washington dc: At the NAR - Seeing the Sights Thru Fresh Eyes - 05/13/10 01:55 PM

Every year when I get back to DC for NAR' mid-year legislative meetings, I try to get out and see something new. This is a fascinating city as there is so much history & art, so many monuments, so much to see, so many great restaurants. 
This year has been fun because I brought my son, Dane, with me. He has been a Realtor for the past 4 or 5 years and currently serves as the Legislative Chair for our Young Professionals Network. I brought him back to expose him to the inner workings of our National Association, introduce him … (2 comments)

washington dc: At the NAR - Economic Update w/ Dr's Yun & Zandi - 05/13/10 09:52 AM
This morning we heard from Dr Lawrence Yun (NAR Chief Economist) and Dr. Mark Zandi (Moody's Economy.com) with their financial outlook for the rest of 2010 and beyond. I try never to miss this program as I always find the info interesting - if not always the most accurate.
Now I know there are some of you who are not enamored of Dr. Yun's talks and consider him to be an NAR stooge - but the fact is he has recently been named by USA Today as one of the nations top 10 economic advisors and Dr. Zandi is one spot … (7 comments)

washington dc: Washington Staffers - What You Need To Know. - 03/17/10 09:00 AM
All Realtors® should be familiar with Senator Johnny Isakson from  Georgia. Sen Isakson has been a Realtor® for 43 years and spent 36 of those years in politics as well. Sen. Isakson has championed many Realtor® causes over the years, has been an outspoken advocate for private property rights and was the leading force in the recent extension and expansion of the First Time Homebuyer Credit.
Senator Isakson's Deputy Chief of Staff, Joan Kirchner, recently provided a synopsis to a Realtor® group on what you're likely to encounter when you visit his office, or the office of any legislator for … (8 comments)

washington dc: NAR Real Estate Summit - FDIC Chair Bair - "It'll be a slog." - 05/19/09 12:18 PM
Much of the afternoon was devoted to the commercial market and banks. The commercial market is a great source of concern right now. Commercial defaults could freeze the housing rebound while its impact on the credit market could drive even more banks out of business - including some that are starting to turn around today. The triple whammy of housing defaults, followed by commercial defaults, followed by credit card defaults is not a good combination for recovery - did I mention unemployment? But that's worst case and hopes are high (if not the actual hopers) that we may be on our … (4 comments)

washington dc: NAR Real Estate Summit - Dr. Alan Greenspan - 05/19/09 10:17 AM
Unless you've been under a rock for the past 20+ years, you know exactly who Dr. Alan Greenspan is, or was. Among a list of accomplishments, he was Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006 starting under Ronald Reagan and serving (or being served by) a succession of Presidents until his retirement as the housing market started to crash down around his ears. Like me, you've probably heartily agreed with him at times and vehemently disagreed with him at others. But regardless of your take on him, it's impressive to see him in person and a tribute to NAR … (2 comments)

washington dc: NAR Real Estate Summit - We Need Another Bubble. - 05/18/09 08:22 AM
Maybe because they were being hosted by the National Association of Realtors and maybe because they really believe it, the panelists were in general agreement that the housing market needs to lead the way back out of this slump/recession/bust. But in spite of that consensus, it was also generally acknowledged that in spite of the lip service accorded to housing by the Administration and by congress, housing really isn't their primary focus. Not that they can focus on the housing element to the exclusion of other factors, but many of the more substantive efforts have been extended to banking, insurance and … (0 comments)

washington dc: NAR Real Estate Summit. Video link & Personal Observations. - 05/18/09 08:16 AM
Much has already been written about the day-long summit hosted by NAR at our recent  mid-year meetings in Washington DC. To date over 240 separate media pieces have been done on the event and that doesn't count blogs, tweets, FaceBook, etc. It is estimated that in one form or another information from the summit reached an audience of 67 million people and would have cost many millions of dollars to buy the kind of exposure garnered from the one day event. Follow this link for some video clips of the summit: Real Estate Summit: Advancing The U.S. Economy.
Because I have … (25 comments)

washington dc: There's 'Dead People' Everywhere. - 05/14/09 03:38 PM
Last night I attended a very swanky reception at the Smithsonian Postal Museum. That's the big building down on Massachusetts Ave right across the street from Union Station (and just coincidentally right upstairs from one of my all-time favorite breweries, the Capitol City Brewpub). Great food and plenty off free liquor - nothing to sneeze at - plus it's a very historic site with all kinds of fun things to do that are post office related (no, we didn't play Post Office). 
On the way home we had a two car police escort down Massachusetts, up Pennsylvania past the White House … (4 comments)

washington dc: Footloose in our Capitol - A Pictorial Walking Tour - 05/22/08 09:28 AM
Washington DC It has been my great good fortune to have attended the National Association of Realtors Mid-Year Legislative Meetings for the past 8 years or so. I love visiting Washington D.C.  and even though I would not want to live there, it is one of the most fascinating cities in the country - a great sense of history, a repository for art and literature and the seat of power for our government. Over the years I've seen most of the attractions including tours of the White House and Capitol, FBI, Mint, all the galleries, the Zoo, The Pentagon, the Holocaust … (5 comments)