On the news tonight, yet another artist who lived (and died) n virtual poverty is now very well recognized. How ironic that artists of all stripes, ethnicity, in generations past and present, almost never benefit from their works. Most often only after they die is their works acknowledged, acclaimed, and valued. I knew one of those people.
But wait! Did they really lose out on the benefits of their art? Not at all! For them, creative works of their minds, hearts, and hands, brought them joy of accomplishment materialistic Collectors can never know!
The real irony is that happiness cannot be gauged by material possessions; Artists knew that all along!
The following article is intended for ‘good eggs’, pardon the pun. If it offends, I’m sorry sometimes the truth hurts, but it is still ‘truth’ that should be acknowledged.
Even a rudimentary research effort will help to answer the question, ‘is the celebration of Easter an insult to our Father in heaven? Even superficial research reveals the truth; ergo Encyclopedia Britanica states:
“The English name Easter is of uncertain origin; the Ang-Saxon priest Venerable Bede in the 8th century derived it from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre.” Others link it to Astarte, the Phoenician fertility goddess who had the Babylonian counterpart Ishtar.
Hares, rabbits: These are symbols of fertility “handed down from the ancient ceremonial and symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals.
The American Book of Days well describes the origin of Easter: “There is no doubt that the Church in its early days adopted the old pagan customs and gave a Christian meaning to them.”
My comments: The ‘adoption’ of a purely pagan custom by Churches of Christendom had the obvious political purpose of appealing to a far wider non-christian audience than the minority of purely bible-based Christians. To this day that fact holds true. So to answer the question; “Could Church ‘adoption’ have God’s blessing,” consider just one, of many, scriptural principles;
“a little leaven ferments the whole lump.” (Galatians 5:9)In scripture, leaven being often used as a symbol of corruption! So you be the judge; Could the ‘adoption of pagan practices’, such as Easter, possibly have God’s approval, or is it more likely an insult to Him..?
‘EzeHomeBuyer’ ™ (ISBN 0-9734121) YOU CAN BUY OR SELL A HOME WITHOUT A MORTGAGE! by C. Eshom Update 02-2021: Prices may appear to be out-of-date in this information, however the methods and tips described are as valid today as ever, perhaps even more so! If you find this (lengthy) instructional post useful, please make a donation, thanks!
FORWARD
Home ownership is a basic human desire, perhaps even a need.
Yet there are tens of thousands even in the United States who believe they will never be able to own their own home. Does this apply to you also? If so, please take heart, this informational posting is especially suited for you! If you have regular source of income, the following example will show you how to purchase your own home, regardless of financial limitations.
All that’s really needed is the right tool. For example, did you ever try to change a flat tire without the help of a correct sized wheel-nut wrench? Using that wrench is a fairly simple matter, but without it, there is almost no way to get the leverage needed to remove those nuts!
The purpose of this posting then is to equip you with the leverage you need to deal with today’s real estate market, using whatever income or savings available. This information is solidly based on twenty years of personal and professional experience in real estate, including my own purchase of (exactly) twenty individual residential properties in the U.S. and Canada, some of which were multi-units.
HOME FINANCING ALTERNATIVE
The great majority of home buying today is based on mortgage financing. These loans are provided mainly by Banks, Savings and Loan Co’s., or Credit Unions. Unfortunately, a large number of prospective buyers have their dream of home ownership quickly trashed by the hard realities of Mortgage loan qualifications.
Even if they do qualify, high costs of arranging conventional mortgages, often added on to these loans, may severely restrict future enjoyment of these heavily mortgaged homes.
And for exactly the same reasons, Sellers often find it difficult to sell their property, even to willing Buyers, owing to mortgage loan restrictions and payout penalties among other things. In other words financial barriers.
Is there a viable alternative for both Buyers and Sellers? Yes indeed, read on!
As with most good ideas, the answer is not a deep dark secret. Described by some as creative financing, it is however, relatively unknown, often misunderstood, and rarely used! This is true even among so-called knowledgeable real estate Brokers and Sales Agents.
As you will see, creative financing is a leverage tool with virtually unlimited real estate potential! Not only can it make your home ownership dream come true, but with a little imagination the same method can be employed to purchase property of all kinds. It need not be limited to home ownership alone for those who truly take this information to heart and use it with a confident and creative attitude.
The following will serve to introduce you to the basic concept of ‘wrap-around’ creative financing. The benefits of this Seller financing method apply equally to Seller’s, but for clarity I will illustrate the method from a Buyer’s perspective with a common, real estate purchasing scenario.
FINDING YOUR HOME
Lets assume the following real estate newspaper ad has attracted your attention;
Rancher Beauty! Immaculate 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, Rancher on beautifully treed and landscaped lot. Excellent location, near shops and schools. Asking price $125,000. Call now.. Quick-sale Herbie at xyz Realty Co.
Calling the Real Estate Agency, you question the Listing Salesperson and learn the owner has an existing first mortgage loan balance of $60,000. His mortgage payments of $425. per month include 7% interest (per year).
This means the desired cash down payment is: ($125,000. – $60,000.) = $65,000. But a down payment of $65,000. is clearly out of financial reach for a great majority of home buyers, including you for puposes of this illustration at least.
Realizing this fact, the Salesperson naturally questions you about your financial capacity, perhaps suggesting a lower down payment of say, 25% of the full price, or $31,000.
His idea being for you to apply for a new first mortgage loan of $94,000. (i.e. 31,000. + 94,000. = $125,000. full price). If you qualified for that loan, and the interest rate is still at 7%, your payments would be around $665. p.m.
Possibly you have already experienced a similar situation. As with many others, you may have concluded there simply was no hope of purchasing such a home because; 1) you don’t have the suggested 25% down payment; or 2) you don’t have sufficient income to qualify for a larger mortgage loan with lower down payment; or 3) both!
If you can relate to this situation please take heart. The following steps illustrate a highly effective alternative method which can enable you to purchase a residence of your choice despite such financial barriers.
OBTAIN NECESSARY INFORMATION
In Real Estate as any other endeavor, relevant information is key to success. Gathering useful information is step number one in this creative finance process also, and it will be crucial to your success.
You must tactfully and intelligently gather sufficient information about your chosen property, and most important, you need to learn as much as possible about any future plans and goals of the Seller, before formulating your offer to purchase.
This can best be accomplished by:
a) asking tactful questions while viewing the property with or without an agent;
b) carefully questioning the Listing Salesperson apart from the owner, and/or;
c) by directly contacting the Seller yourself * preferably after you have been introduced through an Agent, (or personally if its a private seller). Remember; the more information you have in advance, the better equipped you will be to proceed to the next steps.
Note: contacting a Seller directly may bruise the listing Salesperson’s ego if he has the property listed, but there is no law against talking to a Seller without the Salesperson being present.
However you handle this, it is vital that a rapport is established between Buyer and Seller in order to build personal trust!
You will find that most Sellers are quite open about their future plans, especially as you are showing sincere interest in their property, and if you are tactful, well groomed, and polite.
However, it must be said that if a Seller, (or Buyer) is unwilling to share personal information with you, perhaps avoiding your questions about his future plans, or insisting you deal only with his Sales rep, you may be better off to resume your search for the ideal home, and Seller.
Please Note: While it is preferable to find a Seller who’s personal circumstances lend themselves to a creative financing proposal, you can be sure there is no lack of such Sellers regardless of market conditions.
Again, from the Buyer’s perspective for sake of our illustration, in the course of your conversation with the Seller two (common) facts may be mentioned;
(1) he is soon to be retired, with pension income, (and will not therefore be totally dependent on cash coming out of the sale of property to support him) and;
(2) he is presently purchasing a motor home from current savings, and has plans to travel extensively after he sells his property.
Again, it is no exaggeration to say this is a very typical scenario today! It is also true that many other Seller’s circumstances will be compatible to the creative financing proposal besides what is illustrated.
E.g. click on this link while connected to the internet for more information on creative financing. or copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://affairsoflife.com/new_page_12.htm
continuing with the illustration:
FORMING YOUR OFFER
Now that you have the necessary information about the Seller, we will assume you discussed the pro’s and con’s of the property in question with your family members. You have assessed all the basics such as desireability of location; neighborhood amenities; such as employment, schools, shopping, transportation; and physical layout and condition; all of which you have determined to be agreeable to you and your family.
In addition, you have carefully calculated the very best cash down payment you can muster is, say, $15,000. (provided you sell that second car, or the R.V. you only use twice a year, and perhaps borrow something from parents, friends, or a relative.)
We will also assume that your present family income will allow a maximum payment of, say, $775. per month, keeping in mind there will be annual property taxes; insurance; and upkeep expenses associated with your home ownership also.
Click on this link, or copy and past into your browser while connected to the internet for some excellent financial assessment help: http://www.ourfamilyplace.com/
MAKING YOUR MOVE
Having cautiously determined you can secure a modest down payment of, say, $15,000. and monthly payments of $775. what is needed now is a clear understanding between you and the Seller, preferably in a written draft-offer format.
In other words; simple, clear, communications is your next essential step.
If a Realtor has the property listed, he or she will have to be involved in the offer process. But first you need to rough out the idea yourself, in writing, so there are no doubts in your mind how your offer will look when in final form.
You will only need to obtain legal assistance when you finalize the purchase And based on my own considerable experience, a qualified Notary Public is usually quite capable of providing all necessary legal protection for both Buyer and Seller. More on this later.
To continue with our illustration; now that you have all the information in hand, or in mind, your ready to take the next step and make the formal written commitment, namely the ‘interim’ purchase offer.
Calling the Salesperson (or the Seller if he’s acting without a Salesperson), you arrange a meeting to make an offer on the previously viewed property. Most sales people will prefer an office environment to meet and discuss an offer with you because they believe they will have more control over the written offer. For that same reason I highly recommend you insist on meeting in your own home, or some neutral location instead.
Unfortunately there are also a few eager-beaver Salespersons who may try to browbeat a new buyer into terms that are unsatisfactory in order to please the Seller. Therefore you must be firm!
So now your ready to write or dictate the following as per our illustration : Here is a sample of an (abbreviated) offer to purchase according to our illustration:
I (your full name) of (address) on (date) in (City) OFFER TO PURCHASE (Address) (legal description): FOR THE FULL PURCHASE PRICE OF…………………….. $125,000. WITH CASH DOWN PAYMENT OF…………………………… $15,000. BALANCE OWING THEREAFTER………………………….. $110,00 0. TERMS ON THE BALANCE Of $110,000. SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:
“The balance shall be payable directly by wrap-around contract to the Seller in equal monthly payments of $777. per month including interest at 7 % per annum, on a 25 year term.”
“Buyer also agrees to pay annual property taxes so long as he has exclusive possession of the property” etc. Does it look too simple? Good, that is exactly what you want! Assuming neither Buyer nor Seller are Philadelphia lawyers, simplicity is the prime ingredient for all successful creative financing proposals! Please read on.
Above all, do not be intimidated, discouraged, or distracted, by any attempt to cast doubts on your creative proposal. Many real estate people suffer from an inflated opinion of their own importance in real estate negotiations, and it must be remembered that nearly all sales commissions are paid by Sellers.
As mentioned, its essential that buyers fully determine terms and conditions before sitting down to formalize an offer to purchase. Remember; you are the architect of your creative terms and conditions and so you must remain in complete control of your offer at all times.
Whether or not a Salesperson is impressed by your offer, there is both a legal and a moral obligation for him to present it to the Seller without bias, no matter how he rates the chances of acceptance.
Of course the chances of Seller acceptance may be improved if the Sales rep is onside with your offer, and most qualified Salespeople will, in fact, do their best with any genuine offer they receive. So once again, maintain your resolve!
After dictating your written offer, for legal purposes, you will be required to submit a money deposit of some kind. The amount is entirely optional, but along with your written offer, it provides proof that you have full intentions of forming a legal and binding agreement with the Seller.
E.g. a check for five hundred dollars payable to the real estate Agency in trust, deposited upon acceptance of your offer, is usually quite acceptable (even though Salespersons will often seek a larger security deposit).
The Salesperson must ensure the common address and legal description of the property are properly referenced on your written offer. If there is no salesperson involved, the Seller will usually be able to provide that information from insurance papers or other documentation.
You may obtain Real Estate Offer to Purchase forms from many stationary stores,
THE SELLER’S VIEWPOINT
Once you have done your homework, and made your written offer, success fully rests on the Seller’s viewpoint. In order for this to be an informed viewpoint we will now consider this in some detail.
First of all, once accepted by the Seller, these offered terms will create an entirely new and unique contract between Buyer and Seller alone. Of course there is room for negotiation at this formative stage. For example the Seller may wish to add a condition that all or part of the Wrap-around financing amount becomes due and payable in full at some future date, say in five years for instance, this is known as a ‘balloon payment’.
A balloon clause, simply places the Buyer under an obligation to refinance the property, or perhaps locate a new lender, on a specified date. This is a condition that the buyer must consider carefully since the property could be repossessed, and returned to the seller, if the payment is not met on that date. However in many cases it is a calculated risk that a Buyer can live with, given the outlook for future increases in property value, since he will have the option to sell and retain equity build-up until that time.
In other words if the value of property continues to rise prior to the due date for a balloon payment, the buyer will have more opportunities to renegotiate financing, with or with out the Seller, at that time.
The balloon payment can be an important motivating concession to the Seller, but each home Buyer must understand the risk/benefits before agreeing to this condition.
As you can see there are opportunities on both sides to negotiate individual terms and conditions while at the interim Offer to Purchase stage.
In our simple illustration, a creative wrap-around contract is customized and tailored to suit you r financial situation, and the Sellers, on a home of your choice.
The monthly payment will provide the Seller with an income of $350. per month (net), because he will be obliged to continue making regular payments on the existing mortgage, i.e. $ 775. less $425 . per month = $350. p.m.
Note: If real estate agents are involved, they may wish to write this in as a condition in your written offer.
Seller’s must clearly understand that they will be required to continue with payments on existing mortgage financing during the term of your wrap-around agreement, with the option of paying it off at his discretion according to the whatever terms it contains. So long as both parties clearly understand that the existing mortgage financing will remain in place until paid off, well and good!
(While the essence of this purchase method relates to a home and Seller with an existing mortgage, certainly the general principle can be applied to any direct-purchase/sales contract for real estate that is clear title, i.e. having no loans outstanding. In that case the Seller would be the sole note holder, or lender. However, as said, its the intention of this posting to explain the wrap-around creative owner-financing technique.)
To review;
The Seller’s existing mortgage is a personal loan as well as a lien on the property until fully paid off. Therefore your contract will simply wrap- around that debt. His mortgage obligation precedes your contract with him, and in that sense takes priority.
This is a powerful, creative, way for the Buyer and Seller to finance the sale of property without having to qualify for either the existing loan, or another first mortgage.
However, a sales agent, or the Seller, may want to add the conditional clause: “on approval of credit” as a condition of your purchase offer. If you accept this condition, the Seller will have the option of proceeding, or withdrawing, from completion of the sale if the Buyer’s credit doesn’t meet with his approval.
This is where the value of your initial contact with the Seller comes into full view. If you have been honest and forthcoming with the Seller, building his trust and confidence in you prior to presenting the offer, you may be able to minimize the importance of a credit check regardless of your credit history (or the lack of it) so that this condition will be waived by the Seller.
Even if the Seller, and/or his agent, insists on including the on approval of credit condition, always remember that the decision as to whether he will cooperate with your wrap-around contract proposal rests entirely with him and no others!
At first glance the idea of a Wrap-around contract agreement may not appear very appealing to the (uninformed) Seller, but closer examination should convince him of several significant advantages, such as the following;
1) To begin with, the Seller is not required to pay off his existing mortgage, even if the existing mortgage contains a ‘due on sale’ clause, (more on this issue later), since formal title to the property will remain in his name. In fact the Seller may actually be thousands of dollars ahead as a result of this feature alone. This is because there is usually a bonus of interest, or discharge fee, (or both) when the mortgage is pre-paid before the due date.
2) The Seller will most certainly appreciate the full price being offered. Assuming the full price is within the ball-park of market value for the property, no attempt will be made to whittle on his price. Not only does this give the Seller bragging rights with friends and family members that he has obtained his asking price, but the Buyer clearly demonstrated good will in his eyes also. This concession, in exchange for good terms for you, will give the Buyer a strong edge with most Sellers since cash offers are usually ‘low-ball’ offers.
An ‘all-cash’ buyer would most likely try to obtain a reduction from the asking price, likely 10-15% or more!. In addition, with a cash sale, the Seller would be obliged to pay off his existing mortgage, and quite likely pay a ‘bonus of interest penalty’, as mentioned.
3) Another thing the Seller should greatly appreciate is that, in you, he has a ‘genuine’ Buyer, someone who is ready, willing and able to buy on specific terms and conditions, right now! Your offer does not require third-party approvals, such as a mortgage company. Again, this is usually much preferred by a Seller, compared with waiting for another purchaser with more cash to come along at some unknown future time. Adding to that wait are the uncertainties created with other (non-cash) Buyers who will likely have to obtain approval on a new mortgage application.
In sharp contrast, your private contract proposal creates no uncertainties for the Seller. All terms and conditions are decided right at the time of accepting the offer!
In addition, legal fees for drawing up the contract are at a minimum, thereby eliminating fears of unexpected extra costs that frequently crop up when third-parties are involved with a real estate transaction.
Note: real estate commission, if involved, is payable by the Seller but this is also a negotiable item – and don’t allow a Salesperson to say that it isn’t! Also, as per our illustration, since the Seller probably would have typically reinvested any extra cash he might otherwise have received from sale of his property in some type of interest bearing annuity, or the stock market. Therefore he may be much better off with your agreement, both investment and income tax wise. After all he knows the value of his own property and may very well feel more secure having his money remain invested there, rather than in some other unknown new investment vehicle.
4) Income tax considerations could be a very important benefit for the Seller with this creative financing method, since he is not obtaining a lump sum capital gain at the time of sale, therefore he should be encouraged to seek an accountants advise about this.
To summarize;
Finding a willing seller as described in the foregoing example is by no means unrealistic, in fact many Sellers will quickly realize that a creative Wrap-around contract proposal can provide excellent financial advantages and benefits for them.
Of course benefits to the Buyer are self-evident. Even though title does not transfer until the wrap-around contract is eventually paid off, the Buyer will have privacy of ownership; equity build-up; appreciation potential; and the right to any income or other benefits derived from the property during the term of the contract!
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
The $15,000.cash down payment in our illustration provides firm evidence of Buyer commitment to make good on monthly payments. Remember this is simply a suggested amount for purposes of our illustration only. In fact there is no such thing as a minimum down payment requirement for the creative Buyer. You may offer whatever cash down payment, or assets in trade, you may have available, simply use your imagination! The main point is that you must convince the prospective Seller of your sincerity, not your liquidity.
As mentioned; if a Buyer were to default in his monthly payments, the Seller may simply repossess the property – similar to, but even easier than a mortgage company – resulting in the loss of down payment, and subsequent monthly payments by the Buyer.
Court time and legal costs to repossess property are at a minimum for a Seller in the event of repossession, because legal title to the property remains in his name until the Wrap- around contract is eventually paid off. While the Buyer has exclusive possession of the property, his ongoing ‘right-to-title’ is guaranteed as long as he continues to keep up payments according to the terms of the wrap-around contract with the Seller.
As an inducement for the Seller, it might be stipulated that this condition will be coordinated with the Sellers own mortgage payout terms, such as balloon payments he is permitted or required to make in his mortgage. From the buyers point of view this is a good clause to have in the event you were in a position to pay off all or part of the contract through some unexpected cash windfall, or even if you should decide to re-finance.
And with respect to refinancing; bear in mind it is far easier to refinance a home in which you are the resident-purchaser than when you are a newbie first-time home buyer. Indeed, your options are significantly enhanced once you have obtained possession and occupy the property!
As discussed, the Seller must maintain his payments to his prior mortgage company. If he should fail to meet that obligation, the Buyer can assume this role, making payment and then deducting the amount from your own payments.
Whenever the contract is paid off in full, formal title to the property will be registered in your name only. A Notary Public is well qualified to advise you on legal details, it isn’t rocket science.
I will mention only one other legal issue that is commonly believed to obstruct Wrap-around contracts, namely, the dreaded, ‘due on sale’ clause which is frequently found in the underlying (original) mortgage document. While this condition states that the entire balance remaining on the mortgage becomes “immediately due and payable in full upon sale of the property”, or words to that effect, do not let this overly concern you or the Seller.
Happily this condition is not legally applicable in regards to the Wrap- around contract. This is because the property ‘title’ is not being transferred until your private wrap-around contract is fulfilled and paid off. Until that time the title remains in the sellers name.
Therefore the ‘due on sale’ clause is really a non-issue, as experienced Notary’s will advise you and the Seller. As said, the Wrap-around financing contract is specially created between Buyer and Seller alone. This means that, normally, unless an assumption clause is included in the contract, (another option in my custom wrap-around form), re-sale of the property prior to full payment, requires the written permission of the Seller.
With the assumption clause the Buyer has more control of his interest and can re-sell at any time. Of course Buyers may sell their equity interest in the property at any time with the Sellers approval. (In which case the Seller would have the right to negotiate new contract terms with a new Buyer.) Alternatively; a new Buyer could arrange a new mortgage in order to pay you and the Seller off in full, i.e. to pay off your Wrap- around purchase contract in full.
As you can see, there are many future possibilities pursuant to this form of purchase contract, all of which adds to its practicality and usefulness.
Its truly amazing how few people are aware of the opportunities creative financing contracts can open up for them, such as the one illustrated in this posting. And don’t forget about all those other great creative alternatives for those who wish to really learn more about real estate investing. Search the net for details.
Even experienced real estate agents are often poorly informed about such practical and direct methods of selling property. Many seem to be mentally handcuffed by mortgage lenders who frequently dictate difficult terms or qualifications for both Buyers and Sellers. (Another contaminating issue is that mortgage company’s often pay referral fees to real estate agents!)
FINAL SUMMARY
The type of creative financing illustrated in this informational posting is known as the Wrap-around purchase contract. It is variously described as Agreement for Sale, Right to Purchase, Purchase Money Contract and Turst Deed, Agreement for Deed, and all-inclusive Trust Deed; or some other terminology depending on property jurisdiction (Country, State, County, etc).
However, these legal terms need not, and should not, overly concern either the Buyer or Seller provided you keep your preliminary (interim) agreement simple, and in writing!
I cannot over-state that it is the Buyers main objective to lay out a specific contract in straight-forward terms, leaving any required legal contract terminology for an experienced Notary Public.
Whatever you do, please do not allow Salespersons, Lawyers, Relatives, friends, or anyone else, intimidate or discourage you from pursuing creative finance opportunities – such as a home of your choice.
Your response to criticism from agents might be: “Lets allow my Notary to handle the legal details, just write the offer down as I outline it.” For that purpose also it would be prudent for any Buyer to get to know an informed Notary Public experienced in real estate matters, possibly discussing a specific creative financing contract before actually presenting a written offer. Doing so will definitely add to your effectiveness and confidence when negotiating the terms of your Wrap-around offer.
Sellers might also be directed to the same Notary. As a matter of fact, since Buyers are normally required to pay for the necessary legal work, that would be quite appropriate.
Your legal fees will be at a minimum for drawing up this type of private Agreement, less than even the cost of drawing up a new mortgage, and that usually involves a Lawyer.
Of course a Lawyer ‘could’ be employed to do a Wrap-around contract also, but frankly, Lawyers are often more hindrance than help with this method. In my opinion, they will raise unnecessary concerns for Sellers, and they will definitely be more expensive.
Finally; Buyers should always carefully shop before choosing a home to buy. They need to look for the home and Seller, best suited to their creative financing proposal. There is no point in wasting valuable time with a seller that is uninformed, ignorant, or inflexible in his thinking. Besides think of the fun you will have in looking!
While creative financing ideas are limited only by the imagination, the wrap-around purchase contract method illustrated in this informational posting is one of the most practical, powerful, and useful, for home Buyers and Seller’s alike.
I have personally used this ‘wrap ‘ method when conventional financing methods were not available to me with good success. The Reader should also know that there are many other types of creative contracts possible, such as lease-options; private second and third mortgages; cross- collateralization loans; lease-purchase contracts, and asset trades of all kinds, to mention a few.
These are also often overlooked, yet powerful tools to home buying and real estate investing. Using the Wrap-around method described will open up unlimited opportunities for positive-thinking real estate entrepreneurs – well proven by high-profile investors like ‘the Donald’.
There are plenty of willing real estate sellers (including corporations large and small), who are eagerly waiting for a creative Buyer to approach them with a positive, straightforward, honest, and confident, demeanor. Yes you too can achieve the goal of real estate ownership on your own good terms!
All the best in your future real estate endeavors. Remember it takes only a little bit more effort than ‘clicking your heels with your eyes closed and saying “there’s no place like home”.
end –
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It was intended only as a quick educational trip to 108 ranch resort 300 miles from Vancouver B.C. Block Bros. Realty a well known Vancouver real estate firm beginning in 1960’s Vancouver, had sponsored, and financed this recreation retreat. In spite of considerable investment and promotion it never succeeded as hoped for several reasons. For more information on this project go here: http://108 Ranch Resort by Block Bros. Realty
Despite the reasons for its eventual failure, including driving distance from Vancouver, Henry Block * had developed notable features, 18-hole PGA golf course, clubhouse, swimming pool, restaurant and lounge, and a 20-room lodge, which were completed by 1972, to encourage investors.
I was very intrigued by it as a youthful Realtor in Vancouver. So sometime after acquiring my pilot’s license, and airplane, I decided to take a quick trip from my Victoria base to take a look at it.
I left rather late in one afternoon and flew directly from Victoria airport over Georgia Straight and coastal mountains to the 108 airstrip. It was (is?) an excellent paved strip capable of handling larger airplanes as intended. However as the sun set I was amazed at the total absence of anyone in the vicinity, including a nearby store and golf course!? In fact even while I spent the night under the stars in a sleeping bag right on the golf course, yet I never saw a single person! To this day that is puzzling.
In any case the next day, perhaps because of some disappointment at the 108, I decided to fly South before returning home. As I did I noticed a small airstrip next to Green Lake and decided to land and have a look. It was a very dry dusty landing, but just across the road there was a ‘dude ranch’* where a family from the lower mainland was vacationing that welcomed me! Somewhat overwhelmed by their hospitality, I ended up joining an evening around open camp fire, but not before a trail ride that was an experience of a lifetime in the afternoon! See this great video on the Flying U Ranch!: * * * Flying U dude ranch
With very limited ‘horse sense’, I was invited to join the family galloping (and I do mean full speed) through a forested area you could hardly call a trail! I hung on for dear life as small trees and bush brushed my legs and threatened to rip me off my steed, it really was the experience of a lifetime!
Afterward we drank some beers around a large and hospitable camp fire under a starry night. I could not believe how fortunate I was, and only wish I had my own family with me there. Once again I slept in my sleeping bag out in the open under an awesome Caribou sky as can only be fully seen far away from city lights.
The next morning I took off early in a huge cloud of fine dust from the short dirt airstrip, and after doing a low pass or two over the ranch, headed South to Vernon. At an airstrip shop there I found partners who had sold me a Mooney airplane previously. As fellow pilots, typically, they gave me the keys to a vehicle in order to briefly spend a few sunny moments on a lakeside beach! However, it was past time to head home and I did so that afternoon.
Only less than a two day experience, but as memorable as ever can be for me!
I’m writing to extend a personal invitation for all subscribers to the most important Christian observance of the year, as Jesus himself directed. It will be held on Sunday March 24th 2024 after sundown.*
You are warmly invited to join more than 20 million world-wide in 130+ lands who will be attending either in person at Kingdom Hall’s or on Zoom. If you would like further information please email me at; email2cliff@gmail.com, or visit ‘JW.org‘.
my very best regards, Cliff
* In accordance with the Jewish 24 hour day running from sundown to sundown.
Its said that some dogs can understand 250 or more words, not to mention tail wagging sign language! Their ability being equivalent to that of a two and half year old child. Apes are well known to have similar ability, and they also communicate with body language.
Why though is this ‘natural intelligence’ (a.k.a. natures’ I.Q.) be surprising? Obviously our knowledge of nature is still in its infancy. The more we learn about natures wonders, the more we begin to appreciate and admire it. For example forms of communication appears to exist in ‘all’ creatures on earth! Clearly each and every one has a natural intelligence to do so. Could this simply result from accidental evolutionary jumps? Surely that is an impossible stretch of imagination.
It appears all living creatures, sea creatures, birds, and probably insects, have the innate ability to relate to their own kind, even with other kinds, not only to mate.
For exmple, quoting from CBC NEWS February 23, 2024 – By John Mazerolle;
“Life on Earth is a song and dance routine. “There are at least 200,000 species out there singing in ways that are silent to us, and that’s way more songs than if you add up all of the birds and the fish and the whales and the frogs out there,” says Rex Cocroft, a biologist at the University of Missouri who is fascinated by creatures that only use vibrations to communicate. For example, when a male treehopper calls out for a mate, he shakes his abdomen 100 times a second to produce a low sound that vibrates through the stem of the plant he is standing on. While that sound is audible to other treehoppers — particularly the female treehoppers he’s trying to attract — it’s outside the frequency that humans can hear. In “Love and Rivals,” the second episode of Secret World of Sound from CBC’s The Nature of Things, we listen in on dime-sized treehoppers in conversation using laser tech. Or if you prefer something more ostentatious, there’s always the sharp-tailed grouse in Alberta’s grasslands performing a synchronized dance routine as a team to attract a mate: the more males, the more impressive their performance. Check out the song here and the dance here.”
Is it such a leap to believe humans will eventually be able to understand and communicate with our fellow life forms on a much higher, more intimate level as well? After all, we are uniquely equipped with ‘natural intelligence’ to learn how!
Perhaps this should be entitled ‘Amazing Car Show’ because that was the point of this experience.
It was near sunset when I landed right behind a classic airplane called ‘Waco’, from Washington State. My Mooney airplane sppeared slightly intimidated as I parked alongside it. The Waco is a true classic bi-plane with radial engine and great performance.
When I checked in to airport registry I met the friendly owner, his wife, and friend. I accepted his kind offer to share a cab into town. Such immediate private pilot friendship and trust is common and very gratifying.
Entering a typical Reno casino, he asked me to look after his wife(!) at a bar, while he and his friend were going to do some gambling. So we had a drink together, not having any interest in gambling, (or his wife)! When they returned I went out looking for an overnight place to stay. As it turned out there were ‘no vacancy’s’ everywhere that night. So getting a little desperate I ventured into a large hotel and asked the desk clerk if he ‘had a rollaway for the laundry room?‘ To this very day I do not know where that idea came from. Actually it was said as a joke! But apparently he assumed I was a tour bus driver and the idea was not totally unknown to him – for a modest fee that is!
Needless to say it was a very odd experience to wake up early in the morning to an audience of giggling cleaning women in the laundry room!
It had been slightly more than a whim to visit the famous Harahs’ Reno car collection, a truly amazing collection of literally hundreds of cars. Some were even ‘one-of-a kind’ creations by brilliant inventors that had never reached production stage, mainly due to financial limits. All the cars were located in several large hanger-like garages.
So taking a shuttle bus that day from Harahs’ cassino bus stop, a tour group of us went to the car collection, a truly amazing experience. I doubt even Jay Lennoe’s famous car collection today would compare! But this was in the 70’s and I understand that amazing collection has since been eliminated as part of Harah’s family estate.
Without doubt this was another of my adventurous flying experiences.
The attraction of sports for us mortals is undeniable! In fact professional sports capture the attention of most of mankind, regardless of age, sex or ethnicity. The question I’d like to address is…why?
What is it within us that motivates such interest? Primarily an interest based on an inexplicable attraction to competition with and/or for a ‘ball’! Think about it; how many sporting activities require some form of a spherical object, a.k.a. ‘ball’; be it baseball, tennis, basketball, .lacrosse, golf, football, to name a few. We could add table tennis, volleyball and more. Could it be related to the fact that we live on a spherical planet? But I digress.
Besides that particular curiosity, my question is; “what is it about sporting competition that commands so much time and attention?” True; entertainment is a normal, even necessary, part of human life, a divergence from daily routines.
But does that fully explain the attraction to sports activities and competitions? I believe the underlying motivation is more basic, namely our psychological need for reality! What do I mean by that.?
We live in a world that could arguably be described as less than real, even ‘unreality!’ A world where truth and honesty are conspicuously lacking in politics, in religion, and in commercial enterprise. And that doesn’t even include movies, tv series and the like.In other words basic components of human society today are arguably ‘fictional’ in nature. Think about it; when was the last time you fully believed a politician, a clergyman, or the endless on-slot of commercial promotions? Indeed this world’s false reality may well explain why there are so many suicides.?
And now we have a new player on the block; AI, with even greater potential for creating such ‘unrealitiy’!
My point here is, Ironically; considering the facts, perhaps sports is a true blessings of reality from society today!
If you agree please indicate with a upvote. Thanks.
It won’t please recruiters, but I cannot recommend joining the Royal Canadian Navy. As a 5 year recruit from Vancouver it had seemed like a good escape from teenage reality. Although I had held down a couple of jobs in Vancouver, the future just wasn’t bright. So at 17 I joined the RCN and travelled to their Cornwallis Nova Scotia boot camp
Boot camp did challenge my youthful spirit, and a subsequent posting to the navy frigate Lauzon was exciting. However my ‘Oiler’ designation was not.
So going through the necessary command structure I requested a change to ‘Radar Plotter’. It required a several week course ashore, which I topped. Then followed a 20 month draft assignment to HMCS Athabascan, a so-called ‘greyhound of the fleet’ veteran of the Korean war, followed by a similar period on the Quinte, a coastal Mine Sweeper.
Although there were some highlights, viewing amazing stars at sea is beyond imagination, a sea full of porpoises from horizon to horizon, and sweeping instant storms. For me there were some personal benefits, such as learning and accepting discipline, and visiting a few ports in Europe and the East Coast of the US. And of course I was singularly fortunate not to have been involved in wartime conditions during all 5 years.
However negatives included fending off homosexual predators, and vicious street gangs, at many, if not all, ports I visited, and that was in the 70’s. So I can only imagine today’s conditions.
Based on my own experience, all I can say is I believe there are much better paths for a youth to take than joining the RCN, please choose wisely!
It was 1982 I think. We were living in a modernized log cabin in Rock Creek. Located halfway across B.C. close to the US border crossing at Midway. It was an 8+ acre property backing on the Kettle river, last pristine one in BC some said.
I had little or no experience as a farming type but was hoping to become self-reliant, much like the hippy movement preceding that time. So when my acreage grew a fairly profitable crop of hay, I hired a neighbor with a machine to bail it for a shared percentage. Then, with the help of a visiting friend, we stacked the hay in anticipation of sales.
Some hay did sell, but a fair amount remained unsold. Noticing a large old International 4×4 pickup truck for sale along the highway one day, I offered to swap hay for the truck, partly because hay was difficult to keep. Surprisingly we made a trade; the beginning of another real life adventure for me.
My oldest daughter had secured a job eight miles away in Midway, so it occurred to me I should trade that unused behemoth for something she could use for transportation to work.
So one cold clear winter day I struck out on a back road, (Highway 33 Kelowna to Rock Creek *) and soon realized that heavy old beast, likely with age-hardened tires, was completely unstable on that icy winter road! While transiting an elevated section at slow speed, it began to spin uncontrollably! With no way to stop it, I bailed out and helplessly watched, spell bound, as it slid off the road, almost in slow motion, thundered down a 25′ bank and came to a stop with a loud bang, slamming onto a large bolder!
That was just the beginning! First I tried to restart, but ironically the ignition key broke off! At that point I thought this was definitely not my day and the truck would be a write off. Not to mention traffic on that back road was few and far between in those days. Also day’s were short with temperatures below zero at that time of year. But surprisingly a tanker truck came by before long. Driver seeing the situation stopped, gratefully I related my plight including the broken key. (This is where the story becomes truly miraculous! )
Without a word of a lie, that tanker truck driver handed me a ring full of keys he said he had no more use for, and astonishing, one of the keys on that ring worked in my vehicle’s ignition, which started right up! However being wedged up on that large rock it would not move. The driver had waited, so I climbed aboard, only slightly optimistically of finding more help somewhere down the road.
Now several miles further along there was a rare off-road dwelling came into view, so I riskily offloaded in hopes of obtaining ‘any’ help. To my utter amazement the self-reliant owner offered exactly what I needed, namely a heavy solid steel pole not less than 6′ long and 2″ diameter! (I have no idea what its intended purpose was.)
Almost as miraculous as the ignition I soon thumbed a ride back to the truck with that large steel pole in a small, convertible Triumph sports car, with the top down! Indeed the top had to be down to accommodate that large steel pole. The driver was disregarding low temperatures, while enjoying a crystal blue daylight winter sky.
Returning to the crash site, I was soon able to leverage that old bullet proof truck off the bolder with the steel pole,* * started it up, and crawled parallel to the road until able to climb back onto it! I know this all must sound unbelievable, but I swear it is the truth. And there’s even more to this story!
To return the steel pole, I drove the several miles and pulled off in the lenders driveway. At that very moment there was a loud bang under the hood! Battery damage when the truck hit the rock cracked it open and caused it to explode, spraying battery acid all over the engine compartment! It instantly occurred to me that if that battery had exploded earlier, I would once again have been stranded!
At that point I thought my good fortune must surely have run its course, but wait.. On hearing my plight the generous homesteader told my to ‘go down to his basement and take any one of his spare batteries being kept on chargers’!!
Needless to say I was dumbfounded by all this unexpected help. In conclusion; I made it to Kelowna right at sundown and stayed overnight in a motel. The very next day I was able to substitute that old beast of a truck for a reliable old Mazda! (In fact that is yet another surprising story!) That car served my daughter well for transportation to her job in Midway.
* Hwy 33, Rock Creek to Kelowna, is now ‘greatly improved’ road.
** “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
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