Coaching Businesses and Life, a view from Long Beach

Los Cerritos! Long Beach

Don't know what to do on October 1st?  How about...

Garden Tour
October 1, 2:30 p.m.
FREE

Enjoy the colors of autumn and hint of cool weather on our final scheduled garden tour of the season.  Visitors will tour the "garden rooms," exploring California natives, the orchard, and landscaping in the inner courtyard and main garden, where they will learn about the history of the grounds and key plants.  Reservations are requested; please call 562/570-1755 with the number in your party.

And... if you enjoyed the garden tour and want to learn more about the Rancho's historic and beautiful gardens, consider joining Garden Docent Training.  Through this four-part class you will study the first garden planted by John Temple and learn about the major changes that took place when Ralph Cornell re-landscaped the grounds for Llewellyn and Avis Bixby in 1931.  You'll also review key plants and learn to identify kumquats and guavas!  Garden docents provide specialized tours on the first Sunday of each month from March through October, and during the week to groups with advanced reservations.  Training is in October, with an orientation on October 11 from 7-9 p.m., and three consecutive Saturday morning classes (October 14, 21 and 28) from 9-1.  Please contact Jan at the volunteer office for more information, or to sign up for training.    

In an article entitled, "Power, Optimism, and Risk-Taking," based on five separate studies involving students, Anderson and Galinsky's findings apply to powerful people.

The study points out that risky behavior can be beneficial, helping individuals maintain or even increase their power. By engaging in risky behavior, the powerful may take advantage of opportunities that others avoid. However prior success or sense of power can lead to disastrous mistakes, but until now there's been little research that establishes such a link, Anderson notes.

It is an interesting set of studies that will make you think and wonder what type of mindframe you need to be successful and how to engage risk with the right mind set.

Click here to read PhysOrg.

NAR and Predictions, Long Beach

The National Association of Realtors is predicting home prices will fall temporarily in the U.S.  Could it be pessimism?

So if the famous answer to when is the best time to buy a house? Yesterday!  Does it still apply?

I am wondering if NAR is trying to put to rest some criticism it took over this last year for being eternally optimistic.  And here is the question, do they need to keep a million people pumped up about prospective for home sales?  Most people would ask them to be realistic only.  They also need to justify their existence and fees. 

Prediction that sales were to slow, inventories and prices rising was easy to see according to trends.  What rubbed many the wrong way was painting a rosy outlook when things were otherwise in the field.

I am happy to hear more correct terms, such as: "housing market correction" which is exactly what we are seeing now.  We are experiencing a correction or if you will a return to a normally appreciating market.  If I was to really predict anything I would say it depends on two factors, global and national economy, and natural disasters.  If the economy does better than it is now and we have no natural disasters, then the market should fair well.  If, however, the economy continues to slow down and a natural disaster should strike, we would be in for a rough landing.

Market Watch paints a rosy picture of NAR.  I'm not against NAR, per se.  They have a hard job to do keeping many agents happy.  However, what I really need are faithful to the truth news. 

Here is Market Watch.

Graphical Representation of The Budget, Long Beach

Speaks for itself, simply put amazing.  Great job on the presentation...

This is a great site that clearly shows you how our systems works and how our governments, regardless of parties spend how taxes in a visual way.

The Budget Graph.

The Other Side Of Real Estate, Long Beach

As I said, once a month or more if there is a good story to tell, I will write about the other side of the curtain.  The side most people never hear about in real estate.  You often hear how rotten some Realtors are and I agree.  What you rarely hear is what even the honest ones go through.  Here is another story.

This happened to a friend of mine in another office.  She had a nice listing in a good part of town and the asking price was well over $1.5 million.  The market was already fluctuating back in November, something the news decided to ignore.  People came in and out, liked the house, somehow no one made offers than went through.  The owners were growing restless and behaved erratically.  They decided not to renew the listing after they had three times in the past and at the last minute.  Two weeks after the listing had expired, the original owners moved out and new people moved in who looked exactly like a couple who had shown great interest at an open house.

OK, those things happen but after you've spent $4000 on open houses, driving gas and advertising to see this makes you really take a deep breath.  The thing is it's not just the agent that behaves unethically. Sometimes everyone does. Sometimes without the knowledge they are doing so.  Sometimes with the incredible capacity to turn off remorse.

Life in Long Beach Returns Top Search For Dalai Lama, Long Beach

This was fun news for me yesterday when Virginia calls me up and asks me to search for: Dalai Lama Long Beach and saw my blog come up first before even Yahoo's or AP (in eighth place).

Well, you have to love the man.

In the latest news about the Dalai Lama, he was quoted telling KFC to stay out of Tibet as long as they insist on ripping off chickens beaks without pain management.

And lastly, after withholding judgment on the war, he is quoted saying: "...now, things not very positive,". 

Subject for another post: The difference between Ghandi and the Dalai Lama.  Interesting.  Any ideas?  I am boiling with a few.

Pacific Coast Governors Work For Protection Ocean, Long Beach

The California, Oregon and Washington governors announced cooperate efforts to protect the Pacific Ocean and lobby the government.  The cooperation will push on sensitive issues that touches oil and gas drilling in waters off the coast.

It looks like the three states have a better chance to influence the federal government than isolated pushes.

Even though at this stage it is mainly talk and let's not forget, we are nearing election date which probably motivates the many changes we are experiencing, it is good to keep an eye on it.

Here is the entire article.

Are freebies ethical? Long Beach

This is a question asked in the Realtor magazine and I know it is a gray ethical area.  So, first and foremost you must reveal the conditions for your promotions.

Realtor Magazine offers some practical information on how to not only be ethical when giving away freebies but doing it legally.

You can click here for the site.

Long Live Good Customer Service in Long Beach

Often I rant but when I find something good, I write about it and want everyone to know it so they can support the service.  So is the case of Red Eye near our office.

I asked for a tuna sand which and came back to my desk with something meaty.  I don't eat meat.  I eat fish, but not meat.  So I went back and asked them if I could have my tuna melt.  I pleasantly joked about being vegetarian, etc.  She hands me my tuna melt WITH a coupon for a free sand which.  I didn't want to accept it at first because it is an innocent mistake.  She insisted so much and I am good public also, I played the scene.  People were watching and I could hear them say: "Aw!" as in endearing Aw.  She finally came out with what she truly needed to say: "This is how I do business".  That hit home.

In the meantime, people heard this and I am sure she won a lot of customer's hearts that day.  Mine included. With those simple words: "This is how I do business."  It felt heroic, she looked she was upholding values and she is.

I can say the same things about the places I love most, Polly's, The Shore Apothecarie, William Tauber Salon, Madame Jo Jo, Cafe Picollo and especially Gypsy's near the Veteran's Pier.  All these place have that customer service drive.  They depend on us being happy and we give back to them by referring clients and being very positive about them.  This is something big corporations have lost touch with.

More Trivial Knowledge, Long Beach

Giant Anglepoise 1227 in black - Limited Edition

On another trivial note, to celebrate the 70th Birthday of the Original 1227 Anglepoise Lamp, three times life size version of the lamp have been created handmade in England.

Now you know.  Click here for the lamps.