My business partner is older than dirt.
Seriously, he's so old that Metamucil takes him in the morning.
He's so old that when he takes his grandchildren on his knee and speaks of "The Great War," he is referring to The Crusades.
He's so old that it takes 4 hours for his life to flash before his eyes.
Okay, so my business partner is my father, and he's not really all that old. Just old enough for some good paternal ribbing and to have more years invested into this industry than I do on the planet. Aside from the advantages that attend living through every up and down market cycle that one masochist can hope to experience, you also tend to wind up with a file cabinet full of lost treasures.
Let's see ... <sounds of rummaging> ... here's a signed photo of pops with a young Wyatt Earp at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Here's what looks to be a rough draft of the Gadsden Purchase. Who knew he brokered that one? And here is the very first scorpion to ever be encased within amber and sold at a downtown Scottsdale tourist shop. Beautiful mementos all, but not the antiquities I'm after on this day.
Ahh ... here's what I want. Floor plans. Old, forgotten floor plans.
Blowing the dust off these lovelies, I have committed to an undertaking that may very well end up with me being committed. I am uploading all of these ancient gems to the Scottsdale Property Shop site as part of the community service I should have served for youthful transgressions too numerous to count from my formative years. While many of our newer Scottsdale developments have readily available plans, it can be rather vexing to track down those from the original construction of the 1970s and '80s of such stalwart communities as McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale Ranch and the like.
For the remainder of the year, I will be hard at work augmenting community overviews with rare floor plans on our most excellent Scottsdale Real Estate site. A project requiring Herculean effort, but we Slaybaughs are of hardy stock. Did I mention the time my old man bested Hercules, himself, 2 out of 3 in armwrestling? Just because Homer didn't write a poem about it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Whether you are shopping from afar, planning a remodel or simply a fan of 2 dimensional black and white renderings, add us to your bookmarks so you can check back in from time to time to see if my progress has reached the community you desire. I will also update this post with links to the community pages for those that are up and running.
Old guy with the goods + Young guy with penchant for usurping content = Victory for the consumer!
Here's where the endeavor stands right now:
More Scottsdale communities coming soon!
Your source for Scottsdale Real Estate since the dawn of time ... or thereabouts.
Launch your Scottsdale Home Search now!
HA! I am convinced that one of the reasons I sell about 99% of the buyers I agree to represent is because, when we tour communities, I can usually give the history of the community, such as when it was built, the builder, the quality of construction, etc.
Older than dirt, for real estate agents/brokers has some advantages.
The institutional memories.
Absolutely, Lenn. I know a lot about these homes and communities, having grown up amidst their development, but it's an entirely different level of knowledge with those who were working the market all those years. I try to glean as much as I can through osmosis.
He's going to kill me when he reads this one. ;)
I notice the Swiss flag on your father's hat -- perhaps we are paisans!
Oh, I don't know, Richard. I have a hat with the Jamaican flag on it. As of yet, the Marleys won't publically admit any relation ;)
Hi Paul - There's a company called SalesTraq that does that for the Las Vegas market. Maybe they can give you some ideas and insights as you get started with this.
I'm sure my business model won't jive with theirs, John. This is pro bono. Of course, if John Q. Homebuyer and Seller happen to recognize the skillz and wish to employ such enthusiastic dynamos ... ;)
Here in Manhattan, we live and breathe on floorplans. I enjoy the older classic prewar floorplans. It doesnt seem like floorplans are used as much as they should be. I find it very useful because it gives people an idea of exactly how big a kitchen or master bedroom might be.
Oh! I don't think he'll mind at all.
Once the years catch up with us, we learn that the best thing to do is simply enjoy them and benefit from the wisdom gained through the years.
Sadly, the young don't understand until they reach a ripe old age.
I try not to play the age card too much, At least I don't state the YEAR such and such happened or was built. It can make you look ancient.
I wish I had listened to my dad more when he was telling his old stories years ago. Now they are vague or I have forgotten them.
Sarah
Sometimes older than dirt has great value! lol Like Lenn remembering about all the communities. Seriously, what a great idea and one that I would also tackle. I love floor plans, collect them from builders and never throw them away. I'm thinking about buying DaVinci floor plans - they're easy and an inexpensive way to make a floor plan.
I love your stories, Paul, and the fascinating project you've undertaken to excavate floorplans...and whatever else has been archived by default..It's the telling/illustrating of stories of the land and the people that have passed through, that enrich a community and tightly knit it together. This is a pageturner project!
Now that is very cool! I lived in AZ eons ago, I remember McCormick Ranch, somehow, somewhere....
Did your Dad forgive you? Or are you going to have to grovel for a while...
Call me superficial -- and you wouldn't be the first -- but I'm more interested in the pictures of Dad arm-wrestling Hercules. Waiting.... -- Tanya in Montreal
Tanya, Tanya, Tanya ... advanced though the ancient Greeks undoubtedly were, the camera was yet to be invented for that epic showdown. Flash forward to 19th century Paris, and my pop was likely on hand for that quantum leap of mankind, however.
And Dad will never forgive me for this. Fortunately, we have sort of an "ask no quarter, grant no quarter" kind of relationship anyway.
Didn't the Greeks invent Windex though? And how long has THAT stuff been around, Paul??!! Huh??!! Exactly. -- Tanya in Montreal
I think Windex actually predates Lucy. When we uncover the missing link, it likely won't be found in any fossil record. It will be a household cleaning compound with a half-life of infinity.
Paul, I went to the links and I found my favorite part of all your hard work.
You crack me up!!!
I never claimed to be above the shameless exploitation of my progeny, Dawn. ;)
Gee...I thought the term was "older than water" ;-) Oh man, when your dad sees this...oh wait, I remember he does not care all that much for blogging. However I also use the same techniques when selling a home by providing data about the neighborhoods, builders and even the Floor Plans. Some things are always a good idea even if they are painted on the wall of a cave or scrawled on a papyrus scroll!
He might bother to sign in for this one, if for no other reason than to unsubscribe to my posts, Russell. Silver hair is something to be proud of in this business, especially when earned courtesy of this business (as opposed to those who get irrelevant mileage out of the "experience" gained from years in the food service industry (et al) prior to retiring to the life of leisurely Real Estate sales).
Paul, I just love reading your "stories". You can really tell them! How amazing that you found the floor plans. That is cool :) Ah, but you are just one cool dude!!! You are one lucky guy to be able to share your life and work with your family. By all means I say exploit your progeny!!!
Weird, Salestraq used to be in Phoenix. See if you can contact Larry Murphy via John Novak's link and maybe you can bribe him into sending you some!
Paul - I love floorplans and so do my clients. I started collecting them from builders the minute I became a Realtor, I wish I could get my hands on the ones before my time.
John and Renee, never heard of Salestraq before, but just visited their site. They do, indeed, serve Phoenix. Looks like primarily new and newer construction, however. Cite a "limited archive" of older plans. Sounds like maybe I could assist them rather than vice versa. ;)
Now all this time I thought your dad was the agent that used his killer negotiating skills on the Louisiana Purchase.
This is a cool project idea...
That sounds like a HUGE undertaking! I guess you won't be getting bored anytime soon! Good luck =)
Paul, this has got to be one of the most fantastic things you've been able to do. Having floor plans would be a plus, so you've struck the motherlode when you found those old plans. It's too bad that we don't have something similar out east.
I'm loving reading all these comments. Your dad has got to be one fun person to be around and you seem to be a chip off the "old" block.
Paul:
I am hoping your father has a good sense of humor and takes this in stride.
Buyers love seeing floor plans and being able to walk away with a copy. They are an enormous help in their decision making process.
Paul, a true feat that you have planned! I have to laugh because a couple of years ago all the file folder labels fell off my floorplans they were that old! It was terrible! I had other 'older' agents help me with additions of floorplans from the dawn of time in my area. It was great to see what we found from even the 70's that they had! It was tough back then, dodging the teradactyls, etc. Ahhh, the good old days. No need for mace, we carried our trusty club.
You make your dad sound like the vampire Lestat in an Anne Rice novel! Living through the centuries. How I wish I could have been around for all the things your dear old dad has seen! The fact is, though, I'm closer to your Dad's age than your's I'm guessing! Great lead-up to a worthy endeavor. I am finding, like Lenn, that being around in this business as long as I have (25 years) is starting to pay dividends in a modicum of respect although, I am not going to stop coloring my hair! Silver hair is only honored in the male of our species!
I refute your math.
That dude looks awfully similar to the guy who schlepped a rhino onto Noah's ark. He's a dead wringer for Nero's tailor. In Japan they tell of a white-haired Anglo who started the whole Shogun mess by hitting on the Emperor's keisha.
One of the lost Karamazov brothers was nicknamed "Whitey."
Mexican farmers describe the original chubacapra, sighted over 200 years ago, "as cabra come colono blanco."
He once laid his Union Army coat over a puddle so an Italian refugee named "Susan" from Philadelphia wouldn't get her capizio's dirty.
Only one way to put this debate to rest, Lenza. We're going to have to cut him open and count the rings. Did you bring your abacus?
Oh, those were the days. Handsome men in uniform.... Jersey... you will soon be receiving something in your email.
Susan - Surviving 25 years in this business demands respect. Maybe not as much as serving as pallbearer for the Archduke Ferdinand (I'll have pop tell you that story some day), but nothing to be discounted.
Lyn - So what you are saying is that instead of carrying mace you carried a mace ... definitely one of those circle of life type things.
Claudette - He can take anything I can dish. It's the reprisal that has me concerned.
Sandy - He's aces. He'll have a grand laugh even while pinning me to the ground and giving me a friendly bludgeoning.
William - It's a project I've been procrastinating for well over a year now. Overwhelming at first, but I think it will prove to be a great resource for those hapless Internet spelunkers who wind up in our virtual cave.
Lisa - By the 4th master-planned community, I'll probably take to adding my own commentary to the sketches to shake up the monotony. ("What was this idiot builder thinking putting a powder room here?")
Melina - Lewis & Clark & Slaybaugh was the exploration version of Crosby, Stills & Nash and sometimes Young. A volatile mix of personalities that didn't lead to a full-time collaboration, and cost my pop his rightful place in the annals of early American history.
Floor plans? In Topanga? BAH HAHAHAHA! Seriously. What's the 2D symbol for an oak tree growing up through the living room?
I want to meet your dad when I'm in Phoenix.
Susan, send Lenza's "gift" by messenger. If you use the mail it's a federal crime.
What great humor! When I'm older than dirt I'm going to live in denial - actually I do that now.
Paul, pfftt on the Archduke Ferdinand pallbearer story! Who do you think gave Marie Antoinette the "let them eat cake" line? Most specifically, I said tiramisu, but that woman just never listened.
Elaine, this advice would have been helpful BEFORE my mailman stopped by. ;-)
Who's talking about Topanga? Seriously, Elaine, you really need to drop these narcissistic leanings. It's not all about you, you know.
Is he so old that he knows Larry King personally?
"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band..."
Wait, which social network am I on? Oh, sorry.