After what was a banner year in many ways for Memphis commercial real estate in 2017, projections for this year were bullish. But at the halfway point of 2018, have expectations in the area risen with the temperatures or have they begun to dry out under the sweltering summer heat? 

2. Coming Full Square - Saturday, March 10, 2018

For the first time in a while, Overton Square isn’t 100 percent leased. And while no one really expects that to be the case for very long, these rare vacancies provide a good chance to stop and examine what the popular entertainment destination has going on.

3. Two Local Families Looking to Develop ‘Jewel' of East Memphis - Monday, June 5, 2017

Building a boutique corporate headquarters on a heavily wooded tract of land near Dixon Gallery and Gardens would stand in stark contrast to the more urban feel of a project on Poplar Avenue like TraVure, but that’s what makes this East Memphis location so special.

4. Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Mortgage Fraud - Saturday, May 6, 2017

The owner of Wonderful Properties LLC pleaded guilty Wednesday, May 3, to a federal charge of bank fraud for fraudulently obtaining mortgage loans from a group of four financial institutions.

5. Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Mortgage Fraud - Friday, May 5, 2017

The owner of Wonderful Properties LLC pleaded guilty Wednesday, May 3, to a federal charge of bank fraud for fraudulently obtaining mortgage loans from a group of four financial institutions.

6. View From the Hill: Outsourcing Win More About Turf Than Trends - Thursday, March 9, 2017

As Fall Creek Falls folks celebrate a state decision to postpone park privatization, the question is whether public opposition or failure to follow long-standing state protocol led to the plug-pulling.

7. Blight Fight Takes Root Near Carnes Elementary - Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Some of Mary Baker’s friends like to joke that she will eventually reclaim the whole city of Memphis, but just one lot at a time. “I say, what’s wrong with that?” Baker replied.

8. Evolving PILOT Programs in Memphis Look to Restore Competitive Balance - Saturday, December 10, 2016

When the Memphis-Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine approved its Fast Track payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program earlier this year, it was with the hopes of bringing back a competitive balance between Memphis and North Mississippi.

9. Seasoned Chef Raymond Jackson Returns Home at the Madison Hotel - Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Raymond Jackson pays attention to how guests in his restaurant’s dining room react, picking up on bits of conversation and even things an ordinary person might miss.

10. Overton Square Atrium Has New Operator - Friday, June 24, 2016

On a Friday morning, the Atrium in Overton Square may host a corporate meeting, with a wedding planned for that same night.

As the event venue’s new operator, CFY Catering will manage event bookings, planning, preparation and of course, the food.

11. Graceland West Up Next as Guest House Tops Out - Friday, March 4, 2016

As construction crews working on the 450-room Guest House at Graceland resort hotel marked the topping out of that Whitehaven project this week, work is about to begin on the other side of Elvis Presley Boulevard on the Graceland West project.

12. Planning the Perfect Wedding - Saturday, December 12, 2015

Weddings begin with the venue. “A venue holds everything,” says Kristin King, who is opening a new event facility, The Sloane, in Nashville’s Gulch area in 2016.

13. Bolding is Only Tennessean to Teach at 2015 NeighborWorks Institute - Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Tim Bolding, executive director of United Housing Inc., is the only Tennessean selected to teach at NeighborWorks America’s 2015 NeighborWorks Training Institute. Bolding has taught coursework at the training institutes, which focus on providing high-quality training to nonprofit housing professionals, for more than 10 years.

14. Finding Dream House Becomes a Nightmare - Saturday, May 30, 2015

As has been documented, there are more buyers than sellers these days, hence more demand than supply.

While the sales figures are well-reported and month after month seem to report the same news of sales going skyward along with prices, the humanity side of the equation is often lost.

15. Sounds Like a Hit for Neighbors - Saturday, April 25, 2015

For months, sounds of construction surrounded the Nashville Sounds’ sparkling new First Tennessee Park in Germantown.

The constant thump-thump-thump of pounding jackhammers competed with the irritating, high-pitched beeps of vehicles backing up. Ka-ching! Cranes lifted steel beams into place, keeping time with a syncopated thrumming of never-ending drilling. Ka-ching!

16. Going Green - Wednesday, April 22, 2015

On a recent Friday afternoon, Hnedak Bobo Group team members were huddled in the company’s basement at 104 S. Front St.

17. ‘Government’s Too Big and People are Sick of It’ - Saturday, February 7, 2015

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is an enigma of the modern civil servant, a career politician who doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. He thinks he’s paid too much (his salary is state mandated) and brings it up often in interviews with the media.

18. OK, It’s a Great House! Can We Please See It? - Saturday, January 10, 2015

In Nashville real estate circles, it is difficult to say goodbye to 2014. We loved that 2014 and she was wonderful.

Missing her already, we hope she returns in 2015. But for the current trend to continue, Nashville is going to need some inventory.

19. Creative Destruction - Wednesday, January 7, 2015

For about three years Veronica Skinner called the two-story, 24-unit apartment building at 480 Tillman St. in the Binghampton neighborhood home.

20. Rental Showdown - Saturday, January 3, 2015

Tiffany H., 43, has found the perfect way to make money. It’s close to home, easy-to-manage and gives her the flexibility she needs as a busy mom shuttling two children back and forth to two different schools each day.

21. Roast of the Town - Thursday, August 14, 2014

If you catch Jimmy Lewis these days and get him talking about coffee roasting, chances are he might never stop.

22. Beale Street Landing Looks Beyond Early Curiosity - Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Riverfront Development Corp. is filling in a calendar of events at the newly opened Beale Street Landing that stretches into the fall and demonstrates the role of programming in holding the larger public’s interest beyond those coming to the landing now out of curiosity.

23. Health Choice Selects Abisch to Lead Population Health Services - Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Ellen Abisch has joined Health Choice LLC as senior director of population health services. In the newly created position, Abisch will be responsible for designing, implementing and managing population health and wellness programs for the Health Choice network.
Prior to joining the physician hospital organization, she served as manager of benefits and wellness for ServiceMaster.

24. Airport Artists - Thursday, May 22, 2014

Several years ago Richard White, vice president of properties and business development at the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, noticed what he thought was a troubling trend.

25. Airfare Competition Has Airport Authority Optimistic - Friday, October 18, 2013

Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority officials remain optimistic about the future of Memphis International Airport, thanks to increased airline competition that is driving down airfares for travelers and businesses.

26. Room Service - Friday, October 11, 2013

Hilton Worldwide celebrates its second Global Week of Service this week, and more than 700 Hilton employees are working locally on community involvement projects, such as this year’s signature event at the Pilgrim’s Rest housing facility, 747 Court Ave.

27. Office Team Helps Colliers Expand Local Footprint - Friday, October 4, 2013

As a part of the Colliers International office in Memphis’ growth strategy, the brokerage office has been expanding its presence in the office sector over the past year by adding a new office team consisting of Frazier Baker and Will Barden.

28. Neighborhood Vitality - Saturday, August 24, 2013

The history at the Four-Way Restaurant is as rich and soulful as the food.

The walls of the South Memphis institution are decorated with photographs of politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders and civil rights icons – including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – who made the famous restaurant at Mississippi Boulevard and Walker Avenue a “home away from home.”

29. Gowen Named Marketing Head at Renshaw Property Management - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kellyn Gowen has joined Renshaw Property Management as marketing coordinator. In her new role, Gowen manages social media, marketing and communications for the company’s 800 Mid-South rental properties, serves as a liaison for property owners and real estate agents, and spearheads marketing efforts for vacant properties.

30. Local Entrepreneurs Will Soon Have ‘Urban Workspace’ - Tuesday, September 18, 2012

A shared open work space, modeled after incubators in Los Angeles and New York City, is on the brink of being launched in Downtown Memphis.

Urban Workspace Powered by Cricket Wireless, located in the City House Memphis Condos at 6 W. G.E. Patterson Ave., will provide an affordable, shared working environment for freelancers, entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups eager to collaborate and share resources. The co-working facility opens Oct. 1.

31. Tapley Ranks 13th on National List of Most Successful Realtors - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Jimmie Tapley of Crye-Leike Realtors has been named the country’s 13th most successful residential Realtor by REAL Trends Inc. and The Wall Street Journal. The ranking is based on the number of real estate agents’ closed transactions in 2011. Tapley’s sales volume for the year totaled 437 transaction sides.

32. Lee House Development Could Propel District - Tuesday, August 21, 2012

In the 19th century, Victorian Village was home to Memphis’ elite.

Nowadays, the 10-square-block area in Downtown Memphis has one of the highest concentrations of historic structures in the city, with 24 properties on the National Register of Historic Places within four blocks.

33. Nursing Home Owner Files $13 Million Loan - Tuesday, July 24, 2012

3549 Norriswood Ave.
Memphis, TN 38111

Loan Amount: $13 million

Loan Date: July 13, 2012

34. Midtown Merchants Form Madison Biz Association - Friday, July 20, 2012

Merchants along Madison Avenue from Cleveland to Cooper streets are forming a business association.

A group of 50 business owners and operations on what is Midtown’s Main Street gathered at Minglewood Hall Wednesday, July 18, to get acquainted and kick off the effort.

35. The Main Message - Friday, May 18, 2012

Downtown’s South Main neighborhood has grown over the years into a bustling community of restaurants and retail shops – a far cry from its past as a mostly vacant neighborhood that attracted artists with cheap rent and eclectic architecture.

36. Pera, Lightman, Rainer V Take Top Pinnacle Awards - Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Memphis Area Association of Realtors Commercial Council honored the top performers in commercial real estate for 2011 at the 11th annual Pinnacle Awards gala, held Tuesday, April 24, at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.

37. Yorkshire Center Adds Las Delicias to Mix - Friday, March 23, 2012

A popular Mexican restaurant has inked its third Memphis-area lease. 

Las Delicias Mexican Bar and Grill has signed a 6,400-square-foot lease in Yorkshire Center, 5689 Quince Road. The space formerly housed Thyme Bistro – which closed in June after about a year in business – and Jarrett’s for 15 years prior.

38. Kahane’s Practice Fueled By Real Estate Litigation - Thursday, November 3, 2011

Primarily a general litigation attorney, Joshua Kahane of Glankler Brown PLLC focuses on settling often-tense real estate matters.

That includes representing landowners and landlords in landlord-tenant matters; owners in contract disputes over property; zoning issues; and pretty much any type of litigation that stems out of ownership of real property or loans.

39. Education on the Farm - Thursday, October 20, 2011

In the Mid-South, pumpkin picking, corn-maze meandering and hayrides across fields of crisp fallen leaves spell October – by far the busiest month for local agritourism businesses.

Factors such as the development of supportive public agritourism initiatives, a renewed consumer interest in the origin and production of food, and the “buy local” movement have in recent years contributed to the growth of agritourism in the Mid-South.

40. Obsidian PR Preps For South Main Move - Friday, September 16, 2011

Obsidian Public Relations is relocating less than a mile from its current office, in efforts to establish a presence in the South Main Historic Arts District by having its own creative space that will allow plenty of room for growth.

41. Orion Hits ‘Home Run’ With REO Placement Program - Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A Memphis woman is getting a second chance at owning her own home, thanks to a rare program that takes hard work into account over credit scores. For Blondell Phillips, it’s the American Dream, Take 2.

42. Boyle Fund Pays $14M for Germantown Mall - Monday, January 31, 2011

Boyle Investment Co. has made its first Memphis acquisition since setting up its Midsouth Capital Fund I LLC by acquiring a significant amount of Belz Enterprises Inc.’s interest in Germantown Village Square Shopping Center.

43. Council to Vote on Fate of Lee House - Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sometimes, a classic is allowed to gather dust indefinitely on the shelf, its value and artistic worth in danger of being forgotten.

That’s the fate historic preservationists have been trying to reverse for the Lee House at 690 Adams Ave. And now, after months of planning a new future for the home, they’re close to having a reason to celebrate.

44. Changes to Federal Foreclosure Program Announced - Monday, April 5, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The federal government announced Friday that it is relaxing some rules to make it easier for communities to spend funds on redeveloping abandoned and foreclosed properties.

45. Mud Island Makeover - Monday, November 30, 2009

In August 1976, Roy Harrover, the Memphis architect who designed such landmarks as Memphis International Airport, Memphis College of Art and the NBC Bank Building wrote a six-page description of a project then known as Volunteer Park.

46. Le Bonheur Files Permit For FedExFamilyHouse - Tuesday, September 22, 2009

918 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38105
Permit Amount: $5.2 Million

Project Cost: $5.2 million
Permit Date: Applied September 2009
Completion: Fall 2010
Owner: Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center
Tenant: FedExFamilyHouse
Contractor: Montgomery Martin Contractors LLC
Architect: Looney Ricks Kiss Architects Inc.

47. Homeowners Turn To Home Trading Web Sites - Tuesday, May 26, 2009

MIAMI (AP) – Diane Peek needed to move from Georgia to central Florida, but for six months no one even showed interest in the house she and her husband built outside Atlanta.

48. U of M-Area Nursing Facility Sells for $7.3 Million - Thursday, May 21, 2009

The Wesley Highland Manor senior nursing facility at 3549 Norriswood Ave. near the University of Memphis has sold for $7.3 million to FC Highlands LLC, a single-purpose entity related to Alpharetta, Ga.-based Formation Capital. The sale closed May 11; the seller was Wesley Highland Nursing Homes Inc.

49. Work to Begin Soon On U of M’s ‘Penny’ Hall of Fame - Tuesday, May 5, 2009

570 Normal St.
Memphis, TN 38152
Permit Amount: $2.9 Million

Project Cost: $2.9 million
Permit Date: Applied April 2009
Completion: Summer 2010
Owner: University of Memphis Foundation
Tenant: University of Memphis
Contractor: Patton & Taylor Enterprises LLC
Architect: Evans Taylor Foster Childress Architects

50. MCS Files $20M In Building Permits - Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Memphis City Schools has filed building permits with the city-county Office of Construction Code Enforcement for two school properties – a $15 million permit for a new school at 1330 Stern Lane and a $4.8 million permit for improvements to White Station High School at 514 S. Perkins Road.

51. Highland Street Church of Christ Files Loan for New Campus - Tuesday, December 9, 2008

40 acres off Houston Levee Road
Memphis, TN 38018
Loan Amount: $8.5 Million

Loan Date: Dec. 3, 2008
Maturity Date: Dec. 10, 2010
Borrower: Highland Street Church of Christ of Memphis
Lender: BancorpSouth Bank

52. Houston REITs Buy $42M Share In Local Shopping Centers - Thursday, November 20, 2008

A newly formed joint venture between Weingarten Realty Investors and Hines Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), both of Houston, has bought a majority share of two local Kroger-anchored retail centers for a combined $41.6 million.

53. Homeowners Cling to False Optimism About Own Home - Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The housing market may have bust, but many homeowners are still living in a bubble.

Despite dismal housing headlines and reports showing falling prices nationwide, owners in some once-hot areas still believe their home is gaining value or at least holding its own. And by hanging onto too-high expectations, sellers are unwittingly keeping the market from finding a bottom.

54. Glenmary Apts. To Become Senior Facility - Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Glenmary at Evergreen has a new owner and a new purpose - again.

Tacoma, Wash.-based Gintz Group recently scrapped its original idea to convert the two-building, 172-unit Midtown apartment complex at 1550 North Parkway into condominiums and instead will turn it into an independent- and assisted-living senior housing facility, said Wade Lewis, project manager for the company's Memphis region.

55. Down in DeSoto - Thursday, March 20, 2008

Like elsewhere in the region and across the nation, the commercial real estate market in DeSoto County has experienced a rise in "tire kicking."

Business owners and company executives continue shopping for properties - perhaps even taking proverbial test drives - but not many are inking contracts and driving off the lot, said Sam Mitchell, a commercial broker with McCullar Ferguson Realty LLC in Southaven.

56. Downtown Concert Series Lent a New Cadence - Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Last November, Cadence Bank established a Downtown presence when it opened a branch in the five-story, circa-1870s building at 119 S. Court Ave. on Court Square.

Now Cadence is further entrenching itself in the neighborhood by sponsoring this year's Court Square Concert Series.

57. Enhancing a Landmark - Monday, June 18, 2007

With its 30th birthday less than two years away, the Hilton Memphis' new owners are making sure the iconic hotel ages gracefully.

Built in 1979, this East Memphis landmark is undergoing yet another renovation, this one an $8 million, four-year process courtesy of Davidson Hotel Co., the Memphis-based company that bought the 405-room building in May for $45 million.

58. Speaker with Real Estate Background Literally Helps Write the Books - Friday, December 1, 2006

Businesswoman and real estate veteran Terri Murphy began selling real estate in Chicago in 1978. Today, she humorously claims she really didn't know what she was doing at the time.

The market was brutal for the first few years, and she remembers interest rates riding at more than 20 percent.

59. Smith Looks Forward to Helping Shepherd the Small Business Chamber - Monday, June 5, 2006

Following a divorce after 37 years of marriage, somewhere amid patching her life back together, Jan Canfield decided to spend her golden years as a businesswoman. A former teacher who's now in her early 70s, she owns The Flagpole and Banner Center, selling flags, poles and banners of all kinds.

60. Farnsworth Investment Founder Looks to Future - Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Farnsworth Investment Co.'s recent sale of its entire 28-building industrial portfolio signals a new beginning for the longstanding Memphis industrial real estate company.

The sale included just under 2 million square feet of industrial space and 169 acres of undeveloped land. But the company is not all that will experience change as a result of the deal. Company founder Tommy Farnsworth Jr. is scaling back his involvement in the industry after a 40-year real estate career.

61. Archived Article: Real - Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Home Sales See Pickup as Inventory Increases

Home Sales Pick Up as Inventory Increases

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

A drive through Cordova, with its abundance of For Sale signs, is strong evidence that the Memphis market has its fair shar...

62. Archived Article: Law - Thursday, February 17, 2005
Weiss Spicer Continues Memphis Tradition

Partnership Continues Tradition for Weiss Spicer

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

For more than 45 years, the historic Fowlkes-Boyle House at 208 Adams Ave. has been home to the Law Office of Arnold M. ...

63. Archived Article: Preservation (lead) - Tuesday, July 27, 2004
By Andy Meek

Preservation Key to Downtown Rebirth

Historic buildings find new life as hotels, condos, restaurants

ANDY MEEK

The Daily News

With nearly $2 billion in development projects either finished, under way or planned for the ar...

64. Archived Article: Gov Focus - Friday, March 5, 2004
A radically new way of thinking about and planning for a renewal in urban growth has begun to take shape in various American c

Growth Initiative Hinges on Updating Building Codes

ANDREW BELL

The Daily News

A dynamic new method of encoura...

65. Archived Article: Sale (lead) - Thursday, February 19, 2004
West Tennessee Properties changes ownership

Millington Realty Firm Changes Hands

New owner plans to expand West Tennessee Properties

ANDREW BELL

The Daily News

A few years ago, someone walked into Lita Hiltons West Tennessee Propertie...

66. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Real

Realtors Head Into 04 With Confidence

LANCE ALLAN

The Daily News

Anyone who thought home sales in the Memphis market would level off following record-low interest rates this year might want to wait and see before passing judgment. <...

67. Archived Article: Ob (lead) - Friday, January 31, 2003
New complex will centralize Olive Branch services

New complex will centralize Olive Branch services

By ANDREW BELL

The Daily News

Though Olive Branch administrators eagerly anticipate the groundbreaking ceremony for what will be the city...

68. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, May 21, 2002
Auction can push market values to new heights Auction can push market values to new heights By LANDIS O. FOY Special to The Daily News An auction can be an alternative to selling real estate. This column is the final segment of a series designed to ...

69. Archived Article: Law Focus - Thursday, May 16, 2002
More citizen involvement in land use, says Norris Bills for planner re-training before state assembly By MARY DANDO The Daily News A former Shelby County commissioner turned state senator wants professional planners, members of zoning and planning c...

70. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, February 19, 2002
By JENNIFER MURLEY Historically significant property remains up for grabs By JENNIFER MURLEY The Daily News The fate of a historic Downtown property closely aligned with local African-American culture remains uncertain as it heads into its third mon...

71. Archived Article: Standout (taylor) - Friday, January 19, 2001
Fontaine Taylor standout Grounded in the past, looking toward the future By MARY DANDO The Daily News If having all the right connections in the real estate business is an asset in leading Memphis Area Association of Realtors, then its new president...

72. Archived Article: Real Review 2 - Tuesday, December 26, 2000
MLS housing inventory MLS housing inventory down for November The number of homes for sale through the Memphis Area Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service decreased 6.5 percent from 7,173 units in October to 6,681 available homes in Novemb...

73. Archived Article: Real Focus Justine's - Tuesday, October 10, 2000
JUSTINES CHANGES HANDS AGAIN Memphis landmark changes hands again By MARY DANDO The Daily News A piece of Memphis history is to change hands again shortly when the Italianate Victorian mansion known to its many patrons over the years as Justines Res...

74. Archived Article: Merger P2 - Monday, May 1, 2000
Messinger Realty merges today with Malkin Management Messinger Realty merges today with Malkin Management Messinger Realty Co. has merged all of its administrative, management and collection operations with those of Malkin Management and Investment ...

75. Archived Article: Gov't Focus - Thursday, December 16, 1999
South Main Historic District gets booster shot South Main Historic District gets booster shot By KATHLEEN BURT The Daily News Before long, those traveling down South Main Street wont recognize it. The abandoned buildings and dilapidated facades lini...

76. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, May 18, 1999
The Old Home Expo This old house Memphis first Old Home Expo offers four days of preservation activities, the latest restoration products, how-to demonstrations and a tour of historic Vollintine-Evergreen homes. By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Just...

77. Archived Article: Real Fcs (brewery) Lj - Tuesday, February 9, 1999
By LAURIE JOHNSON The battle for the brewery Memphis Heritages struggle to save the Tennessee Brewery from the wrecking ball may signal its time to change the citys anti-neglect ordinance By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Memphis Heritage is struggli...

78. Archived Article: Real Fcs (aptdata) Lj - Tuesday, April 7, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Tracking multifamily trends The Multifamily Housing Institutes new AptData database puts information on more than 25,000 apartment properties on line By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News One of the multifamily housing industrys most co...

79. Archived Article: Real Fcs (ipix) Lj - Tuesday, March 24, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Web site walk-through A new agreement with Interactive Pictures Inc. lets consumers tour Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and ERA-listed homes via the Internet By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News After spending a day touring homes that all...

80. Archived Article: Real Fcs (mcwaters) Lj - Tuesday, February 10, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Love match The Memphis Area Association of Realtors honors Bebe McWaters for 26 years of service to the real estate industry By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News When Bebe McWaters entered the real estate business, she looked forward t...

81. Archived Article: Market Equity Inns Lj - Monday, July 29, 1996
lj 10/5 cates Equity Inns reports strong second quarter Strong hotel industry, property acquisitions expand hotel REITs portfolio By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Memphis-based Equity Inns, Inc., one of the countrys largest hotel real estate investm...

82. Archived Article: Real Fcs (col Fest) Lj - Tuesday, April 16, 1996
lj 10/5 cates Colliervilles 10th annual festival of homes to showcase Rosewood Plantation By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News This weekend thousands of Mid-Southerners will be accepting Colliervilles invitation to "experience the wonderful life.&q...