S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

My Dad, a depression baby, used to tell me, “Boy, if you are not moving forward, you are backing up.” At no time in my life has this been truer than the last two years. The capital markets are in a shambles, residential real estate values have gone down by up to 50% in parts of the country and commercial real estate is about to realize huge resets.

Last edition, I wrote about being positive, communication with your lenders and partners, brainstorming at S.E.C. meetings and with your acquaintances, figuring out what works in a recession and upgrading your skills. This edition, I want to concentrate on personal development, focus, and time management.

Over the last several months, we have seen some of the most dramatic economic changes in many years. First the housing market fell apart. Then the big Wall Street firms started to drop like flies. The lenders, banks, and insurance companies all started having trouble. Now the auto manufacturers are going under. What’s next? I certainly don’t claim to know, but looking at our history might give us some direction — and some reason for optimism.

The Education Foundation is saddened to lose Jack Hunt, the man who single handedly took it upon himself to re-institute the Society of Exchange Counselor’s education programs. In 2000, Jack decided that S.E.C. education must rise like the phoenix from ashes and be started again. It was Jack’s vision — and determination — that formed the base for what the S.E.C. education program is today [...]

Our clients, whether they are brokerage clients or investors, are reading the same thing in the newspapers and hearing the same TV reports that we are. The world is falling apart. The sky is falling. It is the worst real estate market in two decades. There is no money available to finance our purchase of [...]

“The mission of the S.E.C. Education Foundation is to establish a fund to encourage and financially support education programs related to real estate, particularly in the area of creative transactions and professionally structured equity marketing techniques.” - What does this mean? [...]

Every good thing must come to an end, and my term as President of the Society of Exchange Counselors is no exception. So, I write my last President’s Message with both relief and, to some extent, a feeling of loss. [...]

“If you don’t know where you are going, you are certain to end up someplace else.”
- Phil Corso, a famous S.E.C. President
“If you don’t reinvent yourself every 3-4 years, someone else will.”
- anonymous business school professor
The S.E.C. is not a political group. Obviously, our members have political views and some of our members are very [...]

No matter which political party each of us favors, it is important that we know what changes might happen that could affect our and our clients’ financial positions. In my opinion, it is time to watch what our representatives in Washington may be about to do to our industry.
For instance, John Edwards has made no [...]

The February TREE meeting was held in Brownsville, Texas February 11 & 12. Mark & Diane Johnson were our gracious hosts for a Mexican Fiesta on Sunday evening. And after a full day of golf on Sunday, several of the TREE members participated in adult beverages. The food was great but the fellowship was even [...]