Carlsbad, New Mexico is having a building "BOOM". They have just broke ground on building a new "Lowes home improvement store. The walls are up and building continues on the new "International House of Pancakes". One new hotel has been completed and another one is about to open up this week. They are about to break ground an a new "Applebys" resturant. The "Cascades" is proceding as planned. The new "Cave Karst" is being completed as well. There are two different subdivisions here with homes being built every day. (mid to upscale) The final phase of the "J&B" Boyd drive addition has been completed as well. So there is a building "BOOM" in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Come and check it out. 03/29/2011

 Do you want to make big money from a "short sale"? A no loose offer from the feds to "One West bank". Here is an example of the way our tax dollars are being ripped off from us. Follow this link. http://www.youtube.com/user/fiercefreeleancer They are makeing money no matter what the "short sale may bring" If this makes you mad as (ell then send this link to you elected officials. Tell them enough is enough. And we want "OUR" money back. 03/24/2011

What in the world were they thinking? That's what I was thinking of when I saw it. Many home owners want to be "do it your selfers". But the little cruel fact remains is, they are by no means qualified to do some even minor repairs to their homes. Look at the simplest repairs. Sealing around a chimney stack to prevent water leaking in. This should have been "Flashed and then sealed". But no they used about three gallons of sealer "TAR" and made the roof and "patch" look bad. Sad thing is, it still leaked when it rained again.  When repairing a home look at hiring a professional. Get a good job at a fair price and not get the bucket out at four in the morning finding out that the roof is still leaking. 03/23/2011

At the Christmas dinner this year when we were opening presents the wife looks to me and says " How come you didn't get my mom anything"? I Told her "she didn't use what I got her last year" Wife, "it was a cemetery plot" I simply said "and" And that's how the fight started. Lol. Have a great day. 03/20/2011

Good Morning everyone. Here is a little joke for you this fine Monday morning.   A young blond was driveing along the highway when she got pulled over by a blond police officer for speeding. Officer: May I see your licence? Lady: What's that? Officer: It's a rectangle thing with your photo on it. The young lady looks through her purse and pulls out a compct mirror and hands it to the officer. The officer opens it up and says,  "Oh if you would have told me you were an police officer, I would'nt have bothered you" Enjoy your Monday. 03/20/2011

Do your Blog posts get lost. If you blog too early in the morning then you run the risk of haveing your post sent to the pile way down the list. Moving it away from potential commenters. With all the members we have, you can place a post at the top of the list. Just to see it disapear into the "running blogs" for the  day. I guess this is why it's so important to have members that have you on their list of "associates". This way if you want to find a post by an "associate" simply click on their tag on your home page. and you will see all their blogs. So if you want to add me as an associate then add me. I feel a lot of my blogs get "pushed down" the list and never get read by a lot of people and members as well.   03/20/2011

   I want to be a "Home Inspector". This is what I was told by a person that asked how they could become a "Home Inspector". Simple I told him, just do the following things. 1. Get a lot of years experience within the building trades. Like building homes, remodeling etc. 2. Get A lot of years inspecting homes, not as a home inspector but as a manager do estimates Etc. 3. Now you need to get "Certified by a nationally recognised agency or association". 4. Come up with a "name of the business you want to start". IE: My home inspections, Etc.  5. Now you will need to see if your state requires licensing for "Home Inspectors". 6. Now all you need to do is get insurance for the business. I carry 1 million dollar liability and 1 million dollars for E&O . It's not cheap. 7. You will need trans... 03/19/2011

   Is your business picking up? I get this question all the time from other inspectors. This year has been getting better. Business is picking up in all areas of inspecting. I do home inspections along with a very long list of "other inspections". Business is up around 50% increase from a year ago. Sometimes I don't even know If I'm coming or going. But I like it this way. I talked  to a new realtor I met today and she said business was getting better all the time. I did invite her to join Active Rain. She said she would check it out, and let me know. Sorry about the "ramblings" but is your business Picking up?  03/18/2011

  A client from the past called me and said he was comeing into town and wanted to meet with me.         Oh "crap" I thought. Then he said he and his wife (I never met her) wanted to meet me and the wife at a local pizza joint. I accepted and we went there prepared for the worst. When we arrived they were there waiting. Mr. Client said the inspection report I had given him saved him a lot of grief and work on the home they purchached back in november of 2010. The "findings" were addressed at the closeing and monies were set aside for the repairs. "It looks like you saved us about $2,000.00" in repair bills. "The seller agreed to pay for all the repairs". "Thats why we wanted to buy you and your wife dinner as a small gesture of our gratitude".  We left after dinner and was really feelin... 03/17/2011

It seems once a week I find someone needs a file in a different format than I had written it in. Can't we all agree to use a simple format? I needed to copy a couple of files for a client to get them on board for some inspections. They requested a format that I was not using. I guess this is what makes  the world go 'round. But with all the different formats out there. And looking for a "free" program to let me change the format of a "file". It was simple "it said", simply drag and click. After trying a couple programs that was more trouble than they were worth.  I did find it right on my own computer, simply by mistake. Anyone else "confused" by all the different "files" and all the formats out there?   Thanks for all of the advice. Lord knows I can use all I can get, LOL Clint McKie 03/14/2011

Four "Million" in sales and it just keeps comeing for JO SCHEEL ERA Realty in Carlsbad New Mexico. Drop her a line or a quick call to ask her to join "Active Rain" jo.scheel@era.com office 1-575-885-4131 Fax 1-575-887-1069 Jo works for ERA, Montgomery realty in Carlsbad, New Mexico. 03/14/2011

  You and you "cell phone" it could save your life. We have heard about the stories of having a cell phone in hand and being able to call for emergency services. But here are a few tips you just might not know were lurking in your cell phone. 1. if you get locked out of your car, truck or van and you have a "remote" opener. Then simply have     someone cal you with the remote at the phone. then have them hit the remote button. Hold your cell phone by the door of the vehicle. The remote from the phone will open the doors for you.               *note* have a spare remote at your home for such an emergency. 2. If there is an emergency and your cell phone is not operating. Simply push 112 this is the world wide emergency number. it will automatically connect you with the nearest tower to ge... 03/13/2011

The young couple was driving from town when they happened upon a man that was hitchhiking. The young man that was driving said we should give him a ride. The young lady was not so eager, but gave into the love of her life and said O.K. They pulled over and the burly looking man got in the back seat with a gunny sack filled with something. "how far you going said the driver"? "about ten miles said the passenger". After about three miles the young lady asks "what's in the bag" the passenger just looks at her for a couple of minutes then says    "I have heads in the bag" "what" said the young lady. He said it again. The driver overhearing the comment made by the new passenger speeds up the car to drop off the passenger sooner. The passenger just sat there with nothing to say. Then the youn... 03/09/2011

If you think about it, we live in the greatest country on earth. We have the expertise to manufacture anything we need as a society. Next time you go out from your home for your drive to work, look around. all the buildings, homes and yes even the streets were "made in the USA". Even that snack you are eating or drinking on your way to work was made in the USA . All the homes you are trying to sell, list, finance, move from , move into or even inspect. Yes they were all made in the good ole "USA". So next time you are shopping and want to buy something, look at the manufactured in label. You will be surprised that the "bargain brand was made in the "USA". Let's keep America working. Buy Amarican when ever possible. It might be a couple dollars more, but well worth saveing your countryme... 03/08/2011

In the inspection business we offer a lot of "extras" that are not included in the "basic" home inspection. These are what we call "ancillary services". They can range from a minor test like a "radon test" to a major test or inspection like "termite inspection". When I'm out on an inspection I have client's ask if I se any termites. I tell them if they want me to "inspect for those pesky little critters" then there will be an additional charge for that service. They then say (clever) "Just when you are inspecting see if you can find any termites and let me know". As a septic inspection is extra, they want me to inspect it as part of the homes system. O.K. But it's an additional fee. they generally agree not to have it inspected. Most of these sevices I offer are just a few dollars more,... 03/07/2011

   I was reading an article about how to increase your business. It talked about a lot of things . But there were some things that stood out to me. 1. Have a new vehicle. What if you cannot afford a new one? 2. Always wear slacks and a suit jacket to the inspections. Really. What about going in the crawl spaces and the attic, simply put getting dirty on the job? 3. Always be early to an inspection. I am but if you get there way too early, they might think your too eager. 4. Have your tools in a carry case. How else would you carry them. 5. Change your batteries before going to an inspection. Why not keep extra batteries in the truck for back up. When they go bad replace them. 6. Have your "I-pad" with you and enter all the information on site. What if you don't have an I-Pad? 7. Have th... 03/06/2011

O.K. here is a good one. When you are on the "blog board" looking over the blogs, what do you look for? When you want to make a comment do you look for, humor? Or is it "a better way to sell homes? Or do you look for a "pay it forward " post? There are so many ways to add a comment. I sometimes don't know where to begin. I like the humorous ones. They get me going in the morning and I try to use a little humor I read that day, at least a little bit of it. Maybe you just want some advice about running your business a little easier. It's here too. Along with all the Tech "geeks" with all the new technology that will help our businesses run more efficiently. Or do you look for Roys flower pictures and dream of spring? Pssst, I like those too. Personally I like the "inspection posts" after ... 03/04/2011

 I got a call last Monday from a buyer of a home they had put a bid in on. They wanted to get a home inspection. I told them I was available and I could do it for them. When I asked for the address they hesitated. (I thought a shopper) then he told me he would have to pull over and get it for me. He was on his way from Santa Fe to Albuquerque New Mexico  and then to Carlsbad. I said O.K. and hung up. It took about ten minutes for him to call me back. He did and we set the appointment.    I met them at the home "on time" and ready to get to it. But before I did the inspection, I asked who gave you my number? I mean how did you find out about me? I handed him my card and he said my realtor. I was floored. "Who is your realtor? He said it is Lori Aho. With the Century 21 office here in tow... 03/03/2011

   I am sure we have all seen the E-Mails about how you are the beneficiary of a lottery or a payment that was supposed to be paid by a company in "Nigeria". Or you have hit the YAHOO, Coke, Google, Bing lottery. They have even wanted to send me a ATM cards that was to have $100,000.00 per week added to the account so I could spend it as I pleased. Let's not forget about the people that send me E-Mails stating they are dying and want to send me their cash to help the needy and or the homeless.  Well these are all scams. They want your personal information. I have kept track of all the money they wanted to "send me". And it tallies to over a "BILLION DOLLARS". Several E-Mails I had received over the last year was from Robert Mueller, The director of the FBI, it stated that there was a pa... 02/26/2011

We have nearly 203,000 members. Wow what a great accomplishment. Now here in new mexico we have about 800 members. Of those 800 there is but a handfull of members that actually use Active Rain. The majority of the members here in New Mexico, are the I joined "Active Rain" and forgot I did. Why join an association if you are not going to participate in it? Even if you don't blog every day, even once a week will do.  I have been sending E-mails to various A/R members here in New Mexico to try to get them more involved. I want them to see what I have to offer as far as my services go. How do I explain to them that "getting involved on Active rain" is a good thing? Sorry 'bout the rant. Clint McKie Frustrated in Carlsbad, New Mexico  02/25/2011