Aaron Arrington

2012 "No Regrets"

2011-12-26T16:57:00.001-07:00

As we come to the end of yet another good year in America, I can't help but sit down and write a little bit about how I feel about this upcoming year. It's time to put aside whatever ales you, it's time to do whatever you want to do, it's time to stop doing whatever you shouldn't be doing, it's time to take the proper risks, it's time to not take so many risks, it's time to work harder, it's time to play harder, it's time to get smarter, it's time to do something on your bucket list (even if you aren't in your last days), it's time to take that vacation you've always wanted, it's time to be with the ones you love, it's time to make new friends, it's time to repent, it's time to make up with old friends, it's time to cure any bad feelings, it's time to fix any bad relationships, it's time go to church, it's time to live right, it's time to live freely, it's time to look around and realize you are lucky, it's time to enjoy this GREAT Nation, it's time to just enjoy yourself and others, it's time to relax more, it's time to make time for anyone that means something to you, it's time to continue old traditions with passion and create new ones with energy, it's time to do whatever it is you enjoyed doing this year but do it better and with more people, it's time to do whatever you didn't get done this year but should have, it's time to get up and at it, IT'S TIME TO GET UP AND GET IT DONE!!!

We live in such a great Nation with so many great people, so many great things to do, and just so much opportunity. It's time we take FULL advantage of everything and everyone around us. As we come into a New Year, please help me make this the year of NO REGRETS! Do something real special this year and make a difference in your own life and anyone that is lucky enough to pass by you at any given time. Replace anything bad in your life with 2 things that are good and just smile more. If you catch yourself NOT smiling, stop, take a minute, then SMILE and make sure others around you are smiling as well.

I hope good things for all the people in my life and anyone that I pass by at one point in 2012 including myself, my wife and kids, my 2 brothers, my 2 sisters, my mom and dad and all of their families and all of my wife's families. I hope good things for my clients, my friends, my co-workers, and my neighbors, and my extended family.

May God bless each of you and may God continue to bless this great Nation!!!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-13T09:50:00.005-07:00

I love this time of year, I mean who doesn't? The lights are up, the tree is up, the decorations are up, the snow is falling, the music is playing, the food is cooking, the treats are baking, the smells are in the air (the good smells), and the traditions are all around us. I've mentioned this before but Christmas is not just a destination holiday. The true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ and the opportunity that was laid out for us, but Christmas is also about spending time with family, doing the yearly traditions of old and of new, and just having a different feeling in the air than the other 11 months of the year.

Christmas is 12 days away so let the 12 days of Christmas begin. Do something each day whether big or small for Christmas. Some of the things my family will do during this period consist of:

Watching Polar Express
Walking through Temple Square in downtown SLC
Driving through neighborhoods looking at lights
Driving through the lights at Thanksgiving Point
Buying a gift for someone on the giving tree at University Mall
Making cookies for ourselves and our neighbors
Watching football (this is just a given)
On 12/23 is when we go to the mall and all pick out our new Christmas shoes as a family
And of course spending time with friends & family including my daughter Brooklyn's birthday today.

Whatever you do and whoever it's with, have a very Merry Christmas and be safe out there!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

When it's OK to stereotype...

2011-12-03T11:43:00.001-07:00

When most people think of that word it's usually in a negative context, but I think it can mean something different. I think it's time we think of it wisely when we go about our day-to-day lives. Let's think about the top 5 people you hang around with the most and think of many examples that are both good and bad:

If those 5 people drink alcohol, you just may drink as well
If those 5 people are religious, you just may be religious as well
If those 5 people are smokers, you just may start as well
If those 5 people play golf, you just may learn as well
If those 5 people are on unemployment, you just may become unemployed as well
If those 5 people watch sports, you just may start watching with them
If those 5 people are wealthy, you just may become wealthy yourself
If those 5 people rob a bank, you just may become an accomplice
If those 5 people have a positive outlook, you just may be optimistic
If those 5 people talk negatively, you just may be pessimistic
If those 5 people are gaining weight, you just may gain weight
If those 5 people stay in shape, you just may as well
If those 5 people do good, you will most likely do some good
If those 5 people do bad, you will most likely do some bad

The point is, we could go on all day with examples of what people all around us are doing every single day. It's time that we really sit back and analyze our own personal goals, then the goals of our family and then the goals of the top 5 people we spend time with and make sure they are in line. This doesn't mean we can't be friendly to everyone, it doesn't mean we put people down, it only means we get right with ourselves and lead the life we want to live and more importantly make sure our kids are choosing their top 5 wisely because everyone knows somebody that got caught with 5 people that may have led them astray at least once in their life.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

December Randomness

2011-12-01T10:56:00.001-07:00

Happy December. Let’s talk about a bunch of randomness that is happening here in Utah and the US. There is a lot of good happening all around.
The NFL is going strong heading into the final month of the season and should be a great finish.
The NBA is finally almost back and ready to get started on Christmas day for a shortened season. Now whether or not you are mad at the players and owners, we have to get out and support them for the people and businesses working in and around the arena that we care about.
The DOW is above 12,000 and providing plenty of opportunity to make money.
Utah remains as one of the best States in America to own and do business.
Interest rates on auto and home loans are still at RECORD lows and providing a tremendous opportunity for everyone to capitalize one way or another.
New roads are being completed in Utah and freeway construction is heading towards being completed in the next 12 months as new lanes open monthly.
Downtown Provo and Salt Lake City both prepare for new upgrades to be completed to make for positive growth throughout Utah and Salt Lake County.
The Christmas season is here and there are plenty of new and old traditions to plan and schedule. Temple square in SLC is lit up as usual with up to 75,000 lights on each tree.
Ski resorts are opening and ready to roll. St George is not open for skiing but always there for a slightly less-cold golf game in December if the need arises.
And of course homes are selling every day in Utah and sellers are moving on and buyers are moving in.
Whatever you do, wherever you live, it’s a great time to be an American and have so much opportunity!!!

Thanks for reading!
Aaron

Stop the madness!!!

2011-11-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

As we come into the last 2 months of the year, it's very common for all of us to have our list of items that we will do January 1st. Whoever you are, wherever you live, you already have items on this "not now but later" list of things you WILL do. Here are some examples that you may already have:

I am going to start working out regularly
I am going on a diet
I am going to be more involved in church
I am going to start a better work schedule
I am going to stop any of my bad habits
I am going to start new better habits
I am going to have more fun
I am going to spend more time doing...
I am going to...

You may have one or several of those on your list and maybe even several items that aren't on the list, but whatever it is, it's time to STOP THE MADNESS!!!

I have a challenge to myself, and each of you that read this, to write down your so called "wait til later" list and DO THEM NOW and not push them off until 2 months from now. If you think about it, who wouldn't want to be happier, healthier, richer, more blessed, etc 2 months earlier?

Winning and success are not things that we practice, it's the time and effort on task that lead to winning & success that we should focus on!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Where is our focus?

2011-11-03T10:14:00.000-06:00

It seems like an entire generation has lost or is losing it's focus. And at times I feel myself being a part of it. Instead of looking for ways to work harder and smarter and making more money, we are spending our time looking for ways to save and spend less money. By doing this, we only make things worse for ourselves, our communities, and our Country overall.
What we should be doing is this:

Finding a job or career that we enjoy and be the very best at it. This can be anything that serves a purpose for the people and generates income for ourselves. Then we take part of our income and look for ways for that to make money on its own such as real estate investing, stock investing, small business, storage sheds, gold, currency, life insurance, long term savings, IRA, etc. Then if we still have a need we find another source of income. Financial experts would advise us to have 6 sources of income (which doesn't always mean we work 100 hours per week). Doing whatever it takes to provide for ourselves, our families and the people around us by investing in others.

Now that is what we should be doing but in reality, the new America is getting lazy. Instead of what I mentioned above, this is what we see these days:

These days people are looking for NO sources of income and 6 ways to save. Coupons, Groupons, EXTREME couponing, more discounts, cheaper and cheaper. Unemployment is becoming a COOL thing to do and finding ways to get things for free has become a way of life. Our ancestors would get our of their grave, and smack us 3 times in the face if they saw what we were doing to their great Nation. Instead of working for the money and spending the money to keep the economy rolling, we are filing for unemployed, living off of our neighbors, then spending hours upon hours searching for coupons and other popular ways to get more free stuff from our neighbors so we can sit at home and provide a service to NOBODY.

So what does this all mean, it means instead of making money, spending money, providing a service to our Nation and it's people; we are sitting at home, collecting unemployment, and spending time that we should be working looking for ways to save the money that we don't have because we aren't working. STOP IT!!!

Get up, get going, and make a difference in a POSITIVE WAY!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Happy November!

2011-11-02T15:08:00.002-06:00

Let’s talk about HOLIDAYS and the entire holiday season. What is so special about the last 3 months of the year? Is it the candy on Halloween? Is it the extra pounds gained on Thanksgiving Day? Is it the extra present received on Christmas Day? I think it’s probably NONE of these things. So what is it?

à It’s the traditions of parties, gatherings, events, people, and time spent with people we love.

à It’s the anticipation of what the future holds.

à It’s the memories of the past and the future memories yet to be created.

à It’s the smell of the candles burning and the food cooking.

à It’s the time spent in the kitchen preparing the meals and the treats for your family & your friends.

à It’s the joy we see in our children eyes!

à It’s the time off work that we spend with our family and friends.

à It’s the annual football games both on TV and in person.

à It’s the scary movies on Halloween, and the favorite Christmas movies.

The list could go on and on but the point is, there are a lot of great things that make this time of year special and I enjoy every bit of it. Halloween has come and gone and what a great time it was. Now it’s time to dig in to the outside Christmas gear and make sure the pieces are still there and working. November is the time to get to your favorite Christmas store and add to that outdoor collection and make sure you give your family and others something great to see each night throughout the season. May God bless each of you and may you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

What could NO NBA mean to SLC?

2011-10-05T13:20:00.003-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY will need your help!!! You may or may not know that the NBA and the Utah Jazz are in a lockout and we may be in danger of not having a NBA season. But that means a lot more than 10 guys not playing a game.

What does it actually mean?

It means that an entire arena in downtown SLC that is built to hold large gatherings at 41 Jazz season games, plus 5-10 preseason games and 5-15 playoff games, will sit empty for up to 60 nights of the year when it would be FULL.
It means that local businesses including restaurants, shopping outlets, TRAX, and more are losing a HUGE part of their business that they have come to depend on.
It means not only the players, coaches and staff are out of work, but all of the vendors and employees that work at Energy Solutions Arena are also affected deeply.
It means that some of those great traditions that we count on each year when we attend Jazz games with family and friends will be missing.
It means a lot to our Utah community and it means a lot to me and if we are in a situation where we do miss an entire year, most of us will be affected one way or another.

I know it’s only basketball but to some it’s more than that. It’s competition, it’s tradition, it’s income and livelihood, and it’s just overall FUN! So please pay attention to this moving forward and if we do miss the season, please try to make an effort to still visit the downtown SLC area over the next 6 months and enjoy all that is there and do your small part to help the local economy!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Aaron

What does the Movie "HOME ALONE" really mean?

2011-08-20T09:41:00.000-06:00

It seems like there are a few movies that come on TV often that keep you watching every time they come on and you tune in. Home Alone is one of those movies for me. What does that movie mean to you and really represent. Of course he could have just called 911 and the cops could have come and picked him up and the movie would be over. But I'm glad he didn't because here is what I get from the movie:

As the family in the beginning we should be sure to give attention to each of those around us, especially when they need it the most.
As Kevin we should never wish to be on our own and assure that we truly do appreciate those in our lives.
My favorite quote from the entire movie is after he stops hiding under the covers and realizes it's not that bad and he says "I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE!" How powerful are those four words. How many trials, difficulties, and situations have we been in where those 4 words could really come in handy. As a real estate agent I get to talk to many people and of course I get to hear the good the bad and the ugly from each of them. Like I tell my wife every time something doesn't look so good, as long as we are still living in this Country and breathing then we still have a chance.
And the final thing I want to discuss is the importance of having a plan and sticking to it. It's silly I know but Kevin rolled out his house plans with each booby trap laid out perfectly. Without this plan and the focus of sticking with it, he surely would have failed.

Now my challenge to you is to take a second and watch the simple show soon and really think about what it means to you! Take some time to really appreciate those around us and take a look at whatever ales you and say to yourself "I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE!" Remember that if we have a plan and stay focused and another new day ahead, we can and will accomplish great things!

Thanks for reading!!!

Aaron

I'd Rather Be...

2011-06-03T08:28:00.000-06:00

How many of you have seen these 3 words either on a license plate cover or anywhere else? How many of you actually have one of these covers or have said the words? I'm going to guess that at some point each of you have THOUGHT those 3 words. Now let's take a deeper look at the 3 simple words and see how sad they can truly be.
At first glance they mean that you would rather be doing something else instead of what you are currently doing. Now it's most cases it's something like "I'd rather be golfing or I'd rather be fishing or I'd rather be shopping or I'd rather be at the beach". Those are ones you see a lot. My one question every time I see that is "why aren't you?" If you really would RATHER be doing something else than you SHOULD do doing it. Why wait? Now your probably thinking "we can't just fish or golf or be at the beach or shop all day!" Again my answer is "Sure you can" Here's how:

You are retired and these are the things you do each and every day
You have PASSIVE income that allows you to do these things every day
You work different hours which allows you to do these things every day
You actually work as a fisherman or around boats and the lake or you work as a golfer or at the course or around the course you move to the beach and or work nearby and yes there are jobs that require you to shop all day

My point is that there are ways to do whatever it is that you would RATHER be doing. Now let's take it a step further. How many of you would RATHER be working a different job? How many of you would RATHER be living in a different home? How many of you would RATHER be living in a different city or state or Country for that matter? How many of you wish you had a hobby? How many of you wish you had or did something RATHER than what you have or do? How many of you would RATHER not be reading this?

Let's break the spell or the curse or the trap and DO whatever it is you would RATHER be doing. Do not wait until it's too late or your too old or some other reason (excuse) catches up to you. Today I'd rather sell real estate in the morning and play golf all afternoon so that is what I will do!

Again I challenge each of you to catch yourself the next time you say or think or hear someone say "I'd Rather Be..." and find a way to DO IT!!!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

What do you want your life to look like...

2011-06-01T15:18:00.000-06:00

Let’s talk about YOU and what you want YOUR life to look like. Let’s start by looking at college and picking a major. Now it’s fair to say that it happens a LOT where students will change their major throughout 4 years of college at least once. It’s also fair to say that it’s ok to do that because things change and that’s ok. But what I want to point out is what happens by doing that. Let’s take me for example, when I started college at Utah Valley in Orem I came in as a Communication major heading into sports reporting and broadcasting. That lasted about 1 to 2 semesters and things changed. By the end of my 2nd year I decided for sure that it would be Business with an emphasis on Marketing. Now I was able to spend the rest of my 4 years there focusing on just Business and Marketing and dialing it in. Now what I missed was the ability to work the full 4 years towards that and the ability to add extra FREE classes with business and marketing only. And what I mean by FREE is any credits between 12 and 18 cost the same so during those semesters I was taking general education classes with 12 credits, I could have stacked on 2 more marketing classes at NO charge and taken much more advantage of my time and got a much better jump on my last 2 years. Now taking this one step further, I did receive my Bachelor’s in Marketing in 2003 but did not start selling real estate until February 2008. Not had I taken more time to look at real estate back then, I could have added just 2 classes during my time at UVU and been licensed to do real estate when school ended.

Now the whole point of this long story is; we need to all sit back and really look at what we want to do and what we want our lives to look like because the longer we just coast on cruise control, the longer it will take us to get exactly to where we really would like to be.

Now of course here comes my challenge to anyone who reads this, please take some time by yourself and then with your spouse and people around you and REALLY think about what you want your life to look like 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years down the road, then start TODAY on making that happen. No more coasting, no more studying the wrong classes, no more wasting time living someone else's life!

LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST, IF YOU DON’T STOP AND LOOK AROUND ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU JUST MAY MISS IT!!!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Having a baby these days....

2011-05-18T17:40:00.000-06:00

I still believe there is NOTHING that compares to having children of your own. But this blog is about the process we have gone through the first week of my new baby's life. What a deal!!! If this wasn't my 3rd kid, I wouldn't know what to think. Here's why:

Throughout the pregnancy we saw a group of doctors instead of just one and never knew if we would see the same one twice. They do this in case your doctor is not available when labor begins and they don't want a stranger to take his place. Well let me fill you in on a secret, when you see 9 different doctors in nine months, they all remain strangers in all reality. So none of them really knew our full story all of the time. I swear to you the doctors office asked my wife at 8 months if she was pregnant. Where's the relationship?
Then during the hospital stay, you see a different nurse every day and night that is taken care of the mom and a whole different group of nurses taking care of the baby. Again, you are lucky if you see the same one twice during your stay. And the interesting thing is, they all say WELL this is how I do it??? So again I ask you, where is the relationship and which of you really knows the right way and which of you remember my wife's name or the baby's name?
Then you have another group of doctors that work for the Pediatric group that are in charge of checking on the baby after birth and making sure she is well on her way to getting out soon and healthy. Again they are all strangers, they are all unique and they all say WELL this is how I do it??? Come on man! Can't I just have one doctor!!! One says yeah take her home, the next one says WHOA not yet. The one says don't use feeding tube and the next one says that is a must. Again if I were 19 and a single mother, I could have gone crazy by now.
Then they have scare tactics. Do you have a car seat? Do you have a car to put it in? Are you sick? Have you ever been sick? Do you ever want to be sick? Have you ever known anyone that was sick? Where do you live? Is anyone there sick? Do you beat kids? Have you heard of SIDS and RSV and Shaken baby, and ESPN and a bunch of other things? Then they make you watch 2 videos, then they test your car seat, then it never ends.
I am very very interested in making sure my baby girl is healthy and being taken care of but the whole process these days is a bit much. My 2nd baby girl was in there for 12 hours and home and hasn't looked back once. But we may have been lucky so far!!!

I'm not complaining, I'm not not being appreciative for the men and women that we have worked with, what I'm really saying is I want to find a good doctor and stick with him so he knows my family like his own and I don't have to tell him each time what my name is.....

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Always forward thinking....

2011-05-06T12:59:00.000-06:00

Every time I drive by an old Hollywood video building and see them taking down the signs and painting over the purple designs, I can't help but think of where they went wrong. I'm not sure if they had a separate R&D department and/or what they were paying these people but IT wasn't enough. It's hard to believe that this well-known movie company along with Block Buster video could not see Red Box coming. How could they not have known how big nightly rental boxes would be? Why didn't they know that people would rather pay $1 per night and have the option to keep it several nights at a dollar per night, VERSUS paying $5 for five nights even if you only wanted it one night. I give them a little credit because they did start to give money back if you brought back early but it wasn't enough.

Imagine if they would have went the RED BOX route sooner, with the name and customer base they already had, they would have KILLED it and not made room for a company like Red Box to come in and virtually shut them down. It's just AMAZING and SAD at the same time. This is the best example we've seen in a long time about what a lack of forward thinking can do for an entire corporation.

Now I take this same example and apply it to my own life and my own business. What should I be doing daily to reflect on the past, take care of the present, and prepare for the future? What can I do to avoid being outdated and out of business just like Hollywood and Blockbuster? How can I stay focused on research and development and forward thinking?

Take some time to look at your own personal and business lives and make sure you are always thinking forward because where we will be in 5 years from now is exactly where we intend to be!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Saving By Spending?

2011-04-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

This is taken from my April newsletter www.MyUtahMarket.com

Let’s talk a minute about this phenomenon of saving money by spending it. It happens every day to many of us and people we know. It’s this theory of believing that somehow we are ACTUALLY saving money by spending more than we need to.

Let’s start with a restaurant like Arby’s and their ever-so-popular 5 for $5. Now they almost make it impossible for a single individual to come in to their store without spending at least five dollars. Let’s say someone like me normally goes there and order one Arby’s melt and one small shake. We are looking around $4.00 for lunch and I’m on my way. BUT WAIT! Now they have the 5 for $5 which means for just $1 more, I can get 3 more items. So hear comes the save by spend mindset, and naturally I spend the extra dollar and get 3 more items.
Now let’s take a look at the 2 things that happened here. First, they got me to order way too much food that I will be tempted to eat, because I threw in some fries, maybe another sandwich, and maybe a drink. Now instead of getting out of there with a few hundred calorie lunch, I’m loaded with a few thousand calorie lunch. Second, they just got me to spend 25% MORE money than I needed to or originally planned to. Yes I said 25% because instead of $4 I spent $5 and gave them 25% more money than I planned. GENIUS for them, NOT-SO-GOOD for me.

Now you may be thinking that $1.00 is no big deal but think of the high percentage of money that is overspent every day and it really adds up.

Now let’s look at the daily ads that come to our mailbox. Save $1.00 off green olives, Save 15% off spray tans when you buy 10, save $50 when you get your oil changed twice, save save save by spending spending spending. So sure enough, we get the ads and naturally we think, honey I’m going to the store to save money. STOP!!!!

It is physically impossible to SAVE money by spending. It just doesn’t make sense. We must be smarter and realize that the ONLY time we are actually saving money, is if we put it in some form of savings plan.

I love money and I know many options of savings plans so please call me today and let’s sit down and talk about what options are out there to actually start SAVING!

Thanks for reading!
Aaron

What seperates us....

2011-02-24T22:55:00.003-07:00

As I spent the afternoon in Hollywood near the Kodak Theater, Capitol Records, and Beverly Hills, I thought to myself "what is it that separates these people from ordinary people like you and me?" I even had a chance to walk down the red carpet while they were setting up for the Academy Awards this weekend, and as I did that and looked around, again I thought "what makes these people special and what did they do to get to this point?" I even had dinner at he ever-so-famous Hard Rock Cafe. And as I looked around at the memorabilia on the wall, I thought "how does someone get to this point?"

I've been thinking ever since and have decided so far that each of them did one or many of the following:

They recognized a talent inside and took advantage!

They took a risk and it paid off!

They put themselves in a position to be recognized by others!

They put in a lot of hard work!

They put in the time and effort!

They were lucky!

They got an opportunity and took full advantage!

They had a dream!

They made goals and didn't stop until they got there!

Now how does this relate to us? We may not be on the red carpet and we may not win an Academy Award, but we CAN ACCOMPLISH BIG THINGS!!! So here is what we need to do to make big things happen for us in order: analyze our talents, have a dream, set some goals, put in the time, effort, and hard work, put yourself in a position to be noticed, take the risk, and take full advantage when the opportunity comes along.

If we do these things, we too can accomplish great things and too BE GREAT!!!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

What are the effects???

2011-02-10T10:33:00.002-07:00

As we all know, everything that happens and everything we do, comes with some kind of effect either large or small. Some effects are more obvious and easier to identify, but it could be the smaller less obvious effects that we should be concerned with. Let's look at some of the causes and effects:

If you eat too much.....you get fat!
If you smoke tobacco....you get lung cancer along with many other things!
If you drink alcohol....you get liver disease!
If you gamble....you get broke!
If you read....you get book smart!
If you work....you get money!
If you attend church and live worthy...you get blessings!
If you be nice to all people....people will be nice to you!
If you exercise....you get in shape!
If you lift weights....you get muscle!

I know those are obvious but after talking to a friend of mine yesterday about the effects some runners feel after a lifetime of long distance running, it makes you sit and think about the effects of what we are doing. He mentioned that it's not uncommon for long distance runners to have Parkinson's and/or brain shake because of the many years of pounding the pavement with your feet causing the brain to shift and move.

So I challenge us all to look at the events we do each and every day and try to brainstorm some of the short-term and long-term effects that will surely follow. Think of this as investment; there are short term, long term, low risk, high risk investments and each one comes with risks and rewards. What are the risks and rewards that come with the decisions, habits, routines, and daily occurrences that we are doing?

Something to think about. Thanks for reading!

Aaron

High School Skinny.....

2011-02-01T16:44:00.002-07:00

Have you heard any say the term "high school skinny" or mention they wish they looked like they did in high school, or maybe even heard them say they wish they had the energy the did in High School. Well I have and I think we can do something about it and STOP wishing. I may cuss in this blog at least once because I'm fairly passionate about this post.

Let's think about some of the differences between then and now. Of course I do know the human body changes as we get older but there are plenty of excuses many of us are using that have nothing to do with time and age. Let's think about your life back then VS. now. In High school you ate breakfast before school, you ate lunch during lunch period because that is when you had the time, and you ate dinner early because you were burning through your food quicker because you were more active. What you ate was different as well. You either ate school lunch or your ate a quick sandwich near by, then for dinner you ate a meal at home and then went to play sports, or whatever it is you did back then. My point is, you ate less and you were more active.

Now think about what you did today. Maybe you got up late for work and skipped breakfast, so you grabbed a Diet Coke or even worse an energy drink of some kind. Then you did a social lunch with the colleagues at a restaurant and ate more food than you should have because you were still thinking about the breakfast you missed. Then you got home late and ate a large dinner, just in time to watch TV and take your FAT butt to bed. Then you wake up and do it all again but this time you drink even more energy drink because you didn't do anything to create your own energy and you sat even more because the energy drink made you tired later in the day. Now you are on a VICIOUS cycle of eating more, drinking more caffeine, and tiring out earlier when the drink wore off. You are screwed and ONLY gaining weight and having less and less energy.

So let's review....

In high school you ate regularly, you ate less, and you were much more active with friends and family, and you didn't need an energy drink to help you wake up.
Now you skip breakfast, eat big lunches and dinners, load up on energy crap, skip all things that include being active, and sit too much.

Get up and take your life back. Stop drinking alcohol, caffeine, carbonated water, and energy drinks. Eat Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And join a gym, play a sport, exercise, do something at night besides eat, watch TV, and sleep.

I am practicing what I am preaching and will be running in three 5K runs this summer just to prove it. Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Death is like graduation....

2011-01-09T12:07:00.002-07:00

As I think about death and what lies beyond death, I can't help but to relate it to graduating high school. I believe they are similar in more ways than one.

Do you remember being in high school when you had a few friends in your same class, and then you may have had several close friends in the class just above or below you or in some cases two classes above or below. At the time you all were sad that you couldn't graduate together to go on to college or whatever was next. You may have felt abandoned and maybe a bit behind if an older friend was leaving sooner.

Now here we are 12 years later after high school, and it's hard to remember who actually graduated first among friends. And the fact that one group of friends may have graduated a year or two earlier, it seems to have very little effect on things now. So my point is, even though death is very sad at the time and not easy to experience with a friend or loved one, we must remember it is a necessary step in God's plan and years later, we won't even remember who actually graduated from this life first.

The second similarity is about being prepared. You may remember within your group of friends that some of you were better prepared for the next step after high school. Some of you may have been taking college classes while still in high school already knowing exactly which courses to study and where they would attend college. Some of you may have not been as prepared but had a general idea of what might be next. Then there may have been a few in the group that had NO IDEA what they would do next and graduation scared the hell out of them, because they weren't prepared at all.

Now we come back to how this relates to death. If you look around at friends and family in your life, it will be clear to see which ones are preparing for what comes next and are doing what they can to get where they want to be; others may have an idea of what comes next but aren't as sure, and then there are the few that have NO IDEA what to expect after this life and may be scared to death of death itself.

Death is sad to the ones left behind but is no more than a VERY necessary step in the ultimate plan. Live right, live happy, and be on purpose to living beyond graduation. Thanks for reading.

Aaron

You "can" or "can't" have everything you want? It's a thin line...

2010-12-14T14:44:00.003-07:00

What are we teaching our children and what kind of a long term effect will it have? Let's start with a simple sentence that you all have probably heard and/or said several times...."you can't always get what you want or you can't have everything you want". It seems like a fairly simple sentence but could be very damaging to a young mind growing up. Let's look at another sentence you have probably heard and/or said several times...."you can have anything you set your mind to or you can have anything you set out to have". Again another powerful sentence that is more of a positive. My point is, we cannot keep telling our children that they CAN'T have everything they want in life, because I believe THEY CAN. Now that doesn't mean they get it by being spoiled, it only means they can get it as long as they put in the effort and work and whatever it takes both legally and ethically to get it. Do you ever dream that your children will have more than you ever did? If so, please STOP telling them they can't have everything they want and help them find a way to get it.

Let's shift gears a minute. I was at Target last night and heard a mother tell her son, life is hard and then you die! Again, how many of you have heard and/or said that before. Sure it was just one sentence but I'm sure it's not the first or last time she has said it or will say it. Whether he wants to or not, the son can't stop thinking that life is hard and then you die. Now there are some cases in 3rd world countries where this may be the case, BUT IT'S NOT THE CASE HERE IN AMERICA OR BETTER YET UTAH. Life isn't hard, and if it is, it doesn't have to be. We are blessed with more than enough opportunity to make something happen for ourselves and our families.

The last one is we can't afford it. I HATE THAT SENTENCE. I have mentioned that in my blog several times so I won't go into it but we have to stopped filling our children's heads with these negative outlook statements.

Will you please do me and your children a favor? If your children are already raised and moved out of the home, call them and apology for anytime you ever used one of the following statements:

Money doesn't grow on trees
You can't have everything you want
Life is hard and then you die
Life is hard period
We can't afford it

Replace those phrases with more positive outlooks and help our children understand that THEY CAN HAVE everything they want and they can make money appear to grow on trees as long as they set out to make it happen. Let's stop poisoning the minds of our youth!!!

Aaron

Bad decision or bad results?

2010-11-23T22:28:00.002-07:00

Good evening,

I had a chance to speak with a girl at my office who is an assistant for another Realtor at my office. She mentioned that she did just complete her schooling to become a licensed Realtor but doesn't have the money and/or the desire to take the risk of getting the money from another source to actually complete receiving her license and joining the board to do what it takes to fully act as a Realtor. I asked her WHY she was so unwilling to take the risk? She went on to tell me that she already made ONE bad financial decision and she could not make another bad one by borrowing the money to get licensed or even quit her $10 an hour job to start a 100% commission job that could potentially make her much more money.

Of course I had to ask what "bad" financial decision did she make that had scared her from taking future risks. She mentioned they tried working with a hard money lender to invest in real estate and eventually got ripped off from the seller and lost everything. NOW this is where it gets interesting, I asked her "did you make a bad decision to pursue the real estate investing or did you just get bad results from a risk you took?" I think it's important to not mix the 2 up because we can never look back on something and say it was a bad decision just because it didn't work. Driving north on a south bound freeway is a bad decision.....investing in real estate or stocks or yourself and losing is not a bad decision but sometimes delivers bad results. The sooner we realize the difference between a "bad decison" and just "bad results from a decision", the sooner we will get back up and be prepared to make another big decision that may have a big positive impact on our lives.

How often do we see some people never take risks and just live the same life day by day, or we see someone take one big risk and lose only to swear to never take another risk? We must remember that decisions and risks are what make us who we are and we must continue to make the tough decisions and NEVER look back.

Have a great Tuesday night my friends!!!

Aaron

What have we learned?

2010-11-13T09:55:00.002-07:00

As I stood inside University Mall in Orem last night, I watched my 1 and 3 year old girls running around the tree house playground. They ran up the stairs, went down the slide feet first, head first, on their knees and again again. I couldn't help but think, my girl is only "1" year old and look what she is doing.

In just a very short period of time, she has learned to walk, learned to run, learned to communicate, learned to eat, learned to drink, learned to play, learned to lead, learned to follow, learned to express feelings, and much more. I relate that to my life and wonder what I have learned to do in the past "1" year. Not only that but how much courage, faith, and persistence has she shown by trusting her first step, and going down head first like her sister, and sipping from a straw not knowing what would happen and what to expect.

How many of us by default naturally feel like, once we have completed our public schooling, we are done with required studying and learning? It's almost like the only learning most of us do after college is by accident and experience. I think it's important that we continuing to LEARN ON PURPOSE. Learn to take that first step all over again, learn to have faith, learn by thinking ahead and not by looking back, some of us really just need to LEARN TO LEARN.

As we come up on another Thanksgiving holiday and tradition, take some time to be thankful for your children and the example of learning, courage, and strength that they are. Also be thankful to God for giving us the capacity to think and ability to reach even higher.

May God bless you all! Thank you for reading.

Aaron

Winds of Change....

2010-10-10T09:27:00.004-06:00

Happy Fall Morning

As I woke up this morning on what should be another great fall day in Utah. I realize that with all of the contast changes that surround us, it's important for some things to remain the same. As we look around it's not hard to see how things are different. Families don't play car games when they travel, they listen to Ipod's or watch movies instead--neighborhood children don't play night games, they play XBOX or WII instead--people everywhere don't celebrate like they used to, they worry about money instead--families don't eat dinner together at the table, they eat on the run instead--kids don't learn how to handle money, they would just rather wonder where it went instead--the Country isn't a Christian, family-oriented nation, people are trying to tear us down instead--

So what can we do about this? There are some things we can't stop from changing, in fact we must always embrace change, BUT we must also embrace important things such as values, traditions, God, Country, Freedom, and Family.

I think it's important that we hold true to celebrating holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Not just becuase we like scary monsters, but because it's a tradition and a memory that ourselves and our children will rememeber forever. Not because we like to eat Turkey and Pie, but because money can't buy what a good Thanksgiving dinner and football game can create. Not because we really like pine trees and stockings, but because there must come a time in the year when we slow down, think about others, and really build strong relationships and memories that last a whole year through.

I challenge all of us to HOLD strong and keep the traditions alive. Celebrate birthdays like it could be the last, celebrate the holidays like your life and family values depend on it, take time to make time and remember that whatever we do, it's the memories we create that live on. I love my wife and daughters and even though I wouldn't say it outloud, I do love my brothers and sisters and mom and dad and believe that no matter what happens in life, our family and traditions are stronger and more important than anything!!!

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Too Many Hats....

2010-09-21T16:11:00.003-06:00

Happy Fall! We've all heard the term "WEAR MANY HATS". Let's take another look at this quickly. I want to caution you on wearing too many hats and share some reasons why. Some hats we may wear may include:

Work or professional hat

Church or religion hat

Leader or follower hat

Layed back or relaxed hat

Friendship hat

Spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend hat

Easy going or serious hat

Vacation or day off hat

Hobby hat

Parent or child or sibling hat

Now I know that at times we must choose one hat to wear at a time because we should not play golf at church and we should not work on vacation and we shouldn't be too serious when we're doing our hobbies.

What we shouldn't do is change who we are depending on what we are doing or who we are with. Many times at work I see professionals that won't take two seconds to laugh, sometimes on vacation I see some people who wont actually have a real conversation because they are on vacation, sometimes we see people who can't get serious no matter what the issue is. In my line of work we work with many different types of clients and I think it is important to know what's important to them, but I also think it's important to remember who we are at the same time. If you are a person that tells jokes, you can still tell jokes but pick the correct jokes and the correct timing, don't stop the jokes all together becuase it's just not you. I think it's important for us to know who we are and find balance in all things and not have to worry about which hat to wear when. If we go out there and be ourselves each and every day no matter what the situation, we know that WIN OR LOSE, it wasn't because we tried wearing somebody else's hat or too many hats at one time.

Know who you are and run with it. The number one person in your life is YOU! I don't mean that selfish either, we must be happy within ourselves if we ever wish to make the ones around happy as well!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

At What Cost......

2010-08-29T10:48:00.002-06:00

Hello my friends. One thing I've been thinking about is... everything we do is at the expense of something else. So I think it's important to sit back and really think about where we have been, what we have done, and at what cost.

Each of us has our own lifestyle that we live and our own way we choose to go about our lives daily/weekly/yearly. Some people go to school for 30 years hoping to come out with a very useful skill and potentially high paying career. Some people will finish high school and head straight to work and never return to school. Some will have security and stability as their main objective and work for less income as long as it's consistent. Some don't need the security and hope for potentially larger paychecks that may not come as often or as scheduled. Some will work 80 hours a week. Some will work 30 hours a week. Some will have a spouse and kids and some won't. Some will go on vacation often. Some will never go on vacation. Some households will be double income with both spouses working. Some will work multiple jobs. Some will rent forever and some will own multiple houses. Some will seek to live in larger cities and others will be OK with the small towns.

The point is there are many ways to go about our lives and many ways to be happy. The good thing about this great nation is we need all of these people in order to get things done. We do need doctors, we do need construction workers, we do need coal miners, we do need cops, and we do need school lunch ladies.

What I do know is everything we do is at the expense of something else. There must be a balance in all we do. We must take time to make sure the way we are living is the way we want to be. Sometimes people get caught in a lifestyle they may not have chosen but think it's too late to switch. I think it's time for each of us to sit down with ourselves or our spouse and really lay out a plan of where we want to go and what we want to do and start doing it!!!!

Life is short. Remember it's the experiences that last a life time. Get out and do something!!!

God Bless You all and this great Nation!!!

Aaron

Weekend Warrior.....Turn the speakers up, it really helps!

2010-08-06T16:48:00.002-06:00

As we start, I want you to ask yourself 3 questions......

What is your favorite night of the week?

What is your second favorite night of the week?

Why are they your favorite nights?

If you answered Friday and Saturday in any order, chances are, you are a weekend warrior. How many times have you personally said, or heard someone say "I can't wait for the week to be over and the weekend to be here"? If you take a minute to think about the mindset of that question, we are wishing our live away. Have you ever wondered why time seems to go by so quickly? That's because you are wasting away Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights just to get to your Fridays and Saturdays.

Now there are many reasons why you may be a weekend warrior:

Maybe you dislike your job

Maybe that's when you do your favorite hobby such as golf or camp

Maybe that's when you go on dates

Maybe that's when you BBQ

Maybe that's when don't have to work

Maybe that's when you get to sleep in

There are many reasons why people are attracted to the weekends more than weekdays. But if you think about it.....it makes more sense to like weekdays more than weekends just because there are more of them.

So now we asks ourselves, "what is the solution for overcoming this weekend warrior syndrome?" Here are a few solutions:

Maybe look for a new job if you really dislike the one you are at. Do you really want to go to bed every night dreading the next day?

Maybe take off early one day a week or every other week when possible and play golf or whatever it is you do.

Maybe adjust your hours if possible so you get off earlier, you will be surprised what you can do after 3 or 4pm.

Be spontaneous and go on a Tuesday or Wednesday night date once in a while and not wait until Friday or Saturday.

It's time that we stop dreading 5 out of 7 days of the week and start enjoying them ALL. It's time to take control of our lives and our schedule so we can make each day count. It's time to live the best years of our lives. Again I challenge anyone that may read this to please stop and think next time you hear someone say...I hate Mondays....or I can't wait until Friday....or any other phrase that reflects being a weekend warrior. The time is NOW to start living each and every day to the fullest.

Thanks for reading. May God bless you and this great Nation!

Aaron

What can you REALLY afford???

2010-07-16T08:48:00.002-06:00

Good Morning, So many times we hear people say "I CAN'T AFFORD THAT OR I WISH I HAD THE MONEY FOR THAT" It's funny because if you really think about it, in most cases you can afford it and you do have the money, you just chose to spend it on something else.

Let's say I give five people $50. Let's think of a few things those five people will do with their money:

One might use it to buy cigarettes or alcohol

One might use it to eat out once or twice

One might use it to play one or two rounds of golf

One might put it in savings for future use

One might take 2 trips to gas station to fill up on snacks and drinks

Now it's fair to say that when I gave each person the $50, each of them could officially afford to do anything they want with $50 or less. Now this is where it gets funny. If you use your only $50 for the week to buy cigarettes or alcohol, suddenly you can't afford golf--if you use it to play golf that week, you won't have money to blow at the gas station--if you use it for savings, you may not have enough to eat out that week. The point is.....it's not that we can't afford these things, in most cases we can't do these things because we chose to use our money on something else. How many people have you heard say "I wish I could go on vacation once a year like some people do" Well, YOU CAN!!!! Those people that are wishing they were on vacation are spending up to $5 a day on snacks and drinks. That adds up to almost $2,000 per year. Which means you CAN afford to go on vacation, you just need to stop spending your vacation money on other things.

I challenge anyone who may read this to PLEASE take a look at what you are spending your money on and make sure you are spending it on the things that make you HAPPY. You will be surprised to see that you CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD to do whatever you want as long as you keep from wasting the money on something else.

Thanks for reading. May God Bless You and This Great Nation!

Aaron

Chances are.....there may be apples on that Tree!

2010-07-03T15:58:00.002-06:00

This Country was founded as a White, English Speaking, Christian, Marriage between Man and Wife, Family Oriented, Hard-Working, Dare-to-Dream, World Leading, Peace Keeping, Right-to-Vote, Honest, Sky-is-the-Limit, Innovative, Military Nation.

Now we are a majority rules Nation and if you are not part of the Majority, it does not mean that you cannot play or that you are not allowed, you are still invited and can have all the same fun as the majority, but WHAT YOU CAN'T DO IS TRY TO CHANGE THE MAJORITY TO MATCH YOUR STYLE. Here are some examples:

If you don't believe in God, you ARE a minority, please don't try to get the rest of us to Stop believing.
If you aren't White, you are a minority and I do love you but please don't ask me to stop being White, it just isn't possible.
If you don't believe in War and Military, you ARE a minority, please don't try to shut down the World's best Military.
If you don't believe in family and marriage between a Male and Female, you ARE a minority, please please don't try to force us to believe your way is best.
If you don't speak English.......LEARN IT ASAP OR GET THE HELL OUT! (I'm guessing you can't read this blog if you can't speak English)
If you are blind, you ARE a minority, please don't ask us to cover our eyes
If you don't have a job, YES you ARE a minority, don't sit there and wait for a bailout from those that do have jobs, and don't vote to hurt the people that do have jobs and will be there to hire you when you are ready.
If you don't like the Cincinnati Bengals, YOU ARE a minority and better get on the bus before the season starts because they will be good again.

It blows my mind when I hear somebody trying to get me to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance or stop singing Christmas songs. I am 30, I am white, I am Male, I speak English, I do believe in God, I do celebrate Christmas, I do have a wife and kids, I do have a job, I do believe in voting, I do like the military, I do believe you CAN have whatever you want if you try hard enough. Please don't try to change me or my beliefs because you aren't the exact same.

If I ever go to Mexico, I do expect to hear Spanish language.
If I ever go to a gun store, I do expect to see guns.
If I ever go to taco time, I do expect to see tacos.
If I ever go to a Muslim country, I do expect to see Muslims.

As simple as those things sound, that is what is happening all around, people are attacking our every beliefs and starting to get away with it. If we are at our best there is no one outside of our Nation that can drag us down or defeat us, but as we slowly start to drag down ourselves from within our own borders, we are losing track of what we once were. It's almost like playing sports, when 2 teams play each other that aren't evenly matched, the good team can either pull the bad team up to their level of competition or sometimes the bad team pulls the good team down to their level. I believe that is slowly starting to happen with our Nation, as people are slowly dragging us down to the level we DON'T want to be at.

I beg you this 4th of July to stand up and Pledge Allegiance and stand up for what is right. We are the greatest Nation on earth and God is the MAIN reason why.

May God Bless You and This Great Nation!!!

Aaron

Who said it......

2010-05-03T20:53:00.003-06:00

I'm young but I've heard many stories about how hard some things can be. I've heard it's hard to get a Bachelor's Degree, I've heard it's hard to build a good career, I've heard it's hard to build the career then switch and start a new career that is 100% commission only, I've heard it's hard to pick up and move from an area you've lived in for 9 years and go somewhere you only knew a handful of people, I've heard it's hard to start a sales job in a new place, I've heard it's a tough time to sell real estate, I've heard it's not smart to have kids while making such moves, I've heard you can only try a new job so long before giving up and taking a guaranteed income, I've heard it's hard to pick up that new career and move yet again and have to start over, I've heard once you get settled you do not waver or buck the trend, I've heard it's hard to do a lot of things......but what I'm most proud of is the fact that even though I have heard all of these things that CANNOT be done easily, I DID NOT LISTEN.

All of these things can be done. Just like the fortune that I carry in my wallet says "NO ONE CAN STOP YOU FROM REACHING YOUR GOALS!"

As long as we live in the USA and are breathing, there is NOTHING we can't accomplish. I have my wife, 2 daughters, family, friends, and clients and nothing could be better.

God Bless You All!!!

Aaron

My Next 10 Years.....

2010-03-14T14:27:00.003-06:00

This post is not about bragging rights or boasting. This is nothing more than a journal entry for SELF-MOTIVATION and SELF-REMEMBRANCE. These days I see & hear more and more people sitting in a corner feeling bad about how bad their life is. I even here people that have the same job, same income, and same expenses complaining about the economy even though they have no real reason for it.

This post is just me thinking about some of the GREAT things that happened to me in my 20's from 1999 to 2009. So here are just a few of updates from my last 10 years:

Got married in 2001 and now have 2 daughters age 3 and 1.

Graduated from UVU with a Bachelor's in Business and Marketing in 2003

Lived in Draper, Highland, Pleasant Grove, Orem, Provo, Spanish Fork, Salem, and St George

Travelled to Hawaii 3 times, Orlando 4 times, Phoenix 5 times, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Cincinnati 3 times, Austin, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, San Diego, Disneyland, Peurta Vallarta

Enjoyed many annual traditions such as Park City, Lake Powell, family reunions, Cleveland Days, Summerfest, Stadium of Fire

Graduated Real Estate academy and got my RE licence

Met many many great people through work and play

Played hundreds of innings in softball and thousands of holes of Golf

Enjoyed camping many nights

I am very happy when I think about what I've been able to experience in my life and I am striving each day to do even better things next. We each need to get back to doing things that make us happy. I will start exercising regularly, I will start keeping my car as clean as I used to, I will NOT play fantasy football this year in order to keep my great attendance at church up, I will start a weekly date night back up with MY WIFE, I may even sign us up for couples dance lessons, I will stay involved in Cincy and Brooklyns life each and every day and give them what they need.

I challenge anyone that reads this to make a similar list and think about what great things you may have done in the last 10 years. Then think about what great things you want to do in your next 10 years. I think you will be surprised just how much fun you had. Then find a friend and get out and do some good. One last challenge....take your family to the local community pool, and see how quickly the spell of the chlorine brings back those times you were on vacation in the hotel pool or at the water park. It's amazing how quickly that smell triggers our many memories.

May God Bless us All!!!

Aaron

We believe the children are our future.....

2010-02-27T00:20:00.003-07:00

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy watching my 2 young daughters age 3 and 1 learn new things. The mind at that age is so fully ready and willing to learn. If only we could hold on to that same willingness throughout out life. Notice I didn't say hold on to the ability, I said WILLINGNESS. Our new thing that my wife started is sign language. I think it is great. My 1 year old knows...more, eat, candy, and milk. My 3 year old knows....more, eat, candy, milk, please, thank you, mother, father. My 3 year old can count to 10 in English and 5 in Spanish. It is fun to watch.

Now on to the next subject. Our children are our future. We had this discussion at church 2 weeks ago and it really gets us thinking. It seems like kids are learning less and less sometimes about what it takes to survive in this world. A big part of our discussion was electronics. Some are quick to blame. I do use face book, I do use text messaging, I do watch TV and I do use a Blackberry. What I don't do is walk around with headphones in my ear and I don't use the hip shortened version of speaking when I do text. We must NOT hold kids back from using these things BUT we must like anything else, keep it to a minimum. Kids still need to learn how to SPEAK and need to learn how to diagram a sentence. Kids really need to learn a thing or two about finances.

My plea tonight is for each of you that may read this, to take some extra time this year to help a child learn. Whether your own child or a stranger, PLEASE understand WE DO BELIEVE THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

This week was a good week!

2010-02-06T19:12:00.002-07:00

I wanted to share a post that wasn't about the Nation, or about the President, or about politics at all. This is just a party post. If you have speakers PLEASE TURN THEM UP and just feel the beat and let it ride. My wife and daughters are having a dance party as we speak. I hope all is well with each of you that may read this and I hope nothing but the best for you. If you have time stay for two songs. TURN IT UP!!!

The Utah Jazz are at home in 5 minutes against the ever-so-hated Denver Nuggets and the Super Bowl is tomorrow so it should be a great rest of the weekend. Is it too late for the Bengals to sneak into the Super Bowl tomorrow?

I hope all is well and please have a great weekend and a great week!

Aaron

What makes America so great....

2010-02-03T23:16:00.002-07:00

I know I get all Patriotic near July 4th but it's time we spread around more during the year. Is anyone sick of hearing these foreign actors host the award shows on TV and making jokes about our great Nation. England is great, Australia is great, Italy is great, but none of them compare to the USA. Don't tell me how good life is across seas when you just left there to come here to make a better living and a better life. Don't tell me free health care in Europe is better than America and then come here for any Major procedure because you don't trust your so-called free doctors. Don't tell me France is so nice and so calm and peaceful and then call for us for protection when things get scary in the World.

For over 200 years we have been and always will be the United States of America and the leaders of the free World. Yes it would be nice sometimes to blend in and lay low then things are going bad in the Middle East, yes it would be nice to not raise Millions when a Haiti Country has nothing, but We, as Americans, don't sit back and do nothing. If I here one more person, actor, or comedian still talk about the lack of WMD's in Iraq, I will shin kick them. The guy single-handily was responsible for thousands and thousands of deaths. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. We had a right to take him out and help make the Nation of Iraq strong. We will continue as long as it takes.

I love this Country and everything about it. We have to remember to stay strong, stay true, and keep fighting because we are the American people and even when things are bad, they are still, Pretty damn good. Yes businesses have shut down, people have lost homes, people have lost money, but as long as we are still living, we still have a chance to make it all right. New businesses are opening, new homes are being built, and buyers are picking up homes at a great price. I challenge us all to stay strong and stay the course and to get Smarter about the way we do things.

That's all for tonight. God Bless us All!!!

Aaron

Bengals 2009, What a season!

2010-01-10T09:20:00.003-07:00

As we come to the end of another NFL season for our great Cincinnati Bengals, some may be dissapointed in the loss to NYJ yesterday but others know how great the season truly was. I want to share some highlights and info just because.

They improved from 4 wins in 2008 to 10 wins in 2009

They swept a tough division 6-0 that includes Baltimore and Pittsburgh

Their defense finished 4th in the NFL

Cedric Benson came in off the street and was 2nd in the NFL in Average Yards per game with 96.

They lost 2 starting TE's, sack leader DE, 2 starting LB's, starting SS, and another starting DT to season ending injury

They suddenly lost the wife of defensive Coach Zimmer who was always in the locker room

They lost the life of their WR Chris Henry

All in all they had one hell of a year. Fans in Cincinnati should be proud and should be very excited about next year as the defense gets more mature, and our injured guys return and we get better and better.

GO BENGALS!!!

As we enter into a new year....

2009-12-31T13:37:00.003-07:00

I come to realize more and more it's all about the experiences in life. As quickly as time goes by we must slow down and enjoy LIFE. I do understand that money is not the most important thing in life, but I also realize money is what gives us certain opportunities to enjoy many things. If I go back to 1984 (age 5), I cannot remember how many quarters I had, and the same can be said in 1994 and even 2004. But I can honestly say that I can remember at least ONE event from each year of my life starting back in 1984. I bet if you tried you could do the same.

There has to be a great balance in life on exactly how we spend our precious time. How many people have you seen spend the better part of their 30's, 40's, and 50's working working working suddenly to realize they just missed the better part of their young lives. I challenge all of you to take time to make time and just enjoy the ones around you. I just heard a story about how a Realtor friend of mine didn't take any time off for Christmas or New Year's and sold 3 homes. As I laid on the couch watching TV with my 3 year old, I didn't know if I should be congratulating the agent for the great sales, or feeling sorry for them for being out of balance in life.

Before I go I want to give you something to think about. One more story. I know a guy that worked from 7:00am to 7:00pm, I also know he put his 3 kids to bed early by 8:00pm. I don't even have to say it but what's wrong with this picture. Does that mean he only spends 5 hours a week with his precious kids.

Now there are different stages in life. Single, Married with no kids, married with young kids, married with school kids, and so on. So each one is different but the goal is the same. Work as hard as you want from 6 or 7 am to 5ish at night, then just take time with yourself and ones around you to create experiences you will remember for years to come.

Thank you for reading. May God Bless you all and America too!

Aaron

2010 Theme "Back To Life"

2009-12-09T17:52:00.003-07:00

As we come to the end of another year, it's time to start thinking about next year and what lies ahead. As I was washing my car today I decided on my personal Theme for 2010. "BACK TO LIFE!" Over the past year or two I may have gotten away from some of the things I love the most. That means travelling, eating out, taking my wife to dinner and a movie, Jazz and Bengal games, shopping for electronics and even better....buying them, washing the car, working with my tools and with wood.

Its' time that I move back to the heartland of Utah and get back to living. I look forward to selling more real estate in 2010 and look forward to Cincy and Brooklyn interacting more and more, and just getting back to living. I do like being at home, but it's nice to get out sometimes and see the city. Over the past 2 months I have been working on transitioning my business from South to North and I think it is going very well.

I am very excited for what lies ahead and can't wait to get "Back to Life!"

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

"Stay The Course"

2009-11-20T22:03:00.002-07:00

It's been a while since my last post because I am currently in the middle of a transition in my business from one location to another. I have been working 2 areas of the state while driving about 1000 miles per week.

I sell real estate full-time and if I've learned anything about this business, it would be to STAY THE COURSE. A lot of the work we do is behind the scenes. Yes it is fun to show homes once in a while, it is fun to preview homes, it is fun to do a lot of the work we do; what the public doesn't see is the endless work that leads up to a home closing. We must generate leads through phone calls, through referrals, through classes, through door knocking, through open houses, and more, then we must take those leads and actually convert them into a contact that will hopefully, someday do business with us. Then the fun begins of finding a good home, negotiating the offers for that home, dealing with banks and asset managers & loss negotiators.

Again I've learned that WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP, because even though it may seem like you are at a dead end, there is a light right around the corner. I will stay in touch with potential buyers for months and months and months and just when I start to wonder if they are even getting my messages, they come around and are ready to roll.

It is important that we GET ON A COURSE, then STAY THE COURSE and good things will happen. It may not be easy at times, it may not be fun at times, it may seem hopeless at times, but trust me, if you are working hard, giving 100-110%, and doing the right things, YOU WILL SEE the light soon. Just one more turn.

Write this down before you leave this blog, "IF YOU ARE NOT SETTING GOALS AND STICKING TO THEM, THEN YOU ARE A PART OF SOMEONE ELSE'S!"

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Electronics

2009-10-24T23:30:00.002-06:00

Electronics are important to me and I like to keep tabs on which products and brands work well for me and which ones don't. I wouldn't mind feedback from others on experiences they have as well.

I want to update my favorite and not-so-favorite lists of electronics that I have owned. I will break this into 3 categories. Used and would use again. Used and would not use again. Not used but will try sometime.

Used and would use again:

Sony (laptop, TV, PlayStation, stereo)

Hewlett Packard (laptops, desktop)

JVC (TV)

ViewSonic (monitor)

Logitech (wireless keyboard/mouse, computer speakers)

Nikon (35mm camera, Digital Camera)

Casio (digital Camera)

Used and would not use again:

DELL (laptops)

Toshiba (laptop, DLP TV)

Haven't used but would try:

Acer

Compaq

Mitsubishi

Vizio

This is a simple blog and I would love to hear comments.

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

Worth the Risk.....

2009-10-08T22:12:00.003-06:00

As I got off the phone tonight with an old friend, I thought about any advice I would give him if he asked for it. There are really only 2 types of people in this World when it comes to taking risks. You either do or you don't! I do believe the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. I also understand when it comes to supporting yourself and your family, you do have to take calculated risks.

You can get a good understanding about what kind of risk taker you are by stepping back and looking at your career status. Let's review some different career paths with different levels of risk. You think to yourself, which one best represents you:

Taking a job with a corporation at an early age and working hard every day to be in position to take the next step up. All the while adding money to a 401k and buying shares of company stock. Watching salary bump up with each new position until maxxed out. Hoping to stay 30 years and calling it quits.

Taking a job right after high school that your father had and staying in your home town living the life you watched your parents live.

Working a 100% commission job knowing that you are only as good as your next deal. All the while knowing there is no limit on how high your income can truly be.

Quitting a 100% commission job to take a pay cut in a position that is reliable and secure.

I will stop there for now. I am not saying any one of those is right or wrong, but I am saying there are different risk levels involved. Please take a minute and ask your self which of those BEST represents you. Then look at when you think you would like to be and make the change if needed.

I hope this helps and I hope you all have a great Halloween Season!!!!

GO BENGALS!!!

Aaron

Turn up the Speakers......

2009-09-26T21:13:00.003-06:00

Good Evening!

I realized tonight that I am tired of not having the money, time, and lifestyle I expect to have at this stage in the game. If you are like me and feel like you should be in a lot better position, then let's take the time to make it happen right now. We can sit here all night and plan, wish, hope, and pray but none of that matters if we don't' GET UP AND DO IT!!!!

I enjoy motivating friends and family, tonight it's time for SELF-MOTIVATION. I actually admitted to my wife last night that I am in a rut and need to get back in the game and make good things happen. I am in the business of selling real estate, recruiting real estate agents to work with me, and building a business with Donald Trump and the Trump Network. It is time that I make all 3 the best they can be.

October is and always has been my month. This year will be NO DIFFERENT as I expect to get rolling and make things happen for myself, for my family, and for my clients. I can't wait to get started. Tomorrow I go to church and watch the Bengals win, then Monday I GET ROLLING!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

3rd Diet Blog....

2009-09-24T10:51:00.002-06:00

This one is the best one yet. This blog is all about TIMING. I think timing is key to a good diet. I want to start with a quick story. Let's pretend we are walking from Salt Lake City to Wendover across the salt flats. When you begin walking you stop for water every mile and drink 16 ounces. After 50 miles you and your body are accustomed to drinking and burning through 16 ounces each mile because you know exactly when the next 16 ounces is coming. Now let's imagine you skip a mile without taking the 16, then you skip another 16, now your body goes into panic mode and starts to retain any water or sweat it gets, so then the next stop you drink 32 ounces to make up for the lost stops. Now because your body was in panic mode, it doesn't quite know how to take the 32 ounces you just plunged into it. Now it starts to store it and not burn through it as quickly, then the trouble starts, now your body requires less water but you are feeding it more and you never really feel quite satisfied the remaining walk.

I beleive that is how our body works with food. If you feed it breakfast between 7-8 am, and lunch between 11:30-12:30pm, and dinner between 5:30-6:30pm your body will thank you for it. Your body will start to know exactly when food is coming and exactly how much and exactly how quickly it should burn through it. We cannot keep making our bodies quess when and where the next meal will be. If you do this for one week, I promise you that you will feel a difference. And if you have dinner done by 6:30, you may start to feel hungry again just before bed but you MUST not eat, go to bed and you will be ready to eat first thing in the morning.

The last and final part of my diet blog is about quatity again. Each person has a calorie count that they should be able to intake daily and not gain weight. Each person is different based on age, sex, exerice, etc. Let's say we can eat 2500 calories and maintain our weight. So we eat 500 for breakfast, 500 for lunch, and 1500 for dinner. Then let's say we splurge one morning and eat 1000 for breakfast, 500 for lunch and 1500 for dinner....GUESS WHAT you just gained weight. If for some reason we have a 1000 calorie breakfast, we better take that extra 500 from somewhere else. We can't just add it on. Let's say I eat 500 for breakfast but do Chilis for lunch. WELL now I don't eat a normal 1500 dinner because I had a dinner size lunch. So I must swap the 2. Now I have heard people say well you did have a large lunch but dinner isn't for 6 hours, doesn't matter. We have to remeber the numbers and the timing.

So let's wrap this up. I dare each of you to try this diet for 1 week solid and let me know how it goes. Please stick to it.

NO caffieine or Carbonated Water
Eat a bowl of healthier cereal with 1% milk between 7:30 and 8:30am with NO refill
Walk as much as you can between breakfast and lunch
Eat a sandwich with turkey/ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly for lunch with a granola bar between 11:30 and 12:30pm
Walk as much as you can between lunch and dinner
Eat a good dinner whatever you want between 5:30pm and 6:30pm
Walk as much as you can between dinner and bed.

If you do this for one week and stick to the schedule and timing, please let me know if you feel a difference or not.

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Step 2 in healthy eating.....Food Pyramid

2009-09-15T22:35:00.004-06:00

Now remember the 3 steps that I am talking about are about eating healthy before being overweight but not as much about losing weight after already being overweight. Step 2 is the good old food pyramid. Whatever happened to eating a little bit of everything but not too much of one thing. Every where I go I hear people tell me how a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread is not healthy or good for me. I beg to differ. Maybe the problem is ordering a foot long when you should only eat 6 inches. I believe a great ham and cheese sandwich on white bread gives me very important ingredients from the pyramid and things I SHOULD be eating each and every day.

I also can't help notice the top piece of the pyramid is other items sparingly. It is always better to have a great snack here or there then it is to go without for days and then go on a bad weekend binge. It's also good to think ahead and the days activities. If you have a softball game in the evening or other physical activity planned, maybe that's the day you have that shake you have been wanting because you know you will work more calories off then usual.

Now you may be thinking, I am strong, I don't need treats, I don't need white bread, I don't need the great foods, then I ask you what is the POINT? Why should we not live most of our lives the way we choose just to hope to be healthier when we die. Again if you are already overweight then you may have to take alternate measures.

I will be back soon with part 3. I hope the best for you all and let's remember the basics. Eat right, eat what you want but in the right portions, and if all hell breaks loose.....EXERCISE a little.

Thanks for reading!

Aaron

This will be a 3-part blog about dieting....

2009-09-04T14:33:00.002-06:00

The first entry will be quick and simple. I promise to get more in detail in my next 2 posts that are soon to follow. Please take a minute and write this down. I am posting 3 blogs about dieting, eating, and weight. Before I start this 3 post series I want to get a few things out of the way. You might be thinking it's easy for a Male at age 29 to write about this because all Males age 29 are active and without weight problems. I do know some people in my age group that are not fit and so I do feel OK about giving advice.

The first 2 things I want to say are:

DON'T EAT SO MUCH!

STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL, CAFFEINE SODA, ENERGY DRINKS, COFFEE and start drinking more water and lots of it.

Some of you may think this post if fairly obvious but I think it could be the number one and two secrets for most peoples weight gain.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next 2 posts.

Aaron

Where you are now....is where you intended to be!

2009-09-01T23:38:00.003-06:00

As I think about the work I do in Real Estate in helping families buy and sell homes, I think about where I am now in my business. My team leader helped me realize the business I am doing this month is a result of the work I did 3 to 4 months ago. I then start to think about the next 3 to 4 months and the business I hope to be doing then.

That is what keeps me going and that is why we must continue to do the non-rewarding things daily and have faith that the results will soon follow. What makes it even more fun is the transition that lies ahead for myself and my family. The next six months should be very exciting, very demanding, and a very important step towards our future.

I must stay motivated, I must stay on course, and I must do more than ever on a daily basis to make sure things are in place to make such a transition. I understand it is not just the destination that is important, it is the journey that creates the memories that last a lifetime. I am very happy about the journey I am on and I can't wait for this next step.

As always my Mission as Arrington Real Estate Team is

"To Provide a Service to My Clients, While Providing a Lifestyle for My Family!"

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Must be football time!!!

2009-08-23T20:39:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunday. As we head into the last few days of August change is in the air. As I look around I see the signs that FOOTBALL season is back!

Days are getting shorter

Kids are back in school

Softball is winding down

1st payment of Sunday ticket was added to bill

Labor Day is right around the corner

Our favorite shaved ice stand is changing hours

City pool is closing soon

My birthday is getting nearer

Weather getting cooler

Fantasy drafts are happening as we speak

Its't time once again to analyze where we are this year and what we have done. We have 4 good months to accomplish our goals for 2009. Let me challenge you to do the following:

Take some time between now and Labor Day to relax, have fun, and send summer out with a bang. At the same time review your year and write down any unfinished tasks that you would like to complete. Then start the day after Labor Day and start crossing those off. Make a point to complete those goals by December 15th and take the rest of the year to celebrate Christmas, Family, and take some time to work on setting goals for 2010.

Thanks for reading!

God Bless America!!!

Aaron

Mindset is everything....

2009-08-18T00:49:00.002-06:00

Everywhere I look, I see the importance of a great mindset. Not just mindset but also expectations as well. It's funny how each of us looks at the same thing differently depending on the day of the week, time of day, and current mindset of the moment. Let me stop talking and give a few examples. This came to me as I was waiting in line at a Wendy's.

We all know Wendy's is big on SPEED. Sometimes you don't even have to stop the car as you drive by the pickup window they are so fast. Now comes the mindset and expectations. I sat behind 1 customer inside and what must have been just a few minutes, seemed like eternity waiting for the one person to finish. I wasn't in a hurry, I had no place else to go, I just wasn't expecting to wait so long behind one person. I can wait an hour no problem at Olive Garden just to be seated but here at Wendy's I felt anxious waiting just a few minutes.

Let's talk about waiting at stop lights for another example. It's funny sometimes watching people at red lights. Some will be pulling up as close as they can to the car in front of them, hoping that will get them going quicker, others will take the free time at the red light and do a variety of tasks such as: pluck eyebrows, finish eating, talk or text on cell phone, write something down as they hold cell phone in other hand, and much much more. As they pluck their eyebrows, they hope and pray they won't get a green light while they are looking at themselves in the mirror trying to get one more brow plucked. They are actually praying for a longer red light. Then once they get it plucked, they realize they are late for work and suddenly feel like running the next red light because they don't have time to wait.

Stuff like this happens every day and it is very amusing to sit and watch.

I am done for tonight, my point is to set the correct mindset and expectations on whatever it is you are doing, and you will be happy with the result.

Thanks for reading as always!!!

Aaron

Stock Market Since March 2009

2009-08-06T23:35:00.002-06:00

I just want to talk a little about the stock market tonight and what has happened since March 2009. Back in March the DOW was at 6,500 and at a low point in history. I talked to many people that were past emotional and starting to panic just a little. I did my best to help them stay calm. I heard more and more people complaining about the values of their 401 k and any other investments they may have held. I heard them wanting to SELL SELL SELL and run. I asked them if they thought about that months earlier when the DOW was at 14,000 and they said NO. So why would we only think about selling only after taking a big big loss. It doesn't make any sense. I asked them what stocks they held, they didn't know.... I asked them what risk level their investments were in, they didn't know....I asked them how much their account was worth now vs. 2 years ago vs. when they started it, they didn't know....they just knew they wanted out now.

I think we need to start caring a little bit more about where our money is and who is watching over it. Don't wait until you think you have lost, to start caring. Emotion is such a huge part in everything we do, especially with investing. We must have goals, we must have a plan, and we must understand that knowing when to sell when you are up is just as important as knowing when to sell when you are down.

My plea today is:

If you have money to invest, do it wisely.
If you have money invested, find out everything you can about where and why and how much.
If you have children, start teaching them about finance and investing.
If you are unsure yourself about finance and investing, take a class and the local college or talk to someone.
Stop by your local bank or credit union and find out what programs they have to help you and your children.
Do something.

It's time that we take control and just be smart about our finances and investments!

Before I go I wanted to share one quick thing with you about what has been happening in the stock market since March 2009 with good American Stocks.

Ford (F) Up from $2 to $8
Tupperware (TUP) up from $11 to $34
Caterpillar (CAT) up from $22 to $47
Apple (AAPL) up from $83 to $166
DOW tracking stock (DIA) up from $65 to $93
Google (GOOG) up from $290 to $452
EBAY (EBAY) up from $10 to $23

Great companies up 100 to 400% in 4 months. Not bad!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Love Remains....

2009-07-30T20:50:00.006-06:00

Good evening....

What a trip I have had over the past 5 years! Financially speaking I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sure there many reasons for experiencing all that I have been blessed with. Some of it is self-inflicted, some of it is outside forces, and some of it just happens naturally. Now I am about to disclose the ultimate secrets and talk about wages and bank accounts. I understand most people get uncomfortable when you ask them the question "how much do you make?" But here it goes.....

Let's go back 5 years to 2004. My wife and I were switching companies and joining forces with Teach Me To Trade. She worked in the office and I worked at home in the stock investing industry. We owned 2 cars and had $120,000 mortgage on a 1800 foot twin home with a payment of $500 a month. We visited places like New York, Mexico, Florida, Cincinnati, Hawaii, Boston, Washington D.C, Colorado, Idaho, California, and more. We had season tickets to the Jazz and we were living the dream. We went on to enjoy a 6 digit income for 4 years running. Then things changed.....

Somewhere between 2008 and 2009 we experienced some changes. We are now blessed with 2 beautiful girls (Cincy and Brooklyn), Melanie had to quit her job after moving 4 hours from the office, I got downsized from being a stock mentor and then from being a stock coach, we got into $800,000 in debt with 2 homes and needless to say our $4700 mortgage is quite a bit higher than the days in 2004, and I started a full-commission job selling real estate full-time.

I can honestly say financially I have seen the good and bad all in the past 4 years. I tell you this today to not complain, not to feel pitty, not for any other reason to let you know that I admit that I am on bottom and I will not be here for long. I turn 30 on October 18th, 2009 and I am ready for the ROARING 30's.

I love my family, I love my profession selling real estate, and I love writing this blog for all to read. I hope you enjoy and I hope you can find yourselves out of any future bottom you may fall in to.

Happy Pioneer Day Utah!!!

2009-07-23T17:24:00.002-06:00

Once again please turn speakers up and if you are getting this by email, please visit blog http://www.aaronarrington.blogspot.com/ to have music. This song couldn't be anymore perfect for me if you listen to who their favorite football team is at the beginning of the song.

As we find ourselves at yet another Holiday weekend here in Utah. It is important to understand what it took to not only settle America but the journey it took to settle this great state of Utah. As you think about the trip across America and across the Rocky Mountains, it makes me tired and sore just thinking about it. They weren't worried about text messaging, computer viruses, or scratched DVD's not working....they weren't worried about promotions at work, or new toys to play with.....they weren't debating over healthcare and same sex marraige....

They had enough to worry about just getting chased out of the East and surviving the long long trip ahead. If each of us just had half the courage, strentgh, and faith, that they endured at that time....we would be amazed at ourselves and the things we could accomplish.

Once again history shows that Americans are very resiliant and find a way to come out on top no matter how bad it seems at times.

Please take some time this weekend to just relax and enjoy the things you have in your life and forget about the day-to-day troubles that keep sneaking into our lives. Go outside have some fun and do some good!!!

Aaron

p.s. The DOW Jones Industrial Average hit 9,000 for the first time since January 6th.

and a little something about my hometown of Emery County in Eastern Utah...

http://www.waterhistory.org/histories/emery/

Thanks for reading!!!

Summertime 10 great things to do in Utah!!!

2009-07-18T19:36:00.003-06:00

There is music for those that have speakers. As I sat at the pool today in St George, I thought about a little blog post about 10 great things to do in Utah during Summer. Here are 10 in no particular order.

Houseboat on Lake Powell (Nothing to do but eat, sleep, relax, and have a great time.)

Freedom Festival in Provo (Parade followed by park entertainment, topped off with Stadium of fire.)

National Parks (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, and on and on the great list goes.)

Provo Canyon (Heber Creeper, Bridal Veil Falls, parks, river rafting, and more.)

Park City (Great golf, great hotels, shopping, and of course Alpine slide.)

Downtown SLC (Gateway, Trax, Temple Square, and great new buildings going in as we speak.)

Golf (My top 5 courses are Hobble Creek, Sunbrook, Park City, Thanksgiving Pointe, and whichever course I happen to be playing next.)

Baseball (Whether you live in SLC, St George, or Utah County....there is great baseball being played all summer long with the Bees, RoadRunners, and Owls.)

Family Reunions (Utah is a great place for traditions and it starts with family reunions.)

Lagoon (I almost forgot this one, still a great time for all!

What a great place to live. Go have some fun!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

Aaron

My opinion is only my opinion....

2009-07-14T23:24:00.003-06:00

I have heard that said a few times lately to me. I do understand that each of us do have our opinion, I understand we all have our freedom of speech, I understand the Constitution, the bill of rights, and I am trying to better my education on each of these things daily. I also understand that these days it's becoming more and more important for me to let MY opinion be heard.

I think if you look around a little bit, you will see the ones that are voicing their opinions are being heard. What I am noticing is the minority is winning a lot of battles because somehow they are being heard more loudly. I could give some examples but I don't want to point towards anyone in particular at this time.

I will say this, if you dislike abortion, if you dislike same sex marriage, if you dislike people trying to take God out of our vocabulary as a Nation, is you dislike people trying to take Christ out of Christmas, then you better let somebody know what is important to you and be HEARD.

We are a Country that was founded because a few good men found strength in God and the Courage to fight for it. They knew there was no room for failure because failure to them at that time meant all men that signed our declaration would be hung to death.

Let's all voice our opinions and step up to the plate. I love our country, I do believe in God, I believe in the American Flag, I do believe we are One Nation Under God, I believe in Family and marriage between one man and one woman, I don't believe in Abortion, and I believe in war if needed as we are the United States of America and the leaders of the free world.

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

If you have speakers...turn them UP!!!

2009-07-10T23:10:00.003-06:00

I know the 4th of July is over but I couldn't let this one go after I added this song to my blog. If you don't have speakers, find some. I don't cry a whole lot, but I do cry on the 4th of July. I just can't tell you how AWESOME it is to know we are the United States of America. My wife and I spent some time in NYC in 2006 and it was a very very good time. We visited the site of the WTC and what a feeling. I think we came together as a Nation like we always do when a crisis arrives. While it's easy to run away from a burning building, we had hundreds of Americans actually running into a buring building to help! We were attacked! The stock market took a hit, the airports were closed, and it set us back quite a bit, but we didn't stay down for long. Like my friend Rocky says in Rocky 5, "I didn't hear no bell, 1 more round, ONE MORE ROUND."

I can't get over how important it is for us to come together again even stronger, faster, and more united than ever. Let's show them why we are the leader of the free world and we are the place that everyone wants to be and the Country that other countries look up to and call for HELP!!

Once again I challenge each of you that may read this, to tell someone that you ARE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!! Together we can unite and make this Country what is once was, what is still is, and what is always will be! United States of America! One Nation Under God!!!

Please have a great weekend and do some good!

Thanks for reading!!!

Aaron

Lost art of a Blinker.....

2009-07-10T12:33:00.002-06:00

If we all had to take a driver's test today....WOULD WE PASS???

Let's talk a minute about the lost art of a blinker. What is it's purpose and how can we improve how it is used? A day never fails when I see a misuse of a blinker, remember I too tend to misuse it so this is for me as well. I will give a few examples of how it is misused and you just think to yourselves which of these of you done or seen lately:

Sitting behind a car at a stop sign waiting to turn left and there weren't any cars coming from the right and 4 cars coming from the left that had their blinkers on.....yet there we sat waiting for them to turn before we went. In this case it was the driver in front of me not respecting the blinkers and waiting for them to actually turn first.
Sitting at a stop sign waiting to turn left and as a car approaches, right at the last minute or as they turn, on comes the blinker as if to say "yep I just decided to turn".
Sitting at a stop sign waiting to turn left and now a car is coming with a blinker on, so I pull out and it's a SIKE blinker where they aren't actually turning. Now we are inches away from a crash because they just like to ride with blinker on.
Don't get me started about ROUND-ABOUTS, do you realize that you should blinker to exit the circle.
Following someone down a 45 MPH road and as we approach an intersection they slam on the brakes and then as they turn, the blinker comes on.
Driving next to someone on 75 MPH freeway and suddenly you realize they have a blinker on trying to move into your lane, are they wanting us to slow down to let them in or speed up to let them in?
I am following a car on the 75 MPH freeway and I am a standard 2 seconds behind when a car puts on his blinker in order to pry himself in between us.

Again it's a lost art and I only pray that somehow, someway we get this art back!

Thanks for reading!!!

Aaron

Utah Valley finalizes its leap to Division I

2009-07-08T20:41:00.003-06:00

I am happy to report that my school Utah Valley University has completed the largest leap possible going straight from Junior College to Division I. Utah Valley started as Central Utah Vocational School in 1941. It grew to become Utah Trade Technical Institute, Utah Technical College, Utah Valley Community College and then Utah Valley State College from 1993 until last summer. The first non-provisional Utah Valley teams will begin competing this fall in cross country, golf and women's soccer. The Wolverines also compete in baseball and softball, indoor and outdoor track, and women's volleyball.

Utah Valley was a great school and I expect great things from them in the future. Now that we are Division I, there is officially no reason to attend the other school down the street (except football I guess).

Go Wolverines!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

It's Time to Get Straight...

2009-07-05T17:47:00.002-06:00

As we close out another 4th of July weekend and move forward to what should be a great second half of 2009, it's time that we evaluate where we are, where we are going, and where we would like to be. How great was your weekend? I can't tell you how much I enjoy the 4th of July and the great chance we all have to celebrate living in such a great Country. Hopefully you all got out to enjoy a parade, or a fireworks show, or a good party celebrating this great nation and the people that live in it. I can't tell you how AWESOME it feels to have F-16's fly overhead at the Stadium of Fire and know they are on my side.

Now is the time for all of us to pull together like our Country has done so many times before and show the World once again why America is the leader of the free world and always will be.

If you are in need of work......FIND SOME!
If you have work to be done.....HIRE SOMEONE!
If you can provide a service to someone.....PROVIDE IT!
If you have a skill or talent.....PROVE IT!
If you know someone in need.....HELP THEM!
If you have a need.....ASK SOMEONE!
If you have money to invest....INVEST IT!
If you love this great nation.....TELL SOMEONE!
If you are happy to be One Nation Under God and you want to help keep this Nation what it is, and you are a beleiver in Country, God, Family, Honor, Courage, Freedom.....LIVE IT!!!

I challenge all of you that happen to read this to take this next few days and think about your next 5 years. Think about what your life looks like in 5 years and then set the goals and the steps needed in order for that to happen.

I do love this Country and I love being a proud Citizen of it. I love the fact that even as bad as the media wants us to believe it is, it is still pretty damn GOOD! Thank you very much for reading and please go do whatever it is you want to do to be happy and make a difference.

God Bless America!!!

Don't underestimate....

2009-06-26T07:26:00.003-06:00

The Core of the American people. I had a good friend tell me yesterday that the economy is not good and it is going to get much much worse. He also told me that he wouldn't buy a good American stock because he feels the stock market will lose HALF its value still ahead. You hear so much on the TV, on the radio, on the internet and not all of it's bad but a lot of it is.

But what we all must realize is, even at it's worse in this great nation, IT'S STILL PRETTY DAMN GOOD!!! The core of millions of Americans is very strong and I think my dear friend is WRONG. It is a good time to invest in America and a great time to get up and do some good.

Someone asked me why I am going to the Stadium of Fire next week on the Fourth of July becuase the Jonas Brothers are performing, they asked me if I really like them. I do not go because of the short concert, I go because any chance I get to participate in a program that celebrates the good that is happening in the country, I take it.

We have heard of the 12 days of Christmas, now is the time to celebrate the week of Independence day and stand up and be PROUD TO BE AMERICAN and let people know that life isn't all that bad.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Just a sandwich....

2009-06-25T23:51:00.002-06:00

That story was not too complain, or not to say life as a Realtor is tough. It's just something that happens day in and day out in all types of business. I will tend to use metaphors as a way to look at things from a different perspective other than real estate. After all, there must be a reason why he didn't buy my sandwich.

If you wish to be successful in business and/or sales you must first understand there are many ups and downs and this is not a DESTINATION type career. It is a constant JOURNEY that we must endure, we must learn from, and we must never stop testing ourselves.

I very much enjoy it and I look forward to tomorrow when I can find yet another way to bring future home owners and current home sellers together for one common purpose!!!

Thanks for reading!

Please see me online www.MyUtahRealtor.biz

Aaron

Let's Imagine....

2009-06-25T03:07:00.002-06:00

That you own a sandwhich shop. And let's imagine that I come in one day and ask about many different sandwhiches you have on the menu and wish to know a little bit more about each sandwhich before I eat. Then I even start asking you about the sandwhich store down the street and find out what you may know about any sandwhiches they may have.

Now let's imagine I ask you if you put out any kind of store newsletter or email that gives updates on new sandwhiches or even weekly coupons that can be used to save a little money on a certain sandwhich. So you take some time each week answering my questions about sandwhiches, you even do a little research on the store down the street just to prepare youreself for any upcoming questions that may come along, and you even begin emailing me weekly coupons, specials, and family sandwhich secrets.

Now after about 4 to 6 months of doing my research about your store and after receiving all the great email offers, I think I am FINALLY ready to make or eat my sandwhich. I have spent enough of your time and am now OFFICIALLY ready to go.

Now let's imagine that after all of the time I spent in your store asking questions, all of the emails I have received from you, and all of the knowledge you have passed on to me, I think I will probably buy a sandwhich from the store down the street, or better yet, I know a guy that can get me ingredients to make my own sandwhich. I am no longer in need of you or your store and will contact you if I have any more sandwhich questions.

Now I ask you as store owner, how do you feel?

Customer Loyalty

2009-06-22T13:32:00.002-06:00

I believe more and more each day that customer loyalty is the number one concept that makes a successful business. Forget location, location, location.....for me it's customer loyalty. With the price of gathering new clients always going up and the competition always gaining ground, it is so important that you take care of the clients you have and keep them loyal.

Let's take my car wash for example. I pass 2 or 3 car washes each day on my regular drive so location is not enough to separate the 3. The pricing is similar and the wash itself is comparable. Now the thing that separates the 3, is the fact that every time I wash my car there, I see the OWNER with his fishing hat out there either bug spraying the front of cars, cleaning up the area, or enough brushing your car for you.

As I sat in the auto wash this very morning, he came in with brush in hand to scrub the bugs in between sprays. Does he have to do that....NO, would I still go there....Maybe, does it make me want to return and tell all of my blog friends about it....YES!!!!

So I ask myself, what am I doing to keep my customers as loyal as I am to my car wash????

Thanks for reading.

First Time Home buyer

2009-06-17T13:06:00.002-06:00

What a great time to be a home buyer. Especially a first-time home buyer. Now some people may not know that even if you have owned a home in the past, you may still qualify to be a first-time homebuyer if you haven't been on title of a home in the past 3 years.

Prices are affordable as the affordability index is at or near a high.
Interest rates are still in the low to mid 5% range.
You can still receive an $8,000 tax credit that does not have to be paid back.

On my website I have a link that takes you to a first-time homebuyer page. On this page is a calculator you can use to compare the cost of RENTING vs. OWNING. If you have a minute please visit www.MyUtahRealtor.biz and check it out.

I wanted to keep this post short. Thank you very much for reading and God bless the USA!

Aaron
aaronarrington@kw.com

Life is short....

2009-06-04T23:33:00.002-06:00

As each and every day passes,
As I meet more and more people each day,
As I live to experience something different everyday,
As the world continues to evolve,
As one problem is solved and another arises,
As my daughters get bigger and bigger,
As I get closer to 8 years of marrage,
As I get closer to my 30th birthday and the beginning of my next 30 years,
As new friends come into my life,
As old friends remain close,
As family becomes more and more important,
As emotion plays such a part of our country and our state of being,
As a time when we must bond together more than ever,
As Ferris Beuller once said

"life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you just might miss it!"

It's time to live where you love, love who your with, work where you enjoy, play where you like, and just enjoy all that is YOU!

Aaron

Tell me if you know someone like this....

2009-05-11T10:03:00.003-06:00

Good morning,

As I was driving home from Las Vegas last night, I was listening to a talk show interview/infomercial on the radio. A man talked about some of the mess he is in, in regards to foreclosure and losing his home.

He bought his home 10 years ago before the market really boomed in the mid 2000's. There for a while he was gaining at least $10,000 in equity every 3 to 4 months. He then said that mortgage brokers called him reguarly telling him what a great opportunity for him to refinance to get the equity out of his home and cash out. So that is what he did. He cashed out and cashed out all of this great equity. Now that is ok as long as.......you have something better to do with the money and only if the money will make you more money than you will be paying on your new loan amount. He actually put the blame on the mortgage broker that called him....

Then he went on to say that he got tied up in an ARM or ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE! And he said he didn't even know what it really meant. Now let me ask you this?? 1) Does the word "adjustable" give you any indication that your loan MAY ADJUST? 2) Is it not our responsibilty to find out what exactly we are getting ourselves into?

This is unreal and it is happening all across the country. Now I don't know for sure but I bet this guy blames replubicans and George Bush for the mess he got himself in, and so he followed this up by voting for what we call CHANGE for president.

The problem was not the president, the problem was not the mortgage broker that offered him cash out, the problem was not the ARM loan.......THE PROBLEM IS HE IS UNEDUCATED WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCE, COMMON SENSE, AND READING.

Thank you very much for reading.

Support Businesses You Like...

2009-04-13T08:43:00.002-06:00

I want to talk a bit this morning about supporting business of choice. I notice everyday consumers basing their purchase and choice of shopping outlet on price and price alone. I am a fan of Wal*Mart, EBAY, and Pricleline.com but that doesn't mean I shop there and only there. They are great shopping outlets but not for EVERY item and not for every occasion. I won't go to a car dealership to buy a computer and I won't go to a Sandwich shop to buy Golf clubs.

I want to find a store that specializes in a product that I use, and I want to work with someone who provides a service that is unmatched by any PRICE. Let me give 2 examples:

1) I have a friend that needed a computer for months and months. He even based his entire income off of working on this such computer. So needless to say, the computer was very important. Rather than taking his time and finding a specilaizing outlet of choice, he went to Wal*Mart and bought the first one he saw. Wal*Mart sells enough food, clothes, everyday items that they do not need your computer business. Not only that, who do you ask if you have a question about the computer, where do you go if it breaks down, where do you get the SUPPORT? Not there. I would rather you take the time to familiarlize yourself with a local Best Buy or Staples and make the purchase from someone who knows what they are selling you.

2) The next story is about another friend who made a recent golf club purchase. I have to give a plug for local Golf stores. If you are a golfer at any level and you haven't been to a Uinta Golf Store, PLEASE go to one soon. They will take the time to work with you on everything from club head speed, grips, shafts, brands, degrees, etc. They will even take the time to give you a quick lesson as you try different clubs out on their simulator. So back to the story. My friend and I were looking online for a new driver. I mentioned go to Uintagolf.com and only mentioned the website because he lives 90 minutes from store....but we found the club of choice and selected Brand, shaft, degree, and all but checked out before he decided to go on EBAY to buy similar club for $50 less. I told him if he spent one hour in that store, he would more than make up the difference in price from the support received.

So to sum this all up....if you find companies you like based on any reason, please support them and tell your friends to support them and give them the opportunity to show you price IS NOT everything.

I hope this all makes sense and I want to thank you for reading!

Aaron

Circle of Life....

2009-02-13T09:23:00.003-07:00

As the American people we have a certain responsibility to each other to keep our nation strong and keep our economy growing. There will always be ups and downs in everything we do. Especially the stock market, real estate market, and consumer market. It's easy to forget when things are riding high. I think it's when things are at their worst when you really test yourself and you can really see what you are made of.

Let me explain the circle of life and some of the things we can do to continue to make USA the greatest place in the World. Let me start with Real Estate since that is what I do. If you are thinking about buying real estate or you have the money or ability to buy real estate through cash or financing, not only is it a great time to do it based on pricing and interest rates, it is almost your civic duty to get out there and do it. Let's say you work at Costco for $28,000 to $35,000 a year and your spouse works at Olive Garden making $40,000 to $50,000 a year. And you are currently renting an apartment for $1,000 a month and you are holding off buying a home because you think someday somehow you may lose your job. This can only hurt the process.

When you get out there and buy that home for you and your family this is what happens and this is who benefits:

Seller (is now free of this home debt and can now get out there and buy his next home)
Realtors and real estate offices on both sides make their living
Lenders make their living
Title companies make their living
Appraisers make their living
Inspectors make their living
And all others that may be involved somehow in transaction

Then the beauty of this whole thing is the seller goes out and buys another home and the process starts again.

So you may be thinking how does this help me and my spouse as Olive Garden and Costco employees. Well first of how you own a home gaining equity and tax advantages versus renting. Second of all if you look at the list above....All of these families that just benefited from the purchase of your home can now have money to shop at Costco and eat at Olive Garden. It is financial Circle of life and it is how we can hold each other together.

We don't have to have the cash to do this. That is why we have banks and lenders so good people can get the loans that start this whole process. Now what happens when you and Olive Garden and Costco employees continue to rent based on fear, you stop this entire process which in turn can only lead to more worries.

Now this was a real estate example but I can do this all day with any occupation. If you have a need and if you have the ability.....DO IT!!!!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Aaron

Keller Williams Realty Bucks National Business Trends During the Toughest Real Estate Market on Record

2009-01-31T08:19:00.001-07:00

RISMEDIA, January 29, 2009-Bailout. Credit crunch. Foreclosure. Despite these words permeating the headlines and airwaves, there are companies out there moving forward - even in real estate. Keller Williams® Realty Inc., the fourth largest real estate company in North America, announced that it outpaced the market in 2008, while remaining free of debt, and gave back more than $30 million in profits to its agents.

“Our strategy is no secret. We faithfully follow the sound financial model of leading with revenue - the same model our market centers follow,” said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty Inc. “As we watch companies throughout the country take on billions of dollars of debt, we are proud to say that our company has not one dollar of financing debt and we remain strong and financially sound. It is our joy to be able to give back to our agents during these times.”

Despite pervasive downward trends in the real estate industry, Keller Williams Realty continues to outperform the industry. For the first 11 months of 2008, existing home sales for the United States fell 17% when compared to the same period the year before. By comparison, Keller Williams Realty is poised to outdo those numbers by 10 percentage points, and in addition, the company experienced a much smaller contraction in its agent base compared to the National Association of REALTORS®, who saw a 10% decline in membership.

“Keller Williams was founded 25 years ago during one of the toughest markets on record - when interest rates were higher than 18 percent. We continue to urge our agents to zero in on lead generation and reducing expenses so they can thrive during this market,” said Mary Tennant, president and COO of Keller Williams Realty Inc. “We admire our agents’ spirit, tenacity, and dedication to their businesses. They just keep powering forward.”

Throughout 2008 Keller Williams Realty launched new products and services specifically to boost its agents’ businesses, including two new books: Your First Home: The Proven Path to Home Ownership for first-time home buyers, and SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times. Both books are written by Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman of the board of Keller Williams Realty, who also authored national best sellers The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The Millionaire Real Estate Investor.

Washington County Sales Dec 2008

2009-01-29T10:11:00.002-07:00

Just in December of 2008 there were 131 closed transactions in Washington county. This number includes single family homes and condo/townhomes. Priced as low as $85,000 for a bedroom/1.5 bathroom condo built in 1985 to $1,080,000 for a 4,700 sq feet home built in 2008.

Homes are selling, buyers are looking, and rates and prices couldn't be better. Now is the time to buy real estate!!! If you are looking for a primary home for you and your family or if you have ever thought about owning a vacation home or rental property, NOW is the time.

If you or someone you know is even thinking about buying real estate, PLEASE have them contact me or their REALTOR and find out how they can take advantage of this great time.

www.AaronArrington.com

Fourth Quarter 2008

2009-01-26T22:17:00.003-07:00

This is a quick report of 4th quarter sales in Washington County in 2008.

Property Type---Volume---Median Sold Price

Residential-------$80,655,737-------$219,900
Condo------------$9,683,860--------$141,000
All---------------$90,339,597------- $208,266

Unit Sales by Financing Type

Type of Transaction----Residentital-----Cond0

Cash-------------------------34------------------13
Conventional-----------------87------------------10
FHA-------------------------24-------------------3
Other------------------------4--------------------1
Owner Financing-------------2--------------------0
Utah Housing-----------------0-------------------0
VA---------------------------3--------------------0

Thank you for reading. Please visit my website at www.AaronArrington.com for your real estate needs.

Rates started up....

2009-01-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

For all those who are trying the time the real estate market perfectly and catch the very bottom price with the very lowest interest rate....I think you are fighting a losing battle. Prices are low and may remain for another month or two, but Interest rates have gone up from 4.75 to 5.25 since last week. You are losing that battle as I type.

If you or someone you know is in need or has the desire to purchase real estate....PLEASE have them contact me or their own realtor if they have one and find the home they deserve TODAY!!!

3 years ago some home buyers may have felt like they missed the train on buying real estate in Southern Utah. Well the train came back around to pick you up so PLEASE don't miss it again.

Visit my site at http://www.aaronarrington.com/ and together we CAN find you the home that you and your family DESERVE.

Please help make today the very best January 22nd, 2009 you will ever have!!!

President Bush

2009-01-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

As we say goodbye to President Bush and hear him give his farewell speach, I hope we realize the good in which he has done. He has demonstrated that we are and will always BE the leaders of the free world.

I know some people blame him for economy and housing markets and stock markets being down right now....but nobody was complaining when they all hit all-time highs and were going up for many quarters straight. There will always be a rise and fall in economy, so let's not enjoy the ups and then bash the President for the downs.

I think he was a great President and I think Obama will do just fine even though most people had no idea why they voted for him. Either way we must support which ever President we have!

Thanks for reading!!!

My Website www.AaronArrington.com

2009-01-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

If you or anyone you know is buying real estate--please call me first. Even if it is not is Southern Utah I can help. If you are looking for real estate in Southern Utah, go to my website www.AaronArrington.com and create searches, save searches, add favorites, and much much more.

Thanks!

IF YOU DREAM IT--IT CAN HAPPEN!!!

Laptop Brands

2009-01-10T18:10:00.001-07:00

I sometimes like to let people know what my favorite brands and types of electronics are. I spend a lot of time looking at them and using them. I also have talked to others that use different brands. I have owned Dell, Toshiba, Sony, HP, & Compaq. I want to rank my top five for you and for your information.

1) Sony
2) Toshiba
3) Hewlett Packard
4) Compaq or Acer
5) Dell

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps as you make your next business or personal investment.

Must be Civil...

2009-01-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

As election time has come and gone this past year, you may have noticed more than ever the split between the republicans and democrats. But as we enter a new year and a new presidency we have to come together as ONE and support our new President regardless of which party we favor. That is what makes us stronger and smarter as a nation than we were during the Civil problems of the 1860's.

Work hard, work smart, save smart, and spend smart. Together we can pull through any recession we may be in and show the resiliance that makes us the country we are. Hope all is well tonight. God bless you and may God continue to bless America!

Interest Rates

2009-01-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

In August 2008 interest rates were around 6.48% which means a loan for $150,000 for 30 years would have a payment around $946.13. Today with an interest rate of 5.25% a loan for $171,500 for 30 years would have a payment around $947.03.

The moral of the story is that it is not just prices of homes we should be watching, it is also the interest rates. If we wait for the home to drop $10,000 but the interest rate goes up 1% then we have did ourself an injustice.

Don't try to time the markets and interest rates together because you will lose. Now is a great time to BUY!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:56:00.000-07:00

As we step into a new year, it is important to look back on where we have been and what got us to where we are now. Then we must use that information to figure out where we want to go and HOW are we going to get there!

Welcome!

2008-12-30T23:35:00.001-07:00

Welome to the beginning of something special. Today is the day I begin my blogging experience. My goal is to form a network of family, friends, co-workers, clients, and more that can work together on a common goal for a common purpose. I want to share insights on fun, work, sports, news, politics, travel, and much much more! I welcome any and all that come wish to join in on the fun.