Lost and Found

LOST & FOUND


I recently received an e-mail from someone who contacted me by way of a Google search! Truth be told, I was not the person they had been searching for, but rather, it was their friends, whom they had lost contact with over many years.

The text of the e-mail I received tells the story best:

“I Googled John & Jane Doe (names changed) because a bunch of us have lost touch with them. We would very much like to reconnect and noticed that they wrote a nice testimonial on your behalf. Is there any way that you could get in touch with them and let them know that the "Gang" has been thinking about them and wanting to know how they're doing. It would be much appreciated.”

I forwarded the e-mail to the client who had written a wonderful testimonial on my behalf for having assisted with their various real estate needs in the past. The client was extremely delighted to be put back in touch with their long-lost friends and immediately responded to the outreach!

Again, we witness the beauty of the Internet – friends lost & found!

Sunrises and Sunsets over Narragansett Bay

Some prefer sunrises as they evoke the start of a new day and all the possibilities this brings. Being more of a night owl than an earlier riser, I prefer sunsets.

For me, a spectacular sunset can be the highlight of my whole day. I like to think of a sunset as God’s spectacular light show celebrating the end of a day and giving one time to enjoy the beauty of this natural phenomenon as well as reflect on one’s day. A friend recently asked me where I saw my favourite sunset. It’s a tie between two sunsets of the many I vividly recall.

One being a spectacular sunset I experienced whilst sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. After a wonderful day sailing in moderate winds and filled with warming sunshine, we sat at the bow of the yacht and watched the sun disappear on the horizon. As we out in the middle of the ocean with absolutely nothing around us except miles and miles of ocean, the entire horizon was illuminated with oranges, yellows, and reds. We actually clapped when the sunset show was over!

My other all time favourite sunset was this summer at Castle Hill Inn with friends from Connecticut, England, and Germany. I had proudly hosted my guests and showed them some of the highlights of our little slice of heaven all day. We were tired and sought a place to relax and enjoy the end of the day. We went to Castle Hill Inn and enjoyed a fabulous sunset over Narragansett Bay whilst sipping cocktails from our comfortable Adirondack chairs on the lawn.

If you want the luxury of watching the sunset over Narragansett Bay from your home, consider Puesta del Sol – which means sunset in Spanish – at the exclusive Carnegie Abbey Club. This custom designed home offers a gallery-style great room anchored by the two-story stone fireplace.

The cathedral ceilings provide a wealth of openness and light throughout the home. Facing west, you could enjoy endless glorious sunsets!

Alternatively if you want to create your own dream home to watch the sunset over the Bay, there is a west facing lot of vacant land on Seashore Drive in Jamestown where you could build your ideal home complete with a dock to moor your yacht. Sound appealing?

Where are some of your favourite places to watch the sunset?

The contrarian

I have been in the real estate business for almost 20 years. I first got started in the early 90's when the economy was extremely difficult and it could take years to sell a house or more! At that time in the State of RI all accounts in the credit unions were frozen and people could not get access to their funds, period. Nothing happened in this state for almost 2 years. Although the current situation is certainly not positive we can at least get what ever money we have when we want it. Additionally, mortage rates are still very attractive, 30 year fixed rate mortgages are under 6%. That is incredible. I know it is hard to believe but there are still mortgage companies and financial instiutions out there that want to loan money!

We also have sellers who are very realisitic for the first time in over a decade. Realistic doesn't necesarily mean that it is given away but it is priced where it should be and is a good value. We also still have some people who have money. I know we never hear anything but panic but I tried to get a hotel at Disney World for a small vacation in the Spring and they are all booked solid! If things are so bad where are these people coming from and how do they make any money seeing that we are all on the verge of financial ruin, or that is what the media would like us to believe!

One of my biggest harbringers of a turn around is that every media outlet, loud talk show host on the varous cable financial stations and morning show host is telling us not to buy real estate. When the Today show tells you not to buy that is the best signal ever to start looking. When they tell you it is time to buy it is too late and the market has already moved significantly and you are overpaying, why, because the savy buyer was out when everyone else was told to run away and started the momentum! It is time to stop listening to all the so called experts and take it for what it is, there is value out there now and it is a great time, if your finances permit, to look for the dream house!

Veni, Vidi, Vici

I had the luxury of studying Latin for three years. It was a wonderful experience, very
rich and deep. I loved reading and translating the Illyiad and the Odyssey. It lead to discussions about the Roman and Greek gods and mythology. And is still an unparalleled primer for vocabulary.


Bits of Latin knowledge still pop up here and there – I was at the Wickford Town Beach last summer and a Mom said to her tot, “Come on, Romulus, get in the car!” OK. This is great, I thought. Remus was not too far behind, I’m sure. I gave her a wink. She either thought I was a psycho or she knew I was on board with her thought process.
And translating is really fun – All roads lead to Rome, Ecce Homo, all of Oedipus Rex.

Does anyone else ever lament. Wafna! Wafna! That’s the chorus in the Greek tragedy, Carmina Burana. And in Oedipus Rex. Also, a ballet, I think, I saw at PPAC. Where do you go for a support group of Latin groupies like me????

Do kids still study Latin? I know my own children were not offered Latin as an option. If it is not offered in schools, I wonder why not? It is the most wonderful learning tool ever. If I have a say as to what my tax dollars are spent on, let it be more studies of the ancient Romance languages and the antiquities.

Some would say that Latin is a ‘dead’ language. I disagree! All the Romance languages have their roots in those lovely Latin words. And the gods and goddesses who are so well-represented and involved in the literature still have messages and morals for us to take to heart today.


Everything uttered in Latin takes on a serious and somber tone, even pithy sayings and put-downs. Ipso facto. Nullo modo. Raptus regaliter.

It is funny and sad at the same time to me that this well-known Latin phrase (veni, vidi, vici) that Julius Caesar supposedly sent as a message to his Senate about his latest conquest, is now the website for video game aficionados!

And, if there is an adult group of Latin lovers out there, or people who read and discuss mythology, please let me know. I love Latin. And I am not talking about Salsa dancing. (although that is fun, too!)

PS. Buy the books, Silly Latin or Latin for All Occasions by Henry Beard. If you like words and language, you’ll love these books.