Sunday, November 13, 2011

2024 Chapter 1

Remember the George Orwell book 1984? Well this is a prediction of where I see Real Estate going in the next decade or so.

Chapter 1 of 2024 by Maria Morton


Imagine a buyer is jetting by a house that grabs his attention. Buyer emails/texts a request in to the Centralized Clearing House and pulls his vehicle alongside the curb in front of the home. R2-D2's cousin, R3-D3, is dispatched by the comptroller at CCH. While he's waiting, Buyer strolls around on the sidewalk in front of the 3 story Craftsman style home noticing the swing on the front porch; imagining himself sitting in that swing with Delilah. 'Ah yes' Buyer thinks dreamily, 'wouldn't that be grand?'

In the midst of Buyer's daydream, an R3-D3 whirs up, makes a 360 degree spin, plants himself on the sidewalk, releases the telltale cloud of chem trail, and extends his state of the art F2UR Iris Reader. 'I hate how they do that', Buyer thinks to himself while opening his right eye wide and leaning toward the device. They say the F2UR model corrected the problems with previous Iris Readers but Buyer is not convinced Big Corpo tells the public the truth. He really likes that house though, so submits to the impersonal intrusion and brushes thoughts of blindness and brain cancer from his mind.

The R3-D3 screen registers his information. Age, height, weight, DOB, mother's maiden name, SSN, home address, employer info, blood type, current medications, allergies, and financial information. Buyer checks to see that all the information is correct, including the God-awful photo taken by the DMV, and presses the 'NEXT' button on R3-D3's touchscreen. A new screen pops up and R3-D3 asks, in that Headroom Max voice, 'Is this the correct property?' Buyer presses the 'YES' button and the next screen appears. He selects a 30 minute Showing and holds up his mobile phone to receive the Pass. The phone beeps acceptance and Buyer walks up to the front door, holds his mobile up to the IR on the door, waits for the latch to click and enters.

'Wow, the house is better inside than out.' Buyer says out loud to himself, 'Delilah will love it! I wonder how big the kitchen is?' As Buyer makes his way from room to room, picturing himself and Delilah living in the house, he hears a noise upstairs. Instantly alert, Buyer crouches into the ready stance he learned so many years ago in Basic Training. He glances through the front window, sees the R3-D3 at his post in front of the house, flexes his sinewy leg muscles and slowly edges up the staircase.


Bedtime! Stay tuned for the next installment. ^_^

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Old Northeast







Photos by Maria Morton (on an iPhone!)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Opportunity in Brookside

There are now 3 Duplexes for sale within easy walking distance of Price Chopper, St. Peter's, the Brooksider, Charlie Hoopers', Brookside Market, Avenue's Bistro, The Roasterie, Bella Napoli, Brookside Toy & Science, Sharp's, and all the other great Brookside businesses.

Each duplex is priced well under $250,000. Rents range between $700 and 1200 per month. (Small basic 2 bedroom vs. large, well finished 3 bedrooms.)

You could live in one side and rent the other side out or you could rent both sides out. Or, live in one side and keep the other side open for out of town company.

Home Prices in Brookside have not been this low in 20 years. Interest rates have never been this low. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for. 816-560-3758 or www.MariaMorton.PruKC.com .

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Selling A House Is Like Making An Omelet

Selling a house is more like making an omelet than just cracking an egg open. Oops! I dropped an egg and it cracked open!
That's the visual that pops into my mind when someone asks me if I sold a house today. It's not a one-step event.

Selling a house is a series of events
much like making an omelet. The pan has to be hot before the oil is added. The oil (or butter or bacon grease) must be hot - but not too hot - before the eggs are added. The vegetables, meats, herbs, and cheese go in at just the right time. Then you must wait to fold the omelet over when it's ready; not too early and not too late.

Sure, we say the house is sold when all parties have signed the Real Estate Contract but that's not the end of it. If the Buyers are financing part of the purchase price, we still have to wait on the appraisal. If the house appraises out, we have to wait on the final approval process.

Whether or not the Buyers are using a mortgage
, we're still going to have Inspections to get through. Depending upon what is found, we may have another round or two of negotiations. Anything can happen in that time period between the Contract being signed and Closing.

Yes, the house sold
- almost - but, we don't close for 31 days. The house is not sold until the transaction is completed at the Title Company. (Or attorney's office, in some instances/states.)

The Earnest Money Deposit may be in the Escrow account
but the bulk of the money does not change hands until Closing. The sale is not yet recorded. The transfer of Title/Deed does not occur until after the Closing documents are signed. Any 'bill to closing' charges from contractors and inspectors are paid after Closing. Lenders, Title Companies and Real Estate Brokers are paid after Closing. We can call the house sold for sure after Closing; not before.

A nicely browned omelet
, cooked completely through without being overcooked, is a flavorful gastronomic delight to the taste buds and the stomach. So, too, is a well-executed and coordinated home sale.

Originally published by the Author on Kansas City Real Estate With Maria on Active Rain.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Keeping Outdoor Air Out May Not Be The Right Thing To Do

Jessica Green talks about mechanical ventilators and microbes. I have long believed that keeping the outdoor air out of buildings is not healthy. According to research, I may be right.
Are We Filtering The Wrong Microbes?

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Plastic or Glass? aka what is valuable?

When I was in college, we used to gather in my room every week to discuss our studies,

professors, politics, relationships, music and whatever else entertained our thoughts of the day. One week I invited a girl on our floor to join us. She was not part of our regular group; she may have hinted that the laughter coming from across the hall sounded like fun.

So she was delighted to be invited and talked about it all week long. She was so eager to be accepted into the group that when it was time to refill the ice, she jumped at the chance to run down the hall to retrieve more ice from the machine. Now, the container was a glass Coca Cola pitcher that I had won in some contest. It was a cool possession, one that I and all my friends valued. She had been gone only a few minutes when we heard the crash of breaking glass. We ran to the door to see her standing amongst shards of glass and sparkling ice. She was not injured. We swept up the mess and returned to our gathering.

Later in the week, the girl brought me a plastic pitcher to replace the one she had broken. Even though she made another apology and replaced the pitcher, I was not happy with the replacement. All of my friends said things like “I can’t believe she bought you that pitcher as a replacement for the beautiful one she broke!”

Looking back, I can see that the poor girl only saw the value of the pitcher as a container. From a purely practical standpoint, plastic may have been a better idea than glass (for her). She did not understand that the rest of us appreciated the beauty and texture of the glass. She probably had no idea that it was a collector’s item.

What does a glass pitcher, broken many years ago, have to do with real estate? Well, it’s about perceived value. Just as the girl who breaks glass pitchers did not understand the value of the Coca Cola pitcher, many people do not understand the value of homes.

A house is just a place to keep your belongings and shelter you from wind, snow and rain, right? No? Is there more to it?

One buyer wants brick or stone; one buyer wants vinyl siding. While we all know that brick and stone are more expensive building materials, the guy who wants vinyl siding is totally sold on the low maintenance aspect of that material. Vinyl siding is valuable in his mind.

What about location? We all know the neighborhoods in our areas where houses maintain, and even increase, in value. Does that mean our buyers know this? Not necessarily. It’s up to us to point out the various aspects of homes and locations, their historical sales prices, and the perceived value of materials, architectural styles, landscaping and décor but each buyer will have their own perception of what is valuable to them. Matching the buyer’s taste with the best possible investment for them at this time in their life is an art form. What say you?

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Harry Potter at the Screenland Armour in NKC

Harry Potter at the Screenland Armour Theatre in North Kansas City was brilliant! If you're a Harry Potter fan, you will enjoy the latest movie Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows.

I was very impressed with the Screenland Theatre. The Art Deco design is fabulous! The atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. The service is prompt and friendly. What a great addition to the North Kansas City business strip!

The lobby consists of a full-service bar and six tables. It doesn't feel like a movie theatre lobbly at all. You can have dinner and a drink in a relaxed atmosphere while waiting for your movie to start.

Screenland Armour was built in 1928 and served as a movie venue until the 1980's when it became a country & western bar for about 15 years. The current owner spent around $1.5 million in renovations; he had the good taste to retain much of the original architectural details.

An artist from Hawaii was commissioned to do the frieze around the screen. The face at the top is modeled after her mother. The robot, to the side of the screen, was done by a local artist from the Crossroads Art District.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was awesome! I don't remember Dumbledore having a brother in the books, but he fit into the plot quite well. Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and all the favorite characters were there. Snapes turns out to be a noble hero. Voldemort remains evil to the end. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny live happily ever after.

If you haven't been, do yourself a favor and go see a movie at Screenland in North Kansas City. Or maybe just stop in for a drink and see the building.

The Screenland is at 408 Armour Blvd. in North Kansas City, MO 64116 It's across the street from First Watch; a short walk from Dairy Queen, 2 blocks west of Caboose Park, east of Paul & Jack's Tavern and Town Square Park.

Photos taken on iPhone. Originally posted on Active Rain

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Pursuing Health In A Hectic World

Pursuing Health To Stay Productive by Maria Morton

One of the first things to get cut when my business keeps me working from sun up until sun set (or later) is exercise. I know that aerobic exercise is important to maintain cardiovascular health but when a client needs me, it's all too easy to put the exercise off for another day.

The other thing I do when I'm busy is neglect to eat right. I know that I need to eat 7 - 13 servings of vegetables every day to get all the phytonutrients my body needs. Who has time to chew all those veggies?

Why do we need so many vegetables anyway? What do they do for our bodies? Vegetables and fruits contain phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients, according to WebMD, are certain organic components of plants that are thought to promote human health.
Phyonutrients:serve as antioxidants, enhance immune response, enhance cell to cell communication, alter estrogen metabolism, convert to Vitamin A, cause cancer cells to die, repair DNA damage caused by smoking and other toxic exposures, detoxify carcinogens through the activation of the cytochrome P450 and Phase II enzyme systems.

Researchers are still discovering and explaining the benefits of phytonutrients. The phytonutrients known as carotenoids appear to protect humans against certain cancers, heart disease, and macular degeneration. We are still learning about the different kinds of phytonutrients and their actions within our bodies' cells. One thing that I find interesting is that the phytonutrients work in synergy. That means that several phytonutrients together have an effect that is greater than any individual phytonutrient has separately. The whole is greater than the sum of its' parts.

After reading up on phytonutrients, I thought maybe I should have more in my diet but I still don't have time to eat all those fruits and vegetables.

Solution? Vegetables in a capsule! It's perfect for me because I can eat 4 capsules a day and get 17 servings of different fruits and vegetables.

Even if I did buy, prepare and eat 17 servings of vegetables and fruit every day, I wouldn't eat kale, spinach or beets.

What's in Juice Plus+®? Vegetables and fruits that have been juiced; then the water, sugar and salt is removed.

That's it? Yes, there are no additives. The produce is picked when it's ripe - not before or after. The vegetables must be free of pesticide and herbicide contaminants. Certain temperatures must be maintained during the juicing and preparation. The capsulating process must be clean enough to allow Chemotherapy patients to safely ingest the capsules. Juice Plus+® is also kosher.

What about diabetics; can they eat Juice Plus+®? Yes, the sugar is removed so diabetics do not have to count half a banana and half an apple; they can get all of the phytonutrients from the fruit without ingesting the sugar.

How do you know this isn't just another fad? The clinical research; scientific evidence. Juice Plus+® is the most thoroughly researched brand name nutritional product on the market today. There is a large and growing body of independent, clinical research conducted by investigators associated with leading universities and hospitals all over the world and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Some of the institutions which have, or are, conducting research on Juice Plus+®:

Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Brigham Young University
Charité University Medical Centre, Berlin, Germany
Georgetown University
King's College, London, England
Medical University of Graz, Austria
Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan
University of Arizona
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Florida
University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Milan, Italy
University of North Carolina-Greensboro
University of South Carolina
University of Sydney, Australia
University of Texas Health Science Center
University of Texas/MD Anderson
University of Witten-Hedecke, Germany
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Wake Forest University funded by the National Cancer Institute
Yale University-Griffin Hospital Prevention Research Center

You can read the research for yourself. Go to the website and click on the Clinical Research tab. https://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/content/Home.soa?site=mm65124 AKA www.Veggies4U.info

The independent clinical research shows that JUICE PLUS+®:
+delivers key antioxidants and other phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body.
+reduces oxidative stress.
+positively impacts markers of systemic inflammation.
+helps support a healthy immune system and protect DNA.
+positively impacts several important indicators of cardiovascular wellness.

Personally, I have always believed that most health issues are genetic, augmented by environmental and lifestyle choices. I also believed that some health problems responded to positive thinking - mind over matter. Learning just a little about phytonutrients actions on our bodies is now causing me to suspect that our bodies may be able to protect and heal themselves to a much higher degree than previously imagined. Food is the fuel for our bodies. Maybe it is important to put the right fuel into our bodies.

My friend, Gina, is the one who got me started. Gina had cancer, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. One day I saw her and said "Wow, Gina, you look great! Are you having a good day?" She laughed and said "I've been taking that stuff that Teresa told us about - Juice Plus+®." Her hair was shiny and full; her skin was radiant. She said that she had more energy, felt better overall, and she was not catching every flu and cold germ that was going around.

I read ALL of the research that's been done to date on Juice Plus+®. Then I looked at the cost: less than $1.50 per day. Hmm, I could not buy that many organic, fresh vegetables and fruits for that price. If I bought the veggies, I would not eat enough of them every single day - and I would never eat kale or beets. For me, eating the Juice Plus+® is an investment in my health. Save time; save money; reap benefits. I have been eating Juice Plus+® for about 3 weeks now. Exercise? Well, I can at least run up and down 3 flights of stairs every day. Some days I am able to exercise more but 3 flights is the minimum for me.

For more information on Juice Plus+®, go to www.Veggies4U.info or call Maria @ 913.894.7001 No, I have not started a new career; I am just so amazed by this new knowledge that I feel compelled to share it with everyone.

You can also find clinical research on Juice Plus+® published in the following peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals:

The Journal of Nutrition
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Journal of American College of Nutrition
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine
Nutrition Research
Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics
Integrative Medicine
Current Therapeutic Research
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
The British Journal of Nutrition
Journal of the American College of Cardiology

*Many of the studies are randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigations. (that means no cheating)

Information on Juice Plus+® Franchise - Flipbook Online Presentation .

Monday, March 21, 2011

Letter From Woman in Japan after the Tsunami and Earthquake

This is an open letter written by a woman in Japan after the recent earthquake and tsunami. Heart wrenching yet hopeful.

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very
Touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems
The best way at the moment to get my message to yo...u.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have
Wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy
Of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water,
Food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight,
Share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in
Their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get
Drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their
Home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines.
People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes.
People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone
Helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are
Constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a
Day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of
This is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed
For several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns
Than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully
On the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for
Survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places,
Yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up
For water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening
At the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No
One out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I
Usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are
Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the
Sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check
On it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find
Food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is
There. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is
OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs
Of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for
Another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking,
Rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit
Elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off
Than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing
Food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an
Enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at
This moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I
Can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small
Because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something
Happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is
Hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all,
Anne