S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

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 […]

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 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: […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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” […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]