Facing the challenge and rising above it.

"Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it. The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be. Being alive is the meaning."

"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."

Those two quotes from Joseph Campbell are worth remembering while those of us in the Real Estate industry struggle to find a silver lining in all of the turmoil we currently face. As we read the morning paper and find more harbingers of bad news in the business section, we have a challenge broader than the sub-prime mortgage "crisis". We are forced to ask ourselves, "Is this what I want to do for the rest of my career?"

I think the answer depends on our goals. If we are looking for a quick and easy path to fortune and prestige, we might want to update our Monster.com profiles. However, if we are motivated by the quest for a meaningful life...now is the time to rise up. We get the chance to re-examine and maybe even reinvent our career goals.

I remember the day I first sold a new home. It was a Camden. A three bedroom, two and one half bath home on a slab. I sold it to a single guy named Tom. It was 1988. Interest rates were just dipping into the 10% range. I was a cocky "salesman" looking to make my first new home sale. To be honest, Tom would have likely purchased that home even if Pee Wee Herman was his salesman. It was the right home at the right price at the right time. Initially I was radiant in my own self-projected glory. Three days on the job and I slammed a sale! I was certain that I was destined for greatness.

As my intoxication started to wear off, I began to see things a little differently. Slowly at first. The meaning started to sink in. I just helped a complete stranger find his home...not a cell phone, a new car, a new suit, or a new bag of golf clubs...his home. I realized that this new job somehow meant a little more than just selling "stuff". I was participating in another persons life. That was an awesome revelation. And I mean awesome as in full of awe.

Like the Wizard of Oz...I was helping to grant wishes that my buyers could very well realize without my help. I was merely there to help guide them through the process. I wan't selling anything. I was helping them to change more than their address. I was helping them to find their home. Thankfully, I had this revelation early.

Without that revelation, the recession of the early ninties would have likely forced me to go get a job selling "stuff" in some other industry. Without that revelation, working weekends would have likely become intolerable. Without that revelation, making follow up calls when I should be home eating dinner would probably have become too laborous to endure.

Understanding that this career was more than just the sales process has helped me through this challenging market. Don't get me wrong. Sales awards, bonuses, and nice paychecks all make the journey more enjoyable. Closing a sale still brings a thrill that has never grown old to this day. But the awesome feeling of seeing a family find their home thanks to your guidance is the real bonus in our career. The paycheck just makes the intangible benefit into a tangible bonus.

When I am asked my opinion on the future of our industry I find myself thinking back to Joseph Campbell's quote..."Life is without meaning. You bring the meaning to it." These challenges will subside and new ones will replace them. The ability to find meaning is purely personal. This market is testing my stamina but not my committment. As long as there are people like Tom looking to find their home...I want to be there to help them find what they seek.

If you enjoy what you do and you strive to do it better every day the reward will find you. It may not be what we have grown accustomed to but as Mr. Campbell said, "We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."

Change on the horizon?

I never knew making dreams come true could be such a nightmare!

Buying a new home seems to be such a risky proposition these days that people are actually likening it to purchasing junk bonds or penny stocks. Too many people are caught in the "I don't want to make a stupid investment"mentality to actually examine the reasons why owning your own home is such a fundamental part of the American dream. If you watch the news you are led to believe that the folks at Enron got out of the energy business just in time to enter the home building business.

As a twenty year veteran of the American dream industry I can tell you that we are suffering a crisis of confidence and not an end to the dream. Most people I encounter, both prospective buyers and people in my social circle, feel that the economics are now more important than the emotion. That change in the buying process is certainly understandable but it is likely not sustainable.

Since I began my sales career, one of the axioms of new home sales was "justify with logic...close on emotions". For most people the decision to purchase a new home is more than an economic decision. It is usually a discretionary choice that we justify with a logical rationale. Does anyone really need a 4000 square foot home for a family of four? Of course not. But our homes are often a projection of our own self-image. Perhaps this industry correction will change the parameters but it will not change our desire for better homes, neighborhoods, and schools for our children.

When you examine what prospective buyers are saying these days you hear the same comments and objections. "It's not a good time." "I am afraid." "It's gonna get worse." "I don't want to make a bad decision." And the most insidious..."How big is your discount?" Are they really looking to buy their family home from the "clearance rack"? The answer is no. They are looking for reassurance and perhaps even some gentle persuasion. Given what we have witnessed in the past two years, who could blame them?

Maybe 2008 will be the beginning of a change. Maybe people will finally say, "It is time". Maybe the sales axiom will change this year..."justify with emotion and close on logic." The prospective buyers will need to be reminded of the unique non-economic/emotional benefits of purchasing a new home. The easy battle will be waged as skeptical buyers attempt to time the market. Simply put, there has not been a better time to purchase a new home in the past twenty plus years. Interest rates are at historically low levels. Prices have adjusted down almost 20% in some markets. There remains a year's worth of unsold inventory in most markets. Builders are fighting for each sale with amenities-enticements-incentives.

If a buyer has sufficient income, good credit, a modest down payment, and no home to sell...this is the buyer's market of all buyer's markets. Now is the time. My Econ 101 professor put it this way, "While markets can act irrationally in the short term. Over time, all free markets will act rationally. Consumers will know a good deal when they see one." My prediction is simply this: Change is on the horizon. The buyers will be back. Pent-up demand will lead to some rational buying behavior in 2008. We will not be seeing a return to the output levels of 2005 or perhaps even 1995 but we will see the Real Estate market shake off the standing eight count and return to the fight.

Owning a good home in a good neighborhood where your kids can go to a good school is still the American dream. While double digit growth in appreciation, homes that sell above list price, bidding wars, and speculative buyers are "so 2005"...

Most people will feel better about chasing their American dream in 2008.

What is a hero?

As I contemplate the theme of my site I am reminded of the words of Joseph Campbell. The sound of his words still echo in me. "Follow your bliss" he said. The simplicity of those words and that philosophy still captivate me. The road map for any hero on a quest was simple...the hero was always following his or her "bliss". I laugh now at how elusive that road map is to find in our everyday lives.

We are often looking at the world without a map to follow. Instead we usually focus on landmarks and familiar sites to help guide us on our journey. For many people leaders, mentors, teachers, parents, politicians, or even celebraties serve as their guides. For me, a hero is the most reliable guide to follow.

But what then is a hero? What makes a hero so enduring and transformational?

I look at my world. I look at my community and I see heroes every day. I believe we are all capable of being a hero. A hero is, as Joseph Campbell puts it, someone who "follows (his or her) bliss". Despite all the obstacles...the hero continues to follow the path that leads them to their "bliss".

I have always yearned to understand heroes...John Wayne to John Kennedy...Thomas Jefferson to Martin Luther King...Mother Theresa to my mom...Moses to Jesus to Buddha to Muhammed. I seek stories of heroes as a way to find my way on my journey. They serve as my landmarks. I may not know my own bliss as clearly as I should but if I can understand other heroes and their quests perhaps I will stumble toward my ultimate destination.

I may not be a hero but I'll know one when I see one...I'll let you know what I find on my journey.