Gum drops and Rainbows

So, I am sure you are like everyone else and are tired of the media talking 24/7 about the failing economy. It doesn't take the media to let you know that we as an industry are in dire straights right now. All you have to do is drive up and down any main street in any town and see the For Lease signs up everywhere or national chains, rolling up the carpet and tossing in the towel. Every 3rd house is for sale right now that I pass. I have worked in this industry for 13 years. long before credit scores were the tool of trade today ( that is another day's topic ) and have not seen the skies quite this cloudy and having come from the mid west, the skies look like there is a storm a brewing...

Now, you can take shelter and make sure the storm doesn' get you and be all safe and sound in your warm cozy home or you can get out there, work in the midst of the storm and ride it out. By doing so, others will come out and join you once they see you haven't melted or been struck down by lightening. Activity breeds activity. You can either choose to be a victim and be paralyzed by the media and the minute to minute blows you are hearing from every source or you can choose to just simply put on a your head set, tune out the negativity and go to work.

You will not be able to survive this storm by sitting in a warm secure place, you have to venture out and push forward. As a small business owner of another company that is in the financial lending side of this business, I have seen over 60% of my competitors roll up the carpet and call it a day. Toss in the towel, get a job waiting tables, selling suits etc. I have looked some days at my employees that show up day after day when sometimes there isn't work for them to do, but they and I know that it may not be gum drops and rainbows in our market right now, but the alternative of calling it quits and sitting at home glued to the TV isn't going to put food on our tables, close the loans for their clients or build trusting relationships within their real estate community.

As an employer in an industry that is now considered damaged goods, it would be easy for us to just walk and do something else, but who would really benefit from the that other than the media that has so willingly used this industry as the scape goat for the fall of the global economy. No one and we would be quitters and I don't know about you, but I don't quit nor do I give up. We are all here for a reason, to work, make an honest living, take care of our clients, build long lasting relationships with our peers and feel good about what we accomplished that day before we go to sleep.

There is enough business out there for all of us, we should not bail on our industry, any part of it. Instead we need to work together to make a united team and navigate through this storm. By doing so we will be rewarded with a great Spring where we will start to see improvement in Housing. I can hold my head up high when I say I work in the Real Estate Industry and the Financial Industry.

Robin Weirich CBW

e-PropertyLinks.com

( Also owner of Island Financial Group, Inc., a National Commercial & Residential Loan Brokerage Firm established in 1998 )