Phillip's Blog

Take a moment, ponder these words of General Douglas MacArthur, absorb them into your mind and heart, and thank God for our freedoms – won, protected and preserved - by the lives of the men and women who serve our country – past, present and future.

It is the SOLDIER, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the SOLDIER, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the SOLDIER, not the campus organizers, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the SOLDIER, who salutes the flag, who serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

AMEN.

If you know a veteran, shake their hand tomorrow or give them a hug. Take the time to say "Thanks" for their contribution to our great nation.  Were it not for them, your world would look incredibly different right now.

A friend of mine sent this to me yesterday and the lesson contained in it is so pertinent with today's world that I just had to share it.  Enjoy.

Suppose that every day, ten people go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four people (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten people drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20', declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right', exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University of Georgia

“”Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

- Mark Twain

With today’s changing market, the traditional broker model is bankrupt. Denying it doesn’t make it less of a fact. Just in Nashville alone, 4 major agencies have either shut down or consolidated from multiple offices to just one within the past week.

Why? Because our industry has changed forever and the traditional broker model is refusing to admit it. The consumer has driven this change and the real estate agent must respond or die.

The market data that used to be the linchpin of our job security is now broadcast all over the internet, free and available for anyone to obtain. Even the legal forms we use are available online for minimal cost. All of this has had a HUGE negative impact on your value in the consumer’s eyes. Without a studied response, we are in serious danger of becoming irrelevant.

So what do you do? Adapt and modify. Change your marketing, change your offering, change the public’s impression of YOU. Disassemble the parts of the real estate process, focusing your marketing on those portions that are still in demand and killing out those that are not. In other words, you must give the consumer what the consumer wants. Or face the consequences.

Yet in this changing environment, the traditional broker model handcuffs you to antiquated business practices. You can’t alter your offering, you can’t adjust your commission, you can’t really even change your marketing approach without asking your broker first.

You can’t, you can’t, you can’t…adapt and modify without broker approval. And what is the broker most concerned with? Covering his overhead. Too much brick and mortar sets the bar too high and forces brokers into decisions that hurt YOU.

So you push back, demanding more “stuff” for the restraints placed on you and the portion of income the broker demands from you.

Yet in this back and forth, how does the consumer win? While we are fighting amongst ourselves, the companies that ARE focused on giving the consumer what they want are gaining serious ground. That ground used to be our exclusive domain, but we took our eye off the ball. The next day Zillow was born. Ouch!

The only way to combat this encroachment of territory is to regain your focus on the consumer. Yet the only way to truly refocus on the consumer is to free yourself from the antiquated, limiting beliefs perpetuated by the traditional broker model. You MUST have the freedom to respond to the consumer, to react to the marketplace, just like every other independent business person in the history of this country. And you cannot do that under the traditional broker model.

Benchmark Realty passionately believes that your business is YOUR business. We believe that you, as the owner of YOUR own business, should have the freedom to adapt and modify YOUR business plan as YOUR market demands. We believe that the primary key to success is YOU, not the broker’s overhead.

We offer 100% commission with no franchise fees, no desk fees, no broker splits and as much autonomy as you want. Our award winning broker is here to advise and mentor as you need but we do not constrict your growth by demanding unnecessary meetings or unnecessary payments.

It’s YOUR business! Invest in it, grow it, earn from it. And we all win in the process.

Gasoline prices at the pump can take a toll on your pocketbook. Here are eight ways you can save the next time you “filler-up.”

1. Fill your gas tank in the morning or late evening when it is cool outside. It will help reduce fuel evaporation.

2. Service your vehicle regularly. A poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by up to 50%.

3. Avoid excessive idling. Turn off the engine if you’re idling more than two minutes. Idling increases gas consumption by one gallon per hour.

5. Shop for the best price. When your fuel gauge is half-full start looking. Buying gas at wholesale clubs can save you up to 12 cents a gallon.

6. Park in the shade. You’re less likely to use your air conditioner if your car is cooler. When driving on the highway, keep your windows up to reduce air drag, which can reduce your gas mileage by10%.

7. Make sure your tires are inflated adequately. Under inflated tires can increase fuel consumption by 5%.

8. Avoid “fast starts.” They not only increase fuel consumption, but increase tire wear.

Just released from Greater Nashville Association of REALTORS®:

Election and Financial Crisis Action May Prompt Future Home Sales Activity