"Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?"

There is no question about it. We are a country in trouble. I don't like giving Sarah Palin credit for much of anything - but her infamous interview with Katie Couric was right on point about one thing: it is all about job creation. Is Obama the new FDR? Is he going to put everyone back to work on WPA projects? Will Congress allow him to put us further into debt (or print more money) to make that bold move? Will we as a nation give them the authority to do so?

I was out showing property today. Every single property we looked at was in foreclosure - which has to do with the price point we were looking at. The final home we saw, the seller was still living there with his family. He pointed out the mold growing in his closets due to the need for a new roof, which he can't afford. And why is this family in trouble? He lost his job and can't find work. He had worked as a chef. He went from making $80,000/year to nada. No need to tell you about the restaurant industry and how it's hurting.
  
And why were we looking at foreclosures? Because my buyer is afraid to over-spend. She lost $50,000 in the stock market before cashing in her mutual funds for T-Bills. Instead of $180,000, she now has $130,000. And she is afraid of losing her job at an architectural firm. No need to tell you about the real estate industry and all the affiliated industries that are tied to it.

Now take these stories and multiply them over and over and over and you have to know: it's all about jobs.

For the majority of Americans.

But there is a bold reality that belongs to the elite few that dare. Gen X and Gen Y have already pointed the way. Dependence on Big Brother for job security is a notion that has been bankrupt for quite some time. And when you take an aging Baby Boomer like me, trying to find a job in these market conditions is not even an option. (I had a conversation with a head hunter about a month ago who informed me of that reality. There is such a thing as "too much experience". Some political circles would call it "agism".)

Necessity is the mother of invention. These are the times that demand we become creative, take responsibility for our own destinies, craft a bold new approach. The old strategies that worked 5-10 years ago are no longer effective. When the old strategies no longer work, we must look for new ones. I believe it was Einstein who said that insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results.

For me, this means exploring different options. Check out what I'm doing at: www.NewMarketLeaders.com

"All Things With Exuberance!"
mary!