Articles in the Feature Articles Category

Focus on the Small Wins, Not the Big Victories
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Posted in Feature Articles, Summer 2019 on July 2019
Stats: 1,711 views and Comments Off on Focus on the Small Wins, Not the Big Victories

People in real estate tend to be competitive. Really competitive. The upside of that drive is we show up, use skill and action plans, overcome obstacles, solve problems, and press on courageously to get the job done. When we are successful, we acknowledge, are rewarded for, and celebrate the big victory. The relentless pursuit of […]

The Seven Deadly Sins in Equity Marketing
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Posted in Feature Articles, Spring 2019 on February 2019
Stats: 2,008 views and Comments Off on The Seven Deadly Sins in Equity Marketing

This course comes from compiling 35 years of experience, successes, and failures; attending hundreds of real estate marketing events; observing others; and gathering input from fellow brokers. My definition of Equity Marketing is where a broker tries to accomplish his or her client’s goals, using all the skill and talents the broker possesses, to move […]

Murphy’s Laws of Real Estate
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Posted in Fall 2018, Feature Articles on August 2018
Stats: 2,933 views and Comments Off on Murphy’s Laws of Real Estate

Murphy’s First Rule: If it can go wrong in a real estate transaction, it will! Keep in mind that Murphy is an optimist! Nonrecourse Financing You’ve just signed your loan application and are excited that you have “No Personal Liability” other than the carve outs for real estate taxes and environmental issues. The loan is: […]

Adding Value to Apartment Communities
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Posted in Feature Articles, Summer 2018 on June 2018
Stats: 2,073 views and 1 Comment

Everyone wants to buy a “Value Add” apartment community. As a broker specializing in multifamily sales, I can’t tell you how many buyers want this. Let’s talk about what it means. There are several ways an investor can add value to an apartment property, especially to a community with some age or one needing attention […]

Finding Creativity
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Posted in Feature Articles, Spring 2018 on March 2018
Stats: 1,961 views and Comments Off on Finding Creativity

Finding Creativity Editor’s Note:  Stephen Barker was the recipient of the 2017 Clifford P. Weaver Award, and this was his submission for the most creative transaction of the year.  The Society of Exchange Counselors presented Mr. Barker with the award on January 23, 2018. I did not have the opportunity to meet Cliff Weaver, as […]

Learning from Failure
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Posted in Feature Articles, Winter 2017 - 2018 on December 2017
Stats: 2,334 views and 5 Comments

I have failed! I have failed in marriage, in my judgment, in business, and many other areas. I also have had those dark nights of the soul, wondering if I could do anything right. All I could do was to keep on going. But I have learned much from failure. What I Have Learned from […]

The Crisis of Retail
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Posted in Fall 2017, Feature Articles on September 2017
Stats: 1,995 views and 1 Comment

By Chuck Sutherland, S.E.C. with contributions by John Brennan I was thinking about vacancy issues in retail properties the other day while looking at an offering package of a retail center, and I decided to do a little research. The following are some of the ideas I found most compelling. The Chinese word for “crisis” […]

Fifteen-Year History of a Triplex
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Posted in Feature Articles, Spring 2017 on April 2017
Stats: 1,692 views and Comments Off on Fifteen-Year History of a Triplex

This is a whole series of creative financing techniques used on one property over a 15-year period. In 1999, I had a client who was in a pickle. She was living in an assisted living facility, but she still owned a residential triplex where she had lived for many years previously. She had given power […]

Counseling as Part of the Due Diligence Process
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Posted in Feature Articles, Winter 2017 on February 2017
Stats: 1,713 views and Comments Off on Counseling as Part of the Due Diligence Process

This is an excerpt from 5 Things That Should Be on Your Due Diligence Check List, a course taught by John Brennan, an S.E.C. member and past president, and Vicki Yeomans, an S.E.C. member. During the due diligence period we rush to check certificates of occupancy, surveys, utility availability, and myriad items that appear on […]

US–Canada Economic Relations
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Posted in Fall 2016, Feature Articles on October 2016
Stats: 2,083 views and Comments Off on US–Canada Economic Relations

NO TWO NATIONS MATCH UP MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER OR ARE WOVEN TOGETHER MORE DEEPLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND CULTURALLY THAN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. In December 2010, I wrote an introductory article for the Observer about Canada. It summarized macro-demographics, economy, Canada–US relations, and so on. A review of that article can reacquaint. My observation over […]