Category Archives: government

Veterans Day

  By Melly | November 12, 2012 - 11:51 pm | , ,
Comments Off

Happy Veterans Day! Well, yesterday was actually Veteran’s Day, but the banks and government buildings are celebrating it today. So the Post Office and the bank was closed, and it put a slight damper on getting some of the errands I needed done today. Thankfully, none of it was crucial.

Our veterans have sacrificed so much, it is hard to not be grateful to them! I have quite a few veterans in my family as well. Growing up with such a patriotic family has made a major impact on my life too.

As many of you know, I make my living flipping houses for veterans. I work with VA lenders and I have also turned some of the homes I acquire into a lease purchase situation for veterans and also for soldiers currently serving our great nation. I keep some rentals, that I have managed to keep the rent low, and I advertise them exclusively with the DAV and other veterans groups.

A lot of these homes have needed extensive repair and others just a bit of TLC, but it has been worth it. I enjoy the feeling that comes with knowing that I am giving back to people who were willing to give their all, so that I can enjoy the freedoms that I have had my entire life.

What I do to give back, is small compared to what so many of our brave men and women have done! So remember, if you see a veteran, or know one personally, be sure to thank them for their service. They were willing to die so you could live free!

 

Election Day

  By Melly | November 6, 2012 - 4:53 pm | , ,
Comments Off

Well November 6th is upon us and it is Election Day. It has seemed to be a big bloody battle between the two presidential candidates. I try to stay out of all of the nasty back and forth that is going on now days between the two political parties. It is just more drama than I wish to engage in. I do however want to stress the importance of voting. So many people have worked tirelessly and fought for everyone to have the right to vote, it would be a waste not to use that right!

It is very important for everyone to try to make an informed decision while voting too. Brush up on a little bit of news here and there, and go to the polls today with at least a general idea of where the candidates stand on the issues.

So remember to vote, and I hope you don’t have to stand too long in line!

Can’t Put Off Taxes Much Longer

  By Melly | April 13, 2012 - 3:01 pm | , ,
Comments Off

This year I think I messed up on the taxes that I signed up for my employer to hold back or there is something wrong in his payroll office. I don’t think he held back enough, so I might end up paying in money to Uncle Sam for the first time in my life. That has me really freaked out.

Everyone else I work with is saying that they had to pay in extra money, too. I wonder if that is just a coincidence or if they are all lying and trying to get sympathy?

Looks like I will have to sit down this weekend and not only figure out how much I owe but also how I am going to come up with the extra money. Ugh. Not looking forward to this at all.

Check Engine Light

  By Melly | January 18, 2012 - 12:46 pm | , ,
Comments Off

Of course, my car has tags that need to be renewed next month. And to get them renewed I have to take my car to a government inspection station. The check the car for emissions compliance and and charge $10 for the hour long ordeal. The actual inspection itself only takes about 5 minutes. But since there are only a few official inspection stations here, that means getting into a very long lone and waiting your turn to pull into the big bay door and actually having the inspection performed.

One thing I learned last year, the hard way, is that if you have the Check Engine light on, your car will not pass the inspection and you cannot get your tags renewed. There are no exceptions to this on late model cars. You either fix the problem so the Check Engine light goes out, or you cannot drive the car until you get it fixed. Period.

That fun little requirement to get the Check Engine light fixed cost me $800 last year to replace a sensor. This is ridiculously expensive for a little piece of metal with a computer chip in it. My laptop doesn’t even cost $800!

So, of course, the Check Engine light has come on again and I already know that I can’t get it through the emissions inspection until I get the car fixed. I don’t have $800 laying around to get another sensor replaced. FML.

Boy the beach is empty

  By Melly | September 5, 2009 - 8:07 am | , , ,
Comments Off

I decided to head to the beach for the end of the beach season since this is Labor Day weekend and boy was I surprised.  There were so many openings in the motels that rooms that are usually about $100 a night were just $50 a night.  There’s not nearly as many people down here as usual.  I guess it’s just another sign of the lousy economy.