Due Diligence When It Matters for Real Estate Clients and Voters

As a Realtor, my role is to advocate for the best interests of my clients.   I take this fiduciary duty very seriously and am always pursuing opportunities to improve my skill set while exploring new tools to improve the client experience.  Buying real estate is a major decision for a Buyer.  As a Buyer client advocate my most important role is to guide clients in doing their "Due Diligence".  This involves having an independent home inspection of the property and if required additional inquiries for potential concerns such as Radon, Lead, Septic or other issues that may arise as well as involves researching questions that I may be unable to answer.  For a quick overview of the inspection process shared in a prior blog post click here  I think it is important to know as much as one can before making a decision that impacts one's financial and living situation.

We are now in the midst of a very important Presidential election.  The stakes of this election could not be any higher between Trump and his opponent Joe Biden.  There is a (about 40%) core base of voters who support the current president no matter what.  They are following whatever he says no matter how dishonest and harmful at the expense of the rest of us. 

There are still several undecided voters, which is a bit surprising this late in the game and I am writing this blog post to appeal to you primarily.  Do your home work.  If you want to learn about plans please go to www.JoeBiden.com.  Joe has detailed plans for COVID response, infastructure, building back the economy and much more.  Ask trump supporters what his success record and clear plans are.  For contrast can you find much on www.donaldtrump.com?    

There is much information in the news media and it is important to know your sources.  A startup company headed by Vanessa Otero has launched a project through Ad Fontes Media to identify and evaluate news sources.  She offers webinars and tools to allow readers to do their homework and decipher the media out there and offers online classes for students.  I first learned about this resource from my brother and author of the Blog, BlindspotBlog.US, Maxwell Stearns who is on her Advisory Board.  I have taken a few webinars and found them very worthwhile.  Many news outlets have been compromised and have sources that are tied to the Kremlin.  See yesterday's WSJ article which discusses some recent findings.  In addition much on Facebook is tied to fake accounts.  It is critical to find your way through the weeds.  

 I hope all voters will make their vote decision based on accurate and relevant information and not fall abyss to political pressure.  There is a lot of misleading information out there and much of it can be dangerous.  The propaganda is out there and it can be damaging.  

As a responsible American Citizen and Voter it would be irresponsible for me to encourage anyone to vote without knowing the details of the candidate (ie: covid testing, tax returns).  I BEG you to do your homework.  I BEG you to take this election seriously.  Truth Matters, Transparency matters.  If you see information regarding each candidate being surpressed ask why?  Lastly, if you need information on the voting process itself please check Plan Your Vote.

As a Realtor,  I always encourage my clients to do their homework before making a decision.  You must be your own advocate and if hiring a fiduciary representative they will work to protect your interests.  

Wendy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Needham.  She enjoys coffee, walking her dog, theater/arts, reading, writing, travel and meeting new people.  She always welcomes the opportunity to have a virtual coffee now that we are amidst the “new normal”.  Check out her website at www.wendybcb.com or her fb page @wendybcb as she posts up to date content to meet the ever changing marketplace.

At What Price Is Integrity?

I was taught at an early age that one's words and actions matter.  My Dad would say that your reputation has to be earned and it can take only a minute to lose it.  My Mother would say that you need to be able to look yourself in the mirror every morning.  One small act of dishonesty can lead you down a dangerous downward spiral.

I learned this at five years old the hard way.  My mother sent me down the street with $.50 to buy a quart of milk, which at the time cost $.35 at the local A&P. I returned home with the milk and a dime.  I used a nickel of my change to buy a gumball in the candy machine.  When my parents asked where their change was I told them that the cashier had only given me back a dime.  They were extremely upset and marched me back to the A&P to talk to the manager.  Before the cashier was questioned, I admitted that I had spent my change on candy.  At this point, my parents told me the cashier could have lost his job due to my behavior if I had not told the truth. I was appropriately punished and to this day have a hard time telling even a “white lie”.

When I reached fifth grade, I wanted to get my ears pierced like all my friends. My Dad was adamantly against this and didn’t want me to “mutilate” my ears.  He said I should not be a follower and do something just because everyone else does. I would complain to all my friends that he was too strict.  

As I approached middle and high school I was not allowed to attend unchaperoned "boy-girl" parties that my parents deemed inappropriate for my age.    Upon complaining my parents would say that I was not to be a follower and wanted to shield me from any potential risk.  They instead instituted an open door policy at our house and although small welcomed my friends at anytime.  

Dad made me watch the 1974 movie "Walking Tall" starring Joe Don Baker as the high-principled sheriff who single-handedly fought for justice in his small corrupt Tennessee Town. At the time I thought my Dad’s belief system was a bit old school and an embarrassment to my peers.   My mother also led a highly traditional life and also embraced these values. I remember how strict they were with an 11:00 pm curfew until I went to college. 

As an adult, I now understand and appreciate the code of ethics that my parents embraced as they raised our family.  I believe these values have also been ingrained in our children and are thankful that they are each perpetuating a value system that my parents would be proud of.  As our kids approached their teen years we also encouraged them to invite their friends to our home whenever they wanted.  As Mother’s Day approaches perhaps our upbringing was the greatest gift our parents gave us and that we have in turn given to our children.

At times, I have often been accused of being too honest like my Dad, which sometimes could create a Curb Your Enthusiasm type moment ( a time when one is annoyed and blurts out something that can be a bit embarrassing but truthful) but for the most part I don’t think this is a bad thing.  Of course, there were some questionable moments.  For example, once in the hospital my Dad blurted out that he thought Melissa McCarthy was overweight on Mike and Molly, although the aide helping him at that moment was also overweight  (she hopefully didn't hear this).  This was a definite bite your tongue un-pc moment.   Now when I look around at how the world has changed since both my parents passed away a few years ago I think this kind of innocent honesty was actually not a bad thing.

My perception of the world as I grew into adulthood was very naïve.  I believed that most people were good and saw the world through a similar lenses.  Until the recent election I had no idea what the term liberal vs. conservative really meant.  In Judaism, which was how I was raised, the Conservative movement represented a mixture of tradition with modern thought and is constantly evolving.  There was always conversation and room to discuss one’s thoughts on a given subject without a definite right or wrong.  Perhaps the most representative example of this is during the Passover Seder when the youngest family member asks the  "Four Questions" . The primary question “Why is this night different than all other nights?” is asked from the viewpoint of four different perspectives of learning.  This teaches that each question has a different interpretation based upon one’s perspective. Openness of differing ideas is encouraged and acceptable.  

Sadly today I see a different world.  The U.S. Conservative movement  objective focuses on preserving a less interpretative way of life and to bring America back to the perceived "good old days".   As exemplified in the recent firing of FBI Director James Coomey and the response by many leaders of the GOP party, I question the integrity of our political leaders, many who do not question authority and just follow along even at the expense of their moral code.  The administration spokesperson yesterday said Coomey's firing was due to the FBI losing faith in his work.  In a Senate hearing today,  the acting Director McCabe  contradicted this statement and reiterated that the staff of the FBI had the highest respect for Coomey and never questioned the integrity of his work.  Did the WH lie to us?  Will the WH say McCabe testimony is  "fake news"?  

I am weary that this behavior is filtering down to the general population.  Dishonesty and credibility are becoming the accepted norm with limited accountability. We deserve political leaders who are honest and tell us the truth.  At what price is the integrity of the spoken word being compromised?  When will our politicians learn that words and actions do matter?

Wendy recently joined Coldwell Banker Needham.  She has been a realtor for over 8 years and knowing the area quite well can share a hands on local perspective.  She has also recently earned the SRES  designation and looks forward to helping other baby boomers as they approach their next transitions.  Feel free to contact her directly or click here http://www.wendybcb.com if you would like to learn more.