Have you ever wanted to a be able to do a 3d drawing but don’t have the skills (can you hear the infomercial voice now?).

Google purchased a company last year that offers a great product that makes design work easier (note that I said easier, not easy). There are some great applications for this CAD like program and it is fun to play around with. As with many cool products, there is a huge community around it with resources, examples and tutorials.

There are a few initial tutorials that allow you to do a side by side project. The completed version is on the screen next to the example that you are building.

If you are a contractor, this could be an invaluable tool in illustrating changes for your customers. The best part is that it is free.

In fact, you can even download your favorite sports stadium or the Eiffel tower.

Have fun with Google Sketchup
The 3d Warehouse is a collection of projects completed by Sketchup users. You can download and play with to your hearts content.

Some of my favorites:

• Sports Stadiums
• Well known buildings (even a couple of buildings at the Google Headquarters)
• Various Houses in Google Sketchup
• And, of course, a Handyman Workbench

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If you have residental rental property, apartment, and don’t currently use Craigslist.org to advertise, you are missing out. Craigslist is a site that you might reach and wonder when they are going to finish the design. Since its inception in 1995, the site has remained true to its roots as a free classified marketplace. It does charge for job ads in some cities.

You can list an apartment for rent in the Buffalo area for free at Craislist.

If you own a rental property in the Buffalo area, you should really give it a try. You can remain anonymous using the Craigslist system. You don’t have to include a phone number and Craigslist will automatically forward any inquiry from your ad through to your email box. I have used craigslist to list a duplex for rent and have had incredible success each time.

One negative… commercial real estate for rent. There has been no success when listing commercial real estate for rent. I have a building in Lancaster that has been listed a few times and a friend has done the same with a building in Orchard Park. Neither has generated a valid prospect.

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Obviously there was a fiasco with the former comptroller in NY State (Alan Hevesi). However, the gall that they NY legislature has is incredible. They wasted taxpayer money in a search for a replacement, narrowed to the three top candidates and then decided to appoint one of their own!! Nassau Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli, to succeed Alan Hevesi as state comptroller

The comptroller in the state of NY wields a huge amount of power in the financial community. One decision of where to place funds can have a massive impact on any company involved. What better way to pay off some of your financial backers than to appoint one your own members to a post that awards billions of dollars of investment to who they see fit. Who do you think the new comptroller will see as a fit manager for funds? A backer of the Democratic party? A backer of Sheldon Silver? Sick.

I am not saying that Hevesi was good, what I am saying is that the comptroller should be independent of influence from a party. Sure, whoever the New York comptroller is will certainly be influenced by others and will probably have some self dealing. Honestly, it comes with the post. Probably nothing direct, but there will be tremendous indirect benefit to the comptroller his/her friends and family. That has always existed and probably always will. What I am saying is that these benefits should not have this direct tie to our state government. The power in Albany is far too concentrated already. Imagine how much more power will be had when there are Billions of dollars to throw here and there based upon what you are doing for the party or for a particular politician. The comptroller has oversight of the the State’s $140 billion dollar pension system.

To top it off, the assembly reneged on a deal it made with governor Eliot Spitzer to choose only from candidates deemed qualified by an outside screening panel.

Maybe I am being naive in thinking that the self selection, or self dealing, hasn’t been the case all along. Well, if it has been, it was kept a little more private. This is brazen.

Related Articles:

• Stunning lack of integrity
• Legislators Pick a Comptroller, Defying Spitzer
• The Legislature’s gall

You might question how this is related to Buffalo. Well, everyone in NY loses with the power that this legislature abuses. Selecting an insider from downstate will further insulate upstate, and WNY, from the consideration it deserves in state government.

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I have 3 offices/suites remaining for my Lancaster office. If you are interested, please contact me through the ad at Craigslist.

Lancaster NY Office for rent

Thanks.

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Are you trying to reach out to businesses in the Lancaster, NY area? Have you considered advertising to the members of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce? If so, please let me know about it. I am about to place a small advertisement with the Chamber and would love to know if this works.

I will be publishing the results after the ads have run. I am going to do a couple of test cases, and frankly, I hope that there is something to measure.

As it turns out, you need to be a member to advertise with the Lancaster Chamber. Not sure about Amherst or Clarence, but if this works, I’ll let you know.

I joined the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce. The membership was reasonable at $135 per year. If you are a new business (the corporation that I joined as is less than 6 months old) then the cost is only $62.50. Linda Stapleton walked through everything with me on the phone and was very helpful in answering any questions that I had.

For those web savvy folks, don’t forget about the link to your site that comes with the membership (from: http://www.laccny.org). The value of that should cover part of the cost (at least in theory).

I’ll add a follow up to this in a few weeks. Bookmark this and check back.

UPDATED 3/7/2007: As I mentioned above, I am posting about the ad that run in the chamber e-mail newsletter.
I advertised an office for rent in the Zesto. There were 0 inquiries from the 2 week run. Not much more to say.

I will be advertising via their print newsletter and with an insert in the mailing. As with the Zesto, I will post the results.

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Here is a ranch style Duplex located in Lancaster, NY. If you are searching for a ranch home you might want to take a look at this one. The address is 19 Camner, Lancaster, NY 14086. The asking price is $184,900.

Each side is 3 bedrooms and 1bath. (1.5 baths would make this much more attractive). There is central air and an inground pool. If you are in search of a duplex to own and live in, this is a great choice for you. The pool is a big plus if you are living there. If you aren’t living there, then I would consider the pool a bit of a liability due to the maintenance and liability exposure.

I did look at this property but we were only able to view one of the units. I was told that the other side was similar in terms of condition. It is move in condition, but could certainly use some updating. The double was built in 1966. The cabinetry in the kitchen and bath is original and could stand to be refreshed. The same goes for counter-tops and flooring in those areas. There are nice hardwood floors in the bedrooms and newer carpet in the living room and dining room.

All in all this is a nice duplex that is in a very nice neighborhood and priced appropriately.

Lancaster NY Duplex

If you are from out of town, you should know that Lancaster is a suburb of Buffalo, NY. It is a growing town that is a strong investment candidate.

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