friendships with those who operate outside our boundaries of accepted activities. We may decline meaningless activities, or the occasional committee appointment, which robs us of our valuable time.

Ambition leads to action. Your ambition leads you to affect the quality of the day through some action. So what is the ultimate result of your ambition transformed into action? Johnson suggests it is "to be happy at home."

In the end, WE are solely responsible for affecting the quality of our individual lives. We must choose wisely.

Choose wisely when picking a real estate agent as well. Search all available homes for sale in the Wilmington, NC area at http://www.russmay.com/  and check out my latest website at http://www.wilmingtonconventioncenter.com/

An Important Message For You & Those You Love -- It Can Wait

Click on this video link -- AT&T Don't Text While Driving Documentary

When you're searching for Wilmington, NC real estate information, please call me or visit my website http://www.russmay.com/ For information regarding the Wilmington Convention Center, please visit http://www.wilmingtonconventioncenter.com/

School o' Tuna

You can only be young once. But you can always be immature. - Dave Barry

School starts this week. That means school buses and that means that I'm always confused as to when to stop and when it's OK to pass.

A little Googling led me to the following site
http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/safebus/rules.html

to get the rules shown below.

In North Carolina, passing a stopped school bus while it is loading or unloading students carries a fine of up to $200, five driver's license points, and possibly 90 days in jail. A conviction usually means a 90% increase in a driver's insurance rates.

With respect to real estate, remember that there are only three more months left to take advantage of the $8,000 first time home buyer's credit. If you have questions about the credit or the Wilmington NC real estate market, call (910-619-1501) or e-mail.

Scoot . . . safely.

Tuna Briefs

The first rule of underpants is: Do not talk about underpants. – www.topfive.com

I woke up this morning feeling in an especially grateful mood and I thought . . . I’ll blog about gratitude. I was preparing a mental list of all the things in my life for which I am grateful when I got into an argument with my wife about underpants, which, as the saying goes, got my panties in a bunch.

So, gratitude’s out. I’m going with underpants.

Now, I’m sure that there are people who’ve had an argument about underpants, as in your wife finds a pair (not hers) in your glove compartment. Not me. I’m just saying . . .

No, for me it was an answer to a simple question that got the ball (slight pun) rolling.

Wife: Your birthday is coming up soon. What would you like?
Me: Underpants.
Wife: No way. You have way too may pairs now and you never throw the old nasty ones away.
Me: Yeah, but . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The little dots indicate the space where I was trying to make my point, but my wife was the one actually doing the talking. The question in my mind was, how did I get myself in this situation? As a Wilmington real estate broker, I analyze information, market statistics, trends, etc. and advise clients so that they can achieve goals and make informed decisions. I'd like to think I’m a smart guy and a decent problem solver. You would have thought I could have (should have) avoided the underpants argument. After all, I’ve been here before. Our discussion ended, as it always has, with a curt directive to buy my own underpants. We have similar conversations about socks.

See, the crux of the matter is that I don’t like clothes shopping. I under-like shopping for underpants. So, every once in a while, I stock up like a crazed underpants survivalist. In a digital age, my underpants are analog. My stash is disintegrating. The clothes dryer has rendered most of the elastic bands the consistency of dead leaves. The fabric has the ripped look of designer jeans. Moths are appalled that I blame my briefs demise on them. It’s time to clean house.

Once, years ago in my youth, I mistakenly dried a load of laundry at a laundromat for an hour and a half. The results were tiny potato chip brittle underpants, sized to fit Barbie’s boyfriend, but he wouldn’t have been able to sit down.

So, faced with the choice of duct taping my briefs to my belly or going s-s-shopping, I guess shopping is slightly less painful than tearing off the duct tape at the end of the day.

Here's a thought for you first time home buyers. The government is offering an $8,000 tax credit as an incentive to purchase a home. You can buy a lot of underpants for eight grand.

Scoot on.

Stupid Tuna Tricks

Homer Simpson: My ears are burning.
Lisa: I wasn't talking about you, Dad.
Homer: No, my ears are really burning. I wanted to see inside, so I lit a Q-tip.

Yesterday, I sat through a few hours of District Court. I was there as a witness to a hit and run traffic accident, but the court involved traffic violations, some breaking and entering, a little drug possession . . . Homer wasn't there, but some of his real life counterparts were.

Now, maybe I'm out of touch, not having any experience with going to court, but I'm pretty sure that you might want to strive for a better chance of making a good impression on the court than the guy who showed up wearing camo baggy shorts, flip-flops and an I "heart" Party Girls T-shirt; however, that pretty much summed up the dress code on the public side of the fence. Here are some of my favorite moments from my morning (with only a little embellishment).

Judge: Mr. Jones, you're here today because you were cited for driving while your license was revoked. And, you're late. Why were you late?
Jones: Well, there was a lot of traffic and I had to drive real slow.
Judge: You were driving?
Jones: Yeah. . . . . . Oh!

Now the funny part isn't that Jones got tripped up by admitting to driving to court on a revoked/suspended license. It was the four people after him, charged with the same offense, who answered the same way. Pay attention people!

Judge: Mr. Smith, you were not here when we called your name. You were supposed to be here at 9:00. Why were you late?
Smith: I wasn't late your honor. I was here at 5 after 9:00.
Judge: 5 after 9:00 is not 9:00. And, by the way, we did not call the roll until 9:30.
Smith: Huh?

Judge: Ma'am, are you Mary Brown?
Brown: (wearing blinking blue-tooth earpiece): No, that's my daughter.
Judge: Why isn't your daughter here in court?
Brown: Her grandmother is having a colonoscopy.
Judge: Your daughter's grandmother? Would that be your mother?
Brown: Uh-Huh.
Judge: Ms. Brown, let me explain how this works. When your daughter is supposed to be in court, she can't send in a substitute. It's court, not basketball. I'll be issuing a warrant for her arrest.

A man is brought in wearing a jail uniform. He has added to his impressive resume of drug possession, stolen goods sales and larceny with some new charges. The judge tells him that he is sentenced to 60 months in the Department of Correction and that he should seek substance abuse assistance in the slammer. He insists that he has changed his ways and cleaned up his act. In fact, he says, he is going to start a new job tomorrow. He's going to be late for work.

I know it's not right to make fun of people, but you can't make this stuff up. People make poor decisions, won't take responsibility for their actions and seem genuinely surprised when the judge doesn't believe their outrageous excuses. My only regret is that I did not know how to tweet from my phone. I'll learn and I'm going back for more. Next time, I'll take a sandwich.

OK, none of this has anything to do with Wilmington Real Estate, but if I say Wilmington Real Estate enough times and link it to my website, it'll help in the Google searches.

Use sunscreen. Scoot on.

Taking Your Tuna For Granted

Lisa, Vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins and Eskimos. -- Homer Simpson

The current issue of Coastal Living magazine has a feature article titled Coastal Dream Towns. The article starts off by saying that they found the best places to live at the shore (I grew up in New Jersey, so I know the shore means the beach).

Coastal Living's pick for the Southeast? You guessed it -- Wilmington, which the article describes as a cultural gem. The magazine cites the following "allure factors" -- a symphony, theater groups, plenty of live-music clubs, and festivals, celebrating jazz, blues, and film. It says that the downtown Riverwalk is a model of adaptive reuse, with shops and restaurants bringing a faded commercial district back to life. I've been here since 1984 and lived in the Historic District for over 19 years; the "fade" has been gone for quite some time!

Here is another tidbit from the same article. It says that Wilmington will soon be home to the world's third-largest sound-stage. The EUE/Screen Gems facility, under construction, incorporates the largest water tank (for filming underwater scenes) outside of California.

So, the next time that you and the rest of the school of tuna are slowly swimming up Military Cutoff Road, remember, you're living in a cultural gem.

Wanna live at the beach? Sleep with the fishes? (no, wait, that's New Jersey talk). Looking for a great deal in the Wilmington real estate market? E-mail or call me. Our market has really come alive this Spring. Great inventory, great prices and great interest rates -- a real estate hat trick!

Scoot

If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else. -- Yogi Berra

This coming weekend you could wind up in an REALTOR open house because it's the Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty Open House Spectacular. As of today (Tuesday), Sea Coast agents plan to host 132 open houses. For the locations and times, click HERE.

This coming Saturday afternoon (1-4) you'll find me at 409 Knollwood Drive in the Cross Creek neighborhood in Hampstead. Sunday (1-4), I'll be in town in Devon Park at 3729 Winston Boulevard. If you have questions about these or any other properties, please contact me.

For the most current and comprehensive source of Wilmington, NC properties for sale, check out SearchWilmingtoAreaHomes.com

Don't forget, if you are a first time home buyer or have not owned a home in the past three years, you are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit courtesy of your Uncle Sam. Even if you don't qualify for this credit because you owned another home, you can still take advantage of the fantastic mortgage interest rates.

For more information about Wilmington, including helpful links to area information go to RussMay.com

And finally, if you're a USAA member, you may be entitled to a cash bonus when you purchase your next home through me. Contact me for details at russ@russmay.com or (910) 619-1501.

That's A Lot Of Tuna

There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity. -- General Douglas MacArthur

Right now, there's a great opportunity available for first time homebuyers. Essentially, if you have not owned a home in the past three years, you are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit if you purchase and close on a primary residence by December 1, 2009. This tax credit DOES NOT have to be repaid! You can find the details at GetYour8000.com

As of this writing, mortgage interest rates are below 5%. Home prices are the best (lowest) they have been in several years. And, the government wants to give you $8,000! That's opportunity. If you have not spoken with a mortgage lender to see what this means for you, let me recommend that you contact Grace Bass with Alpha Mortgage, the Wilmington area's premier mortgage lender. You can reach Grace at Grace.Bass@AlphaMortgage.com

There is currently a great selection of available homes for sale. You can search for all currently available homes on my website RussMay.com

Ho Hum Tuna

No good deed goes unpunished. . . . Don't ask.

I bought a new video camera to begin making video blogs, but still am not comfortable speaking into the camera yet. So while I continue to practice, take a look at this informative article I found on MSN.com. It's good advice for every home seller.

The Wilmington real estate market is picking up. It's great to see buyers who understand that buying when prices and mortgage rates are low is a smart move.

Make it a great week. Scoot on.

Tuna Melt

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals . . . except the weasel. -- Homer Simpson

I've been weaseling out of writing a blog entry for no good reason. Well, actually for the reason that I could not think of something to write. This week, however, I had the privilege of listening to an excellent speaker, Rick DeLuca. In addition to the stuff that's probably only of interest to real estate agents, he offered some random gems that I want to share with you.

Have you ever been frustrated with customer service phone instructions that have you listening to menus and pressing every button on your phone? Then here's a website you need to bookmark -- Get2Human.com. Look up the company name, find the customer service telephone number and see instructions that will help you get to a live person. Whether or not that individual will be of any help is another story.

Know Your Stuff is a free download that will help you make a home inventory. In the event you suffer a fire or theft, you'll have a record of your stuff for the insurance claim. A word of caution -- make a back up copy and keep it off premises. If someone steals your stuff, including your computer, and the only copy of your inventory is on your computer, you're SOL.

A couple of things about e-mail: the #1 problem with e-mail correspondence is misspelling. Make sure that your spell check feature is turned on and as an added bonus, you might try reading what you wrote before you hit the send button. A friend sent me a joke this week that had to do with proof reading. The premise of the joke was that someone had dropped a pen in his printer and it was stuck in the gears. While the person awaited the repairman, he wanted to warn his co-workers against trying to use the printer by posting a handwritten sign that said "do not use printer, penis stuck." The #2 thing to know about e-mail correspondence is that TYPING IN ALL CAPS MEANS THAT YOU'RE SHOUTING. Don't do it!

Here's a free photo sharing download called Photo Leap. I have not tried this yet, but it's supposed to allow you to share a lot of photos without resizing the photos or adding as attachments. And, finally, here's a free download that will allow you to organize the photos that you have in a million different places on your computer -- Picasa.

Just so you don't forget, I am a professional real estate expert with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty, the #1 real estate company in southeastern North Carolina for nine years running. Need advice or have a question about the market? Maybe you're looking for a place to search properties for sale. Send me an e-mail or visit my website. I'll be happy to help.

Tough Tuna

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty -- Winston Churchill

There are buying and selling opportunities in the Wilmington, NC real estate market. Now. Today. Don't let fear and ignorance (equal opportunity emotions for both buyers and sellers) keep you from benefiting from these opportunities. Easy answers? Shortcuts? There are none. Facts and figures; there are plenty. A knowledgeable and trusted real estate professional can explain these facts. Listen, understand and you will benefit. Don't be the pessimist. Worse, don't be misinformed or under informed.

Recently, BuilderOnline.com listed the Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009. Wilmington, NC made the list. Read the full story HERE.

If you contact me, I may not always tell you what you want to hear, but I'll always tell you the truth and I'll use my 23+ years of experience, my market knowledge and the latest market statistics to show you what you can expect from today's real estate market and how you can take advantage of today's opportunities.

One more quote before I go: Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity -- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Tuna Time

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true. - Homer Simpson

As a Wilmington, NC real estate agent, I shoot a lot of photos of the properties I market. Since I do not use flash in my indoor photos, I try to make the most of natural light from windows and doors, and the lighting in the room. This tip will work whether you're just shooting to show the room or if you have a subject (friend or pet) in the room.

In most cases, it's best to have the light source (window or lights) behind you instead of shooting into the light. The first photo here illustrates the problem. With the camera facing the window, the light meter took the reading off the brightest part of the scene (the window). Consequently, the room itself was too dark. To solve that problem in the second shot, I moved the camera slightly to the left and pointed it just to the right of the fireplace. I pressed the shutter button down halfway to set the focus and exposure and, while keeping pressure on the shutter button, moved the camera back to the right to re-compose the scene. Then I pressed the button the rest of the way to take the photo. The result is that the room looks more natural. The down side is that the window appears bright white. However, unless you're going to use a strong flash to balance indoor and outdoor lighting (and most point and shoot cameras don't offer this option) your going to wind up with a properly exposed window with a dark interior or a decent looking interior with the equivalent of a small nuclear blast outside.

So, as a general rule indoors or outside, try to keep the light source behind you and illuminating your subject(s). If that is not possible, use this tip. If your subject is a friend and the light is behind him/her, try aiming the camera at something else about the same distance as your subject. Press the shutter halfway, then (with pressure still on the shutter) move the camera back to your subject and take the shot. As I've said before, with digital cameras, you can check your results right away and take additional shots until you get the one you like.

For additional examples of indoor shots, click on any one of the three photos on the right side of this blog. Questions? Contact me. Scoot into the light.

Scoot Tuna Factoids

Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. - Jerry Garcia

I've been tagged on Facebook, by my wife no less, to provide 25 Things About Me. So, being a two birds with one stone kind of guy, I thought I would post them here and make my Facebook friends read my post. The part I don't cherish is tagging 25 other people to do the same. That has all the appeal of a chain letter. Here's my 25.

1. I've had five dogs in my life -- Snooper, Dusky (aka Sam), Bulgie, Callie and Maggie
2. I believe that the toilet paper should roll forward off the top and not come from behind (no pun intended).
3. Back in the day, there was a military draft. Teaching was an exempt status. Right after college, I taught 6th grade in an attempt to avoid the draft. It didn't work.
4. In Viet Nam, I was a Vietnamese translator. I was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious service.
5. I died once.
6. I knew my wife for less than three months before we were married.
7. I'm a procrastinator. More about that later.
8. I live my life with an attitude of gratitude.
9. My favorite meal is turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. I used to order that at MOI.
10. I studied photography at Maryland Institute of Art.
11. I once captured a bat armed with a yard stick and wearing nothing more than a laundry basket on my head.
12. I can wiggle my ears.
13. I got my first pair of cowboy boots this past Christmas.
14. We were married in the county court house. In attendance were my wife's parents and younger sister. When the clerk pronounced us married, Nancy's mother said to her, "Now you're Mrs. DAY."
15. For a while, my hair was shoulder length.
16. I'd like to be a good photographer.
17. The movie Rudy chokes me up . . . every time.
18. My parents offered to buy cigarettes for my brother and me so we would not have to sneak them. Consequently, neither of us ever smoked.
19. It bothers me that some people in my profession cannot pronounce what they do. We're REALTORS (two syllables, real-tors, not real-a-tors). Doctors know they're not doc-a-tors; plumbers know they're not plum-a-bers. What's the problem?
20. I never had a chocolate chip cookie I didn't like.
21. Sometimes when I'm distracted, I put on two wristwatches . . . on the same arm.
22. Briefs, not boxers.
23. In high school, I went out for the football team. I was terrible, but did not want to quit. One day at practice, Buddy Tallman ran over me and I sprained my ankle really badly. I was on crutches, went to the games with the team and got lots of sympathy in school. The coach even commented on my commitment. I ate it up. The next year, I went out for band.
24. In college, I played drums in a band called The Saturday Knights. If I took a date to a job, she had to sit in the back seat of my Volkswagen because the bass drum only fit in the front passenger seat.
25. My middle name is Morris.

Want to know about the Wilmington NC real estate market? Ask me. Next time, photo tips. I promise.

Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Tuna

Success comes in cans, failure in can'ts - Unknown

This afternoon, I went to photograph a new river front lot listing for my website, but got started too late to take decent photos of the lot itself. The .94 acre lot is on the Cape Fear River and includes a boatslip and dock -- a long dock. I walked to the end of the dock as the sun was setting and spent my time taking photos of the water, clouds and sunset. I'm realizing that one of the beauties of a blog is writing as though someone cares, when actually I'm a cult of one. Anyhow, here is one of today's shots.

The tide was low and the water flat. The reflections were wonderful. I took a lot of shots and encourage you to do the same, no matter what the subject. With sunset shots, depending on where you point the camera to take the light reading, you will wind up with different results. Those differing results are not necessarily right or wrong; it just depends on what you are looking for and what you like. You'll find that the quality of the light changes rapidly at sunset and each minute has a particular beauty all its own. I aimed at the darker clouds just above the horizon, pressed the shutter down halfway, then made the exposure. I like this shot; as good a reason as any to put it here. Taking the light meter reading at a different area of the same scene produced slightly different results, but this is my favorite.

I forgot to follow my own advice on keeping the camera level and made several shots with the horizon at an angle. Of course, I can make corrections in the post production software, but if you/I do it right in the camera, you/I won't have the work to do later. For this shot, I added a little contrast after the fact, but this is essentially the scene I saw.

Remember, press the shutter down halfway to set the focus and light meter reading. With your finger still on the shutter, compose your shot, and press the shutter the rest of the way in a smooth, not jerky, motion. Try variations. Take plenty of shots.

As always, e-mail with any questions. I'll do my best to answer. And don't forget, keep an eye out for Bebe, the Art Smart Car. If you see her around town, take a photo and send it to me. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I'll think of something.

I'm Dreaming of a White Tuna

You can observe a lot just by watching -- Yogi Berra

With digital cameras, it's so easy to point and shoot without giving too much thought to exactly what is in the picture frame. After all, you can always crop the photo to exclude any unwanted objects (or relatives). A better way is to try to pay attention to the scene composition as you're taking the picture. That way, you don't have to spend time "fixing" the photo in a photo editing software and you don't have to make excuses for an almost great picture. As you are composing your shot, take a moment to look around in the viewfinder (or LCD screen) to make sure that you can see to the edges. If there are unwanted objects, and time permits, move closer, zoom in or change your position to get a better shot.

Also, pay attention to where the light is coming from. For the most part, try not to shoot facing the sun or a bright window. When you do, you will typically find that your subject looks very dark. If you are trying for a special effect or if you are using a "fill" flash, it's a different story, but in general, you want the sun or bright light source behind you.

If you do want to edit your photos, I found a free online editor at DrPic.com. I have not played with it yet, but it looks like you can resize photos, improve contrast and color, and add some nice effects. If you try it, let me know what you think and I'll pass along your comments.

Have you seen the Art Smart Car? My wife, Nancy Noel May, purchased a new Smart Car, which she named Bebe. Nancy's a painter and manager of Spectrum Art and Jewelry. Bebe is wrapped with an image of one of Nancy's paintings. You can follow the adventures of Bebe on her blog.

If you see Bebe out and about, take her photo and send it to me. I'll post it the next time.

More Tuna

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film. -- Stephen Wright

It's Thanksgiving. I look forward to seeing family that I have not seen in a year and catching up. I hope you too will be with family and friends. Live your life with an attitude of gratitude. Sorry it rhymes, but that's my mantra.

I promised some photography tips, so here's the first one. Find your camera's instruction manual and read it. Ha ha. Just kidding.

Did you ever notice that what you thought was going to be in your picture turned out to be gone or blurred -- your subject had moved? Well here's the issue. When you mash the button to take the photo, the camera has to perform a couple of different functions before it actually takes the picture. It has to take a light meter reading to make sure it makes the proper exposure and it has to focus. This takes a fraction of a second, but long enough that an active subject can move around within or move outside the picture frame. So, here's what to do. Most digital cameras focus and set the exposure when you press the button down half way. So, say you're going to take a picture of some friends. As you look through the viewfinder or on the little screen, press the button halfway. The camera will focus on the subject and take the meter reading. Keep your finger pressed on the button in this position. Tell your friends to say "real estate professional". When they smile, you press the shutter the rest of the way and you wind up with the photo you hoped for.

This technique works very well when you have a moving subject. Say you're watching a group of runners. Aim the camera at a spot where you know the runners will pass. Press the shutter down half way. The camera focuses on the correct distance and sets the proper exposure. Keep your finger pressed on the button. When the runners enter the frame, push the button down the rest of way and your subjects are in focus and properly exposed.

Sometimes, the difference between a good photo and a missed opportunity is as simple as performing this little trick. If you have a photography question, let me know. I'll do my best to answer or send you in the right direction.

My best wishes to you and your family for a Happy Thanksgiving.