Chance Gates' Blog

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/max_weber.html

No sociologist should think himself too good, even in his old age, to make tens of thousands of quite trivial computations in his head and perhaps for months at a time.
Max Weber

One can say that three pre-eminent qualities are decisive for the politician: passion, a feeling of responsibility, and a sense of proportion.
Max Weber

Only by strict specialization can the scientific worker become fully conscious, for once and perhaps never again in his lifetime, that he has achieved something that will endure. A really definitive and good accomplishment is today always a specialized act.
Max Weber

Only he has the calling for politics who is sure that he will not crumble when the world from his point of view is too stupid or base for what he wants to offer. Only he who in the face of all this can say In spite of all! has the calling for politics.
Max Weber

The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.
Max Weber

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As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

http://www.almanac.com/gardening/jobs/July

Yellow or undersize foliage on your trees indicates a lack of nourishment. Feed them regularly, but don’t overdo it.

If you have any houseplants sitting directly in the window, make sure the light is filtered or the plant is moved to a site out of direct sunlight. The windowpane intensifies the heat, and you don’t want to scorch your plants.

Fertilize your houseplants frequently to ensure vigorous growth.

Extend the indoor life of your cut flowers by putting them in a solution that is one part water, one part clear soft drink (such as 7-Up, Sprite, etc.), and a few drops chlorine bleach.

Snip off the old flower clusters from rambler roses to encourage them to bloom all summer.

If you have thick, thriving phlox, thin the plants to four or five stalks per clump to provide adequate ventilation and avoid mildew.

You can sow a fall crop of bush beans now. Plant seeds two inches deep to protect them from the hot Sun. You can sow other vegetable seeds for an autumn yield, too, by planting them just a little deeper than you did in the spring. The best time to plant is after a rain shower.

If your celery is doing well, tie the stalks together to keep them from sprawling.

If you missed your peas’ peak period, you can still pick, dry, and shell them for use in winter soups.

Don’t water your melons at the base of the stems. Doing so can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away.

Once melon vines have set three or four fruits, remove any new blossoms. The remaining fruits will benefit from this, and you will still have plenty.

Don’t tug too hard on your raspberries when picking. A ripe raspberry will leave the vine willingly.

Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
July 29, 2011 – July 31, 2011

Friday, July 29

Grand Entry 9:30am

Saturday, July 30

10:00am

Sunday, Juy 31

10:00am

Building: Rodeo Arena

For more information check out their website.

Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

http://members.houselogic.com/articles/escrow-accounts-whats-deal/preview/

By: Susan B. Weiner

Published: October 22, 2010

Does your escrow account ever cross your mind? Probably not. But forgetting to monitor it can lead to lost money and a big headache.

Escrow accounts: lenders love them; you might not

As handy as they are, you’ll find some significant hitches:

• You lock up your money before your tax and insurance payments are due, since your lender is taking the money out each month, often long before the tax payment is actually due.

• Your lender usually doesn’t have to pay you interest on your escrow account—it varies by state.

• Your lender may screw up paying taxes or insurance, and even though it has to fix mistakes, you have to make the time and effort to follow up.

• There may be tax advantages to timing your property tax expenses—but you can’t do that if you’re paying a flat fee in escrow each month.

But your lender may insist on an escrow account because it:

• Helps guarantee your insurance and taxes will be paid.

• Ensures your lender will get the first claim on your house if you default, ahead of the local government.

In fact, your lender may do you the honor of charging you a flat fee for opting out of an escrow account, or it will add 0.25% to 0.5% to the loan amount if you decline to use an escrow account.

How to manage your escrow account

Your lender has to give you an annual escrow account statement and refund any available balance when you sell your house or refinance your mortgage. Check your escrow account statement carefully:

• Make sure everything adds up. “If I have my escrow statement, my property tax bill, and my homeowner insurance declaration page, and everything matches up, then I’m fine,” says Debbie Siegel, president of Westchester Mortgage in Newton, Mass.

• Check the size of the escrow account. Lenders are allowed to keep a reserve of no more than two months in payments in most states, and in some situations it’s even less. Your REALTOR® or lawyer can give you the skinny in your case.

• Contact your lender in writing if you find a problem in your escrow account. If your lender missed an insurance payment, it should pay any late fees as long as your mortgage payments are current, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If your insurance is canceled as result of your lender’s late payment, you can sue your lender.

• Know your rights. Your lender must acknowledge your letter within 20 days and try to fix your problem within 60 days. If you’re still not satisfied, file a complaint with HUD.

Don’t worry, however, if your escrow account balance is temporarily negative. It’s probably due to a recent increase in your taxes or insurance. Your lender will pay your taxes and insurance, although you will need to reimburse your lender for the shortfall.

A final word: Usually basic home owners insurance will be paid out of an escrow account. If you have extra coverage for your original Matisses, for example, you may need to pay that premium directly to your insurer.

Susan B. Weiner has written on financial topics for Bottom Line/Personal, Financial Planning, Wealth Manager, and other national publications for more than 15 years. She learned firsthand that when your house combines two lots, your escrow account may initially fail to pay the tax bill on the second lot.

Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_e_lee.html

A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.
Robert E. Lee

Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less.
Robert E. Lee

Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.
Robert E. Lee

Duty, then is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.
Robert E. Lee

Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.
Robert E. Lee

I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.
Robert E. Lee

I have been up to see the Congress and they do not seem to be able to do anything except to eat peanuts and chew tobacco, while my army is starving.
Robert E. Lee

I like whiskey. I always did, and that is why I never drink it.
Robert E. Lee

I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity.
Robert E. Lee

I tremble for my country when I hear of confidence expressed in me. I know too well my weakness, that our only hope is in God.
Robert E. Lee

In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.
Robert E. Lee

It is good that war is so horrible, or we might grow to like it.
Robert E. Lee

Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with – a man is what he makes of himself.
Alexander Graham Bell

America is a country of inventors, and the greatest of inventors are the newspaper men.
Alexander Graham Bell

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.
Alexander Graham Bell

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
Alexander Graham Bell

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself.
Alexander Graham Bell

Neither the Army nor the Navy is of any protection, or very little protection, against aerial raids.
Alexander Graham Bell

Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.
Alexander Graham Bell

The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion.
Alexander Graham Bell

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Mark your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and status changes.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

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Adventure upon all the tickets in the lottery, and you lose for certain; and the greater the number of your tickets the nearer your approach to this certainty.
Adam Smith

All money is a matter of belief.
Adam Smith

Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer.
Adam Smith

Defense is superior to opulence.
Adam Smith

Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument of ambition.
Adam Smith

Happiness never lays its finger on its pulse.
Adam Smith

I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.
Adam Smith

It is not by augmenting the capital of the country, but by rendering a greater part of that capital active and productive than would otherwise be so, that the most judicious operations of banking can increase the industry of the country.
Adam Smith

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
Adam Smith

Labor was the first price, the original purchase – money that was paid for all things.
Adam Smith

Labour was the first price, the original purchase – money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased.
Adam Smith

Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.
Adam Smith

Man is an animal that makes bargains: no other animal does this – no dog exchanges bones with another.
Adam Smith

No complaint… is more common than that of a scarcity of money.
Adam Smith

No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.
Adam Smith

On the road from the City of Skepticism, I had to pass through the Valley of Ambiguity.
Adam Smith

Resentment seems to have been given us by nature for a defense, and for a defense only! It is the safeguard of justice and the security of innocence.
Adam Smith

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As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

Each of us has a natural right, from God, to defend his person, his liberty, and his property.
Frederic Bastiat

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone.
Frederic Bastiat

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
Frederic Bastiat

Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.
Frederic Bastiat

Often the masses are plundered and do not know it.
Frederic Bastiat

The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.
Frederic Bastiat

They will come to learn in the end, at their own expense, that it is better to endure competition for rich customers than to be invested with monopoly over impoverished customers.
Frederic Bastia

Logging in allows you to save your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and open houses on the property.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney

The University of Nevada’s track & field team saw its final thrower compete at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships hosted at Drake Stadium on Friday.  Senior Constance McAlman was Nevada’s final of three qualified student-athletes for the NCAA meet competing in the hammer throw on Friday.

McAlman placed 19th in the event, failing to make the finals.  McAlman’s best mark of the day was her second of three attempts, throwing 183’1″ (55.80 meters).

On Thursday, senior Marissa Hammond and freshman Sabine Kopplin placed 13th and 17th, respectively, in the javelin.  With three student-athletes qualified for this year’s championship meet, the 2011 Wolf Pack tied a school record for qualified athletes in a single NCAA meet.

Logging in allows you to save your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and open houses on the property.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

www.nevadawolfpack.com

By: Caralee Adams

Published: May 3, 2011

Install a home steam shower and feel the tension melt away every day.

Bring on the steam

You’ll need a steam generator that heats water over an electrical element, then pipes the steam into the shower. The generator is about the size of a microwave oven and, if you take a steam shower each day, costs only about $16 per year in added electricity, according to steam shower manufacturer Steam Planet. The generator is installed next to the shower or tucked away in a nearby closet.

Custom steam room

You can transform your existing shower into a steamy spa, or build a new steam room by wood-framing the area, installing waterproof drywall or cement backer board, and lining with tile. (You’ll likely need a permit—check your local building codes.)

The key: The shower must be completely sealed and waterproof. That means tiling the entire space, including the ceiling, and installing a tight-fitting glass door. Make sure the space is large enough for a bench, ideally 3×5 ft. If you’re tight on space, try a corner bench. (Cost: $7,000 to $10,000, including the steam generator.)

Prefabricated steam

A modular fiberglass steam shower is cheaper than a wood-framed shower, and can be installed in 1 to 5 days. The unit comes with a generator and flexible, braided lines to hook up to hot and cold water. If you’re really handy, install the unit yourself, or hire professionals for $500 to $1,000. Units range $1,000 (3×3 ft.) to $5,000 (6×3 ft. unit).

Use caution

Steam showers can adversely affect people with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, pregnant women, young children, and the frail elderly. Kids five years old and older may take a steam shower under parental supervision.

Maintaining steam

Hot, damp areas are perfect incubators for mold and mildew. After using your steam shower, open the door to dry out your bathroom, and run the exhaust fan to suck out the steam.

Every few months, flush the unit to get rid of calcium deposits.

Caralee Adams is a veteran journalist. Her work as appeared in national publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, and The Washington Post.

Logging in allows you to save your favorite properties and get instant updates price changes,  new pictures and open houses on the property.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.comhttp://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable For a free copy of my report   “5 Steps For Reno/Sparks Homeowners To Prevent Foreclosures” go to my about page http://chancegates.com/about and ask for more information on preventing foreclosures. or   to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney