Things I learned from video games

Video games can teach us a lot about life. Sometimes the whole premise of a game can be one lesson for example:

Pong is a respectful debate between two opposing viewpoints. Point and counterpoint until one side can no longer defend their position from a well-placed and well timed argument.

Tetris is about cascading problems that are in fact opportunities. It's about prioritization and handling problems one at a time. Once everything is in place the problem disappears.

Pitfall Harry is about life and goals. The road is never easy and great rewards call for great risk. You can avoid risk by staying still but you will never get anywhere. Life has pitfalls and predators.

Frogger is about being outgunned and overpowered. A frog out of water if you will. You can't fight the flow of traffic but you can avoid getting killed in it. You can make it home without directly battling every difficulty. Sometimes it is easier to wait your turn and time your moves.

Some of the newer games are far more complex and are able to fill the world they create with all sorts of lessons. For Instance:

1.) If you run into obstacles, you are going the right way. Meaning your success might be a problem for other people. They will try to retard your progress but you gotta push through. Also, nothing worth having or doing is going to be easy. If it wasn't a challenge you would already have it.

2.) Life gets harder as you progress but if you spend your time well you will be prepared for the challenges. Think about it, most kids have it pretty easy and adults not as much but I would rather be an adult.

3.) The age of your character is not as important as your level. If you are willing to grind on minor missions and smaller challenges you will be better prepared. The world is full of level-10 70 year olds and level-70 Ten year olds.

4.) The world is a big beautiful place and you need to explore it. There is fresh new content everywhere you look and you will never see a hero of a video game save the world from his hometown or his sofa. You must explore and assess. You must get out of your comfort zone, no progress was ever made in the comfort zone.

5.) The worst monsters you will ever encounter will be other people. The worst non-human terrors are usually imaginary.

Rules and Regulations Reminders

HOLD ON! DON'T SKIP THIS YET!! I know this sounds boring as all heck but it's kind of important. This week I am going to talk about some oft forgotten rules and regs as well as maybe throw in a few other reminders for posterity. I'm not saying we have been having a problem with any of this (yes I am) I just thought a refresher couldn't hurt. The rules we have all exist for a reason, especially the ones you really don't like so I will endeavor to explain the reasoning behind these rules. This whole thing might be real passive-aggressive, sorry about that.

THE RULE: No Unauthorized Tenants

The first thing one I would like to discuss is non-authorized tenants. We have had quite a lot of these in the past months and there has been some misunderstanding about the rule which I get. For clarification if you are going to have a guest stay with you for 7 consecutive days or 10 days within a month you must have permission from us beforehand. If you plan to have someone move in, that someone must fill out an application, pay the $50 app fee, be approved, and complete a "Roommate Add on Addendum" to add that person to the existing lease.

THE REASON:

In order to ensure the safety off all the tenants as well as preserve the quality of life and the condition of our properties it is incredibly important that all tenants are documented and included on a lease. That way we don't have strangers walking around our communities where families and children live. If damages occur or crimes are committed we have a person's name, phone number, vehicle type, license numbers, and their agreement to our terms and conditions to live here. I mean an unauthorized tenant never agreed to not turn the unit right next yours into a meth lab. This rules protects us and our investment as well as you and your family.

Hey neighbor, Can I borrow a cup of Sodium Hydroxide?

THE RULE: NO UNAUTHORIZED OR INDOOR FURNITURE ON PATIOS/PORCHES

For the most part everyone is doing really well with this I just want to remind everyone because it does tend to be a recurring issue. We ask that all furniture outside on patios and porches be approved by us and be furniture explicitly meant for outdoor use. That means no broken dining room chairs or soggy recliners on your deck.

THE REASON:

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is aesthetics, we want our properties to look nice and have curb appeal. It helps to make our apartments more marketable as well as increases the pride that renters have about the places that they live. The other reason is that furniture not meant for outside doesn't last long out here. It doesn't take long for a chair to turn in to rotting porch garbage in this weather.

THE RULE: PARK IN YOUR SPOT(S) ONLY

We ask that all of our tenants park only in their designated spot(s) and refrain from parking anywhere else including other people's spots, no parking zones, the grass, etc.

THE REASON:

The reason is because we aren't animals and if we just parked anywhere we pleased anarchy and chaos would ensue. It would be a bloodbath. I actually don't know why this is a thing. Why would you park along a bright red curb that says "NO PARKING"? WHY???? Have you ever seen what happens to a car that is parked in the fire dept.'s spot? The fire dept doesn't care about your car.

That's what happens.

Also, unless you pay the rent for a unit, don't park in the spot for that unit.

LAST RULE: IF YOU SEE A BIG RED STEEL CHAIN BLOCKING A DRIVEWAY, DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH IT.

Sooo if you live at The Avenues you are aware of the large red steel chain that prevents people from using our parking lot as a shortcut. Don't drive through it.

THE REASON:

Umm because it will tear your car to shreds and do thousands of dollars of damage while only shaving a few seconds off your commute. I know this sounds idiotic to say but someone has driven through that chain 4 times now! Whaaaaa!?!?!?

Valentines Sure is Great! By Newly Single Guy

Introducing:

THE GUEST AUTHOR SERIES!

Here at the Blog Cabin we firmly believe in the collaborative effort and periodically we encourage guest authors to submit content to our prestigious blog. Starting this week we will begin featuring some new contributors and give them a space to share their ideas with us. Our first guest is Newly Single Guy and He will be writing about why he loves Valentine's Day! Exciting!

Valentines Sure is Great!

By Newly Single Guy

Hello All! Newly Single Guy here to talk about all the best things about February's best holiday! Now I know what you are thinking, "What could a single guy have to say about Valentine's Day? Why would he care?" Well, if you would shut up I can tell you, silly!

Think about your average valentine's day: flowers, restaurant reservations, pitching woo from dawn till dusk, overpriced chocolates, etc. etc.  Now think back to when you started dating: flowers, restaurant reservations, pitching woo from dawn till dusk, overpriced chocolates, etc. etc…  Notice something? I do, I did all those things so I could win myself a girl, she did similar things and it was nice but it really isn’t sustainable which is why we stopped doing all that nonsense once we settled down. We found comfort in the everyday and the small moments. We created a mutually beneficial life together that involved taking turns on the dishes. We still went on dates and bought gifts home to each other. Everything was great. Then Valentine's Day came along and I had to win her all over again! She was no longer satisfied as she was only days before, now I must repeat the process all over as if to say, "Hey look, I still like you and want you around!" as if spending Christmas with her idiot family wasn't enough to prove that. I found myself scrambling to plan something spontaneous and romantic even though the amount of romance I experience is inversely proportionate to the amount of times I have to pull out my wallet. It was difficult because all the dates and gifts that took place over the year had to be surpassed on that day. A dangerous precedent was set and I failed.

But as a Newly Single Guy things are a little different.  Talk about a delightful, rewarding, no pressure holiday! I only have to cook one steak dinner and it will be exactly how I like it. I don't have to buy chocolate because I don't really care for sweets. I won't have to put on nice clothes and drive into town because my date would much rather stay home and play Witcher 3 and because I care about my date I will let me do that all day long. I will drink beer in the morning and scotch at night. I will eat steak and potatoes and skip the dang rabbit food. I will do everything my date wanted and it will be perfect for me. It’s the kind of day I could repeat all year. You wanna repeat Valentines with your sweetheart every day of the year? I didn't think so. I rest my case.

Now you might think that reason I am a Newly Single Guy is because all I wanted to do was day drink and play video games and you would be right, that is all I wanted to do and apparently that was a bad thing. Now that I am Newly Single Guy it's a good thing and I never get tired of it.  They say you will never make another person happy until you can make yourself happy and I agree but there is a problem with that; now that I have made myself happy, what do I need other people for? Anyways, I have day-drinking to attend to. Tah for now!

Missives from the Blog Cabin - The More You Know!!

Before we get into this, let’s cover some common words and expressions that you should know as a tenant, then we can go over some useful tips to know before you move in.  

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Arbitration – A way to settle a dispute without going to court, usually referred by a 3rd party. Nobody likes going to court right? Don’t worry, we’re pretty nice here. It shouldn’t come up.

Dwelling Unit – An apartment, house, mobile home, or other structure (or part of a structure) you rent to live in.

Premises – All areas owned and operated by the landlord. This includes your living space and outdoor areas that only you may use (example: Yard or attached garage) as well as all common areas, parking lots, rental offices, etc.

Rental Agreement – The lease. Legally, a rental agreement can be written or verbal. Realistically, it’s going to be written and that is the best for both parties because verbal agreements are NOT enforceable. All Island Properties rental agreements are written.

Subsidized Housing – Housing where some of your rent is paid by an organization like The Housing Authority, or your rent is less than fair market value because you are low-income.

Security Deposit –Money you deposit to the landlord when you move in to ensure rent will be paid and other responsibilities of the lease are performed. This can be used to cover unpaid rent, damages and cleaning when you move out. Otherwise this is refundable.

BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

                Before you enter into an agreement you should make sure of a few things to avoid any misunderstandings or, worse yet, fees and charges! The following are some things keep in mind.

·         KNOW THE LEASE! Seriously, read the thing and ask any questions you have, we’re happy to help and would much prefer our tenants be very clear on what they are agreeing to. Sure a legal contract can be intimidating but our rental agreement is certainly no Apple Terms and Conditions that we ALL sign without reading (you know you did it too). It can be explained pretty easily and we would be happy to do it

·         MOVE-IN WALKTHROUGH. This is the form that you will use to document any pre-existing damages OUTSIDE OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR on the premises before you move in. You cannot be charged for these damages…unless you forget to document it. We really don’t like broken stuff in our units so you will find them to be in pretty good shape. Also once you move in let us know as soon as something breaks. You will also find that we are very eager to fix things as soon as possible.

·         FIND OUT WHO PAYS FOR WHAT. Hot water, heat, electricity, parking, snow removal (Ha! How about rain removal!?), and trash disposal all have to be paid for by somebody.  You will sign a utilities agreement, I suggest you read it before you sign.

·         UTILITY CONTROLS, where are they? Hot water heater, thermostat, fuse box, etc. FYI, do NOT adjust your hot water heater, they are expensive if it breaks you will have to pay for it immediately. Those things are like, $300!

·         EXPECT EXPENSE. It doesn’t hurt to have an idea of how much your monthly expenses will be. Something I like to do is call the utility company and find out how much the power was for the last year. Pay attention to power usage during the previous winter, this should give you an idea of how much it will cost to heat your home. Definitely don’t ask us for that info because we don’t have any way of knowing what you would pay. We know how much it costs when its empty…

·         CHOOSE YOUR ROOMATES CAREFULLY. Yeah… I really can’t stress this enough Do they respect their own property? If not they probably won’t respect ours or yours and that sort of behavior can be fatal to a security deposit.  Also, if your roommate doesn’t pay their share of the rent guess who does? (hint: It isn’t me) (extra hint: It’s you!) If a roommate wants to leave, a Roommate Removal Addendum will need to be completed. PLEASE NOTE: The security deposit is tied to the lease not the tenants. If a roommate leaves the deposit stays, regardless of who paid it. So…choose your roommate carefully!!

·         PARKING. Is parking assigned? How many cars can you have on the premises? Can you wash your car in your own driveway? Are there any off-street parking options? Are you allowed to service your car on premises? You may be asking yourself, “Why wouldn’t I be able to wash or service my own car on the premises?” Well, besides the risk of certain hazards, a lot of water use and oil spills cost money and can cause rent to go up so many properties don’t allow that to keep costs down and pass the savings on to you!

·         THE AREA. Proximity to shopping, public transportation routes, restaurants, school zones and nightlife.  Personally, I won’t live anywhere that isn’t within five miles of a Muchas Gracias Mexican Restaurant. Don’t judge me, I’m weak.

·         RENTERS INSURANCE. Definitely get some. Our insurance doesn’t cover your belongings so we require all tenants to have a policy. You should be covered as much as we are.

·         FOR THE RECORDS: Where are you going to keep your docs? Get a file box or cabinet and put the lease agreement, Security deposit receipt, move-in walkthrough, landlord’s address and contact info, rent receipts and cancelled checks, and any other documents related to your tenancy. The shoe box full of papers is a bad system.  Our online tenant portal will also store important docs for you online.

So that’s it for today, thanks for reading and tune in next time and I’ll try to make an interesting blog about security deposits. I do so love a challenge

Austin J. M. Caylor

Missives from the Blog Cabin– Introduction of The New Guy

(this blog was originally published in May, 2017)

Greetings, All!

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Austin Caylor and I am the most recent addition to the Island Properties family. I will be answering phones, stuffing various papers into your doors when you aren’t looking, and writing this blog. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Can I possibly endure the excitement of a property management related blog?” The answer is “NO”! Well, at least not easily, but I intend to entertain as well as inform.

Some of the topics I will cover in the coming installments include things to know pre move-in, property management law, tenant and landlord responsibilities, and some other important stuff and some not so important stuff as well. Again, I realize that reading a blog about property management law sounds about as fun as treading on Legos so I will endeavor to keep things interesting.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading and keep an eye on the blog section at www.clarkcountyrental.com for more.

Austin J. M. Caylor

Greetings loyal followers!

I thought I would take a minute to address the throngs of people who faithfully follow my writings and discuss some of the changes you might be seeing around here. As you have no doubt surmised, we have updated our web presence and have adopted a new, more modern look. The changes enacted here are not merely aesthetic, however. We have increased functionality and support as well as added more effective levels of search engine optimization. All this is for you, my loyal subjects. You are welcome, you earned it.

While some things are different some things also remain the same, like the ever-popular tenant portal. Why throw the baby out with the bathwater, eh? This means that you will still be able to log on using your current credentials and pay your rent or schedule a maintenance visit as you always have. Another thing that shall of course remain are my blogs. I would never rob you of that pleasure.

Speaking of blogs, you may notice that there aren't that many blogs up on the page.  I will be fixing this by re-uploading my previous blogs to the website as well as continuing with my weekly installments. I am still learning the ins and outs of the new website so you will need to bear with me while I do.

So that's it for the time being, thank you for listening once again and remember, keep your eyes here for more new blogs and all your old favorites!