Gentlemen, May I Propose a Toast

Raise your drinks steadily and take a big swallow. There now - that's better.

I guess I believed writing down what it's like from the front lines was a good idea. The witch is falling and landing on your house, and this sure ain't Oz, either. The epicenter of the entire collapse was the real estate and accompanying mortgage loan industries, so feel as if I am merely an enlisted man, praying in my foxhole. Forgive me if I do it blog-style.

My, what a turbulent time its been. I thought maybe my stories, observations, new-knowledge-learned-on-the-fly and interpersonal experiences with clients might have some value, at least of the entertainment variety. On the job always (always), I am asked the same questions repeatedly, too. There is a lot of strain in the faces of my clients and friends right now, so no complaints here. My thinking is that putting it into this form might help centralize the anxiety a bit.

There really is no other way to begin this other than to say; if you own home or are thinking about getting into the market don't let them lie to you - its never been a sure thing and it never will be...as long as humans are involved.

Now, I'm also going to bash the hell out of the biz here, so if you're sensitive about that, don't read. Don't be mistaken - I actually love my job. I know many fine Realtors and they're not all a bad lot. In fact, being that special ingredient during a life transition for my clients is something I'm honored to do. It just that many Realtors have a facade they wear - the true salesman - and they can often seem impenetrable. I've actually done quite well for myself given the fact that I'm no salesman, not at all.



You'll never see my face on a shopping cart, billboard or at the movie theater. I do this job because I like to shop for houses and I can't buy them all myself. I enjoy helping people, and I like to set my own schedule. I'm not trying to be a top producer or a professional Mr. Handshake. Just another monkey doing a job and feeling humbled by some of the beauty of it, too. To me, it's more like being a healer but without the avant-garde Japanese pipe flute music.

Buying a house is one of the, if not the largest purchase most of us will ever make. Lets face it - the process can bring up one's shit, send you into homes that look like good places for murder/suicides and force one to midwife to the point where I feel that I'm in labor. I'm alright with all of that.

So, I've made a place to dump all the energy and information my career dumps on me. I'm suggesting a new way to play an old game. I'm not going to be perpetually perky, glossy or irritatingly positive. I'm going to do something that fights the stigma that Real Estate people are dishonest - I'm going to be brutally honest with you.

Some of my colleagues may audibly groan upon hearing that but to them, I say - get real. We wouldn't need so many damn forms if real estate had always been an honest business.