Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing"
"You betrayed me by not being the kind of Messiah I wanted. So I will betray you." If this statement and belief attributed to the one known in the Bible, as Judas Iscariot is accurate, it demonstrates a misguided belief of a quid pro quo that would result in a chain of events leading to a death. However, a betrayal, particularly one perpetrated on someone we care about, can never be justified for any reason. This passage says that "...his selfish heart..." lead him to a presumption that unmet expectations justified his act of betrayal. Shame on him!
A betrayal by those near and dear to us causes more hurt than the perpetrator might have imagined prior to entertaining it, and if that person were to reflect on the consequences, the hurt, and the disappointment, or imagined how it might feel if instead of committing it s/he were its victim, perhaps there would be a different outcome -- perhaps. Ignoring the pain caused by such transgressions, a person bent on satisfying their selfish heart will do what they’ll do and ignore any consequences on anyone, until they face the reality of their actions – the loss of the loved one’s respect, the loss of a friendship, or a host of other unimagined consequences, including the death of a loved one!
As in this act of betrayal by Judas against his Messiah, a person whom he, and eleven other close disciples loved, shows, deception is most often unbearable, and in this instance, lead to a death. However, betrayal is far more common than we imagine, there is the marital infidelity type, the abusive elder type, the envious brother/sister type, and regardless of the acts, the results usually leave, if not broken relationships, wrecked lives or lamentable and out of control situations.
Like any person who has loved and been loved, there have been times when the relationship suffered from unmet expectations. However, if a relationship is true, regardless of the type, e.g., parent/child; husband/wife; brother/sister; boyfriend/girlfriend; employer/employee, one attempts to work on and overcome the occasional conflicts caused by unmet expectations, and does not look to avenge a perceived transgression with another transgression. Unfortunately a discovery of such a callous act usually overwhelms the senses with all the emotions that are closely tied to a sensible belief of a person’s righteousness and their evident breach of that belief – it is true shock and awe! To overcome the emotional hurt and see thing dispassionately may require distancing yourself from the issue and the culprit, but in the heat of the moment, that is difficult; one goes head-on into tackling the “why?” or the “how could you?” and we lose track of what may be necessary for us to do to overcome the problem.
It is when the "selfish heart" is in command of our faculties that we forget to put ourselves in the recipient's place to fully grasp the impact of our actions. And no one can be a judge of the other's acts (or transgressions) for this too is written: "let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." The implication here is that no one is above reproach. But certainly one thing does not justify the other. We're discussing betrayal and its collateral damage. Only the person who has been betrayed can truly appreciate all that this event signifies in their life, but I can say and you might imagine if you have not yet lived this experience, that the hurt is more than physical, it is spiritual, the emotions that careen out of control -- sorrow, disbelief, pain, sadness, anguish, despair, disappointment, disillusionment, and a bevy of others, magnifies the significance of the incident on our psyche. It is at these times when the victim must be as static and restrained as Jesus demonstrated even before Judas was to betray him.
In simpler terms, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It is in this eleven-word phrase that one can take correct action, which, if we follow in good conscience, will result in a harmonious outcome.
Once the damage is done, the victim can either waddle in their sorrow and continuously ask why, or why me, and potentially create more emotional damage to themselves, or, can decide to take matters into their own proverbial hands and move forward from the incident -- either forgiving the betrayer or coming to terms with a reality that perhaps the betrayer didn't do anything other than demonstrate that the love that may have been, was truly not. After all, if you love someone, you will consider him or her in all your actions, and hopefully take the best course of action for the benefit of everyone concerned.
Moving past the transgression requires a deep analysis of all that preceded the failing and what remains to be resolved. This can only happen if and when the persons involved own up to their respective roles in the matter.
If one is to rebuild beyond the incident, one must not resort to blame. If one is true to their part in the situation that forged the failing one may be able to correct the matter and accept that in our human experience we can and will make mistakes, but only by acknowledging the foible will we be able to truly be one for the other, and, painful as all that came before may be, if we are the one to continue to trust and love, we must chose to live by our principles, and hope and pray for the better tomorrow. The opposite will result in our praying for forgiveness, as Jesus did when nothing he said or did changed the actions of the many who condemned him unjustly… “...forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
A betrayal by those near and dear to us causes more hurt than the perpetrator might have imagined prior to entertaining it, and if that person were to reflect on the consequences, the hurt, and the disappointment, or imagined how it might feel if instead of committing it s/he were its victim, perhaps there would be a different outcome -- perhaps. Ignoring the pain caused by such transgressions, a person bent on satisfying their selfish heart will do what they’ll do and ignore any consequences on anyone, until they face the reality of their actions – the loss of the loved one’s respect, the loss of a friendship, or a host of other unimagined consequences, including the death of a loved one!
As in this act of betrayal by Judas against his Messiah, a person whom he, and eleven other close disciples loved, shows, deception is most often unbearable, and in this instance, lead to a death. However, betrayal is far more common than we imagine, there is the marital infidelity type, the abusive elder type, the envious brother/sister type, and regardless of the acts, the results usually leave, if not broken relationships, wrecked lives or lamentable and out of control situations.
Like any person who has loved and been loved, there have been times when the relationship suffered from unmet expectations. However, if a relationship is true, regardless of the type, e.g., parent/child; husband/wife; brother/sister; boyfriend/girlfriend; employer/employee, one attempts to work on and overcome the occasional conflicts caused by unmet expectations, and does not look to avenge a perceived transgression with another transgression. Unfortunately a discovery of such a callous act usually overwhelms the senses with all the emotions that are closely tied to a sensible belief of a person’s righteousness and their evident breach of that belief – it is true shock and awe! To overcome the emotional hurt and see thing dispassionately may require distancing yourself from the issue and the culprit, but in the heat of the moment, that is difficult; one goes head-on into tackling the “why?” or the “how could you?” and we lose track of what may be necessary for us to do to overcome the problem.
It is when the "selfish heart" is in command of our faculties that we forget to put ourselves in the recipient's place to fully grasp the impact of our actions. And no one can be a judge of the other's acts (or transgressions) for this too is written: "let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." The implication here is that no one is above reproach. But certainly one thing does not justify the other. We're discussing betrayal and its collateral damage. Only the person who has been betrayed can truly appreciate all that this event signifies in their life, but I can say and you might imagine if you have not yet lived this experience, that the hurt is more than physical, it is spiritual, the emotions that careen out of control -- sorrow, disbelief, pain, sadness, anguish, despair, disappointment, disillusionment, and a bevy of others, magnifies the significance of the incident on our psyche. It is at these times when the victim must be as static and restrained as Jesus demonstrated even before Judas was to betray him.
In simpler terms, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It is in this eleven-word phrase that one can take correct action, which, if we follow in good conscience, will result in a harmonious outcome.
Once the damage is done, the victim can either waddle in their sorrow and continuously ask why, or why me, and potentially create more emotional damage to themselves, or, can decide to take matters into their own proverbial hands and move forward from the incident -- either forgiving the betrayer or coming to terms with a reality that perhaps the betrayer didn't do anything other than demonstrate that the love that may have been, was truly not. After all, if you love someone, you will consider him or her in all your actions, and hopefully take the best course of action for the benefit of everyone concerned.
Moving past the transgression requires a deep analysis of all that preceded the failing and what remains to be resolved. This can only happen if and when the persons involved own up to their respective roles in the matter.
If one is to rebuild beyond the incident, one must not resort to blame. If one is true to their part in the situation that forged the failing one may be able to correct the matter and accept that in our human experience we can and will make mistakes, but only by acknowledging the foible will we be able to truly be one for the other, and, painful as all that came before may be, if we are the one to continue to trust and love, we must chose to live by our principles, and hope and pray for the better tomorrow. The opposite will result in our praying for forgiveness, as Jesus did when nothing he said or did changed the actions of the many who condemned him unjustly… “...forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
All I want to do is buy a house!
There was a time not long ago when it seemed as simple as a desire to buy a house. Sure you still had to apply for a loan, but that seemed to be a breeze, even it the person didn't have "it" all together, e.g., many lenders "bent" the rules a little here and a lot there -- remember? Well, now with all that has happened with all this mortgage mess, the foreclosures, the "underwater" homes, essential, the bursting of the proverbial housing bubble, this has done a 180 degree turn, and to buy a house nowadays you have to be ready to show the lender "the money," literally.
I have had to explain the procedures time and again to buyers who keep reminding me that this isn't the way they did it just a few years ago. The odd thing about these constant reminders is that people who bought a few years back seem to have grown used to just having the paperwork to sign, and are a bit miffed by the simple suggestion that they need to provide proof of just about everything. "Why do I have to do that?" came back a question from a reluctant buyer not long ago. Well, the rules to buy a house have gone back to the "normal" way it once was. In other words, you have to show the bank all that you say, and then, you have to be able to prove as much, e.g., where is your money for the down payment, why you have so many inquiries on your otherwise perfect (780 fico) credit report, or why your salary checks (stubs) have any discrepancy -- oh, and let's not forget that your w-2's and 1040's have to be "audited" too!
These requirements are nothing new. As a matter of fact many of these same requirements were in place before, albeit relaxed because everyone wanted to make a deal, and the deal-makers (the lenders), wanted the loans to pass certain audits to be able to package them into mortgage-backed securities that someone else (investors) would be buying/investing in. Well, that pool of investors virtually dried up, and now the only game in town is a pseudo-governmental secondary market, and this one is checking all the paperwork, and making sure the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" crossed -- literally.
So, you want to buy a house? The best thing you could do, as a buyer, is to be ready, willing and ABLE. And this means having the money in the bank -- you ought to have at a minimum a 3.5% of the purchase price for the down payment (for FHA program), plus another 3% of the same purchase price for the expected closing costs. Sure you will be able to negotiate many things, and in some cases "Homepath" sales, you might even get your closing costs paid (credited), and some bonuses if you close during some of their promotional periods. But, don't be too surprised if you have to have everything "squeaky clean" in regards to how you provide your details and the paperwork to support it.
Buying a house isn't any more complicated than it once was, it is now more rigidly reviewed, so, be prepared to give as much as the lender wants, wait as long as the lender takes, and work with all that is put on you to do. You want their money to buy; you now have to play by their new rules. The flip side is that you'll get fantastic values and the best interest rates available for mortgages. So, don't fret, just grin and bear it, oh, and put it in perspective – you’ll buy the house you can afford and enjoy for years to come!
I have had to explain the procedures time and again to buyers who keep reminding me that this isn't the way they did it just a few years ago. The odd thing about these constant reminders is that people who bought a few years back seem to have grown used to just having the paperwork to sign, and are a bit miffed by the simple suggestion that they need to provide proof of just about everything. "Why do I have to do that?" came back a question from a reluctant buyer not long ago. Well, the rules to buy a house have gone back to the "normal" way it once was. In other words, you have to show the bank all that you say, and then, you have to be able to prove as much, e.g., where is your money for the down payment, why you have so many inquiries on your otherwise perfect (780 fico) credit report, or why your salary checks (stubs) have any discrepancy -- oh, and let's not forget that your w-2's and 1040's have to be "audited" too!
These requirements are nothing new. As a matter of fact many of these same requirements were in place before, albeit relaxed because everyone wanted to make a deal, and the deal-makers (the lenders), wanted the loans to pass certain audits to be able to package them into mortgage-backed securities that someone else (investors) would be buying/investing in. Well, that pool of investors virtually dried up, and now the only game in town is a pseudo-governmental secondary market, and this one is checking all the paperwork, and making sure the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" crossed -- literally.
So, you want to buy a house? The best thing you could do, as a buyer, is to be ready, willing and ABLE. And this means having the money in the bank -- you ought to have at a minimum a 3.5% of the purchase price for the down payment (for FHA program), plus another 3% of the same purchase price for the expected closing costs. Sure you will be able to negotiate many things, and in some cases "Homepath" sales, you might even get your closing costs paid (credited), and some bonuses if you close during some of their promotional periods. But, don't be too surprised if you have to have everything "squeaky clean" in regards to how you provide your details and the paperwork to support it.
Buying a house isn't any more complicated than it once was, it is now more rigidly reviewed, so, be prepared to give as much as the lender wants, wait as long as the lender takes, and work with all that is put on you to do. You want their money to buy; you now have to play by their new rules. The flip side is that you'll get fantastic values and the best interest rates available for mortgages. So, don't fret, just grin and bear it, oh, and put it in perspective – you’ll buy the house you can afford and enjoy for years to come!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Advancing Your Brand Through Diversity
Here in San Francisco, California where Anglo (or Euro-Americans?) represent a slight minority, and the rest of the population represent the proverbial melting pot of ethnicity (the diversity that makes this area an exciting microcosm of cultures, languages, traditions and international flavors), companies embracing diversification tend to thrive, while those that don't, with the exception of bigger companies with a history, are either adapting or will disappear under the weight of the economic changes that continue to affect our industry.
For instance, those firms that have adapted typically have teams of one ethnic group or another, e.g., one office in the geographic area popular among Asians have a contingent of agents that not only speak the language but share the culture and are effective at serving that community, thus creating alternative income flows to the firm as a result. They accomplish this by specifically targeting both the public as well as the agents they need to attend to that public. Some companies embracing this mindset in the heyday of the first-time buyer, no money down frenzy established groups deliberately catering to buyers that were targeted by the language or the ethnicity, rightly or not. The idea of diversification isn’t to single out a community for questionable purposes, but rather to cater to the existing needs of the same.
As a former manager in a firm in the San Francisco bay area I witnessed how the company’s culture would spill over to the clients they attracted and served, albeit in a hap-hazardous fashion as opposed to a planned strategy. However, a company must establish a clear objective in undertaking any strategy to reach a specific niche, and what it is prepared to do to make inroads therein.
For starters, a company with such a marketing plan would do well to determine the size, customs, nature and shopping trends of the target group; not unlike the demographic studies done by any major franchise organization prior to undertaking a new location. Alas many real estate companies leave most of these sorts of investigative steps to random samplings, if done at all. A good broker/manager or company leader reviews where business is coming from and goes about creating paradigm shifts either in the recruitment or in the outreach, e.g., marketing, promotions, etc., for such endeavors.
One company where I witnessed this type of insight was a firm that catered to the Latino community in their midst by hiring predominantly Latino agent, in spite of the owner of the company being of Asian decent! Another firm that was located in a predominantly Asian community focused its marketing campaigns in that community by placing strategic billboards in the language of choice and attracting that populace to the firm. Another firm run by a middle-eastern gentleman attracted his client base through television advertising catering to “his” community through targeted ads in the language of choice.
This is a smart approach, albeit, as I pointed out earlier, hap-hazardous. A firm looking to stay viable in a changing economy needs to create an environment where such creative outreach isn’t left to whim or accident or worse, to the imagination of a well meaning agent or group of agents in the office. I recall a major franchise attempting to do something along these lines early on. They went about it in a way that seemed to be right – they even bought a magazine in the target market’s language! However, without a guiding principle, or someone who understood the niche well enough, this quickly went down a predictable path. The company shut down the magazine and all but abandoned their drive to attract the community they targeted.
This diversification isn’t solely about producing marketing pieces in the native language – something that can backfire due to poorly translated concepts if not wording. Rather it is about developing a complete strategy and creating the right venue to accomplishing this – from marketing materials to appropriate dissemination points, e.g., radio, print, fliers, to telecommunications and websites and having the right, trained personnel, including a leader, to complement that effort.
If done properly a company will reap a greater benefit from this type of diversification and keep greater control of a changing market and the niche it is creating or attracting. And it isn’t about leaving any one agent or group of agents to their own devices because this leads to losing control of the very vehicle that is being developed.
Presently there are numerous companies following this trend. However, many of them are doing so through the efforts of an agent or two, who, with some insights have stumbled upon virgin, and potentially lucrative territory. Lets face it, many non-traditional markets lack of information and leadership that is prevalent elsewhere, so it isn’t too difficult to see that one well heeled agent can capture a greater share of a given market. A company could do much more if they created the right approach with the right resources – and it isn’t about investing a great sum of money, after all, look around and see how many banks; title companies, home warranty companies, and other service providers now provide gratis many marketing materials in different languages. What it does require is someone to take the lead to create the right blend of resources, facilities and opportunities to attract the (untapped or under served) group(s) you see, through your investigations, as a viable source of your future business. Oh, and remember to bring on the right people to help you serve them properly – in their language where ever possible.
There are numerous example of how effective this strategy is throughout the country. Some companies have grown to become larger firms just following a simple approach – find a need and fill it, oh, and you don’t have to speak the language, but having the right key people who do is the way to go
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