“The thing you have to be prepared for is that other people don’t always dream your dream.” (Linda Ronstadt)
Ain't that the truth. As I (we all) struggle through the current recession I find myself having to restart, re-energize and re-visualize (dream) what success will look and feel like, whether it is in real estate or in my other job selling office copiers/printers. People whom I call upon don't always share my dream (vision) of them happily buying a house or a copier/printer.
Right now I'm working through a campaign to sell new multifunction machines to real estate offices, which is something that I know more than a little bit about. I know where the savings are in those offices, but getting people to share my vision about how to achieve those savings hasn't been easy. Business people, especially small business people seem to be frozen into inactivity by the fear that things are still going to get worse rather than better.
The same thing is happening in real estate. People who want to move or maybe even need to move are holding off putting their homes on the market because they think that if they wait for a while home values will stabilize or maybe come back. While that eventually will be true, the timing on that happening is very much up in the air. In last weekend's paper there was yet another "We've hit bottom" article that quoted a hopeful local real estate broker as stating that he feels that the bottom has been reached in the Detroit-area market and that values will start back up soon. Having written such an article several times in the past, I'm now skeptical about whether or not we've hit bottom in Michigan. But, hey, one can dream. Right?
So, to paraphrase the words of another song - "Don't stop thinkin' about tomorrow...it'll be better than before." Don't stop dreaming. Just be prepared to deal with the fact that not everyone else will be sharing your dream and that's OK, too.
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
So, what now?
A little jingle has been running through my mind this morning, to the tune of the song from the Wizard of Oz about the witch being dead, as sung by the Smurfs who inhabited Oz.
Ding, dong the Bush is gone,
Which old Bush? The 43 Bush.
Ding Dong the 43 Bush is gone.
George W. will likely go down in history as the worst President that we've ever had, certainly the worst two-term President. But that is for the historians and apparently most Americans can't wait until he's officially history.
So, then the question becomes, "What now?"
It's apparent that President-elect Obama is inheriting the Bush recession, as well as the Bush wars; so he will immediately be plunged into a crisis management role. I believe that his measured and thoughtful style will serve him well in that role. It will be refreshing to see and listen to someone who actually thinks before he speaks and doesn't always have that annoying little smirk on his face that Bush exhibited all the time
But, enough about the past. What about the future? We are likely headed further into recession and there is little that a newly elected President can do about that, other than do the things that are available to him to shorten the length of it and hopefully reduce the depth of it. At least he will have a cooperative Congress to work with as he seeks solutions to the morass that we find ourselves in right now.
On the local real estate scene things are really more dependent upon what happens to our auto industry than anything else. All the talk of an auto industry rescue and of a merger between GM and Chrysler still cares with it warnings about huge layoffs. If we are hit with 20-30-40,000 layoffs locally the impact will be devastating and our housing swoon will continue for years to come. Let's all hope that doesn't happen.
The bottom line for what's happening in Michigan is a fundamental reset of our economy and a huge net loss of population that is just beginning to unfold. We may not have to build another new house for a decade, if we lose the number of people that are projected to leave Michigan in search of jobs elsewhere. Perhaps, if the value loss continues in our housing stock, we will see private home ownership become so attractive that people in apartments and mobile home parks will take up the slack; however, the credit market will have to ease up quite a bit for many of them to qualify for even a low mortgage amount. Let's hope.
But, today is a new day, filled with Hope for Real Change; so let's sign our ditty about the mean old Bush being gone and hope that the Wizard who just came out from behind the curtain can help us get back to the America that we call home. Let's hope so.
Ding, dong the Bush is gone,
Which old Bush? The 43 Bush.
Ding Dong the 43 Bush is gone.
George W. will likely go down in history as the worst President that we've ever had, certainly the worst two-term President. But that is for the historians and apparently most Americans can't wait until he's officially history.
So, then the question becomes, "What now?"
It's apparent that President-elect Obama is inheriting the Bush recession, as well as the Bush wars; so he will immediately be plunged into a crisis management role. I believe that his measured and thoughtful style will serve him well in that role. It will be refreshing to see and listen to someone who actually thinks before he speaks and doesn't always have that annoying little smirk on his face that Bush exhibited all the time
But, enough about the past. What about the future? We are likely headed further into recession and there is little that a newly elected President can do about that, other than do the things that are available to him to shorten the length of it and hopefully reduce the depth of it. At least he will have a cooperative Congress to work with as he seeks solutions to the morass that we find ourselves in right now.
On the local real estate scene things are really more dependent upon what happens to our auto industry than anything else. All the talk of an auto industry rescue and of a merger between GM and Chrysler still cares with it warnings about huge layoffs. If we are hit with 20-30-40,000 layoffs locally the impact will be devastating and our housing swoon will continue for years to come. Let's all hope that doesn't happen.
The bottom line for what's happening in Michigan is a fundamental reset of our economy and a huge net loss of population that is just beginning to unfold. We may not have to build another new house for a decade, if we lose the number of people that are projected to leave Michigan in search of jobs elsewhere. Perhaps, if the value loss continues in our housing stock, we will see private home ownership become so attractive that people in apartments and mobile home parks will take up the slack; however, the credit market will have to ease up quite a bit for many of them to qualify for even a low mortgage amount. Let's hope.
But, today is a new day, filled with Hope for Real Change; so let's sign our ditty about the mean old Bush being gone and hope that the Wizard who just came out from behind the curtain can help us get back to the America that we call home. Let's hope so.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
On Wings of Hope...
“Believe in the magic of tomorrow, and your spirits will be lifted on wings of hope.” (Kobi Yamada) from Jack’s Winning Words.
It's time for an upbeat message and Jack happened along with just the right words for the day. As things continue to get worse all around, sometimes all you have left is hope for a better tomorrow. That’s certainly true for Detroit Lions fans and for the local economy and housing market.
But there’s hope for tomorrow. Hope that we’re at or near the bottom on real estate prices and that tomorrow value will start creeping back up. Hope that our local economy will weather the troubles in the automotive industry and that tomorrow we’ll find a way to thrive without being so dependent upon the American automakers. Hope that tomorrow will be better.
There are actually many positive signs that feed that hope. We are actually closing deals on many more homes this year compared to last year. Our dollar volume is down significantly, since house values are down and this year about 21% of our “sales” are actually leases; but, people are still buying and selling (or leasing) houses every day. There’s hope in that.
And we will soon have new leadership in Washington. No matter who you are for in the elections you can count on there being change, at least change away from some of the current, unpopular policies and directions. Historically that has given people hope.
So, let’s all believe in the magic of tomorrow and let that belief lift us all. Jack went on to say in his blog that he likes the song “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. I could add that the words from the famous Fleetwood Mac song apply too –
Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
It's time for an upbeat message and Jack happened along with just the right words for the day. As things continue to get worse all around, sometimes all you have left is hope for a better tomorrow. That’s certainly true for Detroit Lions fans and for the local economy and housing market.
But there’s hope for tomorrow. Hope that we’re at or near the bottom on real estate prices and that tomorrow value will start creeping back up. Hope that our local economy will weather the troubles in the automotive industry and that tomorrow we’ll find a way to thrive without being so dependent upon the American automakers. Hope that tomorrow will be better.
There are actually many positive signs that feed that hope. We are actually closing deals on many more homes this year compared to last year. Our dollar volume is down significantly, since house values are down and this year about 21% of our “sales” are actually leases; but, people are still buying and selling (or leasing) houses every day. There’s hope in that.
And we will soon have new leadership in Washington. No matter who you are for in the elections you can count on there being change, at least change away from some of the current, unpopular policies and directions. Historically that has given people hope.
So, let’s all believe in the magic of tomorrow and let that belief lift us all. Jack went on to say in his blog that he likes the song “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. I could add that the words from the famous Fleetwood Mac song apply too –
Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.
Let’s all hope so.
Let’s all hope so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
