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Posted by Nicolai Kolding
I’m an insomniac. That hardly makes me unique around here – it’s a bit of a running joke in our halls as we see each other in the morning: “So, how many times did you wake up last night?!” On many nights there are just too many ideas spinning around in our heads to allow for a peaceful sleep so we’re up like a flash at 3 a.m., reaching for pen and paper to write them down before trying to doze off again.
But sometimes, like everyone else we know, we’re up worrying. Where is this economy headed? Will everything go as planned tomorrow? Is that broker really interested in us? Where did my toddler hide my wallet? When will David Wright start hitting in the clutch again?
With the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the feeling I’m sensing is that there is now one less worry (at least for the short-term) but plenty more to go. So, what exactly are the big concerns that are worth all the tossing and turning? I always find it enlightening to step back and listen to (or read) others so I put together a short list in the hopes of stirring a discussion:
- Continuing downward pressure on broker commission rates
- Disintermediation of brokers
- Instability of housing prices
- Inventory surplus / Stagnation or drop in transaction sides
- Lack of financing
- Macroeconomic forces: recession, weak dollar, etc.
- Microeconomic forces: lousy local economy, etc.
- Natural disaster
- New players/forces disrupting marketplace
- Result/impact of November elections
- Technology/media: cost, obsolescence, risk, etc.
- Terrorism
- Other
So, what keeps you up at night? What are your three biggest worries and why?
September is Chiari Awareness Month in many states. To learn more about this neurological disorder click here. On September 20th, the Conquer Chiari Walk Across America will be held in many locations across the country to raise money for research.
