Category Archives: work

What a ‘Homecoming’!

  By Melly | January 11, 2009 - 3:35 pm | , , ,
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Well yesterday was one of the best days of my life.  The look on that soldiers face when I opened the door and said “Welcome Home’ was absolutely priceless.  There before me stands a strong Marine that has been through hell and made it back to his family.  There before me stood this strong Marine, a man with tears in his eyes.  He looked at me in a way that no one ever had.  Sort of like I was Santa Clause or a guardian angel walking on earth.

Oh I’m no angel, I’m just someone that knows what it’s like not to have anyone that cares about you or what you’ve done.  Or at least it feels that way at the time.  You make choices in your life based on what you have experienced in your past and your present situation.  I have made a choice to take what I have an try to make life a little better for those that have given to me and didn’t even know me, our soldiers and Marines.

God has blessed me and if I don’t use that blessing to bless others, then I have wasted my blessings and I’m not about to do that.  I’m into real estate and with that, I have the opportunity to help others in a way that it seems no one else is.  Hopefully there are others out there that aren’t taking advantage of the economic situation just to benefit themselves.  I’m not and I hope it doesn’t sound like I am.  I’m using what I have to help others, not feed off of them.

New Years Eve

  By Melly | December 31, 2008 - 7:47 am | , , ,
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Well this New Year feels like just that, a new year.  Usually it’s just another day.  But what makes this one so special is that in just three more days, Tom, the guy that will be living in the house we just finished, will be home.  What a wonderful way to start the new year off.  I don’t know if Tom will be able to keep the surprise until his wife comes home in about 5 more weeks or not but I hope so.

Tom’s parents said that he probably won’t want to stay in the house until his wife and whole family can stay there all together.  This is a very special family all around.  The kids are great and have done without their parents far more than any child should have.  They haven’t complained one bit their grandparents said because their parents have told them that they are doing what they have to do to keep their family safe here. Isn’t that a wonderful thing to tell your child.

I have already been looking around for another house and will surely keep you posted on that.  At any rate, here’s hoping you have a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FILLED WITH LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY.

The house looks great

  By Melly | December 17, 2008 - 7:52 am | , , , , , , , ,
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Well the house looks absolutely beautiful and now all it needs is a family.  There’s a Christmas Tree up in the living room all decorated with presents for everyone under it all donated by the churches.  The kitchen is fully stocked, the house is furnished and the beds are made just waiting for their new occupants.  All of this was also donated by the churches. Every bit of the home improvements came from people in the church working hard from the new flooring, to the furniture, to the new appliances.  It’s a wonderful feeling standing here looking at what we all have accomplished together.

I feel so much love in that house because of all the hard work all of these people put into it.  I can’t wait until the family gets home so they can come ‘HOME’ here.  They still know nothing about it and it will be wonderful to see their faces when they find out that so many people cared enough about what they have given to serve our country.  Again, I am going to finance the home myself so that I can be sure they can not only afford the house but are able to keep this house.

With the interest rates dropping, I’m still financing it below what the national rates are.  I guess I’m getting soft in my years (and no I’m not going to say older years because I’m not that old yet) but I have found something that not only makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile but I’m also helping those in need.  I have a good life and want to give back.  That’s what this season is all about but I hope to carry it on through out the year and not just during Christmas.

Miracle on 34th Street

  By Melly | December 6, 2008 - 4:20 pm | , , , , , , , ,
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Do you remember that movie?  That’s a dumb question isn’t it?  Well the one I mean is the original with Natalie Wood playing the little girl.  That has always been one of my favorite movies at Christmas.  Well it just so happens the new house I bought is in all reality, on 34th Street.  I wonder if I can make it a miracle to a military family?  That’s what I have been thinking of a lot lately.

I contacted several local churches and asked them if they knew of a military family within their congregation that has suffered more than most because of their spouse having to serve active duty in Iraq.  The names began to pour in the next day.  I have narrowed it down to two especially needy families from two different churches.

The first family has two children that are 18 months old (a boy) and a 3 year old (a girl).  What has hit me the hardest about this family is both parents are in Iraq.  The mother had to go when the baby was just 3 months old and she was still nursing him.  The father will be coming home in 3 weeks, just after Christmas and the mother will be home in 2 more months.  They lost their house and most everything they had because of both of them being called into active duty.  They had their parents sell most of their furnishings to pay their car off so they wouldn’t lose that too.

The second family also has two children ages 2 and 4.  Their father was injured and lost his leg.  Their mother was a stay at home Mom until he was called into active duty so she had to find a job.  A waitress job was about all she could find.  They lost their home too.  The mother had to sell most everything they had to be able to keep her car too, and she had to move in with her parents while he was gone.  Now that he will be home soon, they need a new home.

The churches have both offered to help with the house for either family.  I’m trying really hard to find another one as quickly as possible so maybe we can help both families out.  At least the with the first family, the father does have a job when he comes home.  The second family, they aren’t so lucky because of him getting injured but he will receive disability benefits.

I want nothing more than to make a miracle happen for both of these families but for now, I have chosen the family with the father and mother both gone.  They are the ones that will need the home the soonest.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress of the remodeling.  Pray that I can make a miracle for both families.

Well there went the stock market again

  By Melly | November 20, 2008 - 12:59 pm | , , , , ,
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The Dow hit a 6 year low yesterday I believe it was.  I was in such shock at the lost value of my 401K that I just couldn’t stand the thought of blogging yesterday.  I’m still not in too much of a mood for anything today either.  It’s so disheartening to watch your hard earned savings and investments go down the toilet like that.

Sure everyone knows that you run the chance of losing when you dabble in the stock market but you don’t expect to lose your lives savings.  No I haven’t lost it all but I lost most of the profits I did have.  I might have been better off to have just put my money in a savings account instead of a 401K like I did.  Well at least I still have my real estate license and can take what money I have left and invest it in some cheap houses like I did with the one I just sold.  Hopefully that will get me back where I need to be so I can retire at a decent age and not in my 90′s.