What can you learn from a woman who is a self-described Badass (former military), a Smart Ass (MBA) and a PhD Wise Ass? You get the author of a new book, “SPARK! The 5 Essentials to lead within”- Meet Tracey Jones, Ph. D an author of 10 books and learn from her extraordinary vision of leadership!  Find out what DNA REALLY stands for!  A bit about Tracey:  Author, speaker, veteran, and entrepreneur, Dr. Tracey C. Jones is a student of life. With five careers path spanning the military, Fortune 500 companies, defense and government contracting, and small business, she has a unique perspective of learning, living, and leading. Tracey is the author of 10 books, five of which are children’s books co-“paw”thored by her rescue dogs and cats. She is also a recognized scholar and researcher in the field of crisis leadership and the theory of motivation. As the daughter…
Posted On Thursday, 13 July 2023 00:00 Written by
The education industry and teaching are on the precipice of major transformation due to the acceleration of all kinds of new technologies, predominantly artificial intelligence (AI). Education is no longer just a human endeavor, and both teachers and prominent institutions and organizations in the field of education must adapt and adjust as education and technology (also known as EdTech) combine to develop a new, more efficient way of learning.
As you know, much of my teaching revolves around my Hard Trend Methodology and anticipatory thinking, differentiating between Hard Trends and Soft Trends to identify and embrace disruption before it occurs. Hard Trends are those that are future certainties that will happen, while Soft Trends are future possibilities that can be influenced and changed. Before we dive into where the world of education is heading, I want to remind everyone that the world has shifted from a time of rapid change to a time of transformation. Change always…
Posted On Tuesday, 11 July 2023 00:00 Written by
NEW CFA REPORT DOCUMENTS THE COSTS TO THE INDUSTRY AND CONSUMERS Today the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is releasing a new report – “A Surfeit of Real Estate Agents: Industry and Consumer Impacts” – that uses industry sources to document the costs to industry and to consumers of too many residential real estate agents.  More than 1.5 million residential agents (including brokers) compete for home sales usually totaling 5 to 6 million annually.  Those costs include:  economic inefficiencies including an inordinate time spent by agents finding clients, relatively low incomes of many full-time agents, frustration by these agents and by many consumers who must deal with inexperienced agents, reinforcement of relatively high and uniform commission rates, and damage to the reputation of the industry.
“A large majority of practicing real estate agents have recently received their license or work part-time,” said Stephen Brobeck, a senior fellow at…
Posted On Monday, 10 July 2023 10:22 Written by
The Cape Coral metro area has more than made up for the plunge in new listings caused by the storm Listings of homes for sale in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metropolitan area have recovered after plunging in the wake of Hurricane Ian last fall, and sales have begun to bounce back, according to a new report from Redfin (www.redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. In the two months after the devastating September 2022 storm, there were 900 fewer new listings in Cape Coral-Fort Myers than there would have been had the storm not hit, according to Redfin projections. But in the six months after that, there were 1,314 more new listings than projected, more than offsetting the shortfall. To put it another way, the metro had gained 415 more new listings than it had lost by early May. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area will be referred to as…
Posted On Sunday, 09 July 2023 06:39 Written by
Here we are, sitting on the cusp of a LONG holiday weekend. With July 4th on Tuesday, many are going to make the weekend more like a week! If you are planning to go away and be gone/unplugged for this weekend, please be safe and enjoy yourself. If you are planning on remaining connected and are looking to take advantage of potential opportunities, then here are a few things you can do. 1. Let people know you are working! Referral partners Clients Builders Other lenders 2. Get out and be visible! Pop ins Open Houses Door knocking 3. Start the conversation! Real estate market Inventory Opportunities Debt consolidation Collect the 9s & 10s Back to school 4. Follow-up Who did you speak to? How did things go? How can I help? It only takes a few hours over the holiday weekend to really set yourself apart. Making sure people know you…
Posted On Monday, 03 July 2023 00:00 Written by
As a futurist, I am delighted to share my insights on various topics, including change, transformation, technology, and advancements in Generative AI. In this article, I will discuss several key concepts I explored during a recent podcast interview with PMMI, shedding light on the power of transformation and the role of AI in shaping our future. In addition, it’s imperative that I explore the importance of embracing an Anticipatory mindset in our fast-paced world of constant change. 
Understanding Change and Transformation It is essential to differentiate between change and transformation. Change is often triggered externally, compelling organizations, individuals, or teams to react. On the other hand, transformation arises from within, allowing us to proactively shape our future. Embracing transformation grants us control and empowers us to actively mold our destinies. Let’s consider the example of mobile technology. The introduction of the Blackberry brought change by enabling mobile email access.…
Posted On Monday, 03 July 2023 00:00 Written by
Pending home sales shrunk 2.7% in May from the previous month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Three U.S. regions posted monthly losses, while sales in the Northeast surged. All four regions saw year-over-year declines in transactions. “Despite sluggish pending contract signings, the housing market is resilient with approximately three offers for each listing,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, “The lack of housing inventory continues to prevent housing demand from being fully realized.” The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – dropped 2.7% to 76.5 in May. Year over year, pending transactions fell by 22.2%. An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001. “It is encouraging that homebuilders have ramped up production, but the supply from new construction takes time and remains insufficient,” added Yun. “There should be more focus on boosting…
Posted On Friday, 30 June 2023 07:01 Written by
I don’t know if it will get called a recession or not, we no longer have a technical definition that is valid since the last two consecutive quarters of negative growth happened and people felt it didn’t suit their political agenda, so they just ignored it and said it wasn’t so; but call it what you want, it is what it is. What I can tell you is that the signs are not looking good. The job market is slowing down, and people are not finding new jobs as quickly as they once did. Wage pressure is decreasing, and many people are fighting going back to the office so they will risk termination over heading back to a building. Other signs point to some real issues. Vehicle repossessions are rising rapidly, and some banks and credit unions are paying high premiums to repossession agents to move to the front of…
Posted On Monday, 26 June 2023 00:00 Written by
Mortgage rate lock-in will continue to be a major challenge for the housing market in the remainder of 2023, according to the Realtor.com® 2023 Forecast Update. While prices have eased slightly, higher mortgage rates are hurting affordability, and many of those who already own a home are not incentivized to list. As a result, the total number of homes for sale (projected to be down 15.8% to 4.2 million) is likely to be at its lowest point since 2012. On the rental side, prices are expected to drop slightly on the year (-0.9%), as strong multi-family construction is improving inventory.
“High inflation and the Fed’s actions to curb it have had a significant impact on the housing market this year. And while inflation has begun to ease, the sustained spike in mortgage rates was enough to stifle the housing market after several years of low rates and strong…
Posted On Saturday, 24 June 2023 10:14 Written by
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