C Lloyd McKenzie, MBA, e-PRO, CDPE

Today, November 16, 2009, Golden Corral hosted Military Appreciation Dinner. It opened its doors to all who have served in the military. As a military retiree myself, I took the opportunity to visit the Golden Corral Buffet and Grill on Central Avenue in Albuquerque, NM. And what a surprise they had in store for us. First of all, we were greeted by volunteers from local ROTC. Each veteran was given a tag displaying a Gold Star on top of a silver banner stating "I Served" and surrounding it was a navy blue background with simple message from Golden Corral, "We thank the men & women of the U.S. Military."

As I stood in line, I observed hundreds of veterans and their families walking in to dine. There were some in uniform, others like me, who looked like ordinary americans, then there were the disabled, who were bussed in. Everyone was welcomed with opened arms.

As we approached the dining area, we were greeted by a cashier then we were seated. The aroma was magnificient! I knew then, that I had to have a steak. Golden Corral grills some of the best steaks in Albuquerque. I was impressed. It was grilled to taste. For me, there are few cuisines that can top a well done steak with baked sweet potatoes. I was satisfied! Thanks to Golden Corral, it was their way of saying thank you.

As I made my way around the restaurant, I chatted with quite a few of the patrons. There was Michael from the National Guard, Eva and her family, Navy veteran, John, an Active Duty Air Force Staff Sergeant, they all had the same thing to say, Golden Corral made them feel special today.

Today, Golden Corral gets an A+ for a genuine display of gratitude. There were no half measures. They went all out. On behalf of all who have served. Thank you to Golden Corral

It is the envy of New Mexico; the pride of Albuquerque; an institution where many families have had to relocate, in order to allow their children to attend. Albuquerque Academy is a private independent school, with an endowment matched only by some of the top institutions of higher learning across this country.

It has a very rigorous academic program, unmatched in the state of New Mexico. It is the most competitive of all schools in the state, not only in academics, but also in sports and extra-curricular activities. It has received national recognition in many areas.

For all families relocating to New Mexico, I would definitely urge them to take a look at Albuquerque Academy, if they have school-age children. Besides the aforementioned, they have the most generous financial aid program. For more information, visit www.aa.edu

Last evening, the eve of Veterans’ Day 2009, the Leadership of Kirtland Air Force Base conducted a Commander’s Call during which two chapters of the New Mexico Blue Star Mothers, Rio Grande Valley and Rio Rancho Chapters were recognized for the support they have given to the men and women of “Team Kirtland.” Blue Star Mothers is an organization with roots dated back to WWII, where the mothers of deployed service members volunteer their time and efforts to help from the home front. Since 9-11, they have been a visible presence all across the United States. Here in New Mexico, is no exception. They have planned rallies, fundraisers, care package drives and homecoming, just to highlight a few of the things they do. Their most visible event is usually Homecoming, where they are always in force to welcome the returning members, whether it was it was a lone service member or an entire squadron. Their impact has been far reaching. As the base commander echoed in his remarks, “No words can fully express our gratitude to you.” Blue Star Mothers, has done good by our warriors. The things they do for our service members are very much appreciated. We are thankful for them

If you are not familiar with the Blue Star Mothers, I urge you to contact a chapter nearest you. They are definitely for a worthy cause.

Here is the contact information for all the New Mexico Chapters:

Farmington / Four Corners - Chapter 1

President - Rita Gibson

Contact: 505-325-3834

Albuquerque / Rio Grande Valley - Chapter 2

President- Nina Steffen

Contact: 505-325-6724

In Case of Emergency Please Contact:

Nina Steffen - 505 856 2154

Del Norte Rio Arriba Chapter 3

President - Karen Casias

505-588-7121

Rio Rancho, Chapter 5

President—Julie M. Roberts 505-453-8931

Blue Star Mothers of Valencia County Chapter 6

President - Jean E Casey

505-217-1806

Santa Fe Blue Star Mothers of America Chapter 7

President - Frances Garcia

505-471-0408

Today the world witnessed tragedy on one of our nation's finest military installation. Fort Hood, located in Killeen, Texas was the site of carnage. A lone gunman killed 13 and wounded 31. If not for the brave and quick reaction of the base security personnel, the death toll would have been worse.

I am especially saddened by this event because of 13 falllen heroes. How many more will have to die? My heart aches at the loss of our brave warriors. They give so much of themselves. They even make the ultimate sacrifice.

Please keep the injured, the families, and the entire Fort Hood community in your thoughts and prayers. They need our support. Let's pledge to always remember the sacrifice they make each and every day.

Fort Hood stands on the frontlines of all war efforts. There, young men are trained to become brave warriors. Warriors who put their lives on the line to protect the very freedom that we take for granted each day.

This subject might not appeal to many real estate practitioners because none of us like regulations. However, with the barrage of misleading information out there, I wonder if our lawmakers are paying attention. After all, it was only in the recent past that we almost experience financial collapse. Were there co-conspirators from the real estate industry? Will we be on the radar screen in the foreseeable future?

As a consequence of the aforementioned crisis, the current administration is taking measures to reform the way business is done in the financial industry. Yes, they are re-writing the rules of the game. Considering the fact that we are intricately related to the financial industry, why would they not look at us? One only has to take a look at the latest foreclosure statistics to see that there are some serious problems that need to be addressed.

Besides that however, there are some very reputable Realtors who are addressing problems that exist in the real estate industry. Below, I have cited two very prolific bloggers, Lenn Harley of Rockville, Maryland and Ruthmarie Hicks from White Plains, New York. I have provided an excerpt from their blogs.

Lenn Harley, Real Estate Broker, Rockville, MD in her blog entitled, "LOOKING AT REAL ESTATE TEAMS AND TEAM SPECIALISTS," addressed the following questions: DO REAL ESTATE "TEAMS" EXHIBIT EXPERTISE. The concept of "teams" in real estate practices is popular and often compared to medical "groups". I see little to no resemblance and, in fact, assigning a title of specialty such as "Buyers Agent" to a member of a team is often misleading to the consumer."

Ruthmarie Hicks, Associate Broker, White Plains, NY in her blog entitled "This Brokerage Has 750 Listings.....So they must be the best! (Part 1)"

Here are some of the issues she brought up, "Does size really matter? Does the number of listings or the size of the brokerage have anything to do with the ability of the agent to market and sell a home successfully? Is it the brokerage or the agent that is the determining factor? What Does the Brokerage Bring to the Table?"

What is your opinion?