December 2, 2018

By Rey Post, Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty & Host of the “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

Each week this December, I will offer some thoughts on what we might see in our local and national real estate markets in 2019. This week, let’s take a look at what Realtor.com is projecting for the market in the New Year.

The respected online real estate website suggests that we should look at rising mortgage rates to play an even greater part in affordability, slowing the market for sellers and impacting buyers. The website further offers that home prices are still expected to rise, though at a much slower rate than we’ve become accustomed to. Realtor.com forecasts home prices to increase by 2.2% nationally.

These are national trends that do not necessarily portend for what will specifically happen in your local real estate market. For instance, in the Santa Fe real estate market, Sotheby’s International Realty (SIR) is anticipating more than $850 million dollars in sales activity in 2018, with an anticipation that the New Year will continue to bring solid home buyer and seller activity.

SIR’s roster of home buyers in 2018 have come from over 136 cities around the United States, representing buyers from 35 states, as well as from and 5 foreign nations.

Part of the reason that the brokerage where I hang my real estate license has seen such robust buyer activity in 2018 is that Santa Fe and our northern New Mexico region offers options that are not available in other parts of the nation. From reasonable home and land prices, to the culture, weather and attractions of this part of the southwest of our country—these have made our real estate market such a desirable destination. We anticipate that for these and other reasons, 2019 will offer home buyers and sellers some special opportunities in the Santa Fe region.

So, Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation for this first week of December 2018, is for any home buyer, or seller in our region to take the time to identify the best real estate professional to partner with on what is most likely the most expensive purchase, or sale you will probably have in your life. The home buying and selling process is complicated and requires the attention of numerous professionals. It is in your best interest to start the process with someone who has the experience, knowledge and creativity to represent you in the transaction.

For more real estate information, always check out our blog at ATREradio.com/blog and also join us for the “All Things Real Estate” radio show, which airs each Sunday 12-2pm (Mountain Time) and can be heard at the “Listen Now” link at ATREradio.com.

November 25, 2018

By Rey Post, Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty & Host of the “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

I have seen a number of publications which have offered some useful thoughts on the meaning of Thanksgiving. One that caught my attention suggests that the holiday has undergone numerous transitions, including an expression of gratitude for survival, a recognition of a flourishing community, and the   collection of our nation’s traditions and values.

Over the centuries, families added their customs to the Thanksgiving celebration, preserving that which they held most precious:

• To gather in unity – It is refreshing and invigorating when people come together, in celebration of a common purpose. It is a reconciliation of differences as well as a time of healing. In sharing our victories as well as our struggles, we find strength and hope.
• To teach the young – In stories retold, each generation brings purpose and significance to the richness of their heritage.
• To prepare the heart – In gratitude, we humbly reflect upon all the gifts (family, friends, health) that saturate our lives. By “giving-thanks” we choose to extend ourselves and give to others less fortunate. Out of the abundance of our hearts, we are able to offer our resources to help others.

So, Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation for this week, is simply to remind all of us that the meaning of Thanksgiving is perhaps more than just feasting, four-day weekends, football games, floats, or a forerunner to Christmas and other end-of-the-year festivities.

For more real estate information, always check out our blog at ATREradio.com/blog and also join us for the “All Things Real Estate” radio show, which airs each Sunday 12-2pm (Mountain Time) and can be heard at the “Listen Now” link at ATREradio.com.

November 11, 2018

By Rey Post, Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty & Host of the “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

RisMedia offered some useful information in an article in 2016 as to why veterans serve as a valuable constituency in home buying. The premise of the article is just as applicable today.

As we mark Veterans Day during this Sunday’s All Things Real Estate radio show, we decided that “Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation” for this week encourages you to spend a few minutes to review this article. It gives both real estate professionals and the general public, a greater understanding of the importance veterans play in fulfilling the ‘American Dream’ of home ownership:

https://rismedia.com/2017/11/16/veterans-most-lucrative-real-estate-market-america/

For more real estate information, always check out our blog at ATREradio.com/blog and also join us for the “All Things Real Estate” radio show, which airs each Sunday 12-2pm (Mountain Time) and can be heard at the “Listen Now” link at ATREradio.com.

By Rey Post
Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty &
Host of the “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

 October 7, 2018

In an article published in the Atlantic, a question was asked that has great bearing on us, as we approach the mid-term elections on November 6.

Specifically, the author asked: “Which constitutional right is the most important? You might answer “freedom of speech” or “free exercise” of religion. Some think it’s “the right to keep and bear arms.” Criminal lawyers think of the guarantee against “unreasonable searches and seizures,” trial lawyers of jury trial in civil cases.

But which right appears most often in the Constitution’s text? It’s “the right to vote.”

In New Mexico—as it is elsewhere—registering to vote is relatively easy and actually voting can be done via early voting, absentee ballot voting; or actually casting a ballot the “old fashioned” way—go to you designated voting place on Tuesday, November 6. For information on how you can participate in this year’s important election, go to your state’s Secretary of State office website for information. In New Mexico the link is:

http://www.sos.state.nm.us/Voter_Information/voter-information-portal.aspx

In another article penned exactly two years ago by meditation teacher and author, Sharon Salzberg, I found that her description about the circumstances surrounding the 2016 Presidential election, was ironically similar to the state we find ourselves in today.

Her observations are worth reviewing to remind us of not only the value of voting, but also the right and privilege this unique feature of our democracy offers to all of us:

“This election cycle has struck many of us as particularly intense—from public interactions between the candidates and their party officials, to the mutual attacks by voters on each other that can be found all over social media.

Voter-behavior seems to also be topic that the media has been covering with more focus these days. And while much of it’s noise, the stories that have resonated most with me have been those about people who aren’t planning on voting. This is a cause I care a lot about, in a very deep way.

I try my best to make a distinction between the feelings of anger and anxiety that can easily come up during election season, and the act of self-affirmation that is voting itself. As a meditation teacher, I not only feel compelled to vote, but to emphasize the imperative to vote.

It may seem strange to relate spirituality and voting, especially in a country where religion becomes the source of policy-related conflict during political debates. But the faith that I think about in the context of voting is completely non-partisan. It’s about recognizing voting as an immense form of freedom we’re given; we have the choice to participate in the outcome of our lives, the lives of others, and the country as a whole. Each of our influences on any outcome may be incremental, but it exists, and is a critical component of change. In that way, each one of our choices to step up and take action has immense impact—on each other, and on our world’s future.

Many years ago, during an election cycle, an acquaintance said to me, “The differences between candidates tend to feel so marginal.” I can’t even quite remember who she was talking about. But regardless of specifics, I think it’s critical to recognize even the smallest margins of difference in the choices we make—in an election, or any time. In this case, one candidate’s views on education may not be a high-stakes issue for you, but they may greatly affect another person (likely millions of people). All of us, millions of us, are greatly affecting each other each day. By voting, we honor that connection.

I’m told that in Australia, all citizens are registered to vote and actually pay a fine if they don’t vote. I like this model, though given the choice we have here, we actually have an invitation to pay attention to voting as a privilege, rather than a chore.

Voting is a privilege. It’s how we can show commitment to ourselves, to each other, to this country and to this world.”

So “Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation”—for the weeks leading up to the November election—is to remember this constitutionally granted right that each of us as registered voters possess, is to be treated as a great honor we as residents of this nation. Please take the time to cast your own ballot on November 6.

I also want to remind you that a place for you to learn about home buying and selling elements, is to join us each Sunday on the “All Things Real Estate” radio show at 12-2pm Mountain Time.

Also, if you go to my website, you can send me your own real estate questions, or suggestions for topics that he will handle on the program (that’s ATREradio.com). I will treat your questions confidentially and will send you answers I hope will help you in your own real estate activities.

By Rey Post
Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty &
Host of the “All Things Real Estate” Radio Show

September 23, 2018

During the first hour of today’s “All Things Real Estate” radio show, my guests and I marked a special anniversary and how it applies to the practice of real estate.  

The show marked the 134th anniversary of when American statistical engineer Herman Hollerith patents his mechanical tabulating machine on September 23, 1884. This event has been named the beginning of data processing, with Hollerith being called the father of information processing. The company he formed was later the entity that actually started the International Business Machine Company (IBM).

This historic occasion is important because information processing—the acquisition, recording, organization, retrieval, display, and dissemination of data—is at the heart of any successful real estate, or business activity. 

An article offered this month by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), spoke to the fact that data is a powerful tool, with infinite real estate applications. First and foremost—as the article details—you, as a real estate professional, can use data to evaluate properties, prices, current inventory, and local market trends. After all, whether your clients are buying or selling, their top priority is getting the best price.

However, many other types of data also play a role in shaping your practice as a real estate professional. As a global broker, you can use data and market insights to:

• Pinpoint global opportunities in your market. Data reveals many key facts about international connecting points, each leading to residential and/or commercial property transactions.
• Market your services to a global audience. Once you understand where opportunities exist, it’s much easier to decide where and how to attract new business.
• Promote your market to the world. What’s unique about your area, and how can you use those points to appeal to international buyers?
• Help clients make property decisions. Typically, global buyers need more assistance identifying and purchasing a suitable property, compared to someone who is intimately familiar with your market.

So “Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation” this week is for real estate professionals to recognize that—as the NAR article reveals—buyers and sellers want to work with a real estate professional they trust—a quality that requires more than honesty and integrity. Trust also implies knowledge and competence. To earn your clients’ trust, a real estate pro needs to make sure that they relying on the most accurate and useful resources to help guide their decisions.

I also want to remind you that another place to learn about other home buying and selling elements, is by joining us each Sunday on the “All Things Real Estate” radio show at 12-2pm Mountain Time.

Also, if you go to my website, you can send me your own real estate questions, or suggestions for topics that he will handle on the program (that’s ATREradio.com). I will treat your questions confidentially and will send you answers I hope will help you in your own real estate activities.

September 16, 2018

During the first hour of today’s “All Things Real Estate” radio show, my guest co-host—Scott Robinson, Branch Manager of the Gateway Mortgage Group—and I marked a special anniversary and how it applies to the practice of real estate.  

September 16 marks the 236th anniversary (1782) of the first use of the Great Seal of the United States of America. The Great Seal is the official emblem and heraldic device of the United States of America, adopted by our Continental Congress to represent our nation. The Great Seal was intended to demonstrate to the world the ideas and values of our Founders and people, including love of freedom, virtue, honesty, courage, and sacrifice. 

In the spirit of this historic occasion, the theme for the first hour of the show was how real estate professionals recognize that the ideas and values represented by the Great Seal, contribute greatly to why people pursue the American Dream of home ownership. 

Scott and I discussed how the words associated with the meaning of the Great Seal of the United States aren’t just lofty terms. They in fact represent how lucky we are to have the opportunity for home ownership in our nation—a reality that others around the world can’t always, if ever, achieve.

And the Great Seal offers a fair amount of symbolism in its design that relates to the essence of our nation. Here are some “fun facts” about the seal:

• The Continental Congress began planning a seal as soon as the Declaration of Independence was signed.
• The Great Seal is a round piece of metal with designs on both the front and back. You can see both sides of the Great Seal printed on the back of a dollar bill.
• On the front of the seal is bald eagle with the shield of the United States. The shield has thirteen red and white stripes, representing the thirteen original colonies.
• The shield is unsupported, symbolizing that America stands on its own for virtue and justice. 
• A blue stripe at the top of the shield stands for Congress.
• The eagle holds an olive branch, symbolizing peace, in one talon.
• The other talon holds the arrows of war.
• The eagle holds a ribbon in its beak which contains the Latin words, “E. pluribus unum,” which means “From many, one.” (from many states, one nation)
• The back of the seal bears a pyramid with thirteen layers, representing the thirteen original colonies.
• On the bottom step of the pyramid is the Roman date MDCCLXXVI—1776. 
• The top of the pyramid is an all-seeing eye, which represents God. Above the eye are the Latin words, Annuitcoeptis, which means “God has favored our undertaking.” Below the pyramid, is inscribed, “Novus ordo seclorum,” which means, “A new order of the ages is created.”

On this historic occasion, our conversation during the radio show spoke to many of the ways that professionals across every field of real estate work tirelessly to support the interests of their clients. Achieving the American Dream of home ownership isn’t always easy, nor is it something that most of time can occur in a very short time frame. It requires a team effort, patience and an ability to anticipate and address challenges that sometimes arise unexpectedly. But achieving the goal, for most, is well worth the effort.

As I have written before, real estate is the most expensive purchase that anyone will most likely have in their life. Include the complexity of the process of either buying, or selling a home—and it’s imperative to consumers that they have real estate professionals they partner with who are knowledgeable, successful, empathetic and enthusiastic.

So “Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation” this week is so to think about the elements of the Great Seal of the United States and why they can serve as a reminder for why we in this nation are so fortunate to be able to freely buy, or sell a place we eventually call “home.”

I also want to remind you that another place to learn about other home buying and selling elements, is by joining us each Sunday on the “All Things Real Estate” radio show at 12-2pm Mountain Time.

Also, if you go to my website, you can send me your own real estate questions, or suggestions for topics that he will handle on the program (that’s ATREradio.com). I will treat your questions confidentially and will send you answers I hope will help you in your own real estate activities.

September 9, 2018

During the first hour of today’s “All Things Real Estate” radio show, my guest co-host—Stephen Etre, Owner of Stephen’s, A Consignment Gallery—our guests and I, spoke to the theme of standing united on behalf of the interests of our clients.

We marked the 242^nd anniversary of when the U.S. Continental Congress declared that the name of our newly formed nation—then seeking independence from Great Britain—would be the “United States.”

This designation, given to our country on September 9, 1776, replaced the term “United Colonies,” which was in general use at the time.

So, using this historic occasion as our theme for the show, we offered many of the ways that professionals across every field of real estate—be it as brokers; retail home business specialists; home builders; mortgage lenders; vacation home renter pros; architects; and so many other important functions of the home buying, selling and owning process—work tirelessly and in a unified fashion to support the interests of their clients.

Given that real estate is the most expensive purchase that anyone will most likely have in their life—combined with the complexity of the process of either buying, or selling a home—it is imperative that every professional who plays a role in the trade understand the value of combining forces with others who also serve consumers.

As I have stated on previous shows and in other blog articles, having a good team to work with of knowledgeable, successful, empathetic and enthusiastic professionals, is perhaps the best way to demonstrate the message of standing united for the benefit of consumers.

So “Rey’s Real Estate Recommendation” this week is so to understand that those who are there to aid you in the sale, or purchase of a home—or furnishing and maintaining it to the highest level—should be viewed as professionals you can trust, as they unite their skills and experience to your ultimate benefit.

I also want to remind you that when tackling these and other home buying elements, please join us each Sunday on the “All Things Real Estate” radio show (12-2pm Mountain Time).

Also, if you go to my website, you can send me your own real estate questions, or suggestions for topics that he will handle on the program (that’s ATREradio.com). I will treat your questions confidentially and will send you answers I hope will help you in your own real estate activities.