- Realtor on Facebook

FACEBOOK

Last weekend I was briefly catching up on really important Facebook matters and saw a realtor friend’s post stating “Now is the Time to Buy!”. Curiously I clicked the link to see why it’s the time to buy a house according to this real estate agent.

Answer: because the interest rates are lower than they’ve ever been in history.

Today YahooFinance headlined: “A handful of housing data supports that the U.S. housing market may be headed for a recovery.”  Which was followed by “Mortgage rates hit fresh lows.”  “Home buying at most affordable level in decades.”

On the flip side, Tuesday I came across an article/interview stating “Why Renting Works in a Buyer’s Market” .  It’s recommend all watch this 4 min clip.  The author of this article/interviewee spoke to the benefits of renting in such an economy.

TEMPTATIONS
In short, much is being published of late regarding the housing market, the affordability of homes and whether to jump in.  Prices are down, rates are down, and certain markets seem to be heating up, or at least turning around.

There are creative down payment options to help you into a home, 3.5% down payment options, 10% down with no mortgage insurance, 0% down for Veterans loans.

Whether you’ve ever thought about purchasing a home to this point or not, the temptations are growing.

RIGHT TIME FOR YOU TO BUY?
With this all swirling about, before you get caught up in the hype, it’s important to pause and reflect about your own situation.

Whether you own or rent currently, there is one important detail that extends beyond home purchases into all other purchases you will make, a key piece of advice.

It is only the right time to buy if it is the right time for YOU to buy.

NO MATTER THE DEAL, IF YOU AREN’T READY
Whether the markets have aligned with low interest rates and lowering home prices or not, if you aren’t ready to buy, then it is NOT the time to buy.

It is only the time to buy if your current and future self are emotionally and financially ready for the purchase before you.  Only if you’ve prepared yourself mentally for the lifestyle changes ahead.

You wouldn’t run a marathon without preparing yourself for the big feat.  You would run consistently.  You would alter your diet.  For months upon months.

Why would buying the biggest purchase you’ll ever make be any different?

I don’t care if you have the deal of the century in front of you, your neighbor is selling at a huge discount, if your financials aren’t ready for the upfront and long-term commitments inherent in buying a home, then the time is not right for YOU.

I don’t care if you have a screaming opportunity on your doorstep, if you aren’t prepared for the responsibilities ahead or your employer is wavering, then the time is not right for YOU.

PLAN SO YOU DON’T JUST FIGURE IT OUT
Many of the older generations will state, “we just figured it out.”

If you can plan and prepare, you won’t have as much to “figure out”.  You won’t be leaving fate up to the gods as so many did in the middle 2000’s getting into home they couldn’t afford, using overly creative loan products because they couldn’t afford the basic 30 year fixed.

BE OKAY TO LET THE DEAL GO
Yes, it may be painful to watch the deal go.  It may leave you awake at night wondering if you just passed up the opportunity that would take you from rags to riches.

Use this fire to plan for the next go-round of opportunities.  Make a few sacrifices today, save your pennies, and dollars, and briefcases of money, so you are ready for the next neighbor to offer up a screaming deal.

A PIGGYBANK
Then remind yourself that an owner occupied (place where you will live) purchase is not and should not be looked at as an “investment”.  It should be looked at as a piggybank.  You slowly pay down the principal, accumulating equity in the place you live, while benefiting on taxes.  Houses, historically, appreciate a small percentage each year, not 10 + percent.

So odds are best in your favor when you save money, plan, budget, and prepare for a home purchase.

The odds are heavily against you when you buy because you believe you “should” because rates and home prices are low, even though you aren’t prepared.

BAD DEALS HURT THE WORST
Where we get hurt the most is when we get into a bad deal.  Bad deals are what bring us to our knees.  Bad deals are most often the result of a quick, emotional decision based upon “shoulds” and dreams of gold, rather than practical due-diligence.

Bad deals strip away our freedoms, living us imprisoned to the bank or the item we purchased.

ECON 101
Before you go running out to buy a home or hot stock or a flat screen TV because you think they are deals, stop yourself and ask yourself the key questions one learns in Econ 101:

Does my budget allow me to buy this and maintain a lifestyle important to me (and my family)?  What will I be giving up in purchasing this item?  What are the benefits?  What are my career plans?  Is my current job, in this shaky economic environment, safe?

Do I plan on starting a company?  Do I love the neighborhood I would be buying in and could see myself there for 10 to 20 years?  Could I invest this money in myself and my family’s education to ensure better income opportunities in the future?  How much more or less money will I be spending each month in comparison to renting?

Ask your friends and family that purchased homes.  What changed for them when they purchased their first home?  How did their spending change?  How did their lifestyle change?  Was it more or less expensive than they originally thought?

EYES WIDE OPEN
There are always deals to be had when you have money, are patient, and have a team ready to help you with proper due diligence.  If you don’t have all three of these going for you, think today about how can you put them in place.

Be Intentional.  Plan.  With Your Eyes Wide Open.

Then buy or rent with peace and comfort knowing your life stands to benefit.

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

** Tell your friends to join over 500 other AWESOME people in receiving their FREE copy of Be Multinational!  Have them sign up online at http://www.BeMultinational.com

“I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” 

- Cinderella’s Prince, Into the Woods performed by Santa Barbara High School

Recently, I’ve had the unique experience of volunteering at a number of celebrity events. Myself and others were asked to aid in walking celebrities down the red carpet of a few high profile events.

No, I wasn’t arm candy.

As you can imagine, my sociology radar was in high gear. My philosophical mind churned and chewed on ideas. Curiosity was on high.

THE RED CARPET

The red carpet is a maze of media outlets, from television, to print, to radio, to the blogosphere. Access Hollywood, Extra, People, LA Times, etc… While the celebrities entourage of friends and family are required to walk around the red carpet, the celebrity, their manager, and publicist need direction as to where their broad reaching and niche media outlets are located about the carpet, where the talent get their pictures taken, and when to hold back or proceed forward.

Each event is different. Each carpet uniquely structured and laid out.

So making the most of their limited time is critical. Red carpet efficiency and efficacy can mean plenty of dollars gained or left on the table. Fans won or an impression missed. They need an astute guide.

I was that guide.

In experiencing this a number of times now, I’ve seen how the celebrities interact and get approached by the media. When they get their picture taken, it is mayhem. 10, 20, 30, upwards to 50 plus photographers all yelling, screaming, jockeying for position to get their big money picture. “Up here Mrs. Knowles!” “Look over here Slash!” “Turn slightly to the left Ms. Keys!”

And I’ve seen how they get blindsided by fans. Posters and pictures and awkward questions and conversations.

Their job is to be nothing short of charming.

And it is nothing short of exhausting. It is hot. The lights are heavy. And it’s often crowded.

As a result, they are transformed over the years into beings that are often charming but insincere. They are like a prince or princess.  To be successful, they’ve learned to delight and attract those around them often at the expense of open, genuine connection. A quick “Wow!” obtained and then they’re gone.

As a celebrity, you have your ultimate goal in mind. You’re fans and the media are led by their own selfish motives. You are left constantly getting pulled left and right. Your time is requested. Your energy. All the while, your success is built on connectivity and impressions.

It is a numbers game.

But you are also human and quite possibly an introvert. Imagine how you would handle this experience. So you learn to keep these experiences short and surface level. You learn to create a mirage of closeness. You learn the key phrases that make people feel as if you are flattered, you care, you are touched in some way by their comment, though this comment is quite similar to the thousands of others that have been made to you over the years.

It is not as if you didn’t once care, you just become desensitized to the comments.

A purity about the celebrity is only seen by a select few – their family, friends from before they were well known, and other celebrities. Their publicists and managers on the other hand are morphed into protective, distrusting, and impatient people. They can be awful.

Of course, in all walks of life, there are many that can be the sweetest gems. Jess, you are one of them! This is just one profession that amplifies the charm and sincerity tension more than any other.

HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO US COMMON FOLK?

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to put on a charming face, but deep down you knew it was all for show?

You need not be an Associated Press celebrity to be confronted by this tension of charm and sincerity. You could be a celebrity in your own community, consistently being called upon.

When managing a larger number of people in your company, leading a church, or being a locally well known philanthropist, there is always a challenge between sincerity and charming brevity. You may not have photographers hiding in your bushes, but you do have to be conscious about your public actions.

These local public figures are more obvious, yet, the instances less obvious are the ones we common folk find ourselves in daily when sincerity is challenged, when our authenticity is in question.

Have you been to a mixer or networking event lately? How about a work function for your spouse’s office? At these events, you may not feel like you relate to the others in many ways or you look at all others as being fake, but you then you too feel like you have to put on that charm.

ARE YOU SINCERE IN THESE MOMENTS?

Some of us, like my friend Nick Mullen, eat this limelight up. It comes natural. He is sincerely loving every minute of it. He charms the crowd. The rest end up having to put on the cheery face and laugh when they think they should, smile though their less than bemused, and inquire when they aren’t even caring for the answer. For most, it’s exhausting.

CAN CHARM AND SINCERITY GO HAND AND HAND?

I might contend that charm can be the result of a sincere interaction. Give it a try. The next time you are in a room full of people and there are expectations for you to be a delight, whether placed on your shoulders by your own doing or others, consider starting down the path of sincerity.

Start with caring about the other and believing they have an interesting story to tell. Answer about your life with genuine words. We are all more similar than at times we like to believe. There are genuine commonalities. Have fun seeking them out.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Just like the celebrities, when we are acting insincere, out of alignment with ourselves, we are often the one that loses out.  We aren’t being authentic to ourselves.

Moreover, connectivity to our fellow man and woman is critical to our well being. And trust is an integral part of the human experience.

If we continue down this path of constantly putting on an insincere charm, overtime we forget how to live out a sincere and genuine relationship. We are forever operating on the surface.  We take on many acquaintances, but rarely ever going deeper.

We will have conditioned our life in such a way that we are only able to charm, yet unable to connect deeper. At some point, this becomes unhealthy and really lonely.

BE GRATEFUL

We common folk are fortunate. We get time to recharge and find our authentic center with regularity.

As we all know, this experience for a celebrity doesn’t cease upon stepping off the red carpet. It continues down the drab grocery store tile-way. It sharply cuts along and about 2-tops, 4-tops and large dinner parties at restaurants.

They don’t get to choose when it stops. People are always watching, attempting to connect, and expecting a perfect, high energy interaction.

Might we all remember this when we call upon a celebrity to “JUST, sign my napkin” while their eating a meal with one of the few people they trust in life. Their intimacies aren’t for our own disposal.

Might we all remember this when guiding our kids through life. Being famous isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.  Having people want to befriend you for nothing more than your fame, to tell their friends they know you. All leading to this day to day morphed being.

It is a great challenge presented before celebrities.  Some have handled it well and others struggled.  Might we learn from them.

Being charming without a basis in sincerity is empty.

Be grateful. Be sincere. Charm will follow.

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

** Tell your friends to join over 500 other AWESOME people in receiving their FREE copy of Be Multinational!  Have them sign up online at http://www.BeMultinational.com

Readers,

I’m excited to present to you my very first e-book titled Be Multinational.  ~ Register NOW at the right of this webpage for your FREE copy! FREE copies will be limited!

This has been an amazing group effort, a crowd sourced e-book if you will. I thank each author for their time, energy, openness, vulnerability, and wisdom.

We are surrounded by young and old that have never ventured abroad. They haven’t because of barriers they and others built into their minds. “I can’t. I don’t have enough money. You can’t.  Parents. We’re not going to support you all your life.  I have kids. My job. I’ll go when I retire…”  The stories herein have proven all barriers are ones that can be overcome. Their stories will help loosen the stranglehold these barriers have on others lives.

The most important next step is to get the book into the hands of our family, friends, and colleagues that fit the following demographics.

1. High School Senior
2. University Student
3. Parent(s) of a High School Senior or University Student
4. Those in their mid-20s at a cross roads in their career.
5. Administrators and Teachers of high schools and universities.

These are the ones most likely to take these ideas to heart and aid us in breaking down barriers to becoming multinational citizens.

I ask you to please forward them on this website http://www.DailyIntent.com to register and request their own copy of Be Multinational. The reason for this request is to get them on my email list which will then allow me to notify them once http://www.BeMultinational.com is up and running. They can unsubscribe after that at anytime!

MY GOALS:
1. I’d like to get Be Multinational into 2000 hands in the next week. I’d like to get them on my email list so we can begin interacting with them and getting their feedback.

2. Have the eBook formatted for the Kindle and other reading devices.

3. As for the new website, my goal for BeMultinational.com is to provide a site for people like yourselves to share their stories of living, working, and studying abroad and a space for the youth to come, read, and be inspired to do the same. I would like to offer the community a new story each week.

WHAT YOU CAN DO IMMEDIATELY:

1. Register to the right of this webpage to have your FREE copy and questionnaire sent to you.

2. Share my website’s link on your Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin and request your friends, family and colleagues register on the right side of the page. I’ll then forward them on a copy. As aforementioned, please send them here http://www.DailyIntent.com instead of sending them the copy yourself. I’ll get them a FREE copy and will include a questionnaire to get their feedback.

3. Forward me on future potential authors/respondents to the same questions I asked these respondents in the e-book. I’m on the hunt for 52 stories to cover the first year of BeMultinational.com.

4. Email me with websites that could offer great collaboration and distribution. Email me with teachers and administrators that would love offering this to their students.

The world is evolving to become ever more interconnected.  Becoming multinational citizens will ensure our best abilities to solve extremely important challenges before us all.

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

Follow me on Twitter.

I haven’t forgotten about you. Over the last 3 months I’ve been composing an eBook that I know you are going to love.

Please look out for the news of its completion in the next couple of weeks.

I would appreciate your feedback and sharing it with others.

Until then, live and be well,

Jeff Bochsler

“I’m so scared right now. I’m just gonna to do what’s sensible, I’m gonna file for unemployment. Then I’m gonna try to get a job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, because they got an excellent corporate structure and they… *they* give *you* the tools to be your own boss.” -Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) – Step Brothers

I’ve been reflecting much on my 4 month experience in South America less than one year ago when I took a leave of absence from my position at Bank of America Home Loans.  I’m grateful for the banks willingness to grant me this time.  Here are some thoughts I shared with fellow Santa Barbarans a couple weeks back.

The thoughts are mostly directed toward a university student, encouraging them to think beyond the “one path” “American dream” mentality.  This noted, I feel it is a great reminder to us all many years beyond the university.  Thus, I figured I’d share…

What were your highlights of 2011? Do me a favor and write below your TOP 7 “To All That is Good” list.

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

Here’s a brilliant piece from Bill Bryson’s book “I’m a Stranger Here Myself”. I see it fitting to add into the mix right after my 49 Motivators entry. Keep living great days and finding internal wellness along the way.

(Commencement speech to the graduating class of Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire…Note: I’m unsure if this is verbatim to his speech)

“…I would like to offer ten very small, simple observations –passing thoughts really–which I hope will be of some use to you in the years ahead. In no particular order, they are:

1. Take a moment from time to time to remember that you are alive. I know this sounds a trifle obvious, but it is amazing how little time we take to remark upon this singular and gratifying fact. By the most astounding stroke of luck an infinitesimal portion of all the matter in the universe came together to create you and for the tiniest moment in the great span of eternity you have the incomparable privilege to exist.

For endless eons there was no you. Before you know it, you will cease to be again. And in between you have this wonderful opportunity to see and feel and think and do. Whatever else you do with your life, nothing will remotely compare with the incredible accomplishment of having managed to get yourself born. Congratulations. Well done. You really are special.

2. But not that special. There are five billion other people on this planet, every one of them just as important, just as central to the great scheme of things, as you are. Don’t ever make the horrible, unworthy mistake of thinking yourself more vital and significant than anyone else. Nearly all the people you encounter in life merit your consideration. Many of them will be there to help you–to deliver your pizza, bag your groceries, clean up the motel room you have made such a lavish mess of. If you are not in the habit of being extremely nice to these people, then get in the habit now.

Millions more people, most of whom you will never meet or even see, won’t help you, may not even be able to help themselves. They deserve your compassion. We live in a sadly heartless age, when we seem to have less and less space in our consciences and our pocketbooks for the poor and lame and dispossessed, particularly those in far-off lands. I am making it your assignment to do something about it.

3. Don’t ever do anything on principle alone. If you haven’t got a better reason for doing something othr than the principle of the thing, then don’t do it.

4. Whatever it is you want to do in life, do it. If you aspire to be a celebrated ballerina or an Olympic swimmer or to sing at Carnegie Hall, or whatever, go for it. Even though everyone is tactfully pointing out that you can’t sing a note or that no one has ever won the 100-meter dash with a personal best time of seventy-four seconds, do it anyway. There is nothing worse than getting to my age and saying, ‘I could have played second base for the Boston Red Sox but my dad wanted me to study law.’ Tell your dad to study law. You go and climb Everest.

5. Don’t make the extremely foolish mistake of thinking that winning is everything. If there is one person that I would really llike to smack, it is the person who said, “Winning is not the main thing. It’s the only thing.” That’s awful. Taking part is the main thing. Doing your best is the main thing. There is no shame in not winnning. The shame is in not trying to win, which is of course another matter altogether. Above all, be gracious in defeat. Believe me, you’ll get plenty of chances to put this into practice, so you might as well start working on it now.

6. Don’t cheat. It’s not worth it. Don’t cheat on tests, don’t cheat on your taxes, don’t cheat on your partner, don’t cheat at Monopoly, don’t cheat at anything. It is often said that cheaters never prosper. But they also nearly always get caught at the end. Cheating is simply not worth it. It’s as simple as that.

7. Strive to be modest. It is much more becoming, believe me. People are always more impressed if they find out independently that you won the Nobel Prize than if you wear it around your neck on a ribbon.

8. Always buy my books, in hardback, as soon as they come out.

9. Be happy. It’s not that hard. You have a million things to be happy about. You are bright and young and enormously good-looking–I can see that from here. you have your whole life ahead of you. But here’s the thing to remember. You will always have your whole life ahead of you. That never stops and you shouldn’t forget it.

10. Finally–and if you remember nothing else from what is said here today, remember this–if you are ever called upon to speak in public, keep your remarks brief. Thank you very much.”

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler

Follow me on Twitter. Or if you liked this article, tell the world on Facebook.  Click the Share Link.

Santa Barbara, CA ~ Jeff Bochsler ~ Follow me on Twitter. 

Last week I had the fortune of speaking to a classroom full of Cal Poly students from the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity.  The men all showed up in suits and ties, and the ladies in classy business attire.  From the outset I was impressed.  Over the course of the hour I shared with them the key points in my life thus far that led to my career in the home lending business and recent sabbatical to South America to carry out microfinance work for KIVA.org.  Listed below are 49 motivators I came up with when brainstorming the talk.