Do the Right Thing.

This morning I went to a new networking group for me, The Canon City Business Owners networking - Meet and Greet. This very inviting group meets at the Canon Café every Thursday at 8 A.M.

I'm looking forward to meeting up with these people again and helping everyone grow their businesses. Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Dr. Susan Levy from Natural Solutions www.yourbodycantalk.com

Oliver Sorrell for Xango www.wholefruit.com

Shelley "The Rag Lady" http://www.ragpeople.com

Denise Hovey from The Creative Cloth Closet www.creativeclothcloset.com

By Proxy Dr. Craig Schluter DDS

Brenda King from Pre-Paid Legal www.legal-king.

Mark Reed by proxy from Wachovia 719 866-6951

Angela Cruz from Isagenix  www.angelacruz.isagenix.com

Jodi Mews from Send Out Cards www.sendoutcards.com/creativerapport

Ken Payne from Wachovia 719 275-7468

Dan and Cynthia Nichols from Expanding Horizons:

www.heathykosherdarkchocolate.com / http://www.naturallikeus.com   / www.buckandsquealbbqsauce.com / www.sugarbushboutique.com / www.travelgearexpress.com / www.kitchenwarepalace.com / www.dowserdandowsingrods.com /  www.bigN.com/danielnichols    

Lessons in Direct Mail                                                                                                                     

For several years I've been sending post cards out to folks who purchased property in Pueblo West. Many of the lots were purchased 20-25-30 years ago. Few, if any did anything with the land, most bought it for investment purposes. But now years later the owners are getting ready to retire, some have passed, others are just re-evaluating their ownership. But sadder still is that many of these property owners are being approached to sell with offers to buy pennies on the dollar.

I have been sending post cards out periodically to mostly out of town owners offering to list and sell their property. I've had moderate success with this marketing. The sellers are getting a fair shake and I can say that my sellers have been happy with me as well.

But it's not until you get a phone call like I did that you realize how much you impact peoples lives. I had a man call me on Christmas day wanting to sell his late mothers property. As he was going threw his mothers house he found one of my post cards. I know for a fact that this postcard he found had been sent 2 years ago or longer.

I had no idea what a ride I was about to take. At first he said I was one of two agents he had called, he wanted to create a little competition. I know the other agent, and know that both of us would do a good job. But long story short the other agent never returned the call.

After doing a little research I told the son what I thought the market value on the land would be and how long it would take to sell it. He told me he was disparate to sell and wanted it gone right away. The son set an asking price of well under the market value in order to get the selling process done and a check coming his way.

Now that the property is gone I feel like I can share the rest of my story.

The son is a homeless man. This is not something he disclosed at first, and I can understand why. But I've never had circumstance like this before. And I had no idea how hard it was for homeless people to try to get anything accomplished.

How do you mail anything to them?

How do you communicate?

Have you looked for a pay phone on the street lately?

How do you get the property proceeds to them?

How do they cash or deposit the proceeds?

My advice to any real estate professional who has the occasion to work with a homeless person. Give them easy access to you. Provide toll free phone numbers for your office and to the title company. Set up a time for them to call you every day. Even if you don't have anything either of you need to do set the time up anyway, just in case.

Special thanks to Gia and her friend!

UPDATE 3-14-08

To this day I still don't know if the proceeds check has been cashed. The check was issued in the name of the trust. My client has no bank account, no extra death certificates and no idea how to get his money.

Every town in America probably has it's own food specialty, San Francisco is known for it's fish, Seattle for it's coffee, St. Louis for it's BBQ and Miami for it's Mojitos. In Pueblo we have Sloppers for lunch or dinner. Coors Tavern on 4^th Street is said to have made the first one.

• 1 hamburger bun open on a plate
• 2 cooked hamburger patties on top of the buns
• French Fries laid on top of the patties
• 1 - 1 ½ Cups of Green Chilli on top of fries
• Chopped lettuce to cover
• Cover with shredded cheddar cheese

Serve hot and don't even think about the calories, just come for lunch in Pueblo

Top Ten Song Titles That Would Make Lousy Ski Trail Names

1. Making Flippy Floppy - Talking Heads
2. Pop Ya Collar - Usher
3. We Will Fall - Iggy Pop
4. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
5. It's the End of the World as We Know It - REM
6. Gimme' Stitches - Foo Fighters
7. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
8. Don't be Stupid - Shania Twain
9. Poor, Poor Pitiful Me - Warren Zevon
10. Satan Gave Me a Taco - Beck

Have another song title to add to the list? Give us a knock at Gorover.com, your outdoor-adventure online community. 

With permission.

Pueblo, Co had a late season storm which produced large and damaging hail. Many homeowners have not yet had a chance to get their roofs repaired. Here are some things homeowners should know before signing a contract.

First call local supply companies or building departments and ask for references. They know which companies can be trusted and which ones should be avoided. Never work with a contractor who wants you to pull a permit for them. This most likely means they are not licensed in the area or have had some problems with the building department. If they ask for money up front be suspicious, but smart. Some smaller companies have been taken by homeowners and want to make sure they get a true commitment before scheduling or want the money to make sure they aren't left covering a material bill and without getting paid. One way to satisfy both you and the contractor in this instance is to pay for the material yourself and have him supply labor only. This is a good idea under many circumstances, it makes sure that no liens may be filed against your property if your contractor finishes the job but doesn't pay his material bill. The contractor may still be able to file liens on your property if he finishes the job and you don't pay him, but you know the material costs were taken care of. It is not always better to go with the biggest and best known companies in town, they often times have more jobs than their regular crews can handle and will hire unfamiliar crews to get the jobs done, planning on going back and fixing problems later if necessary.

Local companies rely on their reputation to stay in business, so research the firm you decide to go with and make sure they are in good standing with both the building department and the local suppliers.

Written by Pam Simmons

For more information or to contact Pam Simmons @ Allied Building Supply 719 560-0401

Winters in Colorado aren't for everybody. If you aren't use to driving on the snow, being with out electricity on occasion or don't want the isolation of not being able to get out from time to time Colorado mountain living isn't going to be your cup of tea.  

But if you are self sufficient, can entertain yourself, work from home and enjoy the beauty of being out of the loop - Custer County and Colorado Mountain living may work out for you.

These pictures were taken February 9, 2008 on a gorgeous day. By noon the temp was a comfortable 25 degrees, no wind and endless views.

For more information about Custer County Colorado click here.