General

I refuse to respond to surveys from the plumbers, electricians, and repair people. I am upfront about it. I just bought some windows and told the salespeople I won’t be filling out a survey when the work is done. I have occasionally offered to fill out a customer survey for $130.00.

Medical clinics and urgent care also send surveys that I don’t respond to.

As the person receiving service, the customer survey doesn’t provide value.

Most surveys are too long or they ask the wrong questions or both.

I don’t ask my clients to fill out surveys either. I do ask for feedback when appropriate but not in a demanding or forceful way.

Real estate professionals who use surveys get five-star ratings. It is almost impossible to find a real estate agent with a four-star rating. All agents with ratings have five-star ratings.

The land my house in St. Paul sits on once belonged to the Anishinaabe. The original people. Historically, the Minnesota region was strategically important to Native American peoples for thousands of years as they used the waterways for transportation and food and to develop an extensive trade relationship with other native peoples. By the 1600s, two main groups lived in present-day Minnesota, the Dakota and the Ojibwe.

Let’s not forget that the land we live on was stolen from the Anishinaabe and they were almost exterminated in the process.

Last year, the Biden administration issued a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day for the third consecutive year. The commemoration of Native American history and culture is now federally recognized alongside Columbus Day, which has been historically observed on the same day.

We can honor Indigenous people by learning about them and our shared history.

Just a friendly reminder. People wishing to register to vote in Minnesota before the election must do so by October 15, 2024. You can register at the polls on election day but if you do it ahead of time voting will be faster for all of us on election day.

I like to vote early just in case. 🙂 If you don’t want to vote early have a plan for election day and register today. At the very least make sure you know where to go to vote. Polling places can change and sometimes they do.

Go to the Minnesota Secretary of State website to check and see if you are registered or register online. They make it so easy, but I just don’t see the point of waiting until election day.

Election day is November 5, 2024, and that is also my birthday which falls on a national election day every 28 years.

Please vote. You can vote today. I voted yesterday in person.

Most Realtors charge by the job, not by the hour. We can of course charge by the hour. When I worked as a consultant we charged by the hour. We kept track of every hour we spent working on the project. We used software that helped us track which tasks we worked on and for how long. We would submit our billable hours to the client and receive payment.

We also got paid for every hour we worked before the project was even completed.

Most real estate agents only get paid after a successful closing. There are no billable hours and there is no payment until after the sale has closed. If there is no closing then the agent works for free. There is no limit to how many hours a real estate agent might work helping someone buy or sell real estate. It isn’t at all unusual to work for three to six months without getting paid.

Sometimes sales fall through for reasons that are beyond the real estate agent’s control and they still do not get paid.

If you want real estate agents to be accountable for how many hours they spend working on your home purchase or sale I strongly recommend paying them by the hour and paying as you go.

Your real estate agent isn’t accountable for each hour worked unless he or she is being paid by the hour.

Last week I had my first-ever COVID test and it was positive.   My husband had been sneezing and he had a runny nose. We thought it was seasonal allergies but he had Covid-19. He likely got it during a visit to the emergency room.

There has been an uptick in COVID cases in Minnesota since August.

Clinics and hospitals are the worst as sick people sit near each other and few if any wear masks.

At least for me, Covid has been pretty brutal. Please be careful out there. Stay up to date with vaccinations and if possible avoid hospitals and clinics.

Keep getting those vaccinations they may offer some protection.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health hospital admissions due to covid are low in Ramsey County. Lets keep it that way.

A quick look at homelessness around the world.

In the U.S. and in Minnesota Older adults (Over 55) are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. This makes sense. Medical care is very, so are prescription drugs, rent, and food.