The Law of Value

Value is not what I say it is. Value is what customer says it is.

Mammoth Hunting

Killing a mammoth ensures that you have enough food for the family and that the kids will grow up strong. The problem with mammoth hunting is that you can not do it on your own. If we are going to kill a mammoth we must have help. It is important to make sure that we make friends with others that also like the taste of grilled mammoth. It probably would not do to hunt mammoth with friends that like sauteed rat or boiled greens. If we are going to risk our lives hunting food then we may as well hunt the best food. If we want to be successful then we probably should learn from the best and hang out with successful mammoth hunters. We will probably start wearing the same furs and using the same weapons as the best mammoth hunters. Next thing we should do is go on a few mammoth hunts. We may not get one every time but each time we will learn and get better. Soon, we will have a highly successful mammoth hunting team.

Setting huge goals and surrounding ourselves with others that have similar goals and are willing to help us, is huge. Stay away from those that do not have a taste for mammoth, they are likely to try to discourage you. Stay focused on how good the mammoth will taste.

My mammoth for 2009 is 100 closed real estate transactions. Anyone want to help me kill this mammoth?

Must Watch, Great interpretation

Playing For Change: Song Around the World | Stand By Me from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Dog on a nail.

A brush salesman was walking down some dirt roads in Georgia trying to sell some brushes. It was a terribly hot day and the humidity was stifling. He walked up to a house with an old man sitting on a rocking chair on the porch next to an old hound dog. He knew that he would not get a sale, so he decided to ask for a glass of cold water. The old man said, "sure sonny." The old man got up, stepped over the hound dog and opened the screen door and went inside. While the old man was inside the salesman heard the old hound dog moan. He wasn't exactly sure that the hound dog moaned until he heard him do it again. The old man came back out with the glass of water and handed it to the salesman. The salesman, being parched and hot, gulped the cold water down. He handed the glass back to the old man and said, "that sure hit the spot, thank you." He then said to the old man,"sorry, to bother you but I think there is something wrong with that dog. I heard him moan while you were inside." The old man responded, "There ain't nothing wrong with that dog. He's just laying on a nail. It hurts enough to moan about it but not enough to get up off of it."

I wonder how many nails we are laying on that we keep moaning about? I must remind myself every time I begin to complain and moan that all I have to do is get up!

Soldiers know that war makes Generals

When I was in the army, so so so long ago. I remember reading about the experiences of Viet Nam veterans and WWII veterans. I was always impressed with the stories of soldiers that would take up the mantle of leadership when their leaders were disabled or killed. Then, during a calm in the action or upon returning to their base of operations these impromptu leaders were given battlefield commissions. A commission for those of you that don't understand is different than a non-commissioned officer (private, corporal or sergeant). A commissioned officer goes through more leadership training and schooling(lieutenant, captain, major and colonel). In order to reach the highest levels of leadership in the military you must be a commissioned officer. In Tribes Seth Godin says that soldier's know that war makes Generals. My thoughts turned to our current economic situation and our real estate markets. I know that many of you have already excelled in this battle and are reaping the benefits of your battlefield commission. For the rest of us, I think it is a great metaphor to think that we are in a war and ask ourselves if we are performing like leaders. Would we, looking back on our mindset and action over the past year, deserve a battlefield commission? Honestly, I have performed less than admirably by allowing negative thoughts to persist and believing them. I am going back into battle with an new mindset. HUWA!

West Valley Testimonial

Hello Rolando. I hope all is well with you and your family.

I told you I would send you a testimonial (many moons ago) and I wanted to follow up on that. Here it is:

I was having trouble selling my home with another realtor after the mortgage industry started to collapse. My previous realtor recommended an inflated asking price that got me really excited, and then my home sat on the market for 6 months with little activity. As the mortgage industry collapsed, the number of qualified buyers was decreasing as were home values. I researched active realtors in my area and ones who really understands different parts of town who also had a lot of experience. After speaking to several realtors, I chose Rolando Gill. I asked him to give me an honest asking price that would sell my home within 90 days. He gave me the price, showed me comparables in the neighborhood and how it stacked up. He also recommended different financing options to consider and what direction the buyers market was going. This was one of many signs that he understood the market in order to best position his sellers. He also recommended that we change some of the interior paint colors to more neutral ones that would appeal to more buyers. He even put me in touch with a quality painter and even followed up to make sure they did a good job. Rolando went the extra mile again to provide names of lawn service companies that could maintain my lawn. He helped me yet again with repairs after the inspection. Rolando is a hard worker, and always goes the extra mile. Well, let me tell you that his knowledge and experience paid off. I had several offers and closed it within 90 days, even with the difficult market conditions. Many thanks to Rolando and his team for making my selling experience as enjoyable and as stress-free as possible. I would highly recommend Rolando Gill to my family and friends, and to you.



Tim

Juan Carlos