Realtors Must Stop “Playing Dumb” on School Quality

Ask the average guy on the street about the quality of schools in the District of Columbia, and he’ll tell you that it’s not too good.

Ask the President of the United States about whether the quality of D.C. schools is comparable to those of certain private schools and (on the Today Show and reported in the Washington Post) he’ll say:

“I’ll be blunt with you: The answer is no, right now,” Obama said. D.C. public schools “are struggling,” he said, but they “have made some important strides over the last several years to move in the direction of reform. There are some terrific individual schools in the D.C. system.”

Ask a Realtor about public schools in D.C. or elsewhere, and you’ll hear: “Well, umm. I really can’t say. I’m not permitted to say. So I really can’t help you. Sorry. But I encourage you to check online. And talk to some parents of kids who go to the school. Try calling the PTA. Or talk to the school principal.”

What?!?!?!

I acknowledge that a school that’s great for some kids may be terrible for others. I’ve written about that before from personal experience. My son attended an elementary school with a great reputation. But it was absolutely a horrible experience for him. And I’m not picking on D.C. schools. There are plenty of other examples, good and bad, out there. So it’s true that you can’t accurately sum up an entire school with a grade of “A” or “F.”

Still, there’s a growing focus on the quality of education in the United States, and how it compares to that in other countries. There’s the movie Waiting for Superman, which is attracting a huge amount of interest and focusing laster-like attention on our educational system.

Ignoring realities doesn’t help buyers. Refusing to share expertise and perspective on quality of school doesn’t help buyers. From the Preamble to the Realtor Code of Ethics:

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. . . .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. Such interests impose obligations beyond those of ordinary commerce. They impose grave social responsibility and a patriotic duty to which REALTORS^® should dedicate themselves.

Are these goals–creation of adequate housing, development of productive industries, preservation of a healthful environment–possible if, in our professional roles, we deliberately ignore educational successes and failures? If we ignore reality? If we deliberately withhold information from clients and customers?

I think not.

Stop Those Foreclosures Now!

Stop those foreclosures now!

The Washington Post reported on September 22 that Ally Financial and some other large mortgage lenders did not follow proper procedures when processing foreclosures. An excerpt:

Some of the nation’s largest mortgage companies used a single document processor who said he signed off on foreclosures without having read the paperwork – an admission that may open the door for homeowners across the country to challenge foreclosure proceedings.

The legal predicament compelled Ally Financial, the nation’s fourth-largest home lender, to halt evictions of homeowners in 23 states this week. Now it appears hundreds of other companies, including mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, may also be affected because they use Ally to service their loans.

As head of Ally’s foreclosure document processing team, 41-year-old Jeffrey Stephan was required to review cases to make sure the proceedings were legally justified and the information was accurate. He was also required to sign the documents in the presence of a notary.

In a sworn deposition, he testified that he did neither.

The reason may be the sheer volume of the documents he had to hand-sign: 10,000 a month. Stephan had been at that job for five years.

Wow. 10,000 a month for five years. You do the math.

Let me say that I have precious little sympathy for homeowners who lied about their incomes in order to obtain loans. Or buyers who bought, knowing there was no way they could afford the homes, but figured they could sell for a nice profit. Or for others who gamed the system. Or for others who are now walking away from homes that they’re fully capable of making payments on, just because the home’s lost value. If there was mortgage fraud, then prosecute them to the full extent of the law. (I do have sympathy who, through job loss, illness, or other tragedy beyond their control lost their homes.) Hopefully, I’m making myself clear.

But it looks like Ally may not have been playing by the rules, either. If that’s the case, then let’s go after them to the full extent of the law. And if that means stopping hundreds of thousands of foreclosures, then so be it. And if that means going after them for already completed foreclosures that can’t be undone, let’s do that, too.

Here’s a passage I love from Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons about Sir Thomas Moore:

ROPER So now you’d give the Devil benefit of law!

MORE Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?

ROPER I’d cut down every law in England to do that!

MORE (Roused and excited) Oh? (Advances on ROPER) And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you-where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? (He leaves him) This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast-man’s laws, not God’s-and if you cut them down-and you’re just the man to do it-d’you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? (Quietly) Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake.

It may be distasteful. It may be messy. It may stick in your craw. But if Ally failed to comply with the law or applicable regulations, then it must be held accountable.

6 Tips To Help Your Business From “Talk Like A Pirate Day” (September 19)

Talk Like A Pirate Day: Sept. 19

It’s almost here–the annual “Talk Like a Pirate Day.” Mark your calendars for September 19. But it’s not just a day for having fun (see below), but even for picking up a few useful tips.

OK. So what is “Talk Like a Pirate Day“? From Wikipedia:

International Talk Like a Pirate Day (ITLAPD) is a parodic holiday created in 1996 by John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy), of Albany, Oregon, U.S., who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate. For example, an observer of this holiday would greet friends not with “Hello,” but with “Ahoy, matey!” The holiday, and its observance, springs from a romanticized view of the Golden Age of Piracy. The holiday is a major observance in the religion of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

The official site, with lots of links, is at http://www.talklikeapirate.com/ You can see how people celebrated in the past–parties, get-togethers, and more. And I particularly like the sites that will translate text–or even full web sites–to “pirate speak.” See this one: Translate-Pirate.com To see what the White House web site looks like as spoken by a pirate, click here. (No, no one is accusing President Obama of being a secret pirate!)

Enough fun and games. Well, maybe not. But, still, is there anything to be learned from Talk Like a Pirate Day? Absolutely. Things that you can use to help get more clients and more business. (Some of these were written with Realtors in mind, but they’re all applicable to anyone wanting to improve their business.) And a few other tips, besides.

Keep the Calendar in Mind: Why is September 19 Talk Like a Pirate Day? The day was actually triggered when one of the co-founders injured himself on June 6, 1995, and yelled “Aaarrr.” When they decided to “spread the word,” they recognized that June 6 was D-Day. Out of respect, they chose another date. So: Look at the calendar. And in addition to the observances you’re aware of, be sensitive to observances of other religions and other cultures before scheduling an event. If you’re doing a mailing, you may want to time it so you’re not competing with lots of other mail.

Make it Easy to Remember: So, why September 19, and not the 18th or the 20th? It turns out that September 19 was the birthday of an ex-wife of one of the founders. That was easy for him to remember. The same lesson applies here, from the way you brand yourself to the name of your web site. In this case, the point is to make it easy for customers and clients to remember you . . . and how to contact you.

Learn How to Publicize Your Activities. How did Talk Like a Pirate Day catch on? The event’s founders sent a letter to humorist Dave Barry in 2002. Barry liked the idea and promoted it. The rest, as they say, is history. The take-away message here is that the media can help you. Just identify the right–the most appropriate–outlets and get the word out. If what you’re saying or publicizing has value, you may well receive beneficial coverage.

Do Good Deeds. Set up activities that benefit charities. Talk Like a Pirate has a section on its web site for such activities. It even has a nicely-done 8-step planning process. It says:

As everyone* knows by now, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is mostly about (wait for it) talking like a pirate.

But almost since the beginning, some fine folks have used the day as an excuse to raise money for good causes.

The Marie Curie Cancer Care team in the UK was first out o’ the gate, urging folks to organize piratical fund-raisers to support their efforts to provide research and end-of-life care for cancer patients. Others have joined in over th’ years to use ITLAPD as a way to raise money for everything from feedin’ the hungry to sponsoring local children’s programs.

This year, the Pirate Guys are urgin’ their fans around the world to use their Talk Like A Pirate Day parties to pass the pirate hat for a worthy cause, be it social, humanitarian, cultural or political.

Which cause? That’s up t’you. There be no end o’ good causes that could use an infusion o’ doubloons. Read on down for some ideas.

Cap’n Slappy has a soft spot in his black heart for Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontieres, the international medical humanitarian organization that brings medical care to people all over the world in times of crisis. They even offer tips for making your fund-raiser a success – and an easy way for you to collect donations on line! Tell’em Cap’n Slappy sent you!

Give Something Away. Talk Like a Pirate has some downloadable ring-tones. (Who could resist “It’s still ringin’ ye scurvy dog!”)? Sure, you can do ring-tones. But offer on your web site free reports, or free information. Give consumers a reason to come to you, remember you, and do business with you.

Have Fun. I think that point’s already been made.

So, make plans for Talk Like a Pirate Day. But take away some tips that can help you on the other 364 days of the year as well.

Why Donald Trump Is No Investor

Donald Trump’s no investor. He may well be a smart businessman. He’s a great self-promoter. You may or may not like him as a reality TV host. He’s got a lot going for him. Granted: Lots of skill. Lots of knowledge. Lots of talent. Great name recognition. Lots of money.

But Donald Trump’s no investor.

I heard him interviewed on MSNBC’s Morning Joe today. He debated and defended his offer to buy the plot of land near Ground Zero on which a proposed mosque would be built.

If you haven’t heard the latest developments: The investor who now owns the land bought it less than a year ago for $4.8 million. Donald Trump made an offer to purchase the land for the original purchase price plus 25%–which works out to $6 million, though Trump said it was closer to $6.2 million.  Trump said he was making the offer ”as a resident of New York and a citizen of the United States, not because I think the location is a spectacular one (because it is not), but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, only to get worse.”  The investor made a counter-offer, saying that he wanted $25 million for it.

Trump said on Morning Joe that he wouldn’t pay $25 million because: (1) he wasn’t going to be bludgeoned into paying such a high amount, especially in the name of religion, and (2) because he didn’t want the current owner to be able to say afterwards that Trump was stupid for paying so much.

• There was discussion on whether Trump was making the offer just to gain publicity. He denied it.
• There was discussion about whether moving the mosque another 5 or so blocks would defuse the situation. Trump thought it would–that it would make a psychological difference.
• Trump was asked whether he’d (like the current owner/investor hope to) had ever made 5 times the amount of his investment on a deal. Trump said he had.
• Trump was asked whether he’d be willing to pay $25 million, with $6 million going to the investor and the rest to charity. He said he would.

Those are all interesting and valid points of discussion.

But Trump’s no investor.

At no point was Trump asked–or did he give his own estimate of–what the land was actually worth. How much is it worth? An investor would put that question at the top of his list. If, hypothetically, the land is worth $40 million, then Trump the investor should have no problem paying $25 million. He’d pick up an instant $15 million in equity. On the other hand, if it’s worth only $20 million, then it’s overpriced at $25 million. Just say so.

I’ve known plenty of investors who’ve put a property under contract for just a few dollars–$10 or $100 in many cases–then sold that contract for $5,000-$25,000. The person who’s bought the contract–often a rehabber–doesn’t complain about the profit the initial investor is making. The person who buys the contract is concerned with whether it’s a profitable deal for him.

I’ve known other investors who’ve bought properties for $175,000 and sold them to other investors for $250,000. Is the second investor “stupid”–to use Trump’s language? No way, if the property is really worth $450,000.

The entire mosque situation is complex and highly inflammatory. There are many competing arguments about how it might be resolved. And there are perfectly valid reasons why Trump might not want to pay $25 million for the land. But to reject a higher counter-offer not on the basis of value but on the basis of emotion (he doesn’t want the other investor to call him “stupid” or to be “bludgeoned into the deal”) suggests that–for all his many strengths–Trump is no investor.

I Belong to the “Mister Ed” School of Blogging

What’s your attitude toward blogging?

I was reading someone’s blog recently on another site, and she explained that she’d begun blogging because of peer pressure. She was a Realtor. Other Realtors were doing it, and she knew it was important. So she posted a blog. Now, it didn’t say anything–but it was her first blog, so congratulations were in order.

However, going forward, what will be her motivation–and your motivation–to blog?

George Mallory–an English mountaineer who led three expeditions to climb Mount Everest in the 1920s and who died in a 1924 attempt–is famous for allegedly responding to the question: “Why do you climb Mount Everest?” with “Because it’s there.”

Do you blog “because it’s there”? There’s nothing wrong with emulating George Mallory, though try not to end up the same way he did! But, for blogging, is it enough that “it’s there”?

I myself belong to the “Mister Ed” school of blogging. You remember Mister Ed, don’t you? Well, you might if you’re old enough, or enjoy reruns. The TV show ran from 1961 to 1966. It was about a talking horse–Mister Ed–but Ed would only talk to his owner Wilbur (or as Mister Ed would say Wil–burrrrrrr) and to others but only on the phone.

Part of the show’s theme song went:

People yakkity yak a streak
And waste your time of day
But Mister Ed will never speak
Unless he has something to say

For me–whether I’m blogging or whether I’m reading someone else’s blog–that’s the key. Do I (does he, does she) have something to say?

What do you say?