#sell my portland house fast

[ibuypdxhomesblogs]

Finding Homes for Sale Cash: A Smart Way to Buy Your Dream Home

Are you looking to buy a home quickly and without the hassle of traditional financing? Many homebuyers are turning to homes for sale cash as a simple, stress-free option. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned investor, purchasing a home with cash can provide you with numerous benefits. In this article, we will explore why buying homes for sale cash is an excellent choice and how it can help you secure your ideal property with minimal complications.

Why Buy Homes for Sale Cash?

When it comes to purchasing a property, most buyers rely on mortgages or loans to fund their purchase. However, buying homes for sale cash can be a faster and more efficient route, saving you time and money in the process. Here's why:

1. No Mortgage Approval Hassle

One of the most significant benefits of buying homes for sale cash is that you avoid the lengthy and sometimes stressful process of getting mortgage approval. Traditional home loans can take weeks or even months to finalize, and not all buyers are guaranteed to get approved. By choosing cash, you bypass this step entirely.

2. Faster Closing Time

When you purchase homes for sale cash, the closing process is typically much quicker. Without the need to wait for bank processes or additional paperwork related to a mortgage, you can close the deal in as little as a week or two. This speed is especially valuable if you are trying to secure a property in a competitive market.

3. Lower Closing Costs

Since you're not relying on a lender, the closing costs associated with purchasing homes for sale cash are often lower. You won't have to pay for things like lender fees, appraisal fees, or mortgage insurance, which can add up significantly when purchasing with a traditional loan.

4. Increased Negotiating Power

Sellers often prefer buyers who can pay in cash because they don’t have to worry about financing falling through. If you're looking at homes for sale cash, you are in a stronger position to negotiate a better price. Sellers are more likely to accept a lower offer from a cash buyer, knowing that the deal is more likely to go through without complications.

How to Find Homes for Sale Cash

Now that you understand the benefits of buying homes for sale cash, you may be wondering how to find these properties. Here are a few effective strategies for locating homes that are available for cash purchase.

1. Work with a Real Estate Agent Specializing in Cash Transactions

To find homes for sale cash, partnering with a real estate agent who understands the nuances of cash transactions is key. These agents can help you find properties that are more likely to be open to cash buyers, and they can also provide valuable advice on the best offers to make.

2. Search Online Listings

Another great way to find homes for sale cash is by browsing online property listings. Many real estate websites allow you to filter search results by financing type, making it easier to find properties that are specifically looking for cash offers. If you prefer a more direct approach, you can contact sellers and ask if they are willing to consider cash offers.

3. Look for Distressed Properties

Distressed properties—such as foreclosures, short sales, or homes in need of significant repairs—are often sold at lower prices and are prime candidates for homes for sale cash. Sellers of these properties may be more willing to accept a cash offer to avoid the time-consuming and uncertain process of finding a buyer with financing.

The Advantages of Buying Homes for Sale Cash Over Traditional Mortgages

Choosing to buy homes for sale cash rather than taking out a mortgage comes with several key advantages. Here are some of the most important benefits:

1. No Interest Payments

One of the most obvious benefits of buying homes for sale cash is that you don’t have to worry about interest payments. Over the life of a typical mortgage, interest can add tens of thousands of dollars to the total cost of the home. By paying cash, you save a significant amount of money in the long run.

2. Less Risk of Foreclosure

Since you own the property outright when you buy homes for sale cash, there’s no risk of foreclosure due to missed mortgage payments. This added security gives homeowners peace of mind, knowing that their home is truly theirs.

3. No Monthly Payments

With no mortgage to pay, you eliminate monthly payments. This gives you greater financial freedom, as you won't have the added pressure of making large payments every month. It can be especially appealing if you are nearing retirement or simply prefer to live without the burden of debt.

4. More Control Over Your Investment

When you buy homes for sale cash, you have more control over your investment. You can make improvements to the property as needed without needing approval from a lender. Additionally, if the value of the property appreciates, you directly benefit from the increase in equity.

How to Negotiate When Buying Homes for Sale Cash

Negotiating for homes for sale cash can be different from traditional home buying, as you already hold a strong position by offering to pay in cash. Here are some tips for negotiating the best deal:

1. Be Prepared to Make a Fair Offer

While it’s tempting to lowball sellers, it’s important to make a reasonable offer when purchasing homes for sale cash. An offer that’s too low may scare the seller off, especially if they are looking for a quick sale. Research comparable sales in the area to make sure your offer is competitive.

2. Highlight Your Cash Offer

Let the seller know upfront that you are a cash buyer. This could give you an advantage, as many sellers prefer the simplicity and speed of cash transactions. Emphasizing this point may even encourage them to be more flexible with their price.

3. Be Willing to Close Quickly

One of the major benefits of homes for sale cash is the speed of the transaction. If you are able to close quickly, sellers will be more likely to accept your offer, particularly if they need to move fast due to life circumstances. Highlight your ability to close on their timeline.

Potential Challenges of Buying Homes for Sale Cash

While there are many advantages to buying homes for sale cash, there are also some potential challenges to be aware of. Understanding these challenges will help you navigate the process more effectively.

1. Limited Inventory

Not all properties are available for cash offers. Many homes on the market are listed with the expectation that buyers will finance their purchase. This can limit your options when searching for homes for sale cash. However, with the right strategies and a bit of patience, you can still find great properties.

2. Missed Tax Benefits

One downside to paying cash for homes for sale cash is that you miss out on some of the tax benefits associated with traditional mortgages. Mortgage interest is tax-deductible, which can help reduce your taxable income. However, this may not outweigh the benefits of paying cash for many buyers.

3. Depleting Savings

While paying cash for homes for sale cash can save you money in the long run, it requires a significant upfront investment. Depending on your savings and financial situation, this may not always be feasible. Be sure to carefully consider your financial situation before making an offer.

Conclusion: Is Buying Homes for Sale Cash Right for You?

Buying homes for sale cash is an excellent option for many buyers, offering speed, security, and financial flexibility. If you're looking for a streamlined process, lower closing costs, and fewer financial obligations, buying a home with cash can be a great way to secure your ideal property.

However, it’s important to carefully weigh the pros and cons of paying cash, considering your financial situation and long-term goals. If you are ready to explore homes for sale cash, consider working with an experienced real estate professional to help guide you through the process and ensure a smooth transaction.

If you're ready to take the next step in your homebuying journey, explore available homes for sale cash today and make your dream home a reality. The market is full of opportunities, and with the right strategy, you can find the perfect home that suits your needs.

Call to Action

Are you ready to make an offer on homes for sale cash? Contact a real estate agent today and start exploring your options. Whether you're looking for a home to live in or an investment property, buying homes for sale cash could be the perfect solution to meet your needs.

[themetaphorgirl]

the Lockwood & Co tag on twitter today is about Arif, so I figured I would share a snippet from a fic I started a while back!

(I’ll post more things soon, including a Patron Saint chapter that’s in progress- it’s just that on top of everything else we just found out our landlord is selling our house and we have to move, which is…a lot! I’m big stressed! but I’m trying to write!)

———

The bell over the door jangled merrily as it opened and a light breeze ruffled the “grand opening” banner hanging overhead. “Hello, welcome!” he called from behind the register.

A little girl zipped ahead of her family and made a beeline for the candy display. “Ooh, Daddy, look!” she chirped, gazing at the jars of lollipops and taffy.

Her father held the door open as he ushered his wife inside. “Just a second, Jessa,” he laughed. “Wait for us to catch up.”

“Oh, it’s lovely in here,” the wife said. She had a blue and white striped baby sling crossed over her chest and she absently patted her baby’s back as she looked around. “Imagine, just a few months ago this was a taxidermist’s shop. This is…this is a drastic improvement.”

“Fewer things staring at you from the window,” her husband agreed.

He grinned. “Glad to hear it,” he said. He held out his hand. “I’m Arif, nice to meet you.”

“Donald Lockwood,” the young man said, shaking his hand firmly. He was in his thirties, tall and thin, and a pair of silver glasses perched on his nose. “This is my wife, Celia, and our daughter-”

The little girl ran over to them. “Hello!” she said, holding onto the edge of the counter and raising herself up on her tiptoes to be seen. “I’m Jessica Lockwood, I’m six years old, my favorite color is pink. What’s your favorite color?”

Arif blinked. “Um…green, I suppose,” he said. “That’s not a question I’m asked often.” He grinned. “But I could have guessed your favorite color.”

Jessica beamed at him. She was dressed in a pink romper and a pink floral shirt, with pink socks and a pink ribbon tied in her dark hair. “I’m awfully fond of pink,” she said. “My bicycle is pink, I rode my bicycle all the way here.”

“We live a few blocks over on Portland Row,” Donald explained. “It was a nice evening and we thought we’d take a walk before curfew.” He ran his hand lightly over Jessica’s hair. “Especially since this one has been so patient waiting for us to take her out on her bike.”

“We’ve been busy because we have a baby now!” Jessica said. She ran over to her mother, who was wandering around the shop looking at the shelves. “Mummy?”

“What, my darling?”

“I want to show Mr. Arif our baby!”

Celia Lockwood laughed and walked over to the counter. She was shorter than her husband but still rather tall and willowy; her long dark hair was tied in a loose braid down her back and her dark brown eyes were identical to her daughter’s. “Sorry, I got a bit distracted,” she said. She drew the edge of the wrap back. “Here he is, although I’m afraid he’s fast asleep right now.”

“That’s Ani,” Jessica informed him.

“It’s Anthony, actually, but we didn’t factor in a six year old’s inability to pronounce that name properly when we made that decision,” Donald said with a proud smile.

“Well, hello, Anthony,” Arif said to the sleeping baby. “How old is he?”

“Three months,” Celia said proudly. She ran her fingertips lightly over the soft dusting of dark hair on the baby’s head. “It’s been a bit of an adjustment getting used to having two children in the house, but Jessica’s been an angel.”

Arif crossed his arms and leaned on the counter. “Oh, so you’ve been a very good big sister?” he asked Jessica. She nodded solemnly. “Well, very good big sisters deserve treats.”

He went over to the bakery caseline and took out a vanilla cupcake topped in pink strawberry frosting. Jessica’s eyes went owlishly round. “Oh!” she said. “Thank you!”

Donald picked her up and set her on his hip so she could see better. “That looks like it was made for you,” he laughed. He kissed her cheek, then wrapped his arm around Celia’s waist. “Here, you pick out something too, dearest.”

“Ooh, there’s too many options,” Celia said. “Everything looks so good. Do you make everything yourself, Arif?”

“My wife and I do, yes,” he said. “We’ve been trying to open a shop of our own for years.”

“Well, I have a feeling we’ll be giving you a lot of business,” Celia said.

She ended up choosing a slab of shortbread glazed with caramel and Donald picked a slice of German chocolate cake, and Arif packaged everything up as neatly as he could. “Mummy, what about the baby?” Jessica said. “He needs something too.”

“Not yet, darling, he’s still too little,” Celia said. “He needs to be a bit older.”

Arif rang them up for the cake and the shortbread, but he stopped Donald’s arguments before he could get started. “The cupcake is on me,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.”

Nevertheless Arif caught Donald dropping several bills into the tip jar on the counter before he picked up the box, much more than the cost of the cupcake, but even if he hadn’t it was worth it to hear Jessica chattering happily to her parents about how excited she was. Through the window he could see her clambering onto her little pink bicycle; her parents followed behind her hand-in-hand, Donald holding the bakery box and Celia patting her sleeping son’s back.

“Nice family,” Arif said aloud to himself as he cleaned imaginary crumbs off his brand new countertop. “Very nice family, hope I see them again soon.”

[etrey]

Max Real Estate Buyers: Your Trusted Cash Home Buyer Solution

Max Real Estate Buyers offers a streamlined solution for homeowners looking to sell their properties quickly and without the hassle of traditional real estate transactions. Specializing as a Cash Home Buyer, Max Real Estate Buyers focuses on providing seamless, fast, and reliable cash offers across multiple locations. Let’s explore the services available in various Oregon and Washington locations.

Cash Home Buyer Lebanon OR

In Lebanon, OR, Max Real Estate Buyers brings an efficient solution for homeowners seeking a quick cash sale. As a Cash Home Buyer Lebanon OR, the company ensures that the selling process is straightforward, eliminating the need for showings, repairs, and lengthy closing times. Selling to Max Real Estate Buyers means you can secure a cash offer within days, helping you move on to the next chapter without delay.

Cash Home Buyer Dallas OR

When it comes to selling property in Dallas, OR, Max Real Estate Buyers stands out as a dedicated Cash Home Buyer Dallas OR. The team’s approach focuses on speed and convenience, making it a top choice for those who need a quick, uncomplicated sale. Avoiding real estate fees and commissions, Max Real Estate Buyers ensures that you keep more of your home’s value in a smooth, cash-based transaction.

Cash Home Buyer Vancouver WA

Max Real Estate Buyers offers fast, reliable cash offers for homes in Vancouver, WA, as a leading Cash Home Buyer Vancouver WA. With a focus on customer satisfaction, Max Real Estate Buyers provides Vancouver residents with a fast and effective way to sell, minimizing the need for inspections, repairs, or costly upgrades. The direct cash offer lets homeowners quickly transition out of their current properties.

Cash Home Buyer Salem OR

For Salem, OR residents, Max Real Estate Buyers is the go-to Cash Home Buyer Salem OR that values convenience and efficiency. The process is designed to help homeowners sell on their terms, bypassing traditional real estate barriers. With a simple, fast transaction, homeowners in Salem can receive cash offers without going through a lengthy, drawn-out process.

Cash Home Buyer Gresham OR

Max Real Estate Buyers extends its trusted services to Gresham, OR, as a specialized Cash Home Buyer Gresham OR. Selling a home in Gresham has never been easier, as Max Real Estate Buyers eliminates the stress of home repairs, negotiations, and showings. Homeowners can rely on this team for a fast, straightforward cash offer that helps them quickly move forward.

For additional resources, please see the other articles of Max Real Estate Buyers: Cash Home Buyer | Homes for Sale | Sell My House | Property Buyer | Sell My Property | Buy House.

https://sites.google.com/view/devte/home 

Business Name : Max Real Estate Buyers | Cash Home Buyer | Homes for Sale | Sell My House | Property Buyer | Sell My Property | Buy House

Phone : +1 503–607–3409

E-Mail : info@maxrealestatebuyers.com 

Website Link : https://maxrealestatebuyers.com/

GMB : https://g.co/kgs/nSKFHmj

Address : 8008 SE 82nd Ave Portland OR 97266

[fire-checkfireprotection]

Northwest Real Estate Solutions

Simplifying Your Home Selling Journey with Northwest Real Estate Solutions

Are you in Portland, Oregon, or the surrounding PDX area, contemplating, "I want to sell my house," or wondering, "who will buy my home?" Look no further than Northwest Real Estate Solutions. We understand the complexities and stress associated with selling a house. That's why we specialize in simplifying the process, offering a seamless experience from start to finish.

Trusted Home Buying Company

Northwest Real Estate Solutions isn't just another home buying company; we're your trusted partner in the real estate market. Our mission is to provide homeowners in Portland, Vancouver, and throughout Oregon and Washington with a hassle-free solution to sell their properties. With years of experience and a dedication to customer satisfaction, we've built a reputation for reliability and professionalism.

Fast and Efficient Process

One of the biggest advantages of choosing Northwest Real Estate Solutions is our ability to purchase properties quickly and efficiently. Whether your house is old, in need of repairs, or requires some tender loving care, we buy houses in any condition. Say goodbye to the hassle of dealing with repairs or renovations. Our team streamlines the process, allowing you to sell your house fast without any unnecessary delays.

Your Convenience is Our Priority

At Northwest Real Estate Solutions, we understand that selling your house can be overwhelming. That's why we prioritize your convenience and peace of mind throughout the selling journey. From the moment you reach out to us to the day of closing, our team is dedicated to making the experience as smooth and stress-free as possible. You can trust us to handle all the details, allowing you to focus on what matters most to you.

Fair Offers, Tailored to Your Needs

We believe in offering fair and competitive offers that meet your needs and timeline. Our goal is to provide you with a solution that works for you, whether you're looking to sell quickly or need more time to transition. With Northwest Real Estate Solutions, you can rest assured that you're getting a fair deal without any hidden fees or surprises.

A Trusted Partner Every Step of the Way

Selling your house is a significant decision, and you deserve a trusted partner by your side throughout the process. Northwest Real Estate Solutions is committed to being that partner for you. From the initial consultation to the final closing, we're here to answer your questions, address your concerns, and guide you through every step of the journey.

Conclusion

If you're looking to sell your house in Portland, Vancouver, or anywhere in Oregon and Washington, Northwest Real Estate Solutions is here to help. With our expertise, dedication, and commitment to customer satisfaction, we make selling your house a stress-free experience. Say goodbye to the traditional hassles of selling a house and hello to a simpler, more efficient process with Northwest Real Estate Solutions. Contact us today to learn more and get started on your home selling journey.

[sellmyhomefastportlandoregon]

Are Portland Cash Buyer Companies Legit? We're Here To Give You The Truth

Unfortunately, with the prevalence of online scams, it's become increasingly difficult to determine which cash home buyers are legitimate Portland businesses and which ones are simply out to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. That's why we've put together this guide to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. https://www.tumblr.com/sellmyhomefastportlandoregon Here are a few things to look for when trying to determine if a cash home buyer company is legit: 1. Are they licensed and insured? This is one of the most important things to look for in any business, but especially in those that deal with large sums of money like cash home buyers. Make sure the Portland company you're considering working with is properly licensed and insured before moving forward. 2. Do they have a good reputation, similar to ASAP Cash Offer? Take some time to research the company online and see what others are saying about them. If there are more complaints than compliments, it's likely best to steer clear. 3. Do they have experience? Another important thing to consider is how much experience the company has. While there's nothing wrong with working with a newer Portland company, you may feel more comfortable working with one that has been in business for awhile and has a proven track record. 4. Are they transparent? A good cash home buyer company will be upfront and honest with you about their fees, the process, and what you can expect from working with them. If they're being evasive or vague about any of these things, it's probably best to move on. 5. Do they have a physical address? This may seem like a small thing, but it's actually quite important. A legitimate company will have a Portland physical address that you can visit if needed. If they only have a PO box or email address, that's a red flag. If you keep these things in mind, you should be able to easily weed out the illegitimate Portland cash home buyers from the legit ones. And when in doubt, always err on the side of caution and consult with a professional before moving forward with any business transaction. The benefits of a cash buyer are real and tangible, such as the fact you can sell your house AS IS, without making repairs. This means you can sell a fire-damaged house in Portland or a flooded house. Yes, leaky roofs and bad tenants can also be transferred over to a cash home buyer. You don't have to worry about any of these things when you're working with a legitimate company.

When it comes to Portland Realtors, there are a few important things to remember :

1) You will still need to pay a commission. It's typically between 5-6%. So, if your home sells for $100,000, you'll owe the agent $5,000-$6,000.

2) You're not guaranteed to sell your home. In fact, the average time it takes to sell a house is about six months.

3) There are a lot of fees associated with selling a home the traditional way, such as staging, repairs, and closing costs. These can easily add up to thousands of dollars.

4) You're also at the mercy of the market. If there's a downturn or buyers are scarce in your area, it could take even longer to sell your home.

Selling to a Portland cash buyer eliminates all of these concerns. You don't have to worry about any repairs, you don't have to stage your home, and you don't have to pay any commissions or fees. You also get to choose when you close, so if you need to move quickly, that's not a problem. The bottom line is that working with a cash buyer is a legitimate way to sell your home. Just make sure you do your research and work with a reputable company. If you do, you'll be able to sell your home fast, easy, and stress-free. We hope this guide has been helpful in determining whether or not Portland cash buyer companies are legit. If you have any further questions, drop a comment down below!

[sellmyhousefastportlandoregon]

Are Portland Cash Buyer Companies Legit? We're Here To Give You The Truth

Sell Your House To a Legitimate Home Buyer

Unfortunately, with the prevalence of online scams, it's become increasingly difficult to determine which cash home buyers are legitimate Portland businesses and which ones are simply out to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. That's why we've put together this guide to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

Here are a few things to look for when trying to determine if a cash home buyer company is legit:

1. Are they licensed and insured? This is one of the most important things to look for in any business, but especially in those that deal with large sums of money like cash home buyers. Make sure the Portland company you're considering working with is properly licensed and insured before moving forward.

2. Do they have a good reputation? Take some time to research the company online and see what others are saying about them. If there are more complaints than compliments, it's likely best to steer clear.

3. Do they have experience? Another important thing to consider is how much experience the company has. While there's nothing wrong with working with a newer Portland company, you may feel more comfortable working with one that has been in business for awhile and has a proven track record.

4. Are they transparent? A good cash home buyer company will be upfront and honest with you about their fees, the process, and what you can expect from working with them. If they're being evasive or vague about any of these things, it's probably best to move on.

5. Do they have a physical address? This may seem like a small thing, but it's actually quite important. A legitimate company will have a Portland physical address that you can visit if needed. If they only have a PO box or email address, that's a red flag.

If you keep these things in mind, you should be able to easily weed out the illegitimate Portland cash home buyers from the legit ones. And when in doubt, always err on the side of caution and consult with a professional before moving forward with any business transaction.

The benefits of a cash buyer are real and tangible, such as the fact you can sell your house AS IS, without making repairs. This means you can sell a fire-damaged house in Portland or a flooded house. Yes, leaky roofs and bad tenants can also be transferred over to a cash home buyer.  You don't have to worry about any of these things when you're working with a legitimate company.

When it comes to Portland Realtors, there are a few important things to remember :

1) You will still need to pay a commission. It's typically between 5-6%. So, if your home sells for $100,000, you'll owe the agent $5,000-$6,000.

2) You're not guaranteed to sell your home. In fact, the average time it takes to sell a house is about six months.

3) There are a lot of fees associated with selling a home the traditional way, such as staging, repairs, and closing costs. These can easily add up to thousands of dollars.

4) You're also at the mercy of the market. If there's a downturn or buyers are scarce in your area, it could take even longer to sell your home.

Selling to a Portland cash buyer eliminates all of these concerns. You don't have to worry about any repairs, you don't have to stage your home, and you don't have to pay any commissions or fees. You also get to choose when you close, so if you need to move quickly, that's not a problem.

The bottom line is that working with a cash buyer is a legitimate way to sell your home. Just make sure you do your research and work with a reputable company. If you do, you'll be able to sell your home fast, easy, and stress-free.

We hope this guide has been helpful in determining whether or not Portland cash buyer companies are legit. If you have any further questions, drop a comment down below!

[misslisterkeepsajournal]

1831 Friday 7 October

6 55/.. 10 25/..

Fahrenheit 67°. and fine sunny but windy morning now at 7 35/.. - breakfast at 7 55/.. - pretty damp little place - au 1re [premiere] in front - but ruz de chanssée at the back - single house - the 2 windows opposite each other shewed the inequality of the ground - pretty rustic verandah in front and windows opening on to the ground -

Off from Freshwater gate Inn at 8 40/.. very steep up the down - all walked - I took George and close along the edge of the cliffs and walked 40 mins. [minutes] before we turned inland to the top of the down and the carriage came up with us - the white Freshwater cliffs (white and high and precipitous) are certainly very fine, but not so fine as the Dover cliffs - sea very rough - wind very high - had it been to the sea instead of from it, there would have been no walking on the seaward declivity of the down -

Drove along the open down as far as just turning down upon the little scattered village of Brook - left a little below us (right) at 9 50/.. a good looking brick house inhabited by Mr. Howe, Lord of the manor, and there seemed to be a few straw thatched cottages - all the village that we saw - at Mottiston at 10 - neat brick farmstead and 5 or 6 straw thatched cottages and a picturesque wood? steepled little old church -

At Brightstone or Brixton at 10 1/4 - very scattered pretty straw thatched well-gardened village - stopt at the neat yellow-white washed Inn to water the horse at 10 20/.. - neat little church just beyond the Inn, and a few neat cottages for small gentry? there seemed a neat good brick Squire's house at a little distance (left) a little out of the centre of the village - far the prettiest village we have yet seen, and really pretty - walked round the little churchyard and off again at 10 1/2 - the coast seems low from Brook to some distance beyond Brixton - St. Catherine's hill, the highest land in the island stretches finely ahead of us like a long barrier against our getting any much farther - the preventive watch tower and the light house look like 2 great gate posts as we rise the ground out of Brixton -

At 10 40/.. Westcourt a large brick gable ended ivy covered house, and Shorwell picturesque good little village with neat little old church - alight at the neat little old church of Chale at 11 3/4, and, leaving the carriage to go over St. Catherine's hill and thro' the village of Niton, took George and a young woman guide and turned down the cliffs and to Blackgang chine at 12 - merely a little cove or circular hollow in the black indurated clayey cliff - the little stream or ripple that falls from the top lost in rain before it gets to the bottom, tho' the depth it falls may be 60 or 70 feet Brannon's guide says 70 feet (the girls father says 55 feet) instead of 500 feet according to one of my guide books - really Blackgang chine is no great thing - but taking the whole height of the cliff to the top of St. Catherine's hill above the broad shelf or undercliff in which the chine is worn (and the water only runs over the chine) the height cannot be above 500 feet if so much - for it is not the highest part of the hill that is over the chine - Brannon mentions Chale and walpan chines as partaking of the character of Blackgang chine - Chale the girl said was nothing not near so big as Blackgang and walpan above a 1/4 mile to the westward quite out of our way and we must go along the sands to see it, and the water was too high and the sea too rough to admit that - besides the cliff was lately so fallen away the chine was nearly destroyed -

Blackgang Chine c1910, the chine has since been destroyed due to erosion [Image Source]

We then walked along the cliffs to the aluminous-chalybéate spring called Sandrock spring - really a pretty strong chalybéate [according to Wikipedia: “waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron”] and plenty of the water - the present building over it quite new - the old one fell away last winter by the slipping of the cliff - then to the neat little cottage above the spring (a sort of dispensary) just under the Sandrock cliff - would not live there - there may be another land-slip as in 1799 - the Sandrock cliff begins a very little to the westward of this Sandrock spring cottage - the cliff very curious - in their horizontal strata where rooks and ravens, sea gulls, and falcon-hawks build their nests - fine, sea views - a little too hazy for the peep of Portland race from the point between Knoles and Buddle's farm -

We passed along there and came out upon Sandrock hotel at 1 - very pretty 2 story house with rustic jasmine and ivy covered verandah along the ground story, windows opening on to the ground - the house too on an eminence with very fine sea view - the prettiest hotel I ever saw anywhere - my Leghorn bonnet hat being all blown out of shape - my false hair taken off and put into the crown of my Leghorn - the driver having gone at once to the stables, and neither of my servants being in sight I can imagine the people wondered what I might be - I did not think them civil enough - looked about - wrote my pencil notes and walked off - went down to the stables to speak about the road etc. wanted a guide - the ostler would recommend a boy (who it turned out was his own son and I afterwards had him to a little beyond Mirables cottage, but he wanted me to pay the ostler, and I would have nothing to do with paying ostlers, so walked off - and at a little distance some neat little Lodging houses, and a few good comfortable cottages -

The village of Niton 1/4 mile off - but not worth going so much out there and back out of my way, so took the boy and walked forwards along the undercliff carriage road - soon came to the Orchard general Sir Willoughby Gordon - approached by a sunk road about 4 feet high rough large stone walling and top-planted slopes above - (there would be something of this sort on entering trough of bolland wood to Shibden) - the house a modern gothic 2 story high with a small castle tower or 2 quite in a hole - invisible till quite upon it - would not live there for all the island - but must look prettily upon the sea from the other side and may have pretty little grounds like Mirables, Mrs. Arnold's very pretty cottage which we soon afterwards turned down to see - she being gone out, a man we found in the grounds shewed us over them (very pretty - bowers of magnificent ivy growing over old shrubs and scraps of wall), and the neat little dairy, and the house too - really a cottage - some of the rooms surely not more than 7 feet high - very very low - but verandahs, and ivy covered covered windows and gables, and really very pretty - but no such cottage for me to live in - give me loftier and larger rooms - more elbow and more breathing room -

Sent back the boy a little beyond Mirables, and sauntered on (Cameron and George and I) by ourselves - just peeped in at the windows of the very small church of St. Lawrence not more than 20 feet long by 12 broad probably the smallest church in England - and the carriage over took us at 3 about a mile from Ventnor, and we all got in - Steep hill at 3 1/4 - we all walked up the hill -

St. Lawrence Old Church - built in the 12th century and considered the smallest church in England until a 10 foot chancel was added in 1842 [Source]

Ventnor hotel at 3 23/.. - a neat, new, remarkably comfortable tidy-looking house, 2 storys, the lower 8 windows in front the 4 lower opening upon the ground - the house on high enough ground - not much wood about it - but beautifully diversified hill and down, and very picturesque pretty little scattered hamlet - the curious sandrock cliff seems to end at Ventnor, and a very high steep down to fence off the more irregular sloping undercliff - horse tired - so that we do not get on very fast - at 3 40/.. St. Boniface cottage (left) very pretty straw thatched gentlemans cottage - from here go down a steepish hill into a deep beautiful finely wooded dell or valley and come out upon the pretty little village of Bonchurch at 4 -

Go into the little church which Andrews (large guide page 96) thinks one of the oldest in the island or in England 'the entrance of the church is a beautiful and perfect Saxon arch; the portico is clearly of Norman architecture, being added after the conquest' - the church is not much larger than that of St. Lawrence - from this church walked the land slip (another land slip, a sort of chaos prettily and picturesquely planted with forest copse wood) to Luccomb chine which was shewn us by the proprietor of one 1/2 of it who happened to be standing by - has a neat little cottage (Luccomb chine cottage) 2 little sitting rooms and 2 bedrooms and 2 servants ditto and little kitchen stable and barn for coach house and a nice little pretty garden at the head of the chine with private way down it to the sea, - that he would let for 20/. a week now, and lets in the season for 50/. a week - season from May to now - but bad carriage road to it thro' the farm yard of a farm belonging to Mr. Atherly M.P. for Southampton - the front door of the cottage opens into Mr. A-'s [Atherly's] property that is entailed and cannot be sold - the man calculates his cottage at £22 a year has above 20 acres land with it and some cottages that altogether bring in above £40 a year and would sell the whole for £1200 - all these cottages too poky and stuffy for me - the Chine merely a pretty cleft in the cliffs down to the beach, - green and pretty well wooded - but really these Chines do not deserve to be made much fuss about - they are convenient passages to the sea - a sort of large Lord Bute's gaps as at Highcliff - the chine a mile from Shanklin -

Luccombe chine in 2008 [Image Source]

Walked up the hill to meet our car - could not find it - walked to Shanklin there at 5 20/.. and the carriage not being arrived had to send after it - the very pretty Inn quite full - but Mrs. Williams very civil and got me a little lodging near - very comfortable - very pretty picturesque village - a good deal taken with it - could not resist going down to see the chine - a pretty wooded glen - prettier than Luccomb because topped by the neat gable ended white house of general Viney, and a pretty little bay and good sands below - fine hard sandy clayey cliffs shut in the bay - the winding down to it in traverses is pretty, and altogether Shanklin is a pretty little -

Met a couple of men who had been digging up sand eels - bought the whole lot of one of them (2 or 3 score, I think at least) for 6d. [pence] - gave him 6d. [pence] additional and he took them to the Inn and I ordered them for supper - back at 5 50/.. 2 basins (above 1 1/2 pint) of boiled milk but ate merely a mouthful of bread at 6 - then settled accounts and began this journal of today - at 7 my sand eels ate 5 or 6 and 20, and drank as much boiled milk as before with about as much bread and then finished journal of today -

The 5 miles walk from Sandrock hotel to Vintnor along the undercliff is really very fine the perpendicular wall of sandrock cliff left - the sea right - the gentlemens cottages and grounds - the finely varied prettily wooded and undulating undercliff, form a charming whole - once or twice looking only at the Sandrock cliff and the planting along I was reminded (a very miniature likeness) of the Gorge d'ortessa - but altogether, sea and all, I doubt if there are many finer walks in England or anywhere than these 5 miles of undercliff - the chaos from between Bonchurch and Luccomb chine and the copse wood among it reminded me for a moment (miniature likeness) of some of the tremendous chaos on descending the Splugen towards Chiavenna -

Gorge d’Ordesa in the Ordesa y Monteperdido National Park, Spain [Image Source]

We met a Lady and gentleman at Bonchurch just returned from the chine of whom I inquired the way - the lady's ecstasies about the beauty of the wood leading to it - never saw anything so beautiful - I should be well repaid etc. etc. made me think how well it is to enlarge on ideas and accomplish one faculty of admiration by sights on ampler scale than we can have at home - very fine day - had just finished the above of today at 9 10/.. - came to my room at 9 35/.. - Fahrenheit 69°. now at 9 50/.. -

[Margin] From Ventnor to Bonchurch very pretty especially from Bonchurch cottage thro' the wooded valley -  

Reference: SH:7/ML/E/14/0129 - SH:7/ML/E/14/0130

[ibuypdxhomesblogs]

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[cousinmarcustalkswrestling]

Best NXT Matches of 2020 10-6

10

Io Shirai vs Shotzi Blackheart - September 16

Shotzi Shotzi SHOTZI!!! Where did this come from?!? This wasn’t a title match, just a friendly exhibition for Shotzi to get into the true title picture and she took full advantage of it here. From the start, Shotzi treated this like a title match. She outworked Io on the mat and showed that she could strike with her as well with some hard kicks. Things got more and more intense and Shotzi stayed all over Io. She ducks the 619 and worked her way into a great Tiger suplex THEN immediately transitioned into Cattle Mutilation. At this point, I was on the edge of my seat because Shotzi was breaking out before my eyes. Io goes up top, but Shotzi breaks out a goddam super hurrancanrana. She wants to try a sunset flip powerbomb on the apron, but Io slips out and DRILLS her with a German suplex on the apron!! Io kills her with a meteora and a moonsault to win this banger. IT WASN’T EVEN A TITLE MATCH!! Shotzi had one of my favorite performances of the year and pushed Io to the limit.

9

Io Shirai vs Sasha Banks - Great American Bash Day One

This was a highly anticipated dream match between the top two women of 2020. Bayley and Sasha “invaded” NXT a few weeks earlier in a tag team title match and Io attacked them both after the match to assert her dominance over NXT. I got major Eddie vs Rey vibes from this match. Io plays the Rey role, blitzing Sasha with her speed and aerial attacks early until Bayley distracts her and Sasha can take over. Sasha slows things down, bends, and contorts Io like her idol Eddie Guerrero used to do to one of his best foes. Io comes back and their exchanges are super fast paced and intense. In a huge holy shit moment, Sasha catches Io springboarding in with a hard kick then sunset flip powerbombs her into the plexiglass barricade. She goes to end things with the frog splash, but Io snatches her into a crossface. Bayley tries to use the tag title belt to give Sasha an advantage, but the odds are evened when Sasha’s Extreme Rules opponent Asuka comes from under the ring and mists Sasha. Io cracks her with a palm strike and ends this banger with a moonsault. Top two ladies doing exactly what you’d expect them to do. Seeing Asuka with Io made me salivate for a match between them. Also this match main evented NXT and was one of the few times that NXT beat AEW in the ratings. The Boss is a Draw.

8

Kyle O Reilly vs Pete Dunne #1 Contenders Match for NXT Title - December 16, 2020

A few weeks before this, Dunne beat KOR in a great ladder match to gain the WarGames advantage for the Brand. This time, they take it to each other for the selfish reasoning of challenging Finn Balor for the NXT title. O’Reilly’s kind out of nowhere babyface has made me more of a fan, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t straight up rooting for Pete Dunne, who I’ve loved in a wrestling and romantic sense since the moment I saw him (kidding, not kidding). This is the wonderful blend of wince-inducing striking and masterful counter-wrestling that you would expect from these two that gets more creative and more hard hitting the deeper into the match that we go.

We got a repeat of their super fun tug of war spot, but this time, they’re pulling each other into the turnbuckle. KOR unleashes his own strikes and Dunne’s mouthpiece ends up coming out from the brutality. After they trade ankle lock attempts, Dunne attempts a standing Kimura lock and KOR blocks it by grabbing his own tights. I love the simple “real life” type counters like that. KOR counters the Kimura, they trade suplex attempts and KOR destroys Dunne with a brainbuster. There’s a great cinematic moment where Dunne slow crawls over to his mouth guard, but KOR steps on his hand. Dunne returns the favor with a trusty finger snap and he goes to end it with a Bitter End on the apron, but KOR counters to a DDT on the floor then he catches Dunne coming in with a Flying knee to the back to the head to win it and book a rematch against Finn Balor. Just excellent wrestling between two excellent wrestlers. I still really wanna see Balor vs Dunne this year though.

7

Keith Lee vs Dominik Dijakovic - North American Title - Takeover Portland

The beginning sequences of this match felt like they were pandering to show that they were “big dudes who can move”, instead of just telling their story. Once they went to just telling their story and letting the story display their skills, this was off to the races! Keith Lee is a superstar and they do a lot of spots to put him over as an otherworldly mass of a man. A standing release German Suplex on a dude DD’s side is crazy impressive. Keith doesn’t budge from numerous clotheslines and more than a few times, he counters something by just slowly pushing DD’s hands away from him. He’s still a tremendous seller, but it just communicates that it takes ALOT to get him off his feet. DD is up for the challenge though and he dishes out some crazy stuff, suplexing Lee onto the apron, delivering a terrifying Super Samoan Drop, & in the spot of the match, a top rope senton onto a seated Lee. DD does the New Japan no-sell of Lee’s spirit Bomb, so Lee just powers up and destroys him with another one, but DD kicks out. Lee sells it like a close cousin died. DD’s back is too injured form all of that and the BBC (LOL) ends this awesome opener.

6

Io Shirai vs Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley - Women’s Title - Takeover In Your House

This was the first women’s main event since 2015 and it definitely was main event material. Charlotte controls things early, tricking Io and Rhea into fighting each other then taking advantage and chopping the life out of em. Io Shirai has a vintage Rey Mysterio like performance here, where shes kinda swatted away by the bigger ladies, but then she pops out of nowhere with a crazy springboard dropkick or a suicide dive. Charlotte and Rhea resume their rivalry and they brawl all over the ring and the set until Io dives from the top of the House onto them both in a crazy spot. Charlotte turns back the clock and batters them both with a kendo stick, but while she has Rhea locked in the Figure 8, Io creams Rhea with a moonsault to claim the title. Rhea came off like the second fiddle here and things got a little sloppy at times, but it was fun as hell with a starmaking performance from Io Shirai. This would be the start of a crazy awesome title reign for Shirai.

[semperintrepida]

The Sellout, chapter two

two: the big reveal

Kassandra sipped her coffee and surveyed the Portland skyline: the muddy river far below, Mount Hood backlit by sunrise skies as soft and pink as a kitten's tongue, and the laughably light traffic skating along I5. Roofs and trees, then trees in greater and greater numbers until they made a velvety green carpet all the way to the mountains. Portland had to be the smallest big city she'd ever lived in.

She sipped again, letting the coffee's warmth ward off the chill from the polished concrete floor beneath her feet, and she wandered away from the unbroken expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows that formed the eastern wall of her condo, back to the table where her laptop waited for her to put the finishing touches on the Yelp review she'd been dying to write since yesterday afternoon.

After visiting fifty — no, closer to a hundred — coffee shops in the month she'd lived here so far, she'd never experienced one quite like Cliffhanger Coffee. The latte she'd ordered was damn near perfect, but the coffee snob capital of the US was full of near-perfect lattes. It wasn't full of beautiful, dark-haired women with fire in their eyes who could pull espresso shots while throwing volleys of sharp, sharp words at the first sign of a threat.

Despite turning up the dials on her charm and attentiveness, Kassandra had gotten skewered almost as soon as she'd opened her mouth. After two years of living with Pacific Northwest passive aggressiveness, the woman's flat-out, in-your-face aggressiveness had hit Kassandra like the first taste of a sea breeze after years in the desert.

She'd savored every sip of that latte while walking up Belmont back to her car, and later on, she'd fallen asleep thinking about the woman's sharp words, the muscled lines of her forearms, and how they'd disappeared into blackwork tattoos that ran under the rolled-up sleeves of her flannel shirt. Trees on one arm and plants on the other, ferns giving way to some kind of vine, twisting in intricate lines on her skin...

Kassandra shook the thought away and focused on the text she'd written. Come for the delicious drinks, stay if the barista likes you... She tapped a finger against her chin in thought, then typed out one final sentence before she clicked "Post Review."

She examined her handiwork with a satisfied grin, then finished off the last of her coffee. Maybe she could squeeze in a visit to the other side of the river after her one o'clock planning meeting downtown. She picked up her phone.

Dessa answered in the middle of the first ring. "Good morning, Kassandra." She'd been Kassandra's assistant long enough to know her working hours went from seven a.m. to seven p.m. and often beyond.

"Dessa. Good morning. How's my two to four looking this afternoon?"

Quiet click-clicks as Dessa brought up her calendar. "You've got a one-on-one with Trevor Adams from two-thirty to three-thirty."

"Reschedule him to early next week."

"Consider it done."

"Any messages for me?"

"Kevin would like you to call, but he says it's not urgent."

Kassandra snorted. A CEO's not urgent merely meant right now instead of yesterday. "Coordinate a call with Lisa so I can talk to him at his earliest convenience." Lisa, his long-suffering admin assistant, who'd followed him from Microsoft to Juniper and every other stop along the way.

"It'll probably be around eight-thirty."

"That works." She drummed her fingers on the tabletop. "How're things back at the ranch?"

A sigh. "Markos has been looking for you."

Kassandra rolled her eyes. "He can make a calendar request like everyone else."

"I told him that, but you know how he is."

She did, all too well. He liked his meetings with her to be in person and off the record, like he was some big-shot politician instead of a middling marketing executive. "I'll be on site tomorrow morning. If he weasels by again, tell him he can buy me lunch."

"Will do. Anything else you need?"

"That's it for now. Thanks, Dessa."

She gave one last smirking glance at Yelp, then closed the browser tab and pulled up Outlook. The number of messages in her inbox had reached quadruple digits, and she made a mental note to spend some time cleaning it up later. She scrolled around until she found the email she wanted, then picked up her phone again. "Hi, Evelyn. It's Kassandra. Ready to start crunching those square footage numbers on the southeast flagship?"

.oOo.

A little after two o'clock, Kassandra turned her Audi R8 onto the looping ramp that led up to the Morrison Bridge, and just past the apex of the curve, she punched the gas and grinned as the big V10 began to howl. The acceleration shoved her hard into her seat, and it was like sitting in a recliner strapped to a rocket, more than making up for the fact that the car only came with an automatic transmission. No matter. If she wanted to shift gears herself, she had motorcycles for that.

She found a place to park on a side street off Belmont, slung her laptop bag over her shoulder, then backtracked a couple of blocks to the building that housed Cliffanger Coffee. The neighborhood wore its light industrial roots proudly: lots of brick and corrugated metal, and the coffeeshop's building was no exception. The ground floor units had lofted ceilings, but there were two more floors above them that looked like they'd been converted into apartments sometime in the last forty years. Likely rent controlled. Probably what had kept the owner from tearing it all down and putting up a mixed use development in its place.

A development on a street corner like this could net tens of millions.

The corner unit was occupied by a store selling overpriced furniture, and she scanned the price tags through the windows as she passed: five-hundred-dollar end tables and six-thousand-dollar couches. The store had probably been open for less than a year. She wondered what had been in its place a decade ago, when the coffee shop next door had moved in and nudged this neighborhood a little further down the path of gentrification.

A slate-colored sign bearing the words "Cliffhanger Coffee" hung over the door, the bold white lettering in a font that was clean and timeless rather than trendy, set over an angular slash that was more suggestive of a cliff than explicit.

Kassandra pushed the door open and stepped inside. Busier today, with customers dotting the interior tables, and the same three people from yesterday seated at the couches, deep in conversation. The woman — the owner, Kassandra reminded herself — was at the register, smiling as she handed a cup to a customer. At the sound of the door opening, her gaze slid from the man, to Kassandra, then back again.

The woman's smile faded as soon as the customer turned his back to her. She wore a blue and white plaid button-down with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and tight black jeans. The buckle of her belt glinted silver under the menu board's lights. "What do you want?" she asked as Kassandra walked up to the counter, her gaze as opaque as smoked glass, and Kassandra knew she wasn't really asking about a drink.

"I'll take a double shot, bone dry cappuccino, please."

The woman's eyes narrowed a fraction as Kassandra's weaponized order hit its mark. "Four dollars and thirty cents," she said flatly, slamming her fingertip into the register's touchscreen so hard its plastic casing creaked. This time, Kassandra took a good look at the woman's hands: long and slender, implying fine bones within, but her fingers were wrapped with muscles, as were her wrists and forearms, powerful lines disappearing into black foliage and vines that climbed up her arm.

That kind of muscle didn't come from pulling shots at an espresso machine — it came from training and effort. Kassandra knew it well; she wore it herself from her neck to her calves, earned it in the weight room and on the pitch, and, once everyone figured out she'd grow up to be tall instead of fast, on the basketball court. The woman had probably started young at whatever sport it was, but she was too tall and lean to be a gymnast, and no soccer player who wasn't a goalkeeper had wrists like that, and she wasn't tall enough to be a keeper anyway...

Kassandra realized she was staring, and her fingers fumbled at her wallet inside her suit jacket's pocket. It took her two tries to pull a twenty from the cash in her money clip, and she made herself take a slow breath before she pushed it across the counter. "Can you make that drink for here, please?" she asked once she'd regained her poise.

The woman tilted her head and eyed the twenty. Her look could have shattered concrete. Then the twenty disappeared into the cash drawer and a stack of coins and bills took its place. "You might as well have a seat," she said, tossing the words over her shoulder as she moved to the espresso machine.

And just like the day before, the woman's shroud of irritation fell away as soon as she focused her full attention on making the drink, her eyes lighting up with a clean, unburdened joy. This woman was the one Kassandra wanted to talk to. She wanted to ask, Does it feel the same way for you too? It was beating everyone in the paint to a rebound, or hitting a holeshot on the racetrack, that flowing perfection where everything is just so and all is right in the world. Kassandra had spent a lifetime chasing it.

One espresso shot and two full pitchers of steamed milkfoam later, the drink slid across the counter. "Bone dry," the woman said in a voice to match.

Kassandra picked up the cup, murmuring her thanks before she drifted around the perimeter of the shop. Lots of brick and exposed metal, softened by green plants. Real ones. This place would Instagram well. She sipped the drink, the hot espresso tunneling through a thick layer of fluffy foam, completely free of milk and its diluting effects. Yesterday's latte had been near-perfect, but this drink was perfection in every way, its components correctly proportioned, the shot ecstatically good. She needed to find out who the woman's coffee roaster was.

A set of shelves crammed with books occupied much of the back wall, under a small, hand-lettered sign reading take one, leave one. Past the shelves, a bulletin board hung over a small self-service bar that held carafes of cream and a variety of sweeteners. Kassandra's eye lingered on a line of brightly colored stickers running along the edge of the board: Best of Portland 2010, Best of Portland 2011, 2012, 2013... all the way to last year, 2017.

She chose a table against the wall that was mostly hidden from the counter's line of sight, pulled her laptop from her bag, sat down, and pretended to get to work.

A steady stream of customers passed through the doors of the shop, despite the doldrums of the mid-afternoon, and the thread of tension wound tight around the woman's voice began to loosen as she filled orders and chatted with customers. Once, she even laughed, low and round and rich, the sound fuming in the air like a good bourbon. Until that moment, Kassandra wasn't sure the woman was capable of it.

The shop began to empty out as the clock swept past three. Kassandra packed her laptop away and carefully set the empty cup into the bus tub under the self-service bar. She strolled over to the counter, ignoring the hostile glances from the regulars at the couches. There was a jar full of business cards next to the register she hadn't noticed before. Enter to win a ten-pack of drinks written in strong, angular lettering.

The woman turned to her and crossed her arms.

"The drink was perfect," Kassandra said.

Silence.

"I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it to you."

Not this way, Kassandra wanted to say. Let's not do it like this. Let's just talk. Tell me about your coffee: who grew it, where it came from, and what drew you to doing this? Because she wanted to see that bright joy return to the woman's eyes instead of the anger living there now. "You don't like me at all, do you?"

"Have you given me a reason to like you?"

"Have I given you a reason not to?" Her brows knit with real confusion. "If I've caused any offense, I'm sorry."

"You seem to think that I have to give you the time of day because you're dropping twenties on drinks."

That stung. "Consider it compensation for wasting your precious time, then." She had tried to be nice from several angles, but had bounced off the mirror finish of the woman's anger every time. Nice didn't work on everyone. She'd keep her interest professional then, and run a different play from the playbook. "I guess you really wanted that fifth star," she said, and then she reached into her laptop bag and fished out one of her business cards, and she smirked as she caught a glimpse of a siren's enigmatic smile looking out from a familiar green circle. She locked eyes with the woman and threw the card into the jar by the till. "See you later."

As she walked out the door and onto the sidewalk, she couldn't help but grin. She would have loved to see the woman's face as she read the words on the card:

Kassandra Agiadis Vice President of International Real Estate Development Starbucks Coffee Company

Chapter two of The Sellout. Continued in chapter three...

[littleredroseonthevalley]

An Oregonian Sunday

Summary: It did have its challenges, but Connor could not feel anything but happiness when evaluating his life, even when dealing with Diana’s little quirks of personality.

Rating: K+ - Suitable for more mature childen, 9 years and older, with minor action violence without serious injury. May contain mild coarse language. Should not contain any adult themes.

Words: 1500

Notes: Well, I was scrolling through Tumblr when I came across this beautiful post, and I just had to write something about Connor. It has absolutely nothing to do with the art itself, but yeah, it was what I managed to do.

I won’t be tagging the artist ‘cause they haven’t authorized me to do so (I didn’t ask, either), but, please, take a look on their post, and other work!

Anyways, enjoy!

The rain pattered lightly on the window of Connor’s overstore apartment, and the sunlight barely shone through the windows, even with the drawn curtains. It was nothing short of a dreary, cold January morning in the Pacific Northwest.

He turned on his side, wrapping himself around the colourful sheets, given as a housewarming gift from his eccentric mother-in-law. His blond, too long and messy hair was falling in his face, as it often did when he woke up in the morning.

Looking to his left, he checked the clock on his bedside table. It was just before 10 o’clock. It was much later than his usual waking hours, as he had to sweep the floor of the store and arrange the merchandise for opening, but it was Sunday and neither of them were a particular religious person, so today was a day for sleeping in.

However, as his grumbling stomach tells him, Connor was hungry and he wanted to get up and make some breakfast. That plan was insidiously thwarted by Diana, his once-beloved wife, who was cuddling closely into his side.

Her leg was tossed loosely over his. He tried breaking free of her grasp but was brought back by a gentle tug of his shirt and a stay mumbled into the pillow next to him.

His wife had a slight penchant towards rainy weather. She admired the tempest forming and blaring through their glassy windows overnight in delight. She liked observing nature’s might, or so she says. As a result, she probably went to sleep late the night before and was feeling sluggish.

Facing with the impossibility of getting up, and the lull of her presence next to him, Connor gave up on breakfast so early. An extra ten minutes would not do him any harm, after all. The food on their pantry would not be going anywhere, after all.

Their conjugal bed was warm and so comforting, and a chested hum of contentment reverberated through Connor’s ribs. God, he was one happy man.

Connor did not know how much he could appreciate another human being until he met Diana when he dropped out of college and moved back to Oregon. He developed a crush on her almost instantly, and did not think he would have her this close to him ever.

After the disaster with Redfield, and Noah’s consequential death, six years ago, neither Connor nor Diana were in any need for excitement and adventure. She decided to attend college in Portland commuting from Westchester, while he settled on his job as a hardware store shopkeeper while he worked on his sculptures on the side.

Fast forward four years, he still did not produce the next David, but he liked where his creativity was taking him, and he made some good money selling his pieces in Seattle. Diana graduated in Anthropology, like her father, and dedicated herself to study the relations of tribal and urban legends in the Pacific Northwest.

When his boss retired, Connor offered to buy out the store. He liked working with the materials he used, and the social observation he did from behind the counter was fodder to his mind. The place came with a loft upstairs he could do some work on himself with whatever money he had left, and the yard, albeit small, had space for a garden, which Diana would appreciate, and a shed for his atelier.

The old man was glad to have someone take over, and he really liked Connor, so he sold at a fair price. Shortly after their business was completed, he proposed to his girlfriend with an heirloom ring, which she gladly accepted, and here they were today.

The Greens were still scandalized with his life choices, and they brough it up every family dinner they had at their place, but Stacy was over the moon with it, badgering them to get on making her a niece or nephew soon.

The world may have been falling apart around them in those first months, and his family proved itself to be a challenge, but he appreciated every single minute he got to spend with her. It did have its challenges, and they faced a lot to get where they were, but Connor could not feel anything but happiness when evaluating his life, even, and perhaps especially, when dealing with Diana’s little quirks of personality.

Sunday was, indeed, a day of rest, but ten minutes soon turned into thirty and here he was, still hungry and stuck within his lover’s grasp. Although his stomach was begging for him to eat something, he was not that angry or anxious. Staying next to her in these comfortable sheets somehow evened the situation.

Diana finally found the strength to open her eponymous eyes after being so tired from watching the storm until early hours of the evening. There was little more she liked more than sleeping in rainy mornings, which, living in such a damp place, bred a complacent attitude that just would not do. So, she had to seize the opportunities whenever she could.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw were her husband’s lapis lazuli ones already fixated on her. She chuckled and put her palm over his creeping face in embarrassment.

“Connor!” She shrieked. “I haven’t even brushed my hair! Stop looking so intently at me!”

He placed his hand around her wrist and brought it back down. He put his arm around her back and she leaned in to give him a soft hug. Her face in his chest as he stroked her back.

The act of being this close was so intimate. Any type of touch could be intimate. Diana was thankful for these moments, because he made her feel like a person, he made her feel alive and seen, things that were rare through most of her life. Even if it was just a hug, the fact that she knows that he appreciates her existence is better than any drug.

Her hands were cold, so she placed them under his shirt and laughed when he flinched.

“Why are your hands so cold?” He pulled away from her, looking at her straight in the face.

“Better question, why is this house so cold?” She countered, with a challenging corked eyebrow.

He laughed softly at her antics and pushed a few stray hairs out of her face. “Because you like the cold and refuses to turn up the thermostat.”

“I certainly do. How else would I enjoy my late mornings with my beloved, but awfully diligent, husband?”

“Waking up early too.” He responded, smirking. “Speaking of awfully diligent, I should go make some breakfast.”

“Please don’t leave.” She looked up at him with a sad face that was obviously fake to make him stay. Obvious or not, it works because, although he knew it was not real, he felt difficulty in saying no.

“But I’m starving.” He pouted.

“C’mon, honey. Just stay with me another minute and we can make breakfast.” She placed her hands on either side of his face, pulling him in for a lazy kiss. He placed his hands on her waist to bring her impossibly closer.

She touched him and suddenly he was putty in her hands, melting into her touch. She made him feel so alive. Time was relative, it moved slower when they were together. Almost as if it knew they appreciated every little moment they had together.

Once she pulled away from his lips, she looked back up at him and gave him a soft smile. It was so contagious, and Connor felt himself smiling back at her as she scratched the back of his head.

“It’s raining.” She pointed out the noise of the drizzle outside.

Her hands moved farther up his scalp, making him hum once more.

“That it is, my dear wife.” He closed his eyes and sighed as she continued to hold him.

“That means we don’t have to go outside.” She pointed out, smirking.

“If you don’t want to, yeah, I suppose you don’t.”

“We can stay in bed all day.”

He opened his eyes. “This is true, but Diana, I’m terribly hungry.”

She rolled her eyes and removed her hands from his head. He winced at the loss of contact. “Well Green, you better go make us some breakfast and bring it back up here so we can stay in bed all day.”

“Oh, so I have to do all the work now?” This time he placed his hands on either side of her face.

“Yes, I am so very sorry, but you have to.” She sighed. “If you weren’t a little bitch about food, we wouldn’t be in this situation, would we?”

“I suppose we wouldn’t.”

He pecked her lips softly and got up to make them both some breakfast.

“Don’t take too long.” She yelled, leaning back into the pillow.

“I won’t. I know how impatient you are.”

She scoffed into the pillow, and yelled after him. “Hypocrite!”

*_*_*_*_*

ILITW Masterlist

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Sell My Home Fast Portland Oregon

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Sell My House Fast Portland Oregon

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Headlines

Public losing faith in govts, says survey, as virus cases surge (AFP) A survey released Saturday showed governments are fast losing support for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as health officials recorded a surge of more than 280,000 new cases globally two days in a row. As governments worldwide struggle to contain the virus despite long and economically crippling lockdowns imposed on millions of people, a new survey suggested that faith in authorities is dwindling in six rich nations. Populations in France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Sweden and the US widely believed death and infection figures to be higher than recorded, according to the study, which polled 1,000 people in each nation. “In most countries this month, support for national governments is falling,” said the report by the Kekst CNC communications consultancy. One world leader widely criticised over his handling of the pandemic is Brazil’s Bolsonaro, who was diagnosed with coronavirus on July 7. And in the streets of Jerusalem and other cities, thousands called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, in part for his management of the coronavirus crisis.

Mnuchin: Virus aid package soon, $1,200 checks by August (AP) Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday that Republicans were set to roll out the next COVID-19 aid package Monday and assured there was backing from the White House after he and President Donald Trump’s top aide met to salvage the $1 trillion proposal that had floundered just days before. Mnuchin told reporters at the Capitol that extending an expiring unemployment benefit—but reducing it substantially—was a top priority for Trump. The secretary called the $600 weekly aid “ridiculous” and a disincentive for people to go back to work. He also promised a fresh round of $1,200 stimulus checks would be coming in August. Mnuchin’s optimistic assessment came before Democrats weighed in publicly on the updated proposal, which remained only a starting point in negotiations with House and Senate leaders in the other party.

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind (Washington Post) The tear gas started early Friday night, interrupting a line of drums and dancing, chanting protesters, an artist painting in oils underneath a tree in the park and a man with a microphone speaking about the issues of racial justice and policing at the center of these nightly demonstrations. As if on cue, a brigade of orange-shirted men with leaf blowers descended on the cloud, revved their engines and blew the tear gas away. The crowd cheered. The loud, pressurized air machines typically used to clear grass, leaves and other lawn debris are surprisingly effective tools at clearing caustic chemicals from the air. They’re so effective that on Friday night, federal agents frustrated at being caught in up in a redirected cloud of tear gas, showed up to the demonstration with their own handheld blowers. The leaf-blower wars were on. Hardware stores in the Portland area said they hadn’t noticed a rush on leaf-blowers in recent weeks, but several managers noted that summer is typically a hot season for leaf-blower sales.

Tropical Storm Hanna drenches South Texas (AP) A day after roaring ashore as a hurricane, Hanna lashed the Texas Gulf Coast on Sunday with high winds and drenching rains that destroyed boats, flooded streets and knocked out power across a region already reeling from a surge in coronavirus cases. Downgraded to a tropical storm, Hanna hovered over the U.S.-Mexico border with winds near 50 mph (85 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to unload as much as 18 inches of rain (45 centimetres) on parts of South Texas and northeastern Mexico. More than 155,000 customers were without power Sunday afternoon throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, according to AEP Texas.

Protests Swell in Russia’s Far East in a Stark New Challenge to Putin (NYT) KHABAROVSK, Russia—Watching the passing masses of protesters chanting “Freedom!” and “Putin resign!” while passing drivers honked, applauded and offered high-fives, a sidewalk vendor selling little cucumbers and plastic cups of forest raspberries said she would join in, too, if she did not have to work. The protests in Khabarovsk, a city 4,000 miles east of Moscow, drew tens of thousands of people for a three-mile march through central streets for the third straight week on Saturday. Residents were rallying in support of a popular governor arrested and spirited to Moscow this month—but their remarkable outpouring of anger, which has little precedent in post-Soviet Russia, has emerged as stark testimony to the discontent that President Vladimir V. Putin faces across the country. Across Russia, fear of being detained by the police and the seeming hopelessness of effecting change has largely kept people off the streets. Many Russians also say that whatever Mr. Putin’s faults, the alternative could be worse or lead to greater chaos. For the most part, anti-Kremlin protests have been limited to a few thousand people in Moscow and other big cities, where the authorities usually crack down harshly. But the events in Khabarovsk have shown that the well of discontent is such that minor events can ignite a firestorm. The weekend crowds have been so large that the police have not tried to control them—even though the protesters did not have a permit, let alone a clear leader or organizer.

Officials Push U.S.-China Relations Toward Point of No Return (NYT) Step by step, blow by blow, the United States and China are dismantling decades of political, economic and social engagement, setting the stage for a new era of confrontation shaped by the views of the most hawkish voices on both sides. With President Trump trailing badly in the polls as the election nears, his national security officials have intensified their attack on China in recent weeks, targeting its officials, diplomats and executives. While the strategy has reinforced a key campaign message, some American officials, worried Mr. Trump will lose, are also trying to engineer irreversible changes, according to people familiar with the thinking. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has inflamed the fight, brushing aside international concern about the country’s rising authoritarianism to consolidate his own political power and to crack down on basic freedoms, from Xinjiang to Hong Kong. By doing so, he has hardened attitudes in Washington. The combined effect could prove to be Mr. Trump’s most consequential foreign policy legacy, even if it’s not one he has consistently pursued: the entrenchment of a fundamental strategic and ideological confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

A different way to hang out the laundry (NYT) Chang Wan-ji, 83, and Hso Sho-er, 84, have become Instagram stars in quarantine. The Taiwanese couple pose at a place they know well—their laundromat—and their funky fashions are curated from customers’ forgotten garments. They are naturals in front of the camera. “I had no idea so many foreigners would take interest in my grandparents,” said their 31-year-old grandson and unofficial stylist, who came up with the idea for the Instagram account. Mr. Chang said he hoped his and his wife’s experience would inspire other seniors to be active. “It’s better than sitting around watching TV or napping,” Mr. Chang said.

Virus adds to deep despair felt by war-weary young Arabs (AP) At 24, Sama al-Diwani and her college sweetheart had big dreams. He was working on opening a bakery in Iraq. She was preparing to leave to England, where she would spend a year working on her masters’ degree in pharmacy. After that, they would reunite, get married and start a family. Those dreams came to a screeching halt with the outbreak of the coronavirus, as countries shut down, economies buckled and global chaos followed. Her university admission is now on hold, the bakery project has fallen behind schedule, her family’s income has gone down by 40% and she frets about losing her job at a local pharmacy. Al-Diwani and Athir Assem, 26, are among millions of young people in the Middle East region whose pursuit of jobs or plans for higher education and marriage have been upended by the pandemic, plunging them into the kind of deep uncertainty and despair they had hoped to leave behind. Such turmoil is universal in the wake of the pandemic, but the despair is particularly pronounced in the Middle East, where wave after wave of war, displacement and disease have left this generation feeling bitter and hopeless. While in the West, many who have become unemployed believe they will eventually get their jobs back or somehow recover from the recession, the pandemic in some Arab countries was the final blow to economies now on the cusp of complete collapse. “For many young people, seeing economies crumble the way that they are and seeing their prospects vanish before their eyes ... it’s undoubtedly going to be taking a huge toll on mental health and well-being,” said Tariq Haq, a Beirut-based senior employment specialist with the U.N. labor agency.

South Africa warns COVID-19 corruption puts ‘lives at risk’ (AP) South Africa’s COVID-19 response is marred by corruption allegations around its historic $26 billion economic relief package, as the country with the world’s fifth highest number of COVID-19 cases braces for more. President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a wide-ranging investigation into claims that unscrupulous officials and private companies are looting efforts to protect the country’s 57 million people. “More so than at any other time, corruption puts our lives at risk,” he said in a national address Thursday night. Food for the poor. Personal protective equipment for health workers. Grants for the newly laid off. All have been affected, he said. South Africa is seen as the best-prepared of any country in sub-Saharan Africa for COVID-19, but years of rampant corruption have weakened institutions, including the health system. In October, the head of the government’s Special Investigating Unit said fraud, waste and abuse in health care siphoned off $2.3 billion a year.

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Top Sales Outsourcing Company Suggests Best Sales Movies to Watch

All work and no movies make sales teams dull!

We have stepped into the 10th Month of the year. Most of the organizations are still working from home. In gleam situations like these days, we need to keep motivated. While you may pass most of the weekends sitting on your couch and browsing through Netflix and Prime, the sales outsourcing company, AOB India, continually motivates and engages the sales consultants and sales acquisition teams in the most creative ways. We have a list of movies that you need to add to your watchlist today!

Cinema has very few good content to offer in terms of sales. And when they do, most of them show sales agents as soulless predators who leech money off innocent people – and it’s true in some cases. However, a handful of them over the years have truly captured what it’s like to be a real salesperson. Regardless of the light in which sales people are shown, all these movies still offer a lot of takeaways: from persuasion tactics to attentive listening to building relationships to pep talks.

 Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

ABC. “A”, always. “B”, be. “C”, closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING. Always be closing.

-Blake

Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of four sales agents battling against each other to save their jobs. This movie portrays how toxic a competitive environment can be. They use all sorts of unethical practices and tactics to close deals; ranging from stealing leads to selling undesirable property to lying, cheating, threatening, bribery, and more.

Despite all these, the sales outsourcing company, AOB India suggests that it still has scenes that offer a lot of value to salespeople. For example, the famous Alec Baldwin scene, where he explains the ABC and AIDA technique to his peers to “motivate” them, is by far the best and most useful scene from the movie. Not only does it explain these two concepts, it also shows how a manager should go about motivating his team.

 The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

In order to not waste any time… I wasn’t hanging up the phone. I gained another eight minutes a day. I wasn’t drinking water… so I didn’t waste any time in the bathroom.

-Chris Gardner

Based on a true story, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the journey of a struggling salesman, Christopher Gardner. The trials and situations faced by Chris when he loses his job, his wife, and his house, and raises his son homeless, account for an absolutely heartbreaking but inspirational story. He never gives up; he relentlessly chases down high-value prospects; he gives his 100% whatever the circumstances may be, and most of all, respects his superiors. The sales strategists at AOB India believe that there are so many take-aways from the movie, for eg. Chrisexhibits many good sales practices; like using an energetic and positive tone to talk to his prospects or optimizing his cold calling process to save a few minutes, etc.

 Door To Door (2002)

Patience and Persistence.

-Mrs. Porter

Isn’t this quote from the movie the motto of every sales agent ever? Another true story, Door To Door, is based on the life of Bill Porter, an inspiring and successful door-to-door salesman who suffers from cerebral palsy. Despite him being crippled with cerebral palsy, severely disabled, as well as having speech impediment problems, Bill Porter sold Watkins’ products for nearly 40 years, from door to door on a 7-mile route in Portland, Oregon. The sales outsourcing company highlights Patience and Persistence in every team meet. They believe that with these two qualities anyone can work his route with such diligence and perseverance to become the top-selling sales agents.

 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Jordan Belfort: Brad, show them how it’s done. Sell me that pen. Watch. Go on.

Brad: You want me to sell you this f****** pen?

Jordan Belfort: That’s my boy right there. Can f****** sell anything.

Brad: Why don’t you do me a favor? Write your name down on that napkin for me.

Jordan Belfort: I don’t have a pen.

Brad: Exactly. Supply and demand, my friend.

 Does this movie need any introduction?

Filled with high-energy dialogues, lavish parties, and a bunch of unethical sales practices, this Martin Scorsese biopic about the infamous Jordan Belfort took the world by storm. It’s the story of how Belfort built an empire by pushing worthless penny stock to the public. Despite the tactics used by him, there are a few things a salesperson can learn from this film. Like the core concept of selling – sell the dream, sell the need, the product is irrelevant. Or the use of vocal tone to effectively engage prospects. Belfort illustrates the power of using a sales playbook and sales scripts which he teaches even today as a sales coach.

 Wall Street (1987)

I’ve been in this business since ’69. Most of these Harvard MBA guys don’t add up to dogs**t. Give me guys that are poor, smart, hungry and no feelings. You win a few. You lose a few. But you keep on fighting – and if you need a friend, get a dog. It’s trench warfare out there, pal.

-Gordon Gekko

Even if you haven’t seen this movie, you would have certainly heard of Gordon Gekko. One of the most ruthless characters to be shown on the silver screen, Gordon Gekko, is a man driven by pure greed. Pure, Unadulterated Greed. Wall Street follows the story of an ambitious young stockbroker named Bud Fox who seeks fame and fortune. He exchanges insider trading information with Gekko who acts as his mentor. What ensues is a tale of absolute power, greed, and corruption that involves stock manipulation, taking down other firms, and destroying lives in the process without a second thought.

 Moneyball (2011)

I hate losing more than I love winning.

-Billy Beane

Last in our list is anything but a sales movie. However, this movie is a must-watch for sales people. Here is why. Moneyball tells the story of how Billy Beane, the General Manager of Oakland Athletics, used Sabermetrics to help them win 20 games on the row. With the help of his assistant general manager, Billy Beane applied data analysis of baseball metrics to analyze and scout undervalued players to form a winning team. And how is this relevant to sales, you ask? At AOB India, we believe that this is the future of sales.  Data-driven sales strategies – whether it is in prospecting or understanding user engagement or predictive analytics will be a game changer for fast-growing companies. The top sales outsourcing agency in India, AOB India, uses people, process and technology to get the sales numbers for their clients.

 Mad Men (2007-2015)

Although this post is about movies, I’d be remiss if I don’t talk about Mad Men. Mad Men has changed the way marketing and sales professionals approach their clients. There are several brilliant sales pitches across the seven seasons that any sales rep can pick pointers from. Despite being set in the 60s, the characters and writing from this show were ahead of its time. Mad Men should be made mandatory viewing for anybody serious about getting into the marketing and sales industry.

At AOB India, it’s not all work. The top sales outsourcing company has some of the best talents in the industry who deliver top sales results. Keeping them motivated in new and creative ways sets this sales outsourcing agency apart from its competitors.