S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

G5 Enterprises, Inc. is a group of five former real estate brokers who have joined forces to develop residential projects, primarily new home construction and condominium conversions. Many readers have heard some G5 success stories and have chatted with Chet Allen, S.E.C., and Virgil Opfer, S.E.C., about forming their own partnership to take on development [...]

Much has been said over the last several years about the generation of Americans now commonly referred to as “The Greatest Generation.” Most of us have been fortunate enough to know one or more people from this generation and have been greatly influenced by them on a personal level. For me, the greatest of these [...]

I first started using the term “Notes in the Margins” one day as I rounded second and headed to third… I’ve always enjoyed writing notes to no one in particular about things on my mind. And since I already knew how to type, I started doing it more often. A couple of years ago, I [...]

You open the door to the office, you sit down at your desk, and you begin to read yesterday’s mail. You notice that intermingled with the junk mail and the bills are the placards or other mail detailing the availability of the many education opportunities. You are now forced to make a decision; throw the [...]

As another year comes and goes, I reflect on the past, and look forward to the future. I remember attending a Chatham Counseling course almost 20 years ago. I went because an exchangor friend of mine coaxed me into it. I had taken many courses in numbers and rules and regulations. As I recall, the [...]

We all wake in the morning to complete darkness, or to the sun, signaling the start of a new day! Our pre-work routines are as important as what we do every day at work. My first question is: “Do you control the day or does the day control you?” What I mean by that is [...]

The traditional sources of profits in apartments, as in most other types of real estate investment, include cash flow, loan amortization, tax shelter through depreciation, and appreciation. But in apartments there are some potential additional sources of profit we should not forget. Miscellaneous income – Laundry – The most common miscellaneous item included in apartments [...]

In 1961 I showed a home to a family at 1:00 p.m.; wrote up a proposal on a paper bag on the hood of my car; presented it that afternoon, got accepted, and opened escrow that day (Sonoma Title Guaranty – Denny Daw.) It closed with title insurance the next afternoon and they moved in [...]

New York Capital (Albany) Region: Poised for Cutting Edge Growth Then and Now History is repeating itself’ within the “Greater Capital Region,” Albany area. One of the most significant announcements was made on June 23, 2006 regarding an agreement reached between the State of New York and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) to locate and develop [...]

“As I left the two-lane road; And pulled back on that super highway; I thought of what I’d seen back in that town; And it hit me like a freight train; That a stone’s throw from the fast lane; America is still safe and sound.” *The ending lyrics to the song “Americana” by Country artist [...]