Is The Past Like The Present?

This past weekend I went to a Bar Mitzvah for a bunch of teenagers. There was a DJ, food and dancing. It was a fun time for all…including the parents! It seems our music is popular with the youngins’. I felt like I was back in the 80’s…AC/DC, Journey, Bon Jovi, Peter Frampton, Poison, Madonna, etc. The amazing thing was the kids knew the words!! What is happening??? The kids were asking the same thing, as the “older and heavier than we were in the 80s” adults started dancing our own special dance…which probably looked something like Elaine from Seinfeld. I felt a little robbed…I didn’t want kids to know the songs I drank beer or slow danced to in my youth. Our songs were to be left in the past, only to be brought to the future for reunions and crying sessions on how wonderful High School was. I didn’t want to share my memory of the guy I kissed while slow dancing to Stairway to Heaven.

Which brings to my point…has time changed the apartment world? (Great segway, huh??) Or is the past like the present?

A 2009 survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling showed that almost half of all American adults no longer believe owning a house is a realistic way to build wealth. Another 42 percent no longer own a house and don’t expect to ever own one again. The past 50 years Americans thought the American Dream was to own a home, but with housing prices collapsing, the so-called “dream” of homeownership turned into a financial and emotional nightmare for millions. The largest generation of children in the history of the US will be entering the housing market in the next few years. Will this change Apartments? Heck yeah!

The National Multi Housing Council states that 2.83 million new renter households were created in the last four years, the biggest such gain in 24 years. And the renter household is changing from the “typical” Married couples with children…a growing number of nontraditional households are emerging…single parents, couples without children and empty nesters.

What does that mean for us? It means our industry will be the beneficiary of the new way of rethinking rent. There will continue to be demand for safe and desirable rental housing. And we need the people to help manage, maintain and enhance the value of the rental properties.

But stick with Justin Bieber and Katy Perry…leave my Bret Michaels alone.

I'm a Blog Slacker!

I have much to say and I try to stay on top of my social media networking, but this blog thing has me "whipped!" It's always on my "To Do" list and it's always number one, but I never seem to get to it.

Things have been moving & grooving at D&F. We had our Regional Awards Banquet in Virginia and North Carolina in March. It was wonderful to hear about all the successes and acknowledge the service awards of our long term employees. The Awards Banquet made me proud and warmed my heart. Congrats to all the team members!

Recently I heard a speaker, Don Yaeger, talk about "Greatness," what makes someone great and how you can achieve your own greatness. I would like to share his 16 characteristics of "Greatness" which I keep at my desk to refer to often.

1) It's personal--they hate to lose more than they love to win.

2) Rubbing Elbows--They understand the value of association.

3) Believe--They have faith in a higher power.

4) Contagious Enthusiasm--They are positive thinkers... they are enthusiastic... and that enthusiasm rubs off.

5) Hope for the Best, but prepare for all possibilities before they step on the field.

6) What Off Season? They are always working towards the next game... the goal is what's ahead and there's always something ahead.

7) Visualize Victory--They see victory before the game begins.

8) Inner Fire--They use adversity as fuel.

9) Ice in their Veins--They are risk takers and don't fear making a mistake.

10) When all else fails--They know how and when to adjust their game plan.

11) Ultimate Teammate--They will assume whatever role is necessary for the team to win.

12) Not just about the Benjamins--They don't play just for the money.

13) Do Unto Others--They know character is defined by how they treat those who cannot help them.

14) When No One is Watching--they are comfortable in the mirror... they live their life with integrity.

15) When Everyone is Watching--They embrace the idea of being a role model.

16) Records are made to be Broken--They know their legacy isn't what they did on the field. They are well-rounded.

Are you great? What do you need to do in your personal and professional life to become great?

On another note... it's nice to move into other markets that we have traditionally not been in before... Charleston, SC and Annandale, VA (Northern Virginia). Let's expand our footprint in the southeast!