REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Passion Trumps Ability

Real Estate… And Other Things Of Value with Yossi Feigenson

I’m convinced that passion, desire, heart, sheer will, tenacity and belief in your work will trump skill, method, following systems and strategy almost every time. For the last several months I’ve written several articles and posts that present this idea in various forms. We seem to be overly strategized and systemized, constantly tweaking our message, and yet, we are finding that results are not improving. We seem to be forgetting one thing; you have to care deeply about what you do. I know that we have this awful economy to deal with, and it has played a huge role in lots of our lives. Believe me, I’m aware. But, it has also taught me something very valuable; more than ever before you MUST have a passion and strong belief in what you are doing.

If we’ve learned anything from this economic crisis is that it’s crucial to be totally invested in the work you do, quite simply, because the environment has been much more difficult. Almost everyone I know has had to question their career choice at some point in the process and pose these simple questions: is this what I want to be doing? Is this the work I have passion for? Do I want to keep fighting for this career? Or is there really something else I’d rather be doing, and the only reason I’ve been working at this particular job is because it was a way of earning money?

It’s not the better planned and strategized individual or company that survived this storm, rather, it was the person who kept on believing in themselves and their profession.

Here’s the difference: A person who is methodical, follows the manual, executes the system to a tee is hopeful it will lead to good results. But what happens if the results aren’t there? Well the person will say that they did all they could and if it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll try again tomorrow. The passionate person, on the other hand, may not follow the steps as skillfully but he simply will not stop and be unrelenting until he gets results. A client recently said to me “I can’t go to sleep at night if I don’t secure a new client during the day”. That line has resonated and remained in my mind.

What this says to me is that we need to use this opportunity to really dig deep and discover our inner passions. What excites us? What drives us? What do we care about? We have to align our inner passions and interests with the work we acquire. Once we figure that out our chances for success are greatly enhanced.

In the small business arena, where the people play such a critical role in the success of a company, it is crucial to hire people who care. Skills are crucial. No doubt. You need good people who bring the necessary skill sets. However, success or failure will most likely lie in the passion your employees have for your company, your product, service or industry.

I leave you with an exercise: assume that money is not a factor; how do you want to spend your time and what gets you excited? And then, work from there.


For More information, please visit Yossi's TNNWC Bio.

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REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Passion Trumps Ability

REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: What Can I Tell You - That You Don't Already Know

Real Estate… And Other Things of Value with Yossi Feigenson

I have nothing important to say that you probably haven’t already heard. I have nothing to think that I haven’t already thought. So why should you bother reading this? A better question yet: why am I bothering to write this?

And what is the “this” anyway? Am I giving you some new insight that will help you in your day to day life? Will it help you in your business? Will I teach you a new skill? Or will I help articulate and clarify an idea that may have been stirring in the recesses of your mind, based on reading my article?

Here’s the problem: I’m a writer – at least that is what Uncle Douglas once said to me – and when he says stuff, he really means it. So I have to drum out an essay or two every so often. Mostly it’s incumbent upon me to enlighten you, my dear readers, to a new insight or idea that will undoubtedly enhance you quality of life immeasurably. Yet, all I think about is what I don’t want to write about.

Lately there hasn’t been a blog that I wanted to read, or someone’s opinion that I’m even remotely interested in, (unless, of course it’s a favorable opinion of yours truly). In that I have an acute and intense interest.

I’ve heard all the opinions about our economy. No longer do I want to hear how bad it is, and I don’t believe it when they say there’s improvement. By no means am I a full blown pessimist. Quite the contrary, I’ve been known to be an idealistic, hopelessly optimistic soul, who thinks that somehow everything will work out in the end. Perhaps it’s my faith.

Any form of dialogue I engage in, written or oral, needs to be natural and organic. My most favorably received articles were the ones I wrote without much form or central message (somewhat like my favorite show, Seinfeld) but came from the heart.

I’m looking for real. I’m seeking for truth. If I detect an ulterior motive, I run.

I simply stopped paying attention to anything that I consider noise. It’s quiet reflection and thought I seek. (See my previous article.) I continue to learn, study, and find entertainment where I’m not being sold.

And, by the way, I believe in the need to market and self promote. Without a doubt we need to engage in business relationships that have other motives. I do it relentlessly. But, it’s crucial to make your intentions clear: We’re here to talk business, and what we each want out of this is some form of monetary gain.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Remember back when I told you that I’m an idealistic sort? Well, it’s made me super conscious of the blurry lines between real relationships and the advantage garnering connections. In a sense, I have to be vigilant and protect myself from myself.

We are able to learn and absorb information more effectively when it’s not being shoved into us. The 7 tips about this, 5 rules of that and the 10 things you need to know about everything begin to really feel hollow and simply don’t penetrate. Insight comes when we’re not trying so hard. I challenge you to take a prospective client or business associate out for a cup of coffee or lunch and discuss anything but the business at hand. You may glean more insight than if you were asking specific questions. Ever notice how doctors often ask questions that seem to have no bearing on your specific condition? They are looking for information that you may not readily give, or you may deem as unimportant.

Let us connect to the essence.


For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNWC Bio.

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The National Networker Companies™ and TNNWC Group, LLC

“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.

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REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: What Can I Tell You - That You Don't Already Know

REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Quiet Please: I Need to Figure This Out

Real Estate… and Other Things of Value with Yossi Feigenson

There is an old saying in marketing: half of marketing works and the other 80% are wasted. (I’m not too crazy about old sayings nor am I an expert in marketing). The problem of course is we don’t know which is which.

At no time is this adage, sprinkled with a bit of Yogi Berra, truer than in our current loud and noisy marketplace. Never before have there been so many channels of marketing and advertising vying for our attention that it has become virtually impossible to streamline ones modes of receiving information and keeping abreast of the essential issues that directly affect ones life. This applies as well to finding effective methods to properly market your own business and generate sales.

I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately. I’ve also written an article about how sales people have been doing pretty much everything they possibly can to promote themselves, from networking to blogging, to email marketing and even canvassing and yet can’t seem to make any headway. We’ve been throwing the big net but the catch seems fleeting.

As so often happens to me, when I’m in need of clarification and edification of certain thoughts and ideas, something I read or hear helps crystallize it and bring it together.

As I’m trudging through another uninspiring early morning breakfast meeting I strike up a conversation with a gentleman who’s new to these parts. Turns out he’s one of those brilliant technocrats, the type who writes those new “apps” for the Ipod/ipad/itouch/iphone. So he says, and I quote: “there is no algorithm that exists in this world that will tell us exactly what a person wants or needs”. Our desires stem from a place that is beyond our natural intellect (a Kabalistic concept, by the way) so it’s nearly impossible to accurately lock in on an exact method of sending a message.

We are all searching for something, seeking the life that we want, but it’s impossible to actually know what it is we want. The factors that trigger desires are not exact, and not always rational. The best marketers have figured out that to get to people you need to go to a place in them that is beyond logic. How else does one explain the phenomenon of Apple, or paying a cool million for a “studio” apartment for a home? This is what we call tapping into a consciousness that is beyond our rational thinking and decision making.

Over and over again I see that our decisions are so often not governed by sane rational thinking, but rather by impulse and mood of the day.

If you’re still reading, I hope you see that this essay is not about marketing; at least not completely. It is about finding, discovering and listening to our inner message about who we are and what we can and should be doing. It is about what information we are putting into us, thus in response, directly affecting the output that comes out of us. It is about learning how to tune out messages and noise that are not of benefit, and can be harmful to us. It is about finding that thing, that unique thing, that makes us stand out, and the value it adds to others.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

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The National Networker Companies™

“Empowering Emerging Enterprises”

Membership in TNNWC’s Global Interactive Cooperative Business Community is free of charge and entitles you to receive both The National Networker Newsletter and The BLUE TUESDAY Report, as well as access to our unparalleled Suite of Business Services.

Join Us! Simply click on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNWC

Visit our website at http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com

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REAL ESTATE… AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Quiet Please: I Need to Figure This Out

REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: The Great Credit Freeze

Real Estate... and Other Things of Value with Yossi Feigenson

I recently struck up a conversation with a credit repair agent. At a time like this when many folks have seen their credit scores get hammered, and their overall credit take a real beating, it was a rather enlightening conversation.

I won’t get all philosophical about why we spend too much, or why a seemingly responsible adult would allow his credit rating to pummel down to a bowling score. The reality is that there are certain factors that enter into play. They all combine to create this situation where a person finds himself deep in debt, unable to meet the monthly obligations, and faced with debilitating late fees. He simply stops making payments and the credit problem goes into its next phase.
The Vicious “who’s calling the house?” Cycle.

Without getting too involved in the discussion, I will say, however, that this seems to follow a sequence and progression that gets perpetrated and becomes a vicious cycle.

The gauge I use to identify when things are about to spin out of control is what I call the: “Who’s calling the house game?”

Here’s how the game is played. For years, not a day would go by that there would not be at least 2 or 3 “pre-approved” credit card applications in the mail and as many calls. Then we buy, we spend, (more than we should), and a recession hits, income slows down, and credit builds up. All those pre-approvals come in handy, but before you know it, the monthly payments are more like a noose than a bill.

Then, without choice you stop making payments. And then the banks and their collection agency goons start calling. And you know how that goes.

And, finally -- American entrepreneurial innovation at its best -- debt settlement and consolidation companies emerge as a new industry. They are calling to offer you to get out of your debt. For the record, they are not to be trusted.

You see where I’m going with this? This cycle has demonstrated itself in Washington, Wall Street, and Main Street. Easy money creates an illusion of wealth, begets overreaching and overspending, and ultimately causes collapse.

The real estate industry, of which I am an active member, has clearly experienced this cycle. Easy money allowed people to buy homes that were way, way beyond their means. But, even worse than that, the “rising” market instilled in us (via our homes) that the “perceived equity” in our home is a bank, ATM, cash register to take money from. This perception, thus sucking all intrinsic equitable value out of it, and effectively eliminating growth. What we end up with is mortgage payments that are much larger than they should be, no equity, and the same difficulties discussed earlier, which then lead to foreclosures and other unpleasantness.

The Great Credit Freeze

The part of our conversation that will get us to the punch line of this article was his insightful advice he offers to people about credit. People say, "I will cut up all my credit cards." That is not the right approach. Here’s what you should do: Place all your credit cards in a bucket of water, put the bucket in the freezer. Every time you want to make a purchase, go ahead and take out the bucket. And here’s the kicker. In the five hours it will take to thaw, you will already decide not to buy what it was absolutely “needed” to have.

There are many insights we can glean from this:

1. That we are impulsive, and if we gave things careful thought, we would be in better shape.
2. That we really do buy too many things that we don’t need.
3. Given a bit of time, our impulses wane, thus proving that they were merely impulses and not actual well thought out decisions.

Now, that’s a credit freeze we can and should all learn to live with.


For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

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REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: The Great Credit Freeze

REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Selling or Writing?

Real Estate... and Other Things of Value with Yossi Feigenson

I am desperately in need of an agenda. I need to find a service to write about so I can sell it to my captive readership. It seems that all anyone wants to write about and to transmit is “what I can do for you to enrich your life a thousand fold.”

I recently received an email from an online contact, whom I hardly know, that went as follows “Despite my best efforts to convey the value of Proformative via updates on my LinkedIn profile, I have not had any luck in “inspiring” you, a valued member of my professional network, to see what Proformative has to offer.” Indeed, he has not inspired me, not even in the least bit. If I read another article that ends with the offer for another webinar/or tele-seminar or a how to get rich using social media, or how to live my absolute best life, and only through signing up and taking the course, I will completely tune these people out. (I already have, I’m simply using the material for this article).

In the past, writing was a means of sharing ideas. In certain instances, writing was also a viable economic endeavor, but only if the writing was good enough for someone to want to pay you for your thoughts and ideas. Lately, however, with the proliferation and explosion of blogging and online social media, almost everyone is writer. The problem is, many “writers” are not sharing ideas. They are merely using this medium as a method of selling their product and service. They’ve ceased sharing ideas, and are only selling and promoting themselves.

What is wrong with writing for self promotion you may be asking? Not a thing. A person can express themselves in any way they wish. But a clear distinction needs to be made between the two types of writing.

As an avid reader of all types of literature, I’m looking for entertainment, information, inspiration, or a combination of the two. If I feel I’m being sold to, I will simply stop reading. I find it disingenuous, dishonest and, frankly, offensive to be presented with one thing and it turns out to be an entirely different thing.

I too have a service to promote. But I don’t use writing to sell my service. I write to convey my thoughts, my experiences, and my outlook on the world. I hope to inspire. I hope to enlighten, possibly to make someone laugh, but mostly, I write because I love to.

And for me, reading is the same.

So in lieu of an agenda, and in the spirit of staying true and firm to my absolute belief in sharing ideas for the sake of ideas, I will leave you with this: You can go ahead, if you wish, and write that article promoting your product, and possibly someone will even buy, but if you write something from your heart, or share a great story, you may make someone’s day or inspire someone’s life.


For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

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REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Selling or Writing?

REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Conan the Contrarian

Real Estate... and Other Things of Value with Yossi Feigenson

I’m a Conan O’Brien fan. I really like him. More importantly, I admire and respect him. Yet, I’ve never seen his show. I don’t own a television, nor did I grow up with one. Therefore, I don’t watch his program, nor do I have an opinion about his talents, his show or his character.

Recently, however, he entered my consciousness he really showed me something. In the world in which he exists, a world of over sized egos, over inflated senses of self worth, underrated or non existent senses of reality and overall delusion, he made the ultimate statement. He questioned the authorities and disrupted the hierarchy of his organization. He said no to being pushed around.

By now you all know the story: Jay Leno, a legend of legends, gets a fancy new gig, which fails miserably, and now the bosses want to give him his old desk back.

The Tonight Show, as the entire television viewing nation knows, is a long running program, with a rich history and an unbroken chain of hosts; in a time slot that was never uprooted. Now, when it suits the right folks, they have no qualms about blowing up the entire tradition. I personally don’t care either way; Conan, Jay, makes no difference to me; I still will fall asleep with a book or listening to late night talk radio. (You should try that sometime).

What did get me, though, was that this event and the way it unfolded is indicative of the way our corporations think, and which has seeped it to so much of our society: If you know the right people, or hold the right cards, failure will not only be tolerated, but, rewarded. It reminds me of many a seller in real estate, who has a property on the market priced at x, which does not budge for an eternity. You know what the owner does? You guessed it; after intense due diligence he goes ahead and RAISES the price. If it didn’t sell at $20 it most likely will at $30.

The story unfolded with Mr. O’Brien receiving a huge “good-bye” package; to the tune of $43,000,000. (Just to go away). Jay Leno got his old job back. To me this feels and smells like a giant corporation compensating for bad decisions with worse ones. This, as we have all seen has become the corporate modus operandi. Mess up. No consequences.

Corporations have taken to throwing people and money around as if neither has any value left. Someone needs to stand up to this. I know that Conan got paid handsomely for it, but he took a stand for what he felt was right.

Kudos to Conan: You stood up for a principle. You refused to back down, you showed some self respect. We can all use more of that. You’ve earned my respect.

Each of us can earn a bit of much needed self respect if we stand up for what we believe is right. Often in the face of larger and more powerful forces we tend to go in two directions; 1) we either compromise our values just to fit in and get the deal; or 2) we cower in our corner in fear. We allow ourselves to get intimidated to the point where we can’t negotiate on a level playing field. It may feel “contrarian”, but standing up to a seemingly stronger adversary, can be so redeeming and can bring you success far beyond your imagination.

If we’ve gleaned anything from this story; in spite of the perceived pecking order and hierarchy, we can continue to do what is right.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.






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REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Conan the Contrarian

REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: The More Things Change….

Real Estate...and Other Things of Value
with Yossi Feigenson

Like the rising sun after a long and difficult night, we all have welcomed the New Year; ready to put it all behind us. The financial wounds and scars have all been neatly tucked away as a bad dream; a nightmare from which we awoke. There are, however, remnants of this bad dream that have remained and will have repercussions for years to come. The best thing that can be said about the past year is that it’s behind us and we are here to tell the story. The changing of the calendar gives us an opportunity to, in the least, symbolically turn a new chapter.

Our government did what it felt it had to do. They bailed out the banks and the auto makers. It can be debated if their actions and implementations were correct. Some will argue that they should not have mixed in. I have no intention of talking politics or even suggesting an answer. The true outcome of their actions will only be fully realized several years down the road. But what we have clearly seen, (borrowing an old phrase) the more things change, the more they remain the same. Our brilliant, can’t miss bankers are up to their old tricks again. They got their bailout; they even repaid most of the loans. They are back to “making sure” that our financial markets are in good shape. It is extremely reassuring that our countries’ monetary system is back in the hands of its very destroyers. The other day, one of my Wall Street friends and I were riding the subway and enjoying some friendly banter about the bailouts and stimuli, and he says “our government is morally bankrupt” so I retort, Wall Street is morally bankrupt as well; seemingly perfect bedfellows. Without hesitation or even an inkling of shame he snaps, “But it’s Wall Street’s job to be morally bankrupt.” As you see, nothing changes.

The Real Estate industry is at its own crossroads. There is no one solution to fix the industry. The residential market as currently constituted is operating and functioning on some levels. You definitely need to be far more qualified to purchase a home or condo; and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, many folks who are upside down on their current mortgage situation (loose translation: they owe more on the house than the current value, AND they can’t afford the monthly payments) will possibly lose their homes and have to figure things out again. In many cases it’s a necessary pain; akin to a divorce; it’s extremely painful but equally as extremely crucial for the continuance and rebuilding of one’s life.

Those in commercial real estate understand that it is all about the debt. If the property is in good shape and not overly levered than most likely it will absorb and withstand. Balance sheet and rent rolls are important, but the more crucial and telling number these days is the level of debt to valuation ratio. Those who bought late in the game, or bought at the height of the market, and thus are under capitalized, may suffer a fate similar to that of their brothers in residential real estate.

Will prudence, old style values or proper business ethics become the new model? I, for one, am not overly optimistic. When leadership of public and private sector are suffering from a severe case of moral bankruptcy, what can be expected from Joe the common man?

So, where does that leave us? That leaves us fending for ourselves; making decisions that will affect ourselves and our families. And we need to be absolutely certain that these decisions going forward are the correct ones and are made with the right information. I’m speaking specifically to those who have had a financial upheaval in the past year or two and have lots to think about. I will leave you with two thoughts:

1) It’s time to actually begin to identify, zero in on and harness what it actually is that you are good at. If being a sales person is your thing, then follow it and you will find success. But if you are not so sales inclined and are only in sales because there is the chance to make “good money”, it may be time to consider what your calling is. I find the secret to success is actually doing what you should be doing. Sounds simple, but I can spend days speaking about this.

2) Develop a strong inner voice. We have all become way too inundated and programmed to think the way “they” want us to think. Too many of us are simply drinking at the fountain of what is being fed to us. It’s crucial to learn how to decipher information and not accept everything at face value. To begin to question the status quo; to actually have an independent thought is paramount for the continued prosperity of our nation as a WHOLE and to each of us and an individual.

As my good friend and fellow author Douglas Castle said to me just the other day; we’re in survivalist mode, and we need to be positive but realistic at the same time. It’s imperative that we put thinking back into our lexicon and culture.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.






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REAL ESTATE... AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: The More Things Change….

REAL ESTATE ...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Sometimes: Just Walk Away

Real Estate...and Other Things of Value

with Yossi Feigenson

I have finally arrived. I am now among the legions of great authors, novelists and essayists. I can put my name alongside them. What a monumental achievement to be in this illustrious company. Nope, I wasn't discovered up by a publishing house and given a three book contract. Nor have I written a groundbreaking bestseller. For the last few weeks I have merely suffered a severe case of writer’s block. I simply refuse to write. It’s not a lack of ideas. Not a lack of subjects to write about either. In simple words, it’s an intrinsic inability to put pen to paper.

I recently travelled on a lengthy plane ride. And, I had visions of writing deep into the night, high above the Pacific Ocean, while my fellow passengers slept. I had pad and pen all ready. I would fill up volumes. My thoughts would flow and the prose would be like nothing I had written before. Alas, nothing happened. Not a single word was written. Once at my destination I thought I would write about all my experiences; to record and document all I’d see. Not a word. I thought when I would return I would write about all the wonderful things I'd seen and felt during my travels; Still nothing. For full disclosure, I did scratch out one article but that was due to the fact that I have a writing obligation to The National Networker, who so graciously publishes me.

So how do you break the spell? And what does this obstruction mean and what does it represent?

I've always been told when you’re a bit frozen and not sure of how to proceed, just do what you know. Regardless of how you may think at the moment, action is the most important thing. Just push through whatever is blocking you. Be it fear, laziness, disinterest, disillusionment. Get through it.

What to write about? It doesn’t matter. The important thing: just write. Don’t think about it, simply write from the heart.

Lori Williams, an attorney from Michigan, who is one of my “online networking friends”, wrote this to me recently in an email regarding writing: “Yep, I believe that type of writing is inspired and authentic and that’s why it flows. Not everyone will relate to it, but you/I/any author has done our part when we write from the heart.” When you feel blocked, allow it to come from the heart, the words will flow much better and often write themselves. But, what do you write about?

Perhaps, here is the problem. There are often things that are being experienced that don’t want to find expression in words. Maybe, you’ve run out of inspiring and uplifting words? There may be confusion, and the point of writing is to enlighten, not to confound.

For many, across many industries, it’s been a very trying 12-18 months. I know this because I'm an avid networker and meet lots of professionals and sales people. I’ve heard many stories from a wide range of professionals; attorneys, architects, real estate brokers, mortgage brokers, retail store owners, restaurant owners, manufacturers, consultants, and just about anyone across all professions, about how this has been a period of time that far exceeds any previous difficulties in the past.

In my writing I like to look at a challenge, see it for what it is and find ways to use it to catapult us to more action, to improvement. To see a difficulty as a blessing of sorts, one that is placed there for us to learn from and grow through. That's the motto I live by.

However, you don't always have the words. When you've exhausted all words, when every conceivable idea has been tapped into, when you feel dry of any resource to improve what is the next move? The same question can be asked about your business. What is the next move?

Jump ship? Not entirely practical. If you are a bit older than fresh out of college, as some of us are the job market isn’t so hot. Your amazing skill sets don't count like they used to.

At this point the one thing left to do is reach deep within ourselves and understand that there are things that are beyond our control. We need to gain the understanding that we don't have all the answers; that as much as we try, if it’s not there it’s not there.

After hundreds of hours of thinking, meeting, strategizing, coming up with new approaches to marketing, new approaches to clients, new systems and renewed commitment to getting “out there”, you realize that this may a time period that is beyond what you can change.

How long can you go on questioning and doubting yourself? That's an unhealthy counter productive behavior. Negative thinking and constant “self analysis” leads to too much inward examination and not enough outward action. Becoming too self obsessed with what you may be doing right or may be doing wrong, especially when results are at less than optimum, can lead to complete disillusionment and ultimately burnout; from which it’s tough to recover and regain your vitality.

In discussions with several people whom I admire and hold in high esteem, this is the message that we need to heed: You need to stop obsessing about each and every thing. You need to stop letting your mind be so overwhelmed with everything you may be lacking. Your conscious mind needs to take a rest from it all. Allow your inner voice to begin taking its place. Somehow, keep doing what you know works. And allow for something to unconsciously happen.

Sometimes, when I’m anxiously waiting for a phone call from a client or a business associate, regarding a business matter, I simply go out for a walk, stop focusing on it. Inevitably, each time I do that the phone rings.

So I needed to put the pen down for a while. Something was telling me to step away and not think. It was time to NOT try and make sense of everything; to NOT attempt to find all the answers; to NOT try and uplift and motivate. But rather, to let it be. Only after that can you come back and pick up where you left off, with, perhaps, a new perspective, or at least, some renewed vigor.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.






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REAL ESTATE ...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Sometimes: Just Walk Away

REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Land Down Under Stays Above

Real Estate...and Other Things of Value

with Yossi Feigenson

I recently returned from a trip to Australia. Yes, lucky me; I got to fly for 22 hours. Australia is quite a place. There is lots of beauty there and the people are wonderful. Once you can overcome what I call “the two psychological barriers”, namely that you are a full day of traveling away from the western world, and almost a full day or time zone away, you can actually begin to enjoy it; that is, assuming you can ever overcome the third obstacle- jetlag. One of my children caught on to something. Every time I called home we were naturally on the opposite end of the day/night spectrum. They would be getting ready for school and I would be getting ready for bed. So I would say to him; have a great day at school, and he would reply; have a good night. He got a real kick out of saying that. For an eight year old it was quite intuitive. But, that is not what my article is about.

As an American businessman, (at least in my own mind), something else caught my attention. The economic environment and the overall mood wasn’t quite the same as we were experiencing here. It didn’t take me very long to figure out why. As many of the people were so proud to tell me, Australia had actually averted a recession. The fact that a country, about which they say, ‘when America sneezes Australia catches a cold’ was able to withstand the economic malaise was a remarkable feat.

Every armchair economist I spoke to gave me his reason and interpretation of the events that lead to the non-event. I felt like an investigative journalist picking up pieces of a story. Some said it was strong Government intervention; another said that vigorous regulation and oversight in the banking sector helped. The credit market, while it did tighten up and have some under performing assets, never got involved in the unbelievably stupid loan practices that some others across big oceans did. Psychologically, the Government reassured folks that the loans would be backed and secured, so that slowed the real estate crash. Another factor was that the Government actually helped the PEOPLE, not just HUGE corporations; they gave money to each individual to help stimulate and boost spending.

If you follow my writing, you will recognize this as the time when I ask: what really happened? What were the real underlying factors? And the more important question; what can we learn and possibly do different? I know I’m just one voice, but it would be nice if we can learn something.

The Dutch Tulip mania and consequent bubble is an almost exact precursor for what has happened here. This is from a blog entry By Robert Hardaway, Professor of Law at the University of Denver.

“In 1624, frenzied speculators in Holland pushed up the price of tulip bulbs from the equivalent of a nickel apiece to 3,000 guilders (about $100,000) for a single bulb.

People forgot what a tulip bulb was actually for. All they cared about was that even if you bought a bulb for the ridiculous price of 3,000 guilders, you might be able to sell it the following week for 3,100 guilders.

When fears arose that savvy investors might figure out that the bulbs were really only worth a nickel, fearful government officials induced lenders to make it easier for investors to borrow more and more money to buy the ever higher priced bulbs and thereby keep the bubble going in order to avoid financial collapse.”

This should all sound eerily familiar. In the past ten years what we had can’t even laughably be referred to as a market. We had frenzy and chaos.

As a real estate broker I often found myself in the enviable position of trying to sell properties that made absolutely no financial sense, on any level. I would perform an analysis on the property, run all the numbers and then sheepishly present them to buyers. Truthfully, I hated it. There were people out there, however, that simply would buy anything, as long as they felt they could pass it along to another, without too much difficulty.

An owner of a good amount of commercial and industrial property in Melbourne shared with me that flipping (an almost outdated term from the "boom") is highly discouraged by way of transfer taxes due on any flip. In the US, people were having simultaneous closings of one property.

There was a level of drunkenness, irresponsibility and recklessness, combined with lack of regulation, oversight and risk management that brought us down. It’s important for us to acknowledge this if we want to avoid this meltdown again.

For once it would do us all a bit of good to take a cue from our brethren in the Land Down Under. It is not so much policy and implementation, but more common sense and intuition for what is right and what is wrong.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

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REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Land Down Under Stays Above

REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: What Have We Learned?

Real Estate...and Other Things of Value

with Yossi Feigenson

It is now one year later. One year from when the first tremors of what has turned into our latest and greatest (not literally) financial and economical malaise made their presence felt. Lehman Brothers, a giant, century old, investment bank was allowed to fail. Others, such as AIG, Merrill Lynch, Washington Mutual and Citibank were spared this death sentence and were bailed out by us; the tax paying public. I don’t even want to speak about them, because, they are SO last year. Or, are they? Has the destruction they have wrought on our economy, on the real estate market, and all the heartache their collective stupidity has caused taught us anything at all? Is society at large and us individuals any different from a year ago? If not, all I can is: It’s a crying shame; an opportunity for learning, for growth and a positive shifting of our value system completely wasted.

Have things changed on Wall Street? From my vantage point; not a tiny bit. All you read about is how Richard Fuld, ex CEO of Lehman Brothers is complaining that he can’t get a fair shake. Everyone is down on him. The concept of taking responsibility has entirely eluded him. Bonuses are up and flying again among upper management types. The surviving few super banks (surviving with our help, of course) are right back in the game taking risk and churning out profits like it’s 2007.

But, Wall Street we be Wall Street, so enough about them. For those of us who are not CEO’s of major banks, have we experienced and change? I believe that we are in a time where some good old fashioned values can trickle their way back into the consciousness of our society. They may be small things but they make a big impact: I have had many real estate brokers tell me that now more than ever their expertise and ability to be a real educator and facilitator to their clients is their greatest asset, instead of merely being out there to make “another deal”. As my good friend and author, Douglas Castle, (he’s a long story) has said to me: “it’s time we become educators not salesmen”.

People are not beginning to listen to their inner voice and their intuition with regards to business and investment decisions. The monkey-see-monkey-do attitude that has prevailed upon our psyche for so long is waning just a bit. There is much more scrutiny and in depth analysis in today’s transactions. It sure makes it tougher to make a sale or sign a lease, but it’s the right way, and in the long run will engender more long term relationships between provider and client.

Now I get to the fun part of the discussion: Have people changed in their outlooks? Have they had a paradigm shift as to the important things in life that have lasting value? Have people begun to see money for what it is and what it can bring, but, equally importantly, for what it is not and what it can’t bring?

The Importance of Human Relationships

Throughout history they have always been crucial in the forming of countries, signed treaties, big business mergers. But in our world of simply looking for the next sale we have forgotten that a sale today will do nothing for you in five years, but a relationship can yield dividends for years to come. Adam J. Kovitz, Chairman of The National Networker, has written extensively about this concept called relationship capital. That there is an investment and withdrawal system and a mathematical push and pull equation of relationship capital. The more you do for someone, the more likely it is you will get something in return. This brings me to my next idea; actually doing something for another, without the promise of getting anything in return. In some crazy, cosmic counterintuitive way, in a world where we want-want-want , it is actually thrilling to refer to a friend a piece of business or to be helpful with your resources.

Have we learned how to have a great conversation; about ideas, thoughts, philosophies, stuff that is outside of the daily business grind?

Have we learned how to enjoy the simple pleasures of a run in the park or a bike ride across a bridge?

Have we learned that it’s not the price tag on something that gives it its real value?

Have we taken the opportunity to discover a hidden talent that may have been lying dormant for many years?

Have we found some new friends and reconnected with old ones?

Have we recommitted to reading, exercising and studying?

The events of this past year have presented us with an opportunity to see the world in a different light, and possibly our own place in it. I only hope that we take advantage of this gift and continue to grow in all dimensions.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

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REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: What Have We Learned?

REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Merry Path of the American Dream

Real Estate...and Other Things of Value

with Yossi Feigenson

We’re all waiting for something. We’re looking and hoping for the signs. Has it been declared? As of late, the rumblings are beginning to get louder, more frequent, and are coming from better sources. Yes, indeed, it seems that the recession may be finally releasing us of its grips, of its shackles. We can now begin to feel more confident to get back to the way we used to live. We can actually go and spend money, free of guilt, (provided that there is some available) and continue on the merry path of the American dream. We are ready to put this nightmare behind us.

If you are paying close attention; and I really hope you are, you will notice I used a keyword (keyword being a very keyword these days). That magic word is “feel”. We want to feel that things are getting better. We don’t necessarily have any logical understanding or hard scientific and numerical data that supports this feeling.

Emotion driven world

We may not like to admit it, but many, or all of our decisions we make, and the way we view the world, are with our EMOTIONS. Of course, reasoning, intellect and common sense all play a role, and we wouldn’t function without these intellectual faculties, but, too often, the primary vehicle that leads us is emotion. Is it a wonder that for most of us when we buy or sell a stock we uncannily buy at the exact wrong time and subsequently sell at the precise time we should hold? If this doesn’t sound familiar, than there is a good chance you are like my good man, Warren Buffet, who is a fairly good investor; he buys low and sells high. There is, however, the last time I checked, only one Warren Buffet, and perhaps a smattering of students of the Warren Buffet system.

What does Warren Buffet know or posses that most of us don’t? Is he simply much smarter than everyone? Or has he mastered a particular skill and idea that is the most difficult and fleeting things to attain.

To gain some insight into why organically we are this way takes lots of hours of study of certain texts and the human psyche. Principally, the idea being that we are emotion driven race, and an emotion led universe. Sure, we posses intellect. We think, we speak, we make decisions, we have opinions, we like, dislike and choose one over another. But, the driving force behind much of what we do individually, and as a society are our emotional attributes.

Let’s look at our most recent 10 year boom and subsequent bust. In particular, in Real Estate: When the general trend is looking up, people will jump at any opportunity, often completely disregarding the inherent risks. While, when the trend is the other way, people will stay away even though the deal may be sound and ultimately extremely profitable. As the legendary John D. Rockefeller once said, "Buy when there is blood in the streets." This implies that you should buck the prevailing trends. It is uncanny how few posses the discipline to follow this rule. Those who do are the next generation of millionaires. It’s that simple.

Fear and insecurity

Fear has been the prevalent emotion of our current crisis. Even for those whose situation has not changed much, they are paralyzed by a certain sense of fear and trepidation. An entrepreneur is more afraid of going into a new endeavor, even though the more astute move would be to go into business in a downturn.

Manifestation

People who have the ability to rise above emotion, and strictly use intellect as their driving have always taken advantage of our emotions. We see this clearly in every downward cycle there are people who see past the current muck and are picking up assets at pennies on the dollar. Using intellect without too much emotion allows you to see beyond the current situation and see what can come out the other side.

The Good news

The good news is that just as we got into this mess we will get out of it with similar irrationalities. When people begin to have confidence again in their own situations they will begin to spend and the turnaround will really happen.

Wouldn’t it be nice to alter this cycle of us being led by our fears and emotions? We do have the smarts, we do have the understanding, but it will take quite a bit of exercise on our part to make decisions that are coming from our intellect.

How does one attain this type of power of the mind? The old phrase “mind over matter” means that in the face of any challenge the mind can overcome all obstacles, including the inclination of our own emotions and insecurities.

If business and sales are slow, and the overwhelming emotional fatigue has set in, we often feel sapped of our capacity to think and make sound business decisions. It is then imperative to identify it as such and take the steps to get the emotions out of it. The feeling of disillusionment will lead us to make decisions that will ultimately hurt our business.

Sounds impossible? It’s not. But, it takes effort and lots of grinding, gut checking and accountability. There is no easy, straightforward approach one can take. But there is so much information out there, and many professionals that can help with the process. But the first step comes from within us; as it always does.

For more information, please visit Yossi's TNNW Bio.

Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free - Click HERE.
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REAL ESTATE...AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE: Merry Path of the American Dream