Kenmore, WA

After stewing over what to say about the Real Estate Market in 2009, and knowing full-well that I’m not qualified to make profound “predictions” about the marketplace, I have chosen to take my own advice and “outsource” the job to one of my favorite resources: HousingPredictor.com. I highly recommend you take a look at this informative website.

Some of the more interesting topics are the Top and Worst Picks for 2009. As you can see, the Top 25 Housing Markets are not expected to experience much appreciation in the coming year:

And if that wasn’t inspiring, please turn your attention to the Worst Market numbers:

As you can see, Seattle is not likely to avoid the overall downturn in the housing market. Many experts have been saying that we tend to trail behind national trends, which means we may be in for a long 2009. The chart below shows the major metropolitan areas in Washington State:

On a positive note: with prices so soft, there should be opportunities for buyers in 2009. If the financial and credit markets awaken from their veritable hibernation and start lending again, there will be some winners. Just remember, always seek professional advice from a real estate professional before you make an offer on a home. If you ever need help understanding the process of buying or selling a home, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 206.713.2102 or email me at jlupori@comcast.net.

Crystal Ball Courtesy of Isobel T

This evening I was reading through one of my favorite political blogs, www.truthdig.com, and I came across an interesting presentation tool used by the author to illustrate the current economic breakdown. If you click on the picture, you can see how it works. It's actually quite powerful:

So, the blogger is using a very clever, visual time line to describe the financial meltdown. He's using Capzles.

Capzles allows the blogger to create a very nice slide-show/time-line style presentation for almost any subject. I wanted to see if we "average" bloggers could utilize this technology, so I created a very basic presentation on how to set up your own Google Alert. Here's how it turned out:

The great thing about Capzles is that it provides the new user with an adequate number of design templates to make a basic presentation look good. You can even add music if you wish. Also, I really didn't need to use the tutorial. Capzles has a wizard that walks you through the process quickly and easily.

GOOGLE ALERTS

Now that you watched the capzles presentation about setting up Google Alerts, I wanted to say a few words about how important it is, as a blogger to use this tool. If you put in some key words related directly to your blog such as the name of your town or neighborhood, whenever this word is used in Google, you will receive an email. It's interesting to see who is looking at your blog. On a personal note, because I have an uncommon last name, Lupori, I've connected with some interesting people in Argentina, Italy, etc.. Generally, these alerts are generated by Facebook.

So, now you have more technology at your finger tips. I hope you incorporate them into your blogging.

If I, Mr. Freeze, the Financial Curmudgeon, had a dime for every news story in 2008 that reported on yet another failed bank, or multi-billion dollar ponzi scheme, failing car company, disappearance of the American manufacturing sector, hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, crumbling infrastructure, unbelievable corporate bailouts/bridge-loans, outsourcing, no-bid contracts or the real estate disaster......then I would be able to pay off the whole national debt three times over. By the way........

But Mr. Freeze lives in the real world. Mr. Freeze has never felt comfortable with investment banks, hedge funds, derivatives, or the regular old Stock Market. Mr. Freeze always tells people to live within their means. Keep a rainy-day fund of three to six months cash in the bank. Have just one credit card. Practice a little frugality for heaven's sake.........................

But I, grumpy Mr. Freeze know that no matter how hard I huff and puff, gripe and complain, bellow or yell, people simply won't listen. Do you know why? Because America has a disease. It's called the STUCK ON STUPID SYNDROME. We caught this disease in the late 70's and early 80's when a bunch of privileged, upper class jerks told us GREED IS GOOD as if it were some sacred mantra. The God of Greed was aided and abetted by corporate idolaters such as the heartless economist Milton Friedman who told America that "the free market will always prevail in the end." Phrases such as "a rising tide raises all boats" and "wealth will trickle down and create more wealth" were repeated over and over until people started to believe this garbage. Even George Bush Sr. called this voodoo economics!

GREED IS GOOD.......YA, RIGHT

So, here we are, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the early 20th Century and Mr. Freeze can't believe there isn't a revolution brewing out in the heartland. A year ago, if someone had told Mr. Freeze that TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WEALTH would suddenly disappear from the face of the earth, Mr. Freeze would not have believed his ears. Face it, my dear readers....(pardon my language), we are getting screwed: regular people, working people, honest people.

CRY BABY CAPITALIST - "BUT MOMMY, ALL I WANT IS AN $800 BILLION BRIDGE LOAN"

The most ironic thing of all is that the very "free market" capitalists who lived by the sword of economic Darwinism are the very cry babies that have their hands out for as much tax payer money as they can get. Mr. Freeze believes that the financial markets need re-engineering. Let's hope the new administration addresses this.

Whew, now that I, Mr. Freeze, got all that off my chest before I had a grand-mall stroke, I would really like to spend a few moments before the end of this tumultuous year and consider the following:

The next time you're listening to some moron from a conservative think-tank going on about the virtues of capitalism and free enterprise, ask yourself if you feel wealthier today than you did 1 or 2 or 5 years ago. Ask yourself if you're going to retire when you thought, or if your children are going to the nice college you had planned for. Ask yourself if privatizing Social Security would have been a great idea given the criminals in charge of the financial markets. Ask yourself why the top 1% of Americans control 90% of the wealth and why they fly in corporate jets when you can't get health care. Then do this: PROMISE YOURSELF THAT YOU'LL PAY MORE ATTENTION IN THE FUTURE AND THAT YOU WILL QUESTION ALL THE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OUR AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM. THEN CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TELL THEM YOU WANT CHANGE FOR EVERYONE. YOU WANT A BETTER LIFE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THE FEW.

My friends, in spite of what "the rich and powerful" say, we are all in this together. There is no such thing as a self-made man or woman. We are successful as a people when we work to improve the lives of everyone. Mr. Freeze hopes that 2009 brings you good health, joy and prosperity!

Mr. Freeze Pic courtesy of ElDave

BLOGGING

I began blogging in April as a means to advertise my real estate business. At that time it was simply a dollars and cents decision. I thought it would be less expensive than print advertising (which didn’t seem to be very effective anymore). What I didn’t realize was how blogging would fundamentally change my perspective about EVERYTHING! It started out as a high-tech way to convey real estate statistics and talk about the market (not too exciting). It has ended up being far more than that:

1) It has become the creative outlet I’ve always wanted: writing, interviewing, interacting, taking pictures, educating, journaling and philosophizing ALL IN ONE PLACE!!!!!

2) Blogging has made me smarter. Really!!! Just ask my wife. Strike that, just take my word for it!

3) Blogging forced me to incorporate a lot of new, useful tools and skills such as google, the “blogosphere” and social networking. We really are living in a hyper-connected world.

ITALY & ITALIAN

My wife, Virginia, and I first visited Italy in 1981 during a foreign exchange program in Kiel, Germany. My mother wanted me to visit our Italian relatives while we were in Europe as non of our immediate family had ever gone back to the “fatherland.” Needless to say, my family was wonderful. The funny thing is, it took us 25 years to return. In 2006 we went back for one month and discovered just how wonderful my families are (my mother’s family in Torino and my father’s family in Lucca). At that time we started learning Italian in earnest. We returned this last summer (August-September) for five weeks and during this visit we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Torino. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was with the woman I love, in a country of unfathomable beauty, celebrating with some of the most joyous people on earth: my Italian family. Good times! Today, Virginia and I can speak and understand enough Italian to be quasi-functional. I’m glad my family is understanding……

MY READING LIST

I’m a NON-FICTION reader these days. This is ironic because I studied Greek, Latin and Comparative Literature in college. I love all sorts of literature, but there’s nothing I like more than reading about the anthropology of this or the economics of that. Hey, I used to like Classical music but now I listen to Korn and Marilyn Manson………things change. So, here’s my reading list for 2008. If you click on the individual book pictures, you will be taken to some interesting reviews:

I read some utterly fascinating books in 2008. As you can see, I have a penchant for reading books about “how people/organizations/cultures work. I can still remember being knocked-over by the late anthropologist, Marvin Harris’ “Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches” way back when. I was hooked.

TECHNOLOGY STUFF

ALL THINGS GOOGLE - Google has become the most powerful player in the world of the Internet. If you are not already connected with several of the tools Google offers, I highly recommend you consider using the following:

GMAIL - Easy to use and universally accessible, having a email account through Google is one of those basics we all should have.

GOOGLE READER - As a blogger, I scan a huge number of publications every day. This seemingly difficult, time consuming chore is simplified by setting up a Google Reader. Click here to learn more.

GOOGLE ALERT - If you want to know if your name or other important word comes up on a google search, set up a Google Alert. I have mine set to inform me when the words Lupori and Kenmore are referenced in cyberspace. As a result, I’ve made contact with some Argentine folks who are also Luporis. As it happens, their ancestors come from a town close to my relatives in Tuscany. Wow, who would have thought…….

Google has a huge number of tools. Go there and find out for yourself. By the way, most everything in Google is FREE!

FLICKR.COM

Flickr.com is a Yahoo product that allows you to download your pictures (and video) from anywhere in the world to your own, personalized site. There you can edit, organize and store your photography. You can also see literally millions of other pictures from around the world. This is an amazing tool if you do a lot of traveling as you can safely put your pictures into Flickr.com. If you lose your camera, your pictures will be on Flickr when you get home. For $25 a year, you can download an unlimited number of pictures. It’s free to set up. How cool is that????

HOW FORTUNATE I AM

I’ve been a very fortunate man over the years. I’ll be 50 in April and, other than the gray hair (which I blame on my wife) I feel pretty good. How many guys can say they look good in an apron (a red one at that)? My greatest strength and gift in the world has been my beautiful wife, Virgina. We’ve been together almost 30 years and we’ve done a lot of wonderful things together. How she puts up with me, I’ll never know…….but I’m damn lucky to have met her.

We are living in extraordinary times. I have a sense that adversity will bring all Americans closer together and in that coming-together we will find new strength and vision. My most sincere hope is that the coming year will bring you all good health, joy and prosperity.

“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou Canst not then be false to any man. Farewell, my blessing season this in thee.”

Polonius Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 78–82

At the end of every year we all have license to get a little philosophical. 2008 is exceptional in this regard. There is a LOT to get philosophical about: war, failing economy, real estate bubble burst, starvation in Africa, car company crashes, never-ending election campaigns, and on and on. It’s simply overwhelming. If none of this has touched you personally, you’re not paying enough attention!

On a very personal level, I can’t remember a time in my life when the troubles of the world were more evident. Nor can I remember a time when I have felt more powerless to change the circumstances around me. In my professional life as a real estate agent/professional, it has been an extremely tough year. Sales are at a standstill and, simply put, there’s not much I can do about it. Yet, I cannot nor will I blame myself…………..The economics simply are not working right now. Yet, today I was truly inspired by the most unlikely of documents: The Realtor’s Code of Ethics. It’s one of those high-minded pieces of literature that only insiders read, but revisiting it made me re-focus on why I’m a real estate agent. Here’s the first paragraph of the Preamble:

Under all is the land. Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership. They require the creation of adequate housing, the building of functioning cities, the development of productive industries and farms, and the preservation of a healthful environment.

These words impressed me because they reach beyond the real estate profession. The code of ethics by which Realtors operate are also those that should guide everyone in America. You know, we are all in this together. I think Americans forget this fact. We tend to be an independent lot; however, I think this virulent frontier mentality blinds us to the needs and problems of others. My most sincere hope is that new leadership in the White house can move this nation on a new course of true stewardship and compassion.