Jim Dunlap's (realestatebyjimdunlap) Blog

I'm by no means an expert on animal behavior.  But I have a rural mail contract in Joshua Tree that I got primarily for a high school friend to have a job.  I do case mail and run the route from time to time.  Seasoned letter carriers have over the years given some helpful advice if you're on a p...

Off duty officers served dinner and drinks Thursday at Yucca Valley's Applebees from 5 to 9 PM.  This was a fund raiser for Morongo Basin's Special Olympics.  The officers donated all of their tips for the night--$2615.  So not all tickets that police officers write go against your driving record.

A second generation Realtor, I remember as a kid when the multiple listing service was a stack of books with all of the listings in them.  Potential buyers had to make physical contact with a Realtor to view what was on the market.  To have an advantage over other real estate firms, Realtors used...

Not long ago my wife, Mona, who is Korean, took a trip to Korea to visit family.  She just had an eye exam, and wanted to have some glasses made in Korea.  She came back with a pair of European designer glasses, to the tune of $700.  The lens' were mounted to the frame by screws drilled through t...

My wife's front teeth have never been the most attractive, and since I've known her she has 3 crowns (the most attractive of her teeth) because of an accident.  Awhile back she had problems with the crowns, and the dentist said that they had to be replaced.  $2800 for 3 crowns.  And the dentist t...

For years I had Blue Cross and my wife Kaiser.  I take Lipitor, and my wife is diabetic.  Insurance premiums and co-pays for meds had risen to over $1200 per month.  I received an e-mail late last year from the California Association of Realtors about various health plans.  Kaiser had an open enr...

We all have real estate stories, but here's one of my Realtor Dad's experiences, although not funny to him at the time, that he shared with us when I was a kid. I still laugh about it though. He was at a young couple's house (I don't remember if it was for a listing or a sale).  They had a little...

Earth Hour this year will be observed world wide from 8:00 to 9:00 PM.  Those who wish to be participants are urged to turn off their lights during this period.I myself hope for a lot of participants here in the Californiia Desert, not only as a show of solidarity with environmental causes, but a...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my idea of a seller's referral is that an agent has a person in an area who wants to list their property, and is looking for an agent in this seller's area to represent this seller.  And a buyer's referral is that an agent has a person looking to buy in a certain area...

As a 2 million mile trucker and fleet owner for 30 years (I currently outsource everything so I can practice real estate full time) fuel economy has always been top concern in a trucking business.By slightly adjusting driving habits, you can save a significant amount on your car's gas bill.  Firs...