Holiday Archives - Page 2 of 7 - The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

Yippee! Phoenix Real Estate Guy is Six Today!

May 8, 2011 By Jay Thompson

Six years ago today on May 8, 2005, the first article was published on Phoenix Real Estate Guy.

It was not good.

Many more not-so-swift articles have followed.

Hopefully more goodness than suckage ensued in all the following years. That judgment will be left up to you oh avid reader.

I didn’t start using Google Analytics to track traffic to the blog until July 19, 2006, so I don’t know how many folks have stopped by here the past six years on their journeys around the Interwebs. I do know that since the day Analytics was installed, 2.2 million people have visited, viewing 5.8 million pages. I wish I could thank each and every one of those visitors, because without you, it would be difficult to put in the time and effort it takes to keep this place worthy of your valuable time.

It’s interesting (to me, in a geeky sort of way) to look back at the numbers from the early days that, to be frank, seems like a lifetime ago.

The first month of stats I have show an average daily visitor count of 61. Last month that number was 3,174.

This will be the 1,326 post to TPREG, for an average of one post every 1.65 days. Given there were only 39 articles published in all of Year 1, that’s not a bad rate. (Note to those just beginning your blogging journey, while quality counts far more than quantity, posting less than once per week in your first year isn’t the best way to build readership.)

It took a couple of months for the first comment arrive. “Stevie” left a comment on July 7, 2005 on the fifth post, Showing Homes in 108 Degree Heat. That post contains what is still one of my all-time favorite lines published here ”“ “I haven’t seen someone drink like that since my college roommate went on a three-day bender.”

Since Stevie’s comment, 21,198 others have chimed in here. Along with more than half a million spammers. I appreciate every single one of those comments ”“ the real ones, not the spammers. They can bite me. ”“ as you all contribute a great deal to the blog.

This little corner of the Internet has changed and morphed and grown up a lot over the last six years. It has been a labor of love. We’ve laughed, cried and shaken our heads in wonder and dismay. Thank you to all who have stopped by, I sincerely appreciate you. And it would be negligent of me to not extend a special and heartfelt thanks to my wife and kids. Granted, this is just a blog, it is simply words and code, but it takes a lot of time to hang around for six years, and the family takes the brunt of that. Without their support, none of this would be possible.

It will be interesting to see what the next six years brings”¦

Photo Credit: DairDair on Flickr. CC Licensed.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010! Gobble Gobble

November 25, 2010 By Jay Thompson

Just a quick note to wish all our Phoenix Real Estate Guy readers and their friends and families a Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for each and every one of you. From the “one time reader”, to the regulars, to those who entrust us with helping them to buy or sell a home ”“ and everything in between. Without all of you, this would be a very lonely place.

Old folks like me might remember Arlo Guthrie and his classic Thanksgivingish song, Alice’s Restaurant. You youngsters, not-so-much. Enjoy.

Veterans Day 2010 ”” A Day to Thank a Vet!

November 11, 2010 By Jay Thompson

Regardless of your political / moral / spiritual beliefs, it is undeniable that every single veteran that has ever served this country has made sacrifices. Today is a day to thank them for their service. Without them, and all they’ve given, the world would be a very different place.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. — John F. Kennedy

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. ”“ Author unknown

In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. ”“ JosÃ© Narosky

America’s veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world. ”“ John Doolittle

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ”“ Elmer Davis

Memorial Day 2010: Thoughts and Reflections.

May 31, 2010 By Jay Thompson

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
~ Ronald Reagan

No one likes war. It is a horrible thing. But regardless of your political beliefs or your feelings about sending men and women into battle, Memorial Day is a day to remember those brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

So while you are enjoying the holiday, with friends, family or alone, please stop to pause and reflect; and remember those who died so you could live in freedom.

Every year I write a Memorial Day post. In the past, I’ve scoured the Internet for photos and videos that help me remember the true meaning of Memorial Day. This year, I had the good fortune to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. just a couple of weeks ago. I visited several memorials, and share with you today some of the photos I took.

Arlington National Cemetery

This is one of the most humbling and revered places I’ve ever been. Photos do not do it justice.

Tomb of the Unknowns. The inscription reads, “Here rests in honored glory, and American soldier known but to God”. The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you ever go to Arlington, you must see the changing of the guard ceremony:

Complete Flickr set of Arlington National Cemetery pictures

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

This was, for me, the most emotional of all the memorials I visited. There are 58,261 names of those killed and still missing and unaccounted for carved into the granite of “The Wall”.

I watched this Vietnam veteran get out of a wheelchair, diligently look for a specific name, and reach out and touch it. Several times, with several different names.

Before he finished, everyone around him was weeping like a baby. It was incredibly powerful and emotional

Complete Flickr set of Vietnam Veterans Memorial photos.

Korean War Memorial

National World War II Memorial

World War II veterans gathered on the Pacific side of the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was an honor to shake their hands and thank them for their service.

United States Marine Corp War Memorial

The USMC War Memorial was a five minute walk from my hotel, so I stopped by one evening after midnight. I highly recommend a late night visit as you get a completely different feeling and perspective standing there alone.

Please, don’t ever forget the soldiers, and their families, that gave their lives in the line of duty.

You may also want to check out yesterday’s post, Open letter to the Arizona Congressional Delegation ”“ Please fix the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005. Read about a flawed law that allows property management companies to prevent renters from flying the American flag…

All my photos from Washington, D.C. on Flickr

Phoenix Real Estate Guy Turns Five

May 8, 2010 By Jay Thompson

Today marks the fifth birthday, anniversary, blogiversary ”“ whatever you want to call it ”“ of Phoenix Real Estate Guy.

In the geologic time scale, five years isn’t very long. In the real estate blog time scale, it’s an eon or so.

A lot has changed in this space in the last five years. Long gone are the days when all the real estate bloggers pretty much knew each other on a personal basis. Heck, now there could be some guy down the block with a real estate blog and I might not even know it existed.

I could take a stroll down memory lane, and recount some soaring highs and staggering lows of the last five years. But I suspect you, oh avid reader, would find that horrifically boring.

Instead, I’ll just say “Thank you”. There are too many people to list individually that have helped me, influenced me, and guided me through the last five years. You know (hopefully) who you are. There are two people I do need to expressly thank, for without them none of this ever would have worked.

To my wife Francy ”“ thank you for putting up with the questions, the cursing, and the time it takes to research and write. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say I’ve spent a few thousand hours on this beast, and that is time away from you and the family. Thanks for being a sounding board for individual articles and for keeping me in check when I need it. You contribute far more to TPREG than anyone realizes.

To the readers ”“ thanks for being here, contributing in the comments (or not), putting up with the occasional rant and more than occasional lousy article. Without you, writing into a void would soon grow old. You are greatly appreciated, and as always if there is something you’d like to see here, some way I can make this a better place for you, don’t hesitate to let me know. You are the reason I do this. Thank you, from the bottom if my heart.