"Real E" Blog by Quantum

4/30/07

“The Economy of Creation & Consumption ”

What seems like just yesterday but in reality was more like 23 years ago, I was mirth college graduate, working in the Public Accounting profession and nearing completion of an MBA program. I was required to produce a thesis as part of the program and I was desperate for ground breaking concept that would demonstrate to the erudite echelon just how brilliant a candidate I was.

I don’t recall exactly where I read it or who rightly deserves the credit for it but at the time I was impressed by a comment that stated “…the true sign of genius is taking the irretrievable complex and expressing it through the calm of simplicity…” or words to that effect.

Now not knowing whether this ideal was achievable I nonetheless began the search for a subject sufficiently unique to apply this precept. What better prospect than the subject of Economics! This was the era of the Reagan administration and much of the media was consumed with David Stockman and Reaganomics accordingly, it seemed an appropriate topic.

Now, to be sure, Economics as a science is, in my opinion, akin to the predictive study of cat herding primarily as the only thing one can safely predict is the fact that there will, in deed, be movement but where, when and by how much, in practical reality, caries with it so many variables that producing a functional, qualitative (and quantitative) formula with predictable resolve is, well, not feasible. Still, I needed to tackle it and synthesize the concept to its simplest form. The result was quite ingenious (indulge me!) or so I thought, the Academicians didn’t.

Where is this heading you might ask? Well, there’s so much fodder in the media about the Economy, Interest Rates, Booming and Besting and so on that it really engaged my thinking to what lies back of the overall Economic Picture and what faces this Country, Economically speaking, that I sat down, pondered the subject for a moment and what stumbled across was this question. What constitutes a vibrant Economy and what is its converse? Well as fate would have it curiously, the Paper I wrote so long ago discussed this very issue!

Quite simply put, a Vibrant Economy is one that is Wealth Creating, a Dying Economy is one that is Wealth Consuming! In other words, when wealth creation is greater than wealth consumption, you have a productive and sustaining Economy, conversely, when you have wealth consumption greater than wealth creation, you have a dying economy!

I find it impossibly to separate Politics from Economics and I believe that if one looks throughout history, you’ll find the cycle of a Nations life and death follow this very cycle. In other words, Nations (Civilizations) sustained themselves so long as there was Economic Health but once the Nation began to feed on itself (particularly and most notably evident in the 19^th Century to the present) they began to falter and eventually collapse. Reading this the temptation to take exception and to draw comparisons to defeat the pretense of my statement is largely wasted effort. I’m clear that introducing the components of war, famine, etc. might offer tantalizing argument but I think if you follow these to their logical conclusion, you’ll discover they become more contributory to the theory than a detractor.

The U.S. as an Economic/Political engine has been, largely, unstoppable for the better part of 80 years ushering in an era of scientific, industrial and agricultural productivity unequalled in history and largely done by the Economy of expansive productivity (wealth creation) unencumbered by Political meddling (aka “skimming”) of the Engine! Primarily beginning with the Socializing of the Economy by Roosevelt, the Great Society of Johnson on down to the blunderings of Bush,II the “feeding” of Collectivist (Socialist) ideologies have saddled the Engine to the point of stalling! It was only the pure strength of the System (Engine) that carried it to the Nixon administration when the first signs of death began to surface and Nixon removed the last vestiges of Economic Sanity, the Gold Standard.

Without a functional Monetary Policy the System was free to continue the Feeding to such a degree that it began leveraging it’s own vitality right on down to the shores of economic oblivion! Oil Companies consorting with Middle-Eastern Nomads to restrict oil supplies to drive prices up so that the Oil Co’s could generate more currency to flood the Banking System (remember, no monetary standard to restrict currency supply), basic consumables cost skyrocket and we’re off on the INFLATION ride of a lifetime!

As a Nation that fundamentally became a horde of over-feed lapdogs we said, did and do nothing! Through the dogs a bone keeps them quiet!

Industry seeking to protect its profits and escape Government “skimming” starts a calculated process of de-industrializing and rectification! We now call it “outsourcing”!

But this is the new Economy right? A friend of mine and I were talking about a personal issue that was troubling him. In the course of the visit he said to me, “you know, holding a grudge is like drinking a poison and expecting the other guy to die!” How right he is!

The “Poison” in our New Economy is the illusion that Inflation creates and at the same time is a measure of spendable wealth. You doubt this? Have you seen the numbers on “Consumer Spending” as function of Debt-Equity (that’s my reference to debt created by leverage on home equity. And how is equity created, that’s right, spiraling inflation!)?

You can not have a Wealth Creating Economy through Inflation and Debt Based Spending. The only analogy I can come up with the at the moment to illustrate this idiotic notion is to imagine the sinking Titanic and the Captain on the Bridge issuing orders to drill holes in the hull of the ship so that they can drain the water! Doesn’t make much sense does it!

I can go on and on with this subject it, however, will not make the point any more clear!

We have become and are a Nation struggling with an Economic/Political Identity Crisis and I see not a one on the Political/Economic horizon with any force of will or understanding to confront the forces opposing a more sane Nationalist Policy. The only parties I hear touting the New Global Economy are those standing at its trough!

Rest assured, I can make a great deal of sense out of all of this and I can explain the motive force that lies back of all this but I promise you, you will not like it! But I will give you a hint. Find a dictionary and read the definition of the word “parasite”! Unless you plan on being considered a food source, I suggest we’d all better wake up!

Curtis C. Greco, Realtor/Broker

www.QuantumRealtyServices.com

“The Economy of Creation & Consumption” Copyright © by Curtis C. Greco 2007 All Rights Reserved

May 15, 2007

"Market to the Market”

I, like many Realtors, find myself in a market environment that creates a great deal of anxiety for our Clients, particularly our Listing (Seller) Clients. I spend a great deal of focused energy reviewing and updated our individualize marketing campaigns to be sure that no only are we doing the necessary steps but more so, are we hitting our target market!

I’ve been in the Real Estate Profession long enough to know some critical “do’s and don’ts” however one area that I’ve become keenly aware of is what I call “Market to the Market”! More on that in a moment!

Now there are exceptions to every rule and to every rule there is an exception however, I do have a common Office principle that I hold true to. The Real Estate Profession is a business not unlike any other and as a Professional, your economic reality lives or dies on the success one has in “Client Service” and “Closed Transactions”! Listing Turn-Over is key! Accordingly, my Office Principle is simply this, rarely expose a listing to the market for more than 90 days!

In short, if a Property is not “pulling” activity (Offers) within the first 45 days (and preferably much quicker – 5 – 10 Days) then there’s a problem!

My “Practice” is completely “Client Driven”, my entire operating philosophy is based completely on this ideal. In my office you will see this “5 Step” philosophy in action and it states the following:

“We Produce Excellence” ©QLTD 2007

 by

1. Caring more than others think is Wise,

2. Risking more than others think is Safe,

3. Dream more than others thinks is Practical,

4. Expect more than others think is Possible, and (My Favorite!)

5. Do more than others think is Reasonable!

Now I know this may appear to be a bit on the “touchy feely” side but I’m convinced that you gain your best results only after you produce them for someone else! In this case the People I Serve!

If, for the time being, one accepts these “points” as relevant than it suitably follows that when a Client’s Property is not producing the desired results then clearly some component in the equation is missing. I find, more often than not, it is a combination of “presentation” and “price”! Ultimately, if the “presentation” issue can’t or is unwilling to be addressed, then the only solution is Price!

I find it patently clear that if the Property is not generating RESULTS and in the absence of ACTION I’m wasting my time (and money), more importantly, I’m wasting the Clients!

Seller’s need to have proper and unambiguous Counsel from their Real Estate Professional. One of the first questions I ask a Client is simply this : “What is it that you would like me to accomplish!” Sounds like a simple question, yes? It is however think about it, when was the last time you were ( if you’re a Seller/Homeowner) asked the question and if you’re an Real Estate Professional, when was the last time you asked the question? The outcome of this “question”, that is, the results are critical. If you both aren’t clear on the “goal” then you’ll have no focus in obtaining the results! I hate to leave this subject as it requires a more in depth discussion to draw out the true value of this inquiry, I’ll save it for another time. With the limited time and space, I’m getting to far away from the subject,…even though this is an important component of it!

“Market to the Market” , simply put is the need to address all aspects (practically) of the Subject Property REALISTICALLY reflected in/by the PRICE as a function of the existing Market! Simple? Yes, I know? However it seems that in this “Techie” age of custom websites, online advertising, pay per click, “www” this and that, we are in the “hunt” for the “wiz bang” but forget the basic! I can look at many properties in the market place with a “DOM” over 90 days and I’m here to tell you, many, for the same reason! From my own analysis, I’m finding that the explosion in information is actually making the issue of “Pricing” even that more critical. Realtors, myself included, are spending thousands of dollars on a monthly basis “driving” activity to their listings with an impressive level of efficiency that make “print ad” the equivalent of smoke signals and yet the effort is not producing the desired results!

I can spend hours on this subject to drive the point further however it would be a pedantic effort!

I use the results of my “question” to remind a Client that it’s time to ACT! My Clients can see the results of my “5 Points” demonstrated by what we do! With this in mind, I can think of no better disservice to the Client than to fail to Counsel them effectively!

I “list” a property with only one goal in mind and that is to Serve my Client by Selling it! “Market to the Market” for the results you expect!

Curtis C. Greco, Realtor/Broker

www.QuantumRealtyServices.com

“Market to the Market” Copyright © by Curtis C. Greco 2007 All Rights Reserved

5/2/07

"The Heart of a Home!"

The other day I met with an Elderly Woman who was referred to me by another Client. It was a very simple phone call, not one - frankly - I routinely get (i.e., simply and short), but welcomed none the less.

Her voice was soft and pure and she simply said, “…Mr. Greco, I understand you’re the person to talk to about my home and I wonder if you would care to make time available and visit with me at my home. I’ve a few important matters I would like to review with you.” Her voice was soothing and elegant in it’s inflection and delivery and I found my self responding with a equally placid tone, “…why yes of course….”!

From the name she gave me, as the source of the referral, the location of the home I was reasonably clear and comfortable with the situation and a few days later I found myself at her front door. A lovely home I’d driven by many times and admired for it’s manicured landscaping tastefully accented with just the right floral touch and an architectural style of a single level home that had a romantic air of late afternoon socials accompanied with lite Jazz music of the Nat Cole era, large fin’d Cadillac’s, single strand pearl necklaces, skinny ties against a white narrow collar’d button downs and large flag stone patio’s with drooping willow trees! A stage well suited to comfort and lingering conversation!

I was greeted by well, let’s just call her “June”, and escorted by her Attendant in to main “gallery” of the home. This commentary is not about the home, per se, but let me tell you that nearly 5000 square feet of home, though quite large, seems even more hollow completely empty which, in realty, was most striking! The home was completely, completely empty. June’s husband had past on three years earlier, her four children, the youngest in his late 40’s, had scattered to the four winds and she was now, as she put it, left simply with the memories that recorded time that had “…past all to quickly….”

We reviewed business matters for only a brief time, perhaps only twenty minutes, however I was on the “grounds” for nearly three hours. As we passed from room to room she would pause and impart to me a recollection about how the Christmas tree was placed in this room one year alternating every other with the “salon” and how her Husband never forgave the “builder” for never properly resolving the door to the butler pantry. How her youngest used to love to hide in the “built-in” barbeque that was adjacent to the fireplace (sharing the same masonry chimney) but was never used. Seems this was a long time “barb” between the two of them as her Husband had the Builder create the “beast” over her objections as if to suggest, why would anyone ever have an indoor barbeque in a “Salon”! They would tease each other for years over this “feaux pax” and was never used. The home was pristine in its original condition right on down to the pencil marks on the wall in the garage and the broken tile in the Solarium where she was sitting the afternoon she received a call from her Husband that their eldest Son was killed in a “non-combat incident” in Vietnam. She was standing, she recalls, holding a large ceramic vase, time stood still and gravity took its place. “You know”, she said, “all I kept thinking was that he had only ten days remaining on his Tour.” Her brilliant blue eyes made sudden contact with my own and she said “Oh how I do miss him so.”

I was given a tour of the home and the “grounds” as one would expect and perhaps one day I will recall to print the spectacular detail of her recollections but for now, I’ll just leave you with this final thought.

It is true that the event produced another new Client, but, what actually occurred was an escort through time, and the memories, of a truly lovely woman whose life revolved in and around and became, the very Heart of a Home!

Oh how I so very much love being alive! Thanks “June”, I am so grateful for the tour!

Curtis C. Greco, Realtor/Broker

www.QuantumRealtyServices.com

“The Heart of A Home!” Copyright © by Curtis C. Greco 2007 All Rights Reserved