function mymodule_import() {
    // get the old data
    $old_db = mysql_connect("host", "user", "pass") or die('Could not connect to mysql server.' );
    mysql_select_db('old_db', $old_db) or die('Could not select database.');
    $sql = "select * from old_table";
    $result = mysql_query($sql, $old_db);
    while ($row = mysql_fetch_object($result)) {
        $data[] = $row;
    }
   
    // till this is working, only do it with one row
    $row = $data[0];

    $form_state = array(); 
    module_load_include('inc', 'node', 'node.pages');
    $node = array('type' => 'property');

    // array of values based on mapping between old & new dbs
    $form_state['values']['field_id'][0]["value"] = $row->UniqueID;
    $form_state['values']['field_block'][0]["value"] = $row->Block;
    $form_state['values']['field_lot'][0]["value"] = $row->Lot;
    $form_state['values']['field_zoning'][0]["value"] = $row->Zoning;
    $form_state['values']['field_description'][0]["value"] = $row->Comment;
    $form_state['values']['field_annual_tax'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Taxes);
    $form_state['values']['field_tax_land'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Land_Assessment);
    $form_state['values']['field_tax_improvements'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Improvement_Assesment);
    $form_state['values']['field_address1'][0]["value"] = $row->Addr1;
    $form_state['values']['field_address2'][0]["value"] = $row->Addr2;
    $form_state['values']['field_city'][0]["value"] = $row->City;
    $form_state['values']['field_state'][0]["value"] = $row->State;
    $form_state['values']['field_zip'][0]["value"] = $row->Zip;
    
    // node meta data
    $form_state['values']['status'] = 1;
    $form_state['values']['name'] = 'Joe Manager'; 

    /*
    these fields may be buggy because they're tricky or not in old db
    # Region 
    # Type 
    # Use 
    # Building Size 
    # Land Area 
    # Land Unit 
    # Price 
    # Price Type 
    # Commission 
    # Commission Type 
    # From date 
    # Owner 
    */

    $form_state['values']['field_region'][0]["value"] = "Eastern Region";
    $form_state['values']['field_type'][0]["value"] = $row->Proptype;
    $form_state['values']['field_use'][0]["value"] = $row->Proptype;
    $form_state['values']['field_building_size'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Building_Size);
    $form_state['values']['field_land_area'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Land_Size);
    $form_state['values']['field_land_unit'][0]["value"] = "acres";
    $form_state['values']['field_land_area'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Land_Size);
    $form_state['values']['field_price'][0]["value"] = nums_only($row->Price);
    $form_state['values']['field_price_type'][0]["value"] = "gross";
    $form_state['values']['field_commission'][0]["value"] = 1;
    $form_state['values']['field_commission_type'][0]["value"] = "%";
    $form_state['values']['field_owner'][0]["uid"] = "11";
  
    // this one should mostly work, but there may be some problems 
    $form_state['values']['field_contract_type'][0]["value"] = "For " . $row->PriceType;
    
    drupal_execute('property_node_form', $form_state, (object)$node);
    $msg = "wrote property " . $row->UniqueID . " (or tried to, anyway)";
    drupal_set_message($msg);
    drupal_goto('properties');    
}

function nums_only($str) {
    return preg_replace("/[^0-9]/", "", $str);
}