From Austin Smith, Product Specialist - Goomzee:

Albert Einstein said: "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."  These words are especially comforting in the present day, what with the suffering economy, rampant lender bankruptcy, bailouts and falling sales volume.  But my purpose of today's post is not to point out everything that is going wrong; rather, I would like to take this time to point out the proverbial silver lining and hopefully encourage those who are feeling the pressures of a faltering system.

With tomorrow's celebration of food and family come a few new beginnings.  Thanksgiving heralds the dawning of a new year on the horizon, the beginning of December, and the end of fall for another ten months.  Take this time to look at your business with a fresh eye.  The reports on our failing industry are innumerable and I will not waste your time with statistics pointing out the bad.  Instead, consider this: the median price paid for a single-family home in Southern California last month was $311,060.  This is almost half of what it was in October of last year!  But that's not the only good news: 552,750 single-family homes were sold in October, an increase of nearly 117% from 2007.

It took me too long to gather these encouraging figures from among the gloom and despair that seems to pervade real estate's online social community.  An unwarranted, yet pervading sense of defeat can somehow be discerned from a network of professionals who signed on for the unknown, willing to jump off the edge and commit to a nail-biting, commission-only lifestyle.  The housing market couldn't stay red hot forever, but with any luck will surely bounce back as quickly as it crashed.  In the meantime, agents and real estate professionals need not resign themselves to defeat, but instead raise their heads and commit to positively looking towards the future.   The housing market of the most powerful nation in the world will rebound, but worrying about it will not expedite the process. 

The holiday season is a perfect illustration of how, at a whim, we as humans can forget the negative things around us and focus completely on the positive.  As Thanksgiving draws nearer by the hour, pumpkin pie and long lost relatives are surely at the forefront of everyone's minds.  Memories and reflections are replacing work woes and to-dos. Having a day like Thanksgiving to look forward to changes our normal outlook, helping us forget about task queues at the office and bad traffic at five o clock.  In the same way, looking towards a time when home sales abound and loan servicers are prolific will take our focus away from the current situation and, in turn, free our minds to think of innovative strategies that further enhance our business models; making you not only a better selling agent but a happier, brighter person.

The rise of California's sale rate is a sign of things to come, the elusive silver lining peeking around a storm cloud.  But for now, leave your work at the office and go enjoy your families.  There will be time enough to trim the fat; not only from your business model or sales pitch, but also from your thighs.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you, Mike. And thank you, Austin.

A little perspective goes a long way in understanding the present market and influencing the mind-sets of those who are not only intending to "survive", but prosper.

If you have ever had your ass handed to you in any kind of competitive endeavor, you will know that the experience either makes you stronger and more determined, or it handicaps you because you believe less in yourself than you should.

This is a time for gathering up resolve and planning for success.

My eldest son and I were talking on the week-end and he surprised me by asking if I would support his intention to go into real estate. I told him the truth. If he intends to make the commitment, there is no better time to enter the game. You get to learn your trade and refine your skills at a time when many are giving up. When things turn back to "normal", you stand atop the business along with the others who see opportunity where many see hopelessness.

God bless the optimists and the hopeful. On their backs we will climb back to recovery and, I hope, a wiser, stronger industry.

John W. Mosey, President - Regional MLS of Minnesota, Inc.