Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell Français : Portrait de Alexander Graham Bell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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

The nation that secures control of the air will ultimately control the world.
Alexander Graham Bell

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it.
Alexander Graham Bell

Monday June 18, 2012 at the Reno  Livestock Events Center in Reno NV.

The first four BFIs were held in Chowchilla. The BFI moved to Las Vegas in 1981, then to Denton, Texas, in 1982. That fall, Feist and Hartnell College student Bill Wittmer were in a car accident while on a fishing trip in Alaska. Wittmer died, and Feist just wasn’t up to a 1983 event.

The BFI has called Reno home since 1984, though the roping was held outside in the rodeo arena the first several years.

“We moved it inside to remove the weather factor,” Feist said. “One year when we were outside, the weather was atrocious. It rained, hailed, sleeted and the wind blew. It was typical Reno weather & three seasons in one day. It was terrible to see guys roping for that kind of money in those conditions.”

Tickets will be available starting June 1 at D-M Western Store
in Reno and at the Silver Legacy Hotel starting June 16th.
Plenty of tickets will also be available starting at 7:30 am
on Monday, June 18th at the Reno Livestock Events Center.

The World’s Richest One-Day Open Team Roping!

www.bobfeistinvitational.com

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.

Pending home sales, a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts, rose 4.1% in March, the highest level since April 2010, after an upwardly revised 0.4% increase in February. On a year-over-year basis, pending home sales in March were up 12.8%.

The Commerce Department announced that gross domestic product — the total output of goods and services produced in the U.S. — increased at an annual rate of 2.2% in the first quarter of 2012. This follows a 3% pace of growth in the fourth quarter of 2011.

New home sales fell 7.1% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 328,000 units from an upwardly revised rate of 353,000 units in February. The initial February reading was 313,000. The January rate was revised higher to 329,000 units. On a year-over-year basis, new home sales in March were up 7.5%. At the current sales pace, there’s a 5.3-month supply of new homes on the market.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city housing price index — on a non-seasonally adjusted basis — fell 0.8% in February, after a 1% decrease in January. On a year-over-year basis, prices fell 3.5% compared with February 2011.

Orders for durable goods — items expected to last three or more years — fell $8.8 billion or 4.2% to $202.6 billion in March, the biggest drop in more than three years. This follows a revised 1.9% increase in February. Excluding volatile transportation-related goods, orders posted a monthly decrease of 1.1%.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 21 fell by 1,000 to 388,000 from a revised 389,000 the prior week. Continuing claims for the week ending April 14 rose by 3,000 to 3.315 million.

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.

University of Nevada athletics logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beach Day At Peccole: Saturday is Beach Day at Peccole Park when the Wolf Pack hosts Fresno State at 1 p.m.  Bring your beach towel, sunscreen and come out and get your tan on while cheering on the Pack.  Concessions will be selling $1 hot dogs through the sixth inning.  One hot dog at a time, but get in line as many times as you can for these yummy dogs.

Nevada Hosts Fresno State This Weekend:
Nevada (22-18, 4-2 WAC) hosts Fresno State (17-20, 1-5 WAC) in a three-game Western Athletic Conference series this weekend at Peccole Park.  Friday’s game gets underway at 6 p.m. with first pitch set for 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
FS leads the series with the Pack 78-46 and in WAC play 34-22.  In Reno the Pack holds a 14-12 advantage in WAC games.  The Bulldogs won all four meetings played last season in Fresno, Calif.

Powers Earns 900th Victory: Nevada’s 10-5 victory over San Francisco on April 17 was the 900th for Wolf Pack head coach Gary Powers.  All of Powers wins have come in his 30 seasons directing the Nevada baseball program.  His now 902 victories ranks 21st among active NCAA I coaches.

Scorekeepers Nightmare: In back-to-back Tuesday games with Oregon State on Apr. 10 and San Francisco on Apr. 17 the teams combined to use 83 players.  In the game with Oregon State the Pack used 22 players and the Beavers 18 for a combined total of 40 Nevada used 10 pitchers and OSU six.  The Beavers won 10-7 in 10 innings.
The 40 players were surpassed in the contest with San Francisco as 43 players took the field.  Nevada once again had 22 players see action while the Dons played 21.  Each team used seven pitchers in a game won 10-5 by the Pack.
In the most recent Tuesday game with Pacific on Apr. 24 the teams combined to use 38 players.  Nevada played 21 and the Tigers 18.

Klein Named WAC Hitter of the Week: Nevada outfielder Brooks Klein has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week, for April 16-22.  It was the second time this season he has earned the honor.
Klein, a junior from Blue Diamond, Nev. (Western Nevada College), hit .353 (6-for-17) with five runs scored, nine RBI, two doubles, a triple and two home runs starting all four games in right field. His on-base percentage was .333 with a slugging percentage of .941. In Tuesday’s game with San Francisco, he was 1-for-5 with the lone hit being a grand slam. After going hitless in game one at Sacramento State, he had multi hits in the final two games. Saturday, Klein was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI and both hits were doubles. Sunday, he went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. His second hit of the day was a two-run homer and the third hit was an RBI triple, helping the Pack to a win in the series finale.

Gardner Closing It Out: Senior Matt Gardner has been the Pack’s closer the last two seasons and will leave his mark on the Nevada record book when his career is completed.  Gardner’s nine saves is tied for first in the WAC and 16th nationally.  He saved the last two games of the LA Tech series and could have earned a save in all three but after two walks to start the ninth in the first game he was lifted from the game.
The nine saves are tied with Zak Basch (2003) for third best season in Nevada history.  Rico Lagattuta (1995) and Tyler Graham (2010) top the list with 10.
Gardner’s 15 career saves is tied for second in school history with Luke Drakulich (1996-99) while Rico Lagattuta’s (1993-96) 24 tops the list.

Team Notes: The Wolf Pack is 22-18 and 6-4 in its last 10 games …  The Pack have six more wins after 40 games this season, 22-18 compared to a year ago 16-24  …  Nevada’s RPI of 65 is the second highest in the WAC behind NMSU’s 20 according to the NCAA  …  Of the Pack’s 20 home runs 10 have been solo shots of which four lead off an inning  …  Nevada swept a series for the first time this year taking all three WAC games at home from LA Tech  … In Tuesday’s 15-4 victory over Pacific the Wolf Pack scored a season-high 15 runs on a season-high 20 hits, of the 20 hits nine went for extra bases, four doubles, three triples and two home runs  …  The Pack’s 36 total bases vs. Pacific (4/24) is tied with NMSU for the most in a game by a WAC team this season  …  Nevada’s 21 triples is more than twice as many as any other WAC team as New Mexico State has eight  … In the latest NCAA rankings Nevada is 12th in triples and triples per game  …  The Pack is 1-2 in extra inning contests, 8-9 in one-run games and 8-6 in games decided by five or more runs  … Nevada ranks second in hitting (.290), fourth in pitching (4.03) and fourth fielding (.970) in the WAC  … After nine WAC games Nevada is third in hitting (.277), third in ERA (3.71) and seventh in fielding (.962) in conference play  … In the preseason coaches’ poll Nevada and New Mexico State were picked to finish in a tie for fourth  … Nevada has won seven-of-10 three-game series this year  … Nevada’s eight road wins this season is more than all last year when the Pack were 6-19 away from Reno.

Nevada Wolf Pack

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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 lot of violence, a lot of gore in it, and I just didn’t want to do that kind of thing.
Dick Van Dyke

Bob Hope, like Mark Twain, had a sense of humor that was uniquely American, and like Twain, we’ll likely not see another like him.
Dick Van Dyke

But I wish they would make a musical of some kind. I miss musicals so much. You don’t see them anymore.
Dick Van Dyke

But once we got on the air, everybody except Morey Amsterdam pretty much stuck to the script.
Dick Van Dyke

I cannot tell you what it means when children recognize. This is about the third generation for me. And when kids that small recognize me, it really pleases me, very gratifying.
Dick Van Dyke

I don’t have any children, I have four middle-aged people.
Dick Van Dyke

I don’t think we’ve got much of a chance to tell you the truth. But our main problem is our audience skews a little older than most shows, and I don’t think our people can stay up that late. I certainly can’t.
Dick Van Dyke

I grew up in Danville, Illinois, right in the middle of the state.
Dick Van Dyke

I have four children and I have seven grandkids.
Dick Van Dyke

I learned everything that I know about comedy and about show business and a lot about life from Carl.
Dick Van Dyke

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.

Real Estate (Photo credit: allan.hane)

Investors are buying up foreclosures in bulk, viewing the potential returns from REOs-to-rentals as better than most other investments.

But experts caution investors to be careful that they don’t take on more than they can handle, and make sure they devote some attention — and budget — into the rehabilitation of many of the properties they buy.

Nearly 95 percent of distressed homes are in bad shape and unsuitable for renting out, Morgan Stanley analysts estimate.

“The importance of getting construction — or specifically, re-construction or rehabilitation — right cannot be overstated,” according to a recent report sent to Morgan Stanley clients. “The quality and cost of rehabilitation can continue to benefit or haunt the asset far past the initial completion of work. For example, shoddy plumbing or other infrastructure work can result in significantly higher maintenance costs over time, and can also affect eventual exit pricing.”

Morgan Stanley provided estimates to investors in the report, citing estimates of renovation work to cost about 25 percent of the purchase price.

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.

Retail sales rose 0.8% to $411.1 billion in March. This follows a downwardly revised 1% increase in February. On a year-over-year basis, retail sales increased 6.5%.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo monthly housing market index fell three points in April to 25 from a reading of 28 in March. It was the first drop after seven consecutive monthly gains. An index reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted composite index of mortgage applications for the week ending April 13 rose 6.9%. Refinancing applications increased 13.5%. Purchase volume fell 11.2%.

The combined construction of new single-family homes and apartments in March fell 5.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 654,000 units, after a decrease of 2.8% in February. Compared to a year ago, housing starts are up 10.3%. Applications for new building permits, seen as an indicator of future activity, rose 4.5% to an annual rate of 747,000 units.

Existing home sales fell 2.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.48 million units from an upwardly revised 4.6 million units in February. The inventory of unsold homes on the market decreased 1.3% to 2.37 million, a 6.3-month supply at the current sales pace.

Thanks to my friends at Prospect Mtg

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

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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, Nev. – The annual Silver and Blue Spring Game will be held on Saturday, April 21 at Mackay Stadium and will feature free posters, fun activities for children, great food and a sneak peak at the 2012 Wolf Pack football team.

Gates to Mackay Stadium will open at 9:30 a.m. and the intrasquad scrimmage, featuring a unique scoring system for the offense (Silver) and defense (Blue), will begin at 10 a.m. The entire event is free and open to the public. Fans are asked to enter Mackay through the main gate at the southwest corner of the stadium. Tailgating will be permitted prior to the event in the lot immediately north of Mackay Stadium. All fans must be in the seating areas at Mackay Stadium and stay off the field/track level.

Though the team will take a halftime break, a game clock will not be used. The offense can earn points with a first down (+1), converting a fourth down (+2), a 15-yard or longer running play (+2), a 20-yard or longer passing play (+2) or scoring a touchdown (+6).

The defense earns points with stopping the offense on a series (+1), forcing a fumble (+1), recovering a fumble (+2), making an interception (+3), recording a sack or tackle for loss (+2), forcing a three-and-out (+3), stopping the offense on fourth down (+2) or scoring a touchdown (+6).

Fans coming to the free event should aware of ongoing construction on North Virginia Street and Interstate-80. The Nevada Department of Transportation will close the Virginia Street exit on westbound I-80 this weekend. Drivers are encouraged to use Wells Avenue or Keystone Avenue as alternate routes from westbound I-80.

Additionally, due to construction on North Virginia Street, fans are encouraged to use North McCarran as primary route to Mackay Stadium. Sierra Street and Evans Avenue can be used as alternate routes instead of Virginia Street.

Those who attend the Silver and Blue Spring Game will receive a free ticket good for admission to the Nevada softball team’s doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Hixson Park against No. 14 Hawai`i. Or, stick around and watch the Nevada women’s soccer team play an exhibition game at 2 p.m. at Mackay Stadium.

The event will feature a game-like atmosphere with the Nevada cheer team and band performing throughout the game and the traditional cannon fire accompanying each score. The first 1,000 fans entering the game will receive a free poster.

Famous Dave’s BBQ will be on hand selling food and the concession stands will also be open during the game. There will also be bounce houses, provided by the Boys and Girls Club, available for children to play in throughout the event. The Wolf Pack coaches and players will be available for autographs and photos after the game and Silver and Blue Outfitters will have merchandise available for purchase.

Parking on campus is free for the event.

Fans will also be able to get information on the new pricing structure for Wolf Pack football and reserve season tickets for the upcoming 2012 season as the Pack enters a new era in the Mountain West.

Nevada Wolf Pack Football

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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 new program could save qualified borrowers $3,000 a year, even those who owe more than their home is worth.

The White House recently announced significant changes that will reduce the fees charged for the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Streamline Refinance Program.

Beginning June 11, 2012, the Streamline Refinance upfront fee of 1%* will be reduced to 0.01% of the total loan amount. And the annual fee will be lowered from 1.15% to 0.55% of the total loan amount.

By refinancing through this streamlined process, the average qualified FHA-insured borrower will save approximately $3,000 a year or $250 per month, on top of any savings from refinancing to a lower mortgage rate.

The “streamline” refers to the minimal amount of documentation and underwriting that needs to be performed. Streamline refinancing can be done without an appraisal or income verification, providing the person(s) on the loan hasn’t changed.

There are no loan-to-value (LTV) restrictions on streamline refinancing. This is significant for underwater borrowers whose loan amount may exceed the current value of their home. However, second liens must subordinate with a maximum combined LTV ratio of 115% based on the original appraised value of the property.

The basic requirements of a streamline refinance are:

• The loan must already be FHA insured and endorsed on or before May 31, 2009.
• Borrowers must be current on their mortgage payments with no late payment in the previous 12 months.
• The refinance must result in a lowering of the borrower’s monthly principal and interest payments.

Currently, 3.4 million households with loans endorsed on or before May 31, 2009, pay more than a 5% annual interest rate on their FHA-insured mortgages.

Thanks to my friends at Prospect Mtg

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

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.

ShareBenteen, come on, big village, be quick. Bring packs.

George Armstrong Custer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

George Armstrong Custer

I appeal to you as a soldier to spare me the humiliation of seeing my regiment march to meet the enemy and I not share its dangers.
George Armstrong Custer

I would be willing, yes glad, to see a battle every day during my life.
George Armstrong Custer

My purpose is to make my narrative as truthful as possible.
George Armstrong Custer

There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Cavalry.
George Armstrong Custer

You ask me if I will not be glad when the last battle is fought, so far as the country is concerned I, of course, must wish for peace, and will be glad when the war is ended, but if I answer for myself alone, I must say that I shall regret to see the war end.
George Armstrong Custer

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_armstrong_custer.html#AT0VbUPF0mPoStSR.99

As a Reno/Sparks Nevada real estate professional and property manager, 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.com http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  To checkout some of  my property manager services goto http://chancegates.com/property-management-services/

If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable

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.