I am one of those exercise buffs that enjoys the whole process. I always don my headsets and stream a well-designed arrangement of music that complements the sometimes-monotonous pace of an extended walk. The setting has to be right. Today was no different; I created the best environment possible under the circumstances, to achieve my goal….. However it wasn’t working well today. Each step was arduous, I was loosing focus with the same stomach issues that have been persistent recently and the temperature was starting to get my attention. When I looked up in the direction of the end of the walk a swell of anxiety hit me, that maybe I had made a mistake today in setting out, and that possibly I may have to get some help to get home. 

Years ago I learned a technique in athletic training that I have applied in my business and personal life on numerous occasions. I call it the One Step First Approach. Today I had to remind myself that this was just the day to implement this method. It is simple, when a task is difficult, like my walk today; I began to focus on each step that I was taking and not on the end of the walk. I would not look up and tried to meld the music with the step. It worked again; I was home in record time and the feeling of sickness and tiredness dissipated with each step.

Would you believe that I have applied this method to my real estate business? The frustration of completing transactions in today’s distressed market would be overwhelming if you did not focus on efficiently completing each step at a time, supporting a successful transaction and a providing a satisfied client.

Of course I am being a “little” over dramatic. But the truth of the matter is, we all from time to time are disappointed in those closest to us. Sometimes we are surprised by their reaction, or what we may consider as an over reaction, to our “choice” words of encouragement or misguided suggestions. It is these times that task our abilities of patience and finesse, particularly when we know that all misunderstandings could have been prevented if we had not projected our point of view on the situation and others.

In business, misguided points of view or expectations are what is responsible for more business failures than anything else. False projections on the worth of a business; sales projections that were never achievable; contractual promises that were unrealistic are examples of expectations gone awry. Many times the foundation of these failures rests in a concept of our own worth and achievement, or the ungrounded potential of the business’s ability to excel in other than a perfect market condition.

Let me bring this a little closer to what I experience in the real estate market. I find more often than not that buyer and seller’s expectations are what cause the inability to bring a sale transaction to a satisfactory completion. Sometimes our expectation of the worth of a property may far exceed the reality of the comparable sales. Sellers sometimes feel that all potential buyers should be as credit worthy as they are; after all they acquired the property when values were elevated and dutifully made their mortgage payments on a debt that now exceeds the worth of the property. Buyers believe that no matter what the listing price, it far exceeds the value of the property, and their expectations of depreciating home values are corroborated daily by the media.

Expectations are what keep me in business. A buyer or seller will have his or her own perception, wrong or otherwise, of how their sale or buy transaction will be consummated.  The Realtor lives in a world of melding the expectations of both parties and bringing them to a level where both can be comfortable in the outcome. It is a challenge! I love my business!

On the first count, the real estate market in the past few years has fueled significant interest that has been a ready source for topics. I also have been fortunate to be the beneficiary of interesting and meaningful life experiences in and out of my work that provide the fuel for my creative juices. I enjoy sharing these experiences.

On the second count, this past month, my efforts to provide an appealing and timely newsletter were reaffirmed once again. I was pleasantly surprised when a new client who had been receiving the monthly publication for several years expressed that they look forward each month for its arrival. I asked them what they find interesting, and surprisingly, it was not the most current properties or comparables on the market in their neighborhood, but the narrative that drew their attention. Of course I thanked them for their sincere and unsolicited thoughts. Later, I thought to myself how special their words were to me. It actually brightened the rest of my day and affirmed that my efforts were not in vain.

The lesson of that day was very simple and clear to me; we can make a difference in someone’s life with little effort. A spoken word of a sincere thought that tells them that they are appreciated for what they do goes a long way. I now try to carry that thought daily to all those who provide a service to me. It could be food server, store clerk or maintenance worker; anyone who provides a service that deserves our appreciation, they will also relish an expression of our satisfaction. You might even include those closest to you. I am sure that family and friends are no exception.

I promise to keep this newsletter helpful and upbeat. I have come to the conclusion long ago that I have no control over what is beyond my abilities to change. Simple approaches provide best solutions. This was reinforced recently from a well-trusted client that had gone through many family difficulties and had experienced severe financial set backs at the same time. They came through not unscathed, but emerged with their family and finances intact. They also gained constructive life lessons that were an example for others to emulate. As I said, the process was simple: they learned to refocus and trust. They chose to seek what was positive and good in their lives and not dwell on negative and unmanageable events. Similar to the old adage of dwelling on the one half glass filled. It is a process they approached with sincerity and resolve. They achieved it only by introducing the most important factor. Trust in a higher power that will provide inspiration; trust in themselves and their ability to overcome adversity; and, trust in their family and friends who surround them with their love and support… More meaningful life experiences that need to be told.

Move over Summer People, this month we celebrate the antitheses of all that you relish. It is time for you to relinquish the long spotlight of warm weather celebrations and activities. Let your brethren delight in what makes them your opposites. It is their time to bundle in the warmth of their favorite sweater or jacket that they have looked forward to donning all summer long. Let them long enjoy the lingering sights and smells of the first lighted log in the fireplace. Celebrate with them the Sounds of the Season that begin streaming on our radios earlier each year, even before Thanksgiving.

Whatever your penchant for the seasons of the year, we can all be reflective and thankful for the varied gifts and blessings received this year and look forward to capturing those moments of joy and celebration that are soon arriving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 As I write the May Newsletter, I am sitting here at my office desk, looking out the spacious window that views a flowering plum tree and a multitude of blossoming shrubs and trees whose names have long escaped me. I am quite fortunate to have an office that allows me to keep in touch with the beauty of the outdoor landscape. This view has inspired me on many an occasion.

Today the sun is shining brightly, the sky is peppered with beautiful cumulus clouds that seem to be stuck in slow motion, I can even hear a passing covey of quail that are well hidden from sight, but have made their presence known with their distinctive calling. The desert is truly a beautiful place to live and work!

What is so unique about today is that when I turned on the radio to capture the latest financial headline, all I heard were warnings about our dire circumstances nationally and particularly for Southern Nevada. When you drill down to the sources of reporting, you find bits of truth designed to capture your attention, but they contain little substance or veracity. Real estate is normally at the focus of these commentaries. If you believe these forecasters of economic gloom, owners would never sell their house; renters would never become first time buyers; and investors would park their disposable cash in cd’s and wait for the next decade to take risk.

 Oh, by the way, the weather forecast for today was for thunderstorms and high winds; another forecast gone awry.

April is synonymous with the Easter/Passover period. Even if you may not celebrate the religious foundation of this singular time, it traditionally represents a period of awakening. We see it all around us in the change of seasons: our clocks move forward, green starts to break out on dormant trees, birds are more visible and noisy. The anticipation of the season becomes evident in all that we do. It is with this thought in mind that I wish each of you continued health and vitality throughout this year, and that it brings a stirring of our senses and an appreciation of our many blessings that surround us.

 This great country of ours is seeking balance. We want things to work better and to eliminate the financial and political stresses that plague us. I am an optimist and I believe we are reawakening as a Nation, reacquainting ourselves to the principles that this country was founded upon. We are relying much more on those we trust and putting our faith in a political system that by its nature requires balance as its foundation.

 As this country changes, my hope is that we truly seek efficiencies and build upon our relationships with each other, melding our personal and political views for the sake of preserving our individual rights and freedoms.