Life Lessons My Dad Taught Me Growing Up
One of my favorite topics is “Chubby Rules,” the life lessons my dad taught me growing up. My father’s real name was Harold Hague, but everyone called him Chubby. Like me, he was plump as a kid. (I weighed 220 pounds at 12. The culprit? Eating 5-6 donuts after school each day.) This week, I […]
Handling Bullies and Lessons Learned
Dealing with bullies is tough. I was bullied growing up. The culprit was Billy, a kid in my class. Since then I have learned a valuable lesson. The real villains aren’t in your face Billies, they are backdoor bullies. What bullies do As a kid I dreaded school. I knew Billy Rogers would be waiting for me […]
World’s Best Car Buying Tips
I’ve compiled the world’s best car buying tips to save you money. Although I’m a real estate guy, I’ve purchased a lot of cars over the years. I’ve learned some valuable lessons on how to minimize losses. Since I was a teenager, my favorite car has been the Porsche 911. In 1978, when I bought my […]
Real Estate Industry Gone Astray
I love the real estate industry, but it has gone astray and continues to go that way. The result has been a labyrinth of rules and misguided priorities that make it harder for me to sell homes and protect my clients. I’m not afraid to criticize when I believe it’s due, particularly when it could start […]
Signs You’ve Found the Right Person
Finding the right person for you is no easy task. This is a true story about my friend, Lise Johnson. I wrote it in her voice because it’s personal (and powerful). What makes someone the right person? My mother became terminally ill. Naturally, it was a shock to the family, especially my dad. The road to the […]
3 Ways to Influence Thoughts of Others
Want to better understand and influence the thoughts of others? This week I am sharing three proven ways to get into others’ minds. What are three ways to influence the thoughts of others? In the bestselling book, Thinking Fast and Slow, author Daniel Kahneman, explains prime association and the halo effect. Famous psychologist Solomon Asch did an […]
Know Your Home Seller Rights
Knowing your home seller rights is important. Suppose you sign a contract to sell your home. Then you spend $5,000 doing repairs as requested by the buyer. Of course, you have your home professionally cleaned to give the buyer a pleasant move-in experience. All is good until out of the blue, just before closing, the buyer requests a two-week […]
Best Grief and Sadness Advice
Giving advice for grief and sadness is not something I normally do. I am naturally happy, rarely sad. I wake up that way, and I realize it’s a blessing. But a few days ago, I was sad. I learned that a dear friend lost her father. In honor of my friend and her remarkable dad, I decided to share […]
Best Way to Face Difficult Challenges
The best way to face difficult challenges in life can be gleaned from two of my favorite age-old stories. I rewrote them as inspiration for 2019. A challenging situation In a small Italian town, two hundred years ago, a reputable merchant owed a loan-shark a huge sum of money. Because of the exorbitant interest rate, the […]
Kill the Bear
Kill the bear is a line from one of my favorite movies, The Edge. Billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins), and fashion photographer, Bob Green (Alec Baldwin), endure a harrowing quest for survival in the treacherous Alaskan wilderness. What leads to kill the bear? While staying at a remote backcountry lodge accessible only by seaplane, Morse and Green decide to fly upriver […]