"Veterans Day - 2008"

• The eleventh hour... of the eleventh day... of the eleventh month. The commemoration of the end of "The War To End All Wars" - the end of World War I in 1918. Sometimes eloquence wins out over the sobering notion of our human nature, does it not? In the aftermath of WWII, President Eisenhower made November 11th - "Veteran's Day" - an official US holiday to honor those who have served this nation in uniform. This is a fitting complement to "Memorial Day" which honors those killed in service to this country. President Calvin Coolidge opined that, "A nation which does not remember its Veterans, will soon no longer be remembered."

• I attended two Veteran's Day events today. One at 9:00AM at Heroes Memorial Park and one at 10:00AM at the new Flagler County Administration Building. Both were short, simple, reverent, and compelling. I shook hands with a 90 year old veteran of the Battle of the Bulge. I introduced myself and told him that my uncle had been a glider pilot and shot down and killed in that same battle. He allowed that he too had been a glider pilot all those years ago.

• Something bothered me today... maybe "concerned" is a better word. I'll bet that fewer than 10% of those attending either event was under the age of 60. So many Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen with white hair and bad knees. Hats, vests, and jackets with patches, pins, medals, and campaign ribbons from WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam. But where were the younger people? Just look at the roles of organizations like the VFW and the American Legion. Disproportionately older. This country is currently in economic chaos and I sure hope we can fix it. The bigger challenge, however, is the battle for this nation's soul. Who are we? What do we stand for? What will we fight for? Do we still honor our Founding Fathers and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights... or do we want to change things... mix it up... "modernize" those old concepts?

• We have a new President now. I pray for his success as our leader and as the Commander in Chief of our military forces. I voted for the other guy, yet I passionately want President Obama to succeed. The phrase that hit me hard on election night went like this: "The Republicans have lost this election because their campaign was aimed at how America used to look. The Democrats have won because their efforts have been targeted at what America looks like today." Powerful statement. My hope is that "what we look like today" still honors this country's traditions and pays tribute to its veterans - and pays attention to what President Calvin Coolidge said. God Bless our Veterans and God Bless America.

"Seton High School - Class of 1963"

"When our high school days are over; We will very often sing; Of the many happy hours; Seton High, to us did bring."

The last day we sang that song together, was June 21st, 1963. We stood on the stage at the IBM Country Club Fieldhouse in Endicott, New York... diplomas in hand... and clueless, as to what lay ahead. We had a reunion in 1983 and, Man, were we full of ourselves! At 38, we were in our prime. I remember a lot of alcohol at that gathering. Then, again, in 1995 (I think), we had a "multi-year" get-together. It was nice, but diluted. Two weeks ago, however, on August 30th, 2008... time stood still. We gathered in Endicott for our 45th reunion - around a clever theme: "The Class of 63' Turns 63!" There is not much that can prepare you for something like this. Suffice it to say, that we looked different than we did at 17! The good news? We looked pretty good!

Most of us had been together since First Grade. Half from St. Ambrose Elementary in Endicott - and the other half joining us from St. James and other feeder schools in Binghamton and Johnson City. We knew one another from our common love of basketball and the ensuing friendly rivalries in the Catholic Schools League. "It was a time," I like to say, "when short, slow, white guys ruled the game." (Except for Joe, third from left , above, who was neither short, nor slow) As you can see from the photos, we were not a very diverse group, those days in Upstate New York... most all of us were from Western and Eastern European descent.

I can't begin to tell you how important these people were in my life. Up until the age of 8, I lived an idyllic family life. The next 10 years, however, were bleak... sometimes nightmarish... culminating with my mother taking her own life, the year after we graduated. Only a small handful knew any of this, but it didn't matter. When I was at school - life was good! The nuns taught us The Golden Rule and for the most part, we lived it out. They were strict... sometimes ridiculous... yet they kept us on the right path. One that stands out is Sister Anthony Louise (aka, "Tony Lou," ). She knew some of my situation and provided encouragement for me, where she could. I took to heart, one of her mantras: "To be successful, you need to be able to write a decent paragraph... and to be able to communicate your thoughts effectively to others." (In recent emails with her, now Sister Maria Cincotta, she said they were under orders to be quite strict. Looking back, she wishes they'd been able to be warmer and more approachable. Ahh, if we could all have "do-overs!") The coaches, although flawed like all of us, were men we could look up to. I can still hear the voices of Mr. Matola, Dinga, and Tarricone, echo off the old gym walls. Thank God for Mr. Deus, who saved me from "mathematical self-destruction." "Kurly Joe" got me through Physics and Mr. Noreika, through Chemistry. The priests were good fellows, also. Nothing like the bum raps many earned in those days. Father Kennedy, Van Amburgh, and Wieczorek... and Father Murphy, from St. James, had our best interests at heart. Father Zeder (a distant cousin), although aloof (as Principals are want to be) had his good days. How about Sister Gabrielle (aka "Gabby"), the Librarian, and her comical instructions to "Make sure the boys put magazines on their laps... if a girl might just sit there!?!?" And then there was Victor, the Custodian, who actually provided the key... that let us in the gym to play basketball... long after the lights were out.

Seventy strong graduated. Six in our extended group have passed away (that we know about): Jeanne Fotorny, Stanley Jackowski, Bill Kovac, Terry Turnock, Mickey White, and Janet Willard. The rest of us are: Mike "Big A" Almy, John Baker, Dave "Murray" Benson, Margie Blazey, Hugh Boyle, Linda Bystricky, Mary Jane "MJ" Cahill, Carol Ann Caforio, Jeanne Callaghan, Charlene "Char" Callahan, Connie Charsky, Bill Conaty, Patty "Cos" Cosentino, Jim "Cib" Cibulsky, Larry "Cousy" Davis, Gloria Dellos, Eileen Dunphy, Sharon Dwyer, Kathy "Dinky" Dolan, Elizabeth "Betty/Emma" Eck, Charlie "Finn" Fisher, Maria Giammichele, Paul Giolma, Kathy "Glees" Glezen, Barb Graham, Cathy Hancock, Peggy Griffin, Tom "Loin Cloth" Haines, George Hanley, Bob Henkiel, Margie Hradisky, Marilyn Horak, Mary Eileen "Sue" Jones, Rodney Julian, Kathy "Kopper" Kopcik, Rosalind "Roz" Kocik, John "Hair" Kovach, Carol Kraycovic, Linda "Myrtle" Kurkoski, Stephanie "Steph" Laddick, Sue Langevin, Margaret McKeon, Kathleen "Katie" McManus, Kenna Lou "JR" Mills, Patti Needham, Maryann "Mambo/Morning" Pastorack, Roberta "Bobbie" Pendered, Eileen Roehm, Mike Ryan, Dona Salamida, Joe "Roz" Rozmer, Sheila Scanlin, Fred Sebesta, Carol Smith, John "Smitty" Smith, Kathy Seliga, Ellen Svatek, Sandra "Sandy" Thayne, Joe "Pickle" Tiderencel, Angela "Angie" Tierno, Joyce Vaughan, John "Booker T" Watts, David "Crockett" White, Carl Williams, Sally Wilson, and Yours Truly - Frank "Zeke/Yatch" Zedar... the good looking fellow in the photo above:-)

The reunion was truly wonderful. To see them again was heart warming. Hugh had the best line of the night when he said, "I feel like we're at a masquerade party... and we've all come as our parents!" How true that was! It's been two weeks now and I wanted to wait to write this. I wanted to settle down a bit from the emotion of that experience. You know what the most frustrating thing was? I didn't get to spend time with everyone! There were those there that I was extremely close to... shared some amazing times and experiences with... and I didn't get to say more than a quick "hello." I still feel this tug to close the loop. Heck, I didn't even get to talk to my girlfriend, Kathy. We were together Junior and Senior years... we both had miserable home situations... and we had each other's back. I was looking forward to her telling my fiance some stories, but it didn't happen.

You know what was really unique about our class? There were no jerks... none. To be sure, we had our cliques and we were not immune from human nature. Yet we stuck by each other. No one took themselves to be "too cool" for the rest. As I look through my yearbook photos, I have at least one good memory from each and every "kid" in my class. No one will ever know the special spot I have in my heart for Stanley ( You can go to the bottom of the blog page, to "Older Posts" and check out Friday, May 25th, 2007, "High School Graduation and Memories of Stanley Jackowski"). He called me when I got home from Viet Nam and we met at Waples. The conversation we had was life-changing. Brain cancer took him much too early. I've lived a full life... and I sure don't live in the past... yet at 63 I still often find my mind wandering to those days... and to those special people. It was a kinder, gentler time - and I miss it. Thank you, Betty, Kopper, and Sandy, for organizing this great party. As I was driving away, I felt good knowing we'll do it again in five years... (When my classmates read this... PLEASE add your thoughts at the bottom of this Blog Post. Did I leave someone out? Do you have a special memory that you'd like to share? Instructions to leave a comment:

1. Right under these instructions, click on the word, "comments."
2. There will be a block marked, "Leave your comment." Type your thoughts in that block.
3. There will be a block marked, "Word Verification." In the block, just re-type the word written in squiggly letters. (This is to keep "Spam" ads from auto-filling the site)
4. Next, you will see "Choose an identity," with four choices. Click on "Name/URL" and type your name in the "Name" block.
5. Click on "Publish Your Comment."
6. There! Done! Easy! You are now a blogger!

Thank you, everyone:-) Frank

"Repairing Your Credit"

(ALERT #2: This alert is being posted 12/13/08: Well, The Big Three auto companies may be getting a bailout. Don't you wish we, the taxpayers, could get such a "do-over?" You know, erase our credit card debt, etc., and just get a clean slate? But we're not that lucky, so let's get to work on cleaning up that credit score. Why? Because the absolute best buys in real estate are with us NOW... probably through most of 2009. You CAN get a "normal, fixed rate, under 6% "mortgage. Just do what this blog suggests and "Git er done!" (See Alert #1, below) (ALERT #1: This blog entry was made 08/13/08. However, this alert is being posted 09/30/08...the day after the initial "Economic Rescue/Bailout Bill" was defeated in Congress. The six weeks since this was written have wreaked financial havoc on the lending industry. Regardless of your Republican or Democratic loyalties, there is enough blame to go around both camps. It's upsetting and embarrassing to me as an American, yet greed is truly at the heart of the human condition. The backlash will be felt for a while. Moving forward, a strong credit rating will be essential. If yours is broken - suck it up and do whatever it takes - FIX IT NOW!) As Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents... we often find ourselves in the middle of highly charged, emotional situations. Foreclosures, job loss, unwanted re-locations, divorce, death in the family, neighborhood conflicts, market fluctuations, etc. For most Americans, the sale or purchase of a home is the most significant financial event of their life. And there we are, in the middle, with all eyes on us. I'm convinced that even the most savvy buyers and sellers are hoping we are really strong... really good at this... and willing to take their hand and lead them through the maze to a good decision. I live for those moments - when the customer says: "OK, you're the expert. Help us put together a good plan here." Because the pendulum swings, we are now at a point where credit has tightened considerably and mortgage loans are much harder to come by. The banks are like "deer in the headlights." Hundreds and hundreds of foreclosures and so-called "short sales" in our Palm Coast / Flagler County, FL market alone. We'll send them a "spot-on" CMA full price offer on a short sale - cash - and not hear a peep from them for over a month! No wonder they are afraid to lend it now. They were so used to giving it away! To be able to move fast and to get a great interest rate, you need a good credit score (often called a FICO score)... FICO stands for "Fair Isaac & Co.," a firm that developed the credit scoring system software in the 1980's. So what's a good score? By most standards, a score of 720 or higher is considered "good." A score below 600 is considered "poor." To get a decent look from a mortgage lender today, you need to be at 680 or above. If you are among the lucky ones, 770 or more is an "A+." The better your score... the better the deal you can get on mortgage rates and terms. Why? Because good credit translates to less risk for the lender. OK, so your credit is currently "not so hot." What can you do? Here are a few hints that may get you off in the right direction: (For you single women out there, you know who Suze Orman is... Surely you watch Oprah... so check this link for a little "chick credibility"... http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/omag_200411_suze

• Be cautious of "Credit repair" offers. "Just $49.95 a month and we do all the work!?" Be careful. You can often do most of this on your own with a little discipline.
• You can get a free credit report, once a year, from the three major credit reporting agencies, without dinging your score. They are Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.
• In simple terms, your score depends on: Your payment history, The amounts you currently owe, The length of your current credit history, The types of credit you use, and New credit you may have.
• Pay your bills on time. Late payments are credit killers. If you miss the due date, make every effort to pay before the next billing cycle. This can keep the tardiness from becoming a reportable event. Use your bank's on-line payment system for convenience and super record keeping.
• Keep credit card and store revolving credit card balances low.
• If you are "past due" on an account, get current.
• Don't close unused accounts.
• Don't open any new accounts.
• If you are having trouble with payments, call the creditor and make an attempt to work it out. Being pro-active can yield some decent outcomes.
• If your credit report shows items that you are in disagreement with, write them letters of explanation. Everyone seems to have a story about a divorce or a rogue insurance non-payment, or a totally un-explainable item on their report ("I never even had a Sears charge card!"). Deal with these pesky issues and you'll be rewarded.
• Create a plan. Write it out. Have a timeline, by which you want these problems solved. Make it a priority and you will eventually enjoy the benefits.

There... Hope this is useful. Call us and we'll help you do this. Then, when you are ready, we'll help you purchase a home!