larrycapp - A Dad's Blog Featuring a Variety of Thought

April 10th, 2012

Where Have You Gone Character?

The lies about his motorcycle crash and his relationship with a female staff member cost Arkansas Razorback head football coach Bobby Petrino his job and the more than $21 million that remained on his contract. The dismissal of Petrino was announced Tuesday night by Arkansas director of athletics Jeff Long in this video: Petrino’s inappropriate relationship with 25-year-old staff member Jessica Dorrell came to light after it became apparent that Petrino lied about her being a passenger when he crashed his motorcycle on a rural Arkansas road April 1st. It was also discovered that Petrino, 51 and a married father of 4, had hired Jessica Dorrell on [...]

April 10th, 2012

Uncategorized

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Homes Prices Rising on Low Inventory

Prices of homes between $150,000 & $350,000 have increased significantly between December 2011 & March 2012. According to the Arizona Regional MLS, “The percentage rise during the December to March period, in the $150,001 to $200,000, the $200,001 to 250,000, the $250,001 to $300,000 and the $300,001 to $350,000 price ranges increased 2.46%, 2.25%, 1.24%, 1.14% and 1.21 %, respectively. Changes in the percentage of properties in the $350,001 and above are too small to be significant at this point. As the inventory in the lower ranges is absorbed, buyers are shifting to more plentiful inventory in the higher price ranges, which are still [...]

April 2nd, 2012

Real Estate

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“AS IS” Condition

With over 40% of all active listings in Greater Phoenix being distressed, many are sold in “AS IS” condition. When a buyer enters into a purchase agreement that includes an “AS IS” Addendum from the Arizona Association of Realtors (AAR) there are a few stipulations that are important for the buyer to understand. The first and most important thing in my opinion to understand is that signing an “AS IS” Addendum does not mean that a buyer waives their inspection period and right to cancel the contract within that period. Lines 236-238 of the AAR Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase [...]

April 2nd, 2012

Dad's Disquisition

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Penises & Vaginas

There always comes a time when parents decide when it is appropriate to talk to their kids about certain things. For Pam & me, the subject of proper names for private parts came a few months ago with our 4 & 1/2 year old son Nick. Prior to this discussion, boys had “pee pees” and girls had “no pee pees.” Or, according to Nick what girls had was referred to as a butt. I 1st learned this when we brought our daughter Isabella home from the hospital when Nick was 3 & 1/2. I was changing Isabella’s diaper, and Nick [...]

April 2nd, 2012

Real Estate

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New Listings Barely Keeping Up

Approximately 8,858 homes closed in March 2012 in Greater Phoenix according to the Arizona Regional MLS (ARMLS). According to the Cromford Report, there were 9,139 homes newly listed for sale in March 2012. New listings for March 2012 are a dramatic decrease compared to March 2011 (12,287) & 2010 (14,424). This Chart Shows the Changes in the # of Listings provided by the Cromford Report The local market has clearly moved in the sellers direction as the supply of available homes is less than 3 months worth. The number of closings for March 2012 (8,858) when compared to the current [...]

January 30th, 2012

Real Estate

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Cabinets – Kitchens & Bathrooms Sell Houses?

Everyone has heard the saying that kitchens & bathrooms sell houses. According to surveys, that may not be entirely true, but a kitchen is a focal point for any family first home or a home that hosts guests frequently. Unfortunately, many 80s & 90s built homes in the Phoenix metro area include oak cabinets that are now out of fashion with many home buyers. The style that really seems to turn off buyers I work with are the cabinets with a white-wash finish. Fortunately, a colleague turned me on to a professional painter that specializes in painting cabinets (even the [...]

January 26th, 2012

Book Reviews

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Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed this book very much., June 15, 2011 By Lawrence Cappelletti “Larry Capp” (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This review is from: Losing My Cool: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-hop Culture (Hardcover) Heard an interview with Thomas on the Dennis Prager show and was immediately intrigued by the book and subsequently purchased it. The book is well written and edited. The story is not of your typical young black man who is academic and awkward amongst his peers. It is the story of a young black man who is academic and [...]