But who is THIS guy?  And what does any of this have to do with real estate?

Since our audience surveys tell us most of you are something younger than a baby boomer, we’ll give you a hint:  this guy is a singer/songwriter and this picture was on his third album cover released in 1964.  It was an LP (which means Long Playing recording on a big vinyl disc that Disc Jockeys, aka DJ’s, would “spin” on turntables at 33-1/3 revolutions per minute…wonder how all tha real estate near the LP factory is doing??? – just sayin’).

Not sure who he is?  Hang in there.  We’ll tell you later.  Meanwhile, back to our blog about his week’s episode.

Back to our blogging…

Think about the world today.  Wouldn’t you agree that the times they are a’changin’?  (Wait. Is that another hint?)  And the changing times affect where people, businesses, jobs and money move.  Therefore, it’s only logical to expect that changing times affect real estate.

We know.  Sometimes it’s hard to see the changes when you’re living in them.  Other times, the changes are obvious, but we fail to connect the dots and anticipate the effects on our investments.  We call that being “blind-sided” and it’s not a good thing.  It happened to us in 2008, so we pay extra careful attention today, which is point of this episode.

In the recording studio for another real estate radio jam session:

• Your radio rock star host, Robert Helms
• His radio roadie and co-host, Russell Gray
• Your baritone boomer, the Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms

Now, when Bob Dylan’s (yeah, that’s him) album, The Times They Are A’ Changin’ came out in 1964, there was a lot of turmoil in the world. 

Before he was assassinated, President Kennedy had just confronted the Soviet Union over nuclear weapons in Cuba – right off the coast of the U.S!  The Civil Rights movement was in full swing, replete with protests, riots and all kinds of civil unrest.  Meanwhile, the U.S. government was busy switching out all the real silver coins for nickel plated tokens. 

The point is there was a lot going on and much of it wasn’t pretty.  But let’s stop right here.

If you could jump in a flying DeLorean and go back to 1964, knowing what you now know, would you be more or less inclined to buy real estate in 1964 – even though “the times, they are a’ changin’”?

Now, back to the future, here on the threshold of 2012, assuming the Mayan thing doesn’t happen, do you think real estate will still be here in 2040?  And will it still be a high priority for people and businesses to use real estate to live, work, farm and play?

Sure, we have the Iran nucelar weapon threat and the ongoing war on terrorism.  The Occupy something movement might be considered this generation’s version of the civil rights movement.  Now, it’s economic equality instead of race equality.  And the Fed is busily printing money like there’s no tomorrow. 

We’re not belittling any of these concerns.  They’re very real.  But the point is that there are ALWAYS changes to fret about.  And of course, there are the changes which come from innovation and advancements of all kinds.  Just think about how medical advancements have affected the economy because of longer life spans.

The bottom line is that companies, industries and even governments come and go wiht lots of change in between.  But the real estate remains.  So in uncertain times, when stocks are up one day and down the next, and sovereign nations and municipalities are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and fiat currencies are being devalued all over the globe…(take a breath…), isn’t real estate one of the most foundational investments you could make?

We know.  If you’re a fan of the show, we’re preaching to the choir.  But the lesson is not just about buying ANY real estate.  It’s buying the right real estate, in the right markets, with the right financial structures, so you don’t just survive the changing times, but prosper in them.

In this episode, we talk about some of the many changes which have happened and are happening, how they’ve affected real estate, and how to position your investing in the eye of the storm where it’s safer.

So listen in to the conversation, then look at all the change all around you with excitement and anticipation.  In change, there is opportunity – and even more so, because casual observers are paralyzed into inaction, leaving lots of oportunity for the thoughtful and bold.

The biggest real estate investors we know have been and remain very active in this market. They see low interest rates, slow building rates (limiting supply), increasing population, rising rents and a widow of opportunity that won’t stay open forever.

LISTEN:
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

Because we’re us, we get to meet all kinds of bright, experienced and interesting people. It counter balances us.   The latest smart person we’ve met (wait until you see how many letters come after her name!) is our guest for this episode.

Revealing their deepest thoughts on this subtle topic:

• Your head therapist, host Robert Helms
• Your head case, co-host Russell Gray
• Special call-in expert, CEO of MIAMI, Teresa Kinney CAE, CIPS, GRI, RCE, TRC

Teresa Kinney, CEO MIAMI

To avoid confusion, even though she wears the title of CEO of MIAMI, Teresa isn’t an official from the city of Miami.  She’s CEO of MIAMI (notice the ALL CAPS) which is comprised of several organizations: the Residential Association, the Realtors® Commercial Alliance, the Broward County Board of Governors, and the International Council.  You can learn more at www.miamire.com.

What impresses us most is that MIAMI is a top gateway for international real estate both coming into and going out of the United States.  So if you’re interested in international real estate, MIAMI and Miami are great places to get connected.  In fact, there’s a big international real estate event coming up October 30-31 featuring National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, and The Real Estate Guys™!

Now some people think tracking markets and trends is a drag, but we like it! Astute investors watch for economic and demographic trends in order to effectively pick markets and properties poised to perform best over the next 10-30 years.

Located in the #1 hub for global real estate, CEO Teresa Kinney oversees the largest local association of Realtors® in the nation.  With access to all the statistics, plus gobs of anecdotal data from over 23,000 agents, Teresa has more insight into international real estate activity than just about anyone else! Of course, we couldn’t wait to ask her a zillion questions.  Tune in and find out what she has to say!

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In studio today to take a look at the State of Union in commercial real estate are:

• Your President and host, Robert Helms
• Co-host and teleprompter operator, Russell Gray
• Our Speaker of the House, the Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms

With so much focus on the residential real estate and mortgage markets, which is of much greater interest to the main street consumer and news outlets which cater to them, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at the commercial side of real estate.  Many observers think that there are dark days head for commercial properties, but what are the current trends?  More importantly, where are the best opportunities today and in the future?

We start out by taking a look at the sales and pricing trends in retail real estate.  What affect is the soft economy and subdued consumer spending having on retail occupancies, rents and cap rates?  Will money be available to purchase and refinance these properties?  Will there be buyers?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Sticking with the discussion of concerns about the availability of funding, we delve into a discussion of what’s happening in multi-family where government subsidized money has been plentiful.  With the pressure on Fannie Mae, will multi-family residential funding remain available?  What if it dries up?

Another side effect of a soft economy is financially weak or insolvent tenants.  Are commercial tenants starting to walk away from leases like homeowners are walking on upside down mortgages?  And how likely are they to accept rent increases?  It seems to be a tenant’s market right now.

Now there are lots of facets to commercial real estate and we can’t possibly cover them all in one show, so we decided to wrap up with some talk about office – and what’s happening to vacancy and rental rates in today’s “jobless” recovery.  If that isn’t an oxymoron, it should be.  It’s like saying “reliable copier”.

Of course, we can’t talk about all the challenges without remembering that problems often bring with opportunity – for those willing to think independently and outside the box.  As always, there are no magic formulas or one-size-fits-all solutions.  Challenging markets require courage, creativity and the kind of capital that comes as much from time, talent and relationships as it does from credit lines and cash deposits.  The good news is that when the going gets tough, most of the competition goes off and follows the herd to “greener” pastures.  If you believe the real estate “grass” will grow again, then it might be a good time to stake out some new territory.

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