MY FIRST POST I have yet to make a post on this blog, so today shall be my first. Let me begin by updating you on our life here so far. My wonderful sister Natalie was recently married in a wine vineyard in Oregon, (you may have seen the pictures). It was a beautiful day and I am thankful to have a brother in law that is perfect for Natalie. Nonetheless, the day was a hard one for me. I miss my sister and it is hard for me to see her take this next step in life. I have to admit that at the reception I just had to leave. I could not hold it in and I cried like a baby. The wedding also marked another big step in mine and Emily's lives. We had been planning on moving to California for a long time now, but we are now deciding to stay in Colorado. It is a good choice, but a difficult one. I think that with every choice one makes they are letting go of something else. Life in Colorado seems as though we are on the verge of breakthrough. Emily and I have been going through the interview process with a number of different companies and this week will begin to tell us what lies ahead. Emily and I have also been trying our hand at various financial opportunities, one being the buying and selling of two cars we have acquired. This week one of these cars might be taken off our hands and it couldn't come soon enough. In the end we will look back at this venture as a learning process we will not soon forget. Relief also comes to us in the way of friends. This Wednesday the Johnson's and the Jackson's will be visiting Emily and I on their way to California. It feels like forever since we last saw them and it will be wonderful to see them again. I think it will be just what Emily and I need to re-energize us for all that lies ahead. I will leave you with a few tips on buying and selling cars should you ever decide to try: 1. Don't do it. 2. Do not buy a car that is brand new and do not buy a car that is over eight years old. (If you buy a car that is too new, most people won't be able to afford to purchase the car and would prefer to do financing through a dealership. Loans that are not for a dealership car tend to have higher interest rates. If the car is too old you probably won't get what you want out of it because the buyer will be thinking of potential repairs that might be needed.) 3. Do not advertise the car in the local paper. (Most papers will offer a deal where you can list the car in the paper for two weeks and it will stay online until it sells. This deal is usually around $90 and produces little result.) 4. Advertise through listings such as cars.com, craigslist.com, or autotrader. These listings are usually either free or cheaper than the newspaper and will bring better results than most other options. 5. Take your car through the state emissions test so that you can give the passing certificate to buyers. (This is just an added relief to buyers and adds that extra touch.) 6. Create a blog that you can refer to on your listings. (A blog will allow you to place limitless amounts of information and pictures.) 7. Make references on your blog to other sites where your car has received good reviews. Consumer reports is a good one to list and hopefully you are not selling a car that has received a bad report. 8. Get your car history report. (At carfax.com you can pay a small fee and get around ten uses. This is good for you when you are buying a car so you know the car's history and it is great to print off and show potential buyers when asked about previous accidents or owners.) 9. When negotiating prices and you are asked how low you will go, do not give a number. Instead, respond by saying, "how much are you looking to spend." This will allow you to put the ball back in their court and will help create commitment to the vehicle. 10. Do not buy a car from the Midwest. (Most buyers look at midwest cars as a red flag because of rust problems.) 11. Be patient. Selling cars can take time and it is easy to get restless. If you are impatient you might ended up getting less than you want because you are dying to get rid of the vehicle. 12. There are probably more tips to be given, but as a final suggestion I recommend that you look into real estate.