Bob's Thoughts About Everything

I received a reminder in my email inbox today. Granted, it is a motivational saying that has been going around for years. Sorry, no new stuff here. However, this is something we need to remember on a daily basis.

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you had better be running." - unknown

Time to start running.

Adopt-A-Fence Program (edit/delete)

If you read my bio, or have followed any of my ActiveRain postings, you know that I love aviation. One of my aviation dreams is to ride in a helicopter. A year ago, during a beautiful Phoenix Saturday afternoon, I was lounging in my backyard pool. I could hear the familiar chop-chop-chop of a helicopter nearing my neighborhood. For some reason, the sound was a little unusual this time. It was much louder. All of a sudden, the bird went right over my backyard. I could have practically reached up and touched those bars that you see hanging down on these beautiful flying machines. It appeared to be landing just down the street from me. Of course, I dried off, threw on a shirt and headed outside to see what was going on.

At the end of my street were firetrucks, ambulances, police cars, and this helicopter landing right on the street. What could it be??? To my horror, I watched as the paramedics loaded a little girl into the helicopter and shut the doors. Away it went. Off into the blue sunny sky.

Of course, I was concerned. I no longer was enamored by the beauty of the flying machine. My thoughts and prayers immediately went out to the little girl and her family. I found out that she was 4 years old and had wandered into the family pool and didn't know how to swim. I cried. I was confused. How could something like this happen? I have learned that this is an all-too-common tragedy in the Valley of the Sun. I watched the evening news that night and learned that the little girl was saved and was recovering nicely. A happy ending to a scary story.

Was there a fence in the backyard of this pool? I don't know. Would a fence have helped to avoid this? I don't know. What I do know is that the Phoenix Fire Fighters Association want to avoid these situations. In an effort to prevent child drowning incidents, the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association in conjunction with Valley of the Sun United Way has a program called Adopt-a-Pool-Fence. Their efforts provide families with one solution to protect their children - a donated pool fence. While I understand that the first precaution is to carefully watch all young children around a pool, a fence can be a helpful barrier.

If a family does not have a pool fence, they may be able to receive a donated fence. The criteria are the following:

• A child 6 years or younger must be living in the home
• The home must be owner-occupied
• Families must demonstrate financial need
• Special Circumstances will be considered
• Families must reside in Maricopa County

Rich Bauer, Director of Community Programs for the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, said, "This is the most aggressive approach to prevent drowning to date, and the statistics prove that the Adopt-A-Pool-Fence Program is working."

For more information, log onto www.saverkids.org/adopt-a-fence. Let's spread the word to those families in need. Let's help to avoid the tragic event that I witnessed. I challenge everyone to spread the word about the program to increase awareness and/or donate to this specific group. Together, we can make a difference.

I am a licensed pilot and a licensed real estate agent. Something dawned on me today that I feel should be shared with everyone else. My thoughts surrounded the idea that faithful use of checklists in aviation and real estate are very similar in the end result. One leads to a successful flight and the other leads to a successful real estate transaction and closing. Failure to use checklists could be very costly in both aviation and real estate. Let's examine.

The first thing a new pilot learns before he or she steps into a plane is how to use a checklist. After learning how many items need to be checked on an airplane, the new pilot sees the checklist as being vital to the success of the flight. One missed item could spell disaster. And when you are in a plane, you can't coast over to the side of the road because you forgot to check the fuel level. Lives are saved by the faithful use of the Pilot's Checklist.

This is an example of a simple checklist that pilots use for the average flight BEFORE they even start the engine.

Preflight Inspection

Interior

• Tachometer - Checked
• Weight and Balance - In Limits
• Parking Brake - Set
• Control Lock - Remove
• Battery - On
• Boost Pump - Verify
• Beacon Light - Operational
• Landing Light - Operational
• Battery - Off

Exterior - Wings

• Flaps - Inspect
• Ailerons - Inspect
• Wingtip and Lights
• Pitot Cover - Remove
• Pitot Tube - Clear
• Stall Warning Horn - Operational
• Fuel Vent - Clear
• Fuel Condition - Water-Free
• Fuel Condition - Contaminant Free
• Fuel Quantity - Visually Inspect
• Fuel Cap - Secure
• Landing Gear - Inspect
• Tiedowns - Remove
• Chocks - Remove

Engine

• Engine Condition - Visually Inspect
• Oil Level - Inspect
• Oil Dipstick/Door - Secure
• Alternator Belt - Tight
• Carburetor Inlet - Clear of Debris
• Spinner - Secure
• Empennage
• Static Port - Clear
• Baggage Door

There are numerous NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) reports of fatal airplane crashes that conclude with the cause of the crash being pilot error. They most likely missed one of the above steps. They may have not VISUALLY inspected the fuel level. Fuel gauges are not always operational. If you rely on the gauge, you may be finding a field to land on between Wichita, KS and Dallas, TX. The worst case would be finding a mountain to plow into between Denver, CO and Salt Lake City, UT.

Now let's see what happens in a typical real estate transaction. When I was finally fortunate enough to get my first accepted offer, I was completely confused about my next step. I was calling my broker and other fellow agents for the answers. What do I do now. One of them finally sent me a checklist. Here's a sample real estate checklist that I use in conjunction with www.wiseagent.com.

First step: Call your spouse or significant other and tell them to go ahead and pay the utility bill. Just kidding. We all know not to spend the money until the checks in your hand. In fact, there are so many steps that can and do go wrong in that wonderful period we call escrow. It may not be as life-threatening as an empty fuel tank at 15000 feet. But the same feeling goes through the lower part of your chest when you find out that you missed a critical step.

All new pilots use a checklist. All good experienced pilots use the checklist every time they fly. Some flyers (I hesitate to call them pilots or aviators) think that they know the procedures by heart and can go without the checklist. They are the ones that we read about in the NTSB reports. The same goes for experienced real estate agents. The other day, I called an experienced agent and asked for the Lead Based Paint Disclosure. She had forgot to do that form. She wasn't using a checklist.

OK, Back on Track. Just like flying a plane, there are numerous other parts of the transaction that have their own checklist. In piloting, there is a checklist for the steps that are needed after takeoff and a checklist for the steps required just before landing. In real estate, there are separate checklists for the listing appointment. I am only going to deal with the Sales Contract Checklist in this article. Here is the sample checklist that was given to me by a fellow agent. I encourage all real estate agents to recognize that, no matter how long you have been in the business, you should use a checklist for success. Just like a successful landing, I look forward to seeing all of you at the closing table.

Agency Disclosure	ASAP
	Conditional Loan Approval Delivered to Seller	ASAP
	Received Earnest Money Receipt from Title Company	ASAP
	Schedule Home Inspection	ASAP
	Schedule Pest Inspection	ASAP
	Schedule Appraisal	ASAP
	Receive Title Commitments Prelim/CC&R's	ASAP
	Pool Disclosure	ASAP
	Receipt of HOA/Condominium/PUD Documents	ASAP
	Superfund Disclosure	ASAP
	Order Home Warranty Plan	ASAP
	Confirm Buyer Set Up Home Owner's Insurance	ASAP
	Receive and Review SPDS with Buyer	5 Days After Contract Date
	Confirm Payment of Appraisal	5 Days After Contract Date
	Lead Based Paint Disclosure	5 Days After Contract Date
	Buyer's Acceptance/Rejection of Prelim/CC&R's	5 Days After Receipt
	Buyer's Disapproval of HOA/Condo/PUD Documents	5 Days After Receipt
	Buyer's Approval/Rejection of SPDS to Seller	10 Days After Contract Date
	Home Inspection Disapproved Items to Seller	10 Days After Contract Date
	Flood Hazard Disclosure	10 Days After Contract Date
	Receive/Review Wood Infestation Report with Buyer	10 Days After Contract Date
	Buyer's Disapproval of Lead Based Paint Disclosure	10 Days After Contract Date
	Septic Tank Inspection	During Inspection Perios
	Confirm Buyer Set Up Utility and Phone Connections	Prior To Close of Escrow
	Final Walk Through with Buyer	Prior To Close of Escrow
	Deliver Keys to Buyer	Close of Escrow
	House Warming Gift	Close of Escrow

Three phenomenon have converged at I-17 and Carefree Highway in North Phoenix. Anyone travelling in this vicinity and direction should plan for extra time during the weekends to get to their destination. The three reasons for this traffic nightmare include:

1. The proximity of Lake Pleasant and the perfect boating weather.
2. The ongoing construction of the I-17 and Carefree Highway bridge and the addition of lanes.
3. The increased number of shops and restaurants in and around the Tramonto neighborhood.

More information about the freeway closures can be found at http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/Valley_Freeways/I17/Black_Canyon_Fwy_North/closures_restrictions.asp.

The $19.6 million I-17/Carefree Highway reconstruction project will provide a modern interchange with capacity to handle increased traffic in the area. The entire project is scheduled for completion this fall. For information about housing near Tramonto, please visit www.bobpearsonrealty.com.