S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

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 […]

I just refilled my Gatorade on the rocks, and decided to tune into my favorite watering hole on the net…. island music just seems right tonight and Margaritaville is just a state of mind anyway. Properly prepared, I then sat down to write this note. You see, I promised Jackie Hellingson I would write something […]

Don’t you think it’s sad that lots of folks just sit around hoping that their dreams will come true? I am equally amazed that most people do absolutely nothing in pursuit of their dreams for fear that their dreams may not come true. Even more just give up and move on to another dream, leaving […]

Once upon a time…in a place far, far away…I was a student of the I-Ching, an ancient Chinese philosophy where one calls upon the oracles for guidance and understanding when faced with life’s challenges. I was fascinated by the Chinese principles of Ying and Yang, which represent certain natural forces at work in the universe […]

Author’s note: In researching the materials Colby Sandlian provided me during my rewrite of the “Broker Estate Building” education program he and Cliff Weaver taught many years ago, I came across these little pearls of wisdom in Cliff’s old teaching materials. I think they provide a timeless perspective and a few chuckles in a far […]

OPM and Safety First There are three fundamental rules of capital formation planning when considering how to attract investors to any real estate venture. In other words, there are some “Golden Rules” for utilizing “OPM,” (other people’s money) to create value for yourself and your investors and, along the way, build your personal estate: The […]

In today’s real estate financing market, is it possible to get a construction loan equal to 100% of your land and project costs? The answer is yes; it is possible and I have done it multiple times over the last few years. How? Well, consider this approach. You are a Developer. You have good banking […]

“Character means doing the right thing when nobody’s watching…” One of the clichés one hears often among baseball fans is that “Baseball is Life”… a reflection of the values to which most of us subscribe and a metaphor reflecting some simple principles that, if followed, will help those who understand to carry forward the life […]

Do you search the nation and the world for your next “opportunity?” Do you surf the net for investment properties, attend marketing meetings, or visit new markets looking for investment or development challenges to take on? Sure, we all do those things occasionally…some of us more than others. But, methinks we sometimes lose sight of […]

Welcome to the Autumn 2003 issue of the S.E.C. Real Estate Observer. Autumn is a time of transition…where summer gives way to fall in preparation for winter. It’s the natural cycle of life and reflects the ever-changing reality of the world we live in. The Observer also transitions this year. Virgil Opfer, the 2003 editor […]