integrity 1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY 2: an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS (Merriam-Webster) Lack of integrity negates trust! Yep! Only you know your own, personal “standards” and only you can preserve these personal sacraments. Similarly, only YOU have the power to Honor these promises to yourself . . . or not. When you compromise your personal standards, you break trust with yourself. Trust is slow to earn and fast to disintegrate. No one is exempt from these realities. We tumble through life making choices. While some folks might argue that their transgressions from the “standard” were accidental – that they un(sub)consciously erred. I don’t allow this leni... 07/28/2020

It’s exhausting to live the life of someone you are not! Yet, many of us do this for the purpose of “furthering a career” or “keeping up with the Joneses” or to “belong” to a group hoping to gain fame and fortune by osmosis. Guess what? I believe you already have everything you need to be famous and worthy. This was “baked into you” upon conception. Of course, you’ve honed yourself through the years based on on your accumulation of experiences and relationships, but you’ve never changed who you are at your core, and we love the REAL you more than any doppleganger. Even the most exact doppleganger is different than the original at the core. So . . . If you find yourself anxious, tense, overwhelmed, tired, confused, scared, bored or any number of energy depleting emotions, I hereby presci... 07/27/2020

We Realtors rely on each other to successfully sell and close home sales. Our “jobs” are multifaceted, and I sometimes think that some Agents and Principal Brokers lose proper perspective – They develop amnesia – lose sight of the forest for the trees. We confuse the difference of winning battles vs the war. We forget that we CAN “pick our battles” . . . We can choose which bones to pick! We can, with vigor, negotiate in good faith to “win” for our home buying/selling clients with civility and respect. We can do this without petty squabbles which invariable have the same deliverables as rocking in a rocking chair . . . It keeps you moving but doesn’t get you anywhere useful. Throughout my 27 year career as Real Estate Sales Professional, Principal Broker, and owner of Pareto Realty, I’v... 07/20/2020

Nashville Real Estate for sale -  Nashville home sales have picked up in spite of fears about the virus with number of closings of homes  increasing 26% over the May of this year and down only 1.5% compared to June of last year. Considering the fact that listing inventory is down 21% compared to last June the number of closing is very impressive. 3478 homes closed during the month of June compared to 2759 in May so sales increased by 26% percent in one month but compared to the same month last year sales of single family homes were down 1.5% 6825 single family homes are currently listed for sale in Nashville compared to 8274 last year, an inventory reduction of 21% the median price of Nashville homes sold was $331,448 compared to $319,990 the previous June an increase of 3.5% the absorp... 07/14/2020

@ 3:30 this morning . . .The dogs and I heard a tree breaking in the woods above the house, but there was no “THUD” of tree hitting the ground – A little unsettling. This is one of those “waiting for the other shoe drop” scenarios . . . and a feeling that we all are experiencing day in and day out as we navigate these “remarkably unusual” times. How are you coping with all of this uncertainty? When will that tree fall . . . in what direction . . . and is the house in danger? My Facebook feed is very full of emotions as waves and tides shift unpredictably. We could go the way of obsessing and worrying and allowing all of this to consume our very being . . . or we could decide to adapt and focus on anything and everything that shows up in the realm of creative solutions. I choose to pay j... 07/14/2020

What’s your track record for efficiency when you tackle a project? How much thought and preparation do you invest, so as to be able to maximize your resources of Time, Energy, Money, and materials? Do you “Re-create the wheel” with every “Do-It-Yourself” adventure? How many times do you have to return to Lowes for unanticipated missing tools and/or parts? Below is decent method from conception to completion with satisfying efficiency. You can apply this method for ANY project large or small – Even building a skyscraper! Here’s the bad news – It’s gonna require commitment and discipline . . . no “winging it”. “They” say that installing LVP is easy. LVP is Luxury Vinyl Plank Waterproof flooring, and “They” are being truthful as long as you: are able to find a source for materials with a g... 07/09/2020

As we tumble through life . . .we make myriad decisions every minute of every day. Will it be THIS or THAT or neither? It sounds like a good idea, but is now the right time for this? If I/we decide to do it, what are the potential repercussions (positive, neutral, or negative) Are the “right people” here with us? What about FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) . . . If we do this, what is the “opportunity cost”? . . . What are we choosing NOT to do with this time, energy, and money? Are we being intentional, or haphazardly “going with the flow”? Are we asking questions (of self and others) . . . tough questions like: “What can go wrong?” and “What if we FAIL?” Seth Godin’s post this morning speaks to this:   The Magic of the Countdown “Thea von Harbou invented the countdown. 10, 9, 8… It works. I... 07/08/2020

Today, I am especially proud of my Home Town Nashville, TN Truthfully, I was expecting mayhem following the Scheduled “Teen Peaceful Protest” to begin @ June 4, 2020 @ 4 PM at the Bicentennial Capital Mall and to serpentine through the city with an 8:40 moment of silence at the National Museum of African American Music to Honor George Floyd and other black victims of Police brutality. More than 10,000 people showed up. These people were Nashvillians exhibiting who we are . . . DEMANDING Equal Social Justice . . . peacefully and led by our youth. The crowd consisted of every shade of color and ethnicity and beliefs and perspectives and ages. It seems that we adults need to learn from our teens – They did this right. View the Videos at this link – ESPECIALLY the Time Lapse – AMAZINGWhile ... 06/05/2020

Realtors inherently crave human to human connection. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, I knew that isolation (quarantine) would be excruciating for our team of active Real Estate Sales Professionals. I wondered what I could do to take the edge off during this time of quiet solitude. After some contemplation, I arrived at the conclusion that any form of daily contact would be the right salve. For the past 10 weeks, I have sent everyone on our team an email early morning for them to see 1st thing, Today’s message is : “Just sayin’ . . . Y’all are doing some great stuff out there as you help Buyers and Sellers navigate their life changes.I was thankful to see Pottery Barn unscathed this morning after being wary of their decision to cover all of the glass with plywood yesterday.Meanwhile, ... 06/02/2020

Let’s resolve to turn a page starting TODAY . . .  the first day of a freshly minted month (June).This month has SO much potential in terms of creating new opportunities  from the myriad possibilities all around us.Accept all that has been happening the past several months and think about how we can co-create a better world incorporating our new ways of being useful.My mind is spinning as I think back a few days (way back in May) of the roller coaster ride we are all experiencing – Tornadoes and Derechos and disease and civil discord and destruction natural and man created . . . yet there are other amazing things happening – SpaceX happened without complication . . . I was without cell access for 48 hours, and my world didn’t stop.Yeah!The way through all of these challenges is a commit... 06/01/2020

We are ALL “in sales”! Of course, there will be people who disagree because – well – perhaps they consider themselves to be “above” the status of “sales person”. They prefer other, more prestigious titles like “Professional” or “Esquire” or “Doctor” or “Artist” . . . Regardless of title and/or qualifications, I believe EVERYONE who serves anyone at ANY level must first hone their skills through education, training, coaching, and developing or adopting models, systems, tools and leveraging all of it with scaling with the right PEOPLE. ALL us must do this to succeed such that we can serve our loyal customers, clients, patients . . . Once proficient, we each must strive to become “famous” at being “THAT PERSON” who does what you do better than anyone else in your sphere of influence. Becau... 05/28/2020

This is the philosophical “less is more” Try saying fewer words to communicate more effectively. Have you noticed that, when you struggle against the challenge of the day, things actually get WORSE? When something isn’t coming together as you think it should, practice letting go of the things you cannot control. Begin with putting yourself in “time out” and pause the game. Cease your participation – your contribution to the energy of the maelstrom (powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius) that you and all of the players of the game have created. Decide to be the heteroclite (Maverick) who refuses to fuel the energy sucking drama with your own personal version of insanity. . . and always know that this too shall pass. igbokb Published by Barry Owen Strat... 05/27/2020

Do you remember the days . . . of home Buyers and Sellers coming to agreement and, together with Lenders and Realtors, coordinate a smooth transaction with minimal “outside interference’? This is not say that everything was hunky-dory (Utopian) absent any conflict, but most of the complications were derived from disagreements between the “Parties to the contract” (The Buyers and Sellers). We had “normal” disagreements about value or property condition or closing and possession, and most of these issues could be resolved by some good old-fashioned negotiation. In those days, our batting average of getting to the closing table was pretty high. Since the Recession of 2007-8ish, I’ve noticed a shift towards over-reaching interference from actors who are not “parties to the contract and thei... 05/22/2020

Forbearance – Important Information – What IS it?There’s a LOT of misinformation about forbearance circulating through the internet, media, word of mouth, and even lenders who either are ignorant or uncaring. If you are in a position of needing forbearance – You’re unable to pay your mortgage or other debt payments – Do this INTENTIONALLY. Do the work of talking directly with the company which services your loan and FULLY understand the terms of the agreement. The most frightening thing about this is that there are many people are already “in forbearance” and don’t know. They haven’t a clue of the terms of the agreement. Yep! It’s possible that even YOU have clicked a link and inadvertently requested for your loan to go into forbearance without knowing ANY of the terms for repayment (Ca... 05/21/2020

We are all at a fork in our path! As Yogi Bera so astutely said: “When you come to a fork in the road – Take it!“ This is the first choice . . . the choice to continue FORWARD. Of course, there are 2 other options: STOP right HERE and freeze with analysis paralysis (FEAR), or go back from whence you came. Considering our current circumstances, going back to what was before is an impossibility. Come to think of it, staying where we are now isn’t possible either because our resources will soon be exhausted. WELL? Like it or not, forward it shall be . . . and you cannot take both paths. Robert Frost has something to say about this: The Road Not Taken  Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldT... 05/20/2020

Joining the flock seems to be safe in unusual environs. There’s a tendency to relegate individuality to blending into the midst of the mass of sheeple . . . hoping not to be noticed and singled out. Dare you to be different than the others? What if you’re WRONG? What will other people think? What will “they” SAY? Does it matter? My observation is that people who take the stance that “It’s none of my business what other people think of me” get talked about more than others. These folks who PROUDLY STAND OUT from the flock endure insufferable name calling – “traitors” – “Renegades” – “Rebels” – “Outliers” These are the intrepid explorers who strike out on their own to find the GOLD in the vast wild wild West. As the economy begins to spool up after this massive COVID-19 disruption, we are... 05/19/2020

Every day, the world opens a tad bigger for all of us . . . as we venture beyond the confines of our abodes. It seems that every conversation reveals more freedom, and there’s more “pep in the steps” for those who’ve just had their first post-quarantine restaurant dine in experience (I had mine last Thursday). The “experts” continue to be very skeptical about the rate at which “re-opening of the economy” and are cautioning all of us to be less eager. The fear is that we will get sloppy with our social distancing, and there’ll be a resultant flare-up of new cases of COVID-19 infections. The New York Times published an article this morning reminding us to remember the timeline of the “average” case of COVID-19. If there is to be a spike in affected people, it will not show up in the stati... 05/18/2020

Putting a Band-aid on a Compound FractureThe lead story in The New York Times “Friday Briefing” REALLY got my attention this morning. There is NOTHING partisan about this . . . It seems North American Leadership has failed us. Both political parties have mis-executed egregiously when it comes to taking care of our Labor Force. . . . and it seems that “more of the same” is in the works . . . as we all witness our politicians doing the same things expecting different results . . . Insanity personified! The next email in my queue this morning was the daily post of The National Real Estate Post National Real Estate PostOUCH! The words coming from the National Association of Realtors are many . . . All hat . . . no cattle! Obfuscation run amok as Frank and Brian so eloquently point out that ... 05/15/2020

I tuned in to the “Blaze” presentation yesterday . . . and was very impressed by a young lady (Emily Peckham) who graduated from college in 2018 – Got her real estate license – joined Keller Williams – Then proceeded to close 32 transactions in 2019 and is on track to close 62 in 2020 . . . I think she will exceed her goal. Her focus was on FSBO’s . . . 30 0f those 32 deals were FSBO. You might ask: “What kind of voodoo is she doing to take off as she has?” The answer is simple – She trusted the process that KW was teaching. She mastered the scripts and dialogues and called every prospect 3 times every day for 10 days – or until she made contact and scheduled an appointment – whichever came first). When she listed a property, she would then “Circle Prospect” by calling EVERYONE in the n... 05/14/2020

The secret sauce for maintaining esprit de corps . . . boils down to “Art of War Fundamentals” Consider the following tenets I learned in US Army Engineer Officer training. Mass – A synchronized, coordinated effort brings to bear a formidable force that enables smaller forces to overwhelm seemingly insurmountable odds of success Objective – directing every mission toward a clearly defined, decisive and attainable end provides focused Purpose relative to who we are and why we are here doing what we do. Security – is about KNOWLEDGE of our competitors and market conditions and trends – Local – Regional – National – Global. If we fail to be vigilant we risk being vulnerable as the market shifts over time. Everything is always moving. Surprise – is THE most efficient and effective “weapon”.... 05/13/2020