Southern Financial Bloviator

There are some things that are difficult to say.  There are several books that instruct readers how to say difficult things, manage difficult conversations, address difficult topics, and so on.  We tend to avoid confrontation or authentic feedback in order to protect our feelings and avoid hurtin...

Which writer do you admire the most?  James Patterson?  John Grisham? Brennan Manning? Ernest Hemingway?  Charles Dickens? John Donne?  William Shakespeare?  or Who? Writers work their way into our lives by offering us one of two things:  Escape or Instruction.  Escape can include entertainment, ...

In the movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman's character avers, "Get busy living, or get busy dying.  That's damn right!" I love that movie and have seen it at least 30 times.  When I find a movie that speaks to me, I tend to watch it over and over for the next few months or years.  It's the...

In chemistry and biology and business, catalysts serve the crucial role of bringing two powerful entities together in order to create something even bigger and better.  Can you use this metaphor? A person that chooses to be a catalyst brings people together, thinks creatively, and values others' ...

I spent 8 years working as a licensed therapist.  I utilized Reality Therapy that was developed by Dr. William Glasser. There are some basic questions asked about a problem: 1.  What do you want? 2.  What do you REALLY want? 3.  What are you doing to get it? 4.  Is it working? 5.  What could you ...

I'm sure that most of us in this industry have been paying attention to the national election coverage.  Poll results have varied widely in the past weeks.  McCain took the polling lead for a period after the Republican convention.  However, the Wall Street meltdown bumped Obama back into the lea...

While this is a well-known phrase of encouragement, there are practical, physiological reasons to keep your head up. 1.  Blood Flow  -  By keeping your head vertical, you relax muscles and increase bloodflow to your brain.  This may sound simple, but the brain functions far better with more oxyge...

 Richard Barbee, M.Ed., GRI, CRS   Real Estate Broker     Knoxville, TN Living Space          We spend our lives in places and spaces.  Playgrounds, classrooms, worship centers, restaurants, and such serve as the background of memories and relationships.  Of all the spaces we inhabit, our homes c...

www.richardbarbee.com   Email:  richard @richardbarbee.com     Wants are powerful factors in making decisions.  Needs may be more or less powerful, depending on the situation and the person.  In today's increasingly competitive housing market, home sellers are faced with the task of trying to att...

Interviewing a Real Estate Agent - Part 2            Hello again.  The first part of this article focused on preparing to interview a real estate agent for the listing process.  The goal of the second part is to give you specific questions to ask during the interview.  The purpose of the intervie...