“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” - Abraham Maslow Listening to the news and political rhetoric during this election season, one might think the “sky is about to fall,” suggesting we may find it easier...

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayanna knew life is built on the foundation of history. We can either learn from it and have an easier path or ignore it and suffer. A common question we hear is about future home values. To...

A question we often hear is ‘when is the right time to move?’ hoping to maximize opportunity with timing. The best answer is simply when your lifestyle demands. Yet for those who have a choice with timing there are plenty of things to consider. It’s easy to be...

We hear it often; technology is changing everything. Tradition is old fashioned and no one does that anymore. What we sometimes forget is that we are human. AI cannot reproduce that, and nothing will replace person to person communication. We watch and listen while...

One can argue the principal force with immigration to the New World in the nineteenth century was freedom and the right to own land, which seldom happened in Europe for commoners. Homesteaders had a dream of owning 160 acres. It was free and they only needed to find a...

There are many people who fail to look at the future. They ignore the past, live in the present without thought, and discount both as they move forward. Learning from history teaches us what has worked and what hasn’t. The present allows us to analyze where we are...

Imagine an early spring morning, temperature in the 70’s, sun is shining, easy breeze from the south, birds singing, and buds starting to open. It’s a refreshing day. Imagine this scenario as an analogy of our present economic position. The policies enacted last year...

A close friend of mine, who is a recovering alcoholic, said, ‘if you go to the barber shop often enough, you are bound to get a haircut.’ In other words, if you go to the bar often, you will eventually have an alcohol drink. Behavior always determines the outcome....

2025 was a mixed bag for the real estate market. Some people postponed their dream and comfort. They are concerned about politics, economics, and/or timing. When surveyed, about 50% of the people like what the Trump administration is doing and 50% don’t, which...

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Words handed down to us from the Founding Fathers provides a road map for a good life. Regardless of how idealistic or difficult, it’s worth the effort. ‘In Pursuit of Happiness” advances a question of what defines it? The...

The definition of a leader varies, depending on your references. In my world of real estate, a successful leader is one who helps others enjoy a better life by guiding them. It begins with vision and requires good coaching and management skills. The leader is the...

Have you noticed that some people are always happy, while others are grumpy? And some people appear to have good fortune while others have bad luck that sticks to them like glue? It is interesting to watch two people experience the same event where one accepts it...

The Sioux Empire has enjoyed many years of a solid housing economy, increasing household incomes, and low cost of living. Today we are showing signs of fatigue. Prices and sales are flat, year over year. Homeowners are wondering what’s happening. It’s complicated, but...

God give me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Originally written by Reinhold Niebuhr, an American Reformed theologian and professor. For many, these words couldn’t be more...

of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this...

In visiting with financial advisors, bankers, and businesspeople, plus reading or listening to numerous pundits, I hoped to get a consensus on the state of the economy and what to expect with interest rates. Not surprising, there isn’t a consensus. The answers...

Many people didn’t see it coming, the beginning of a real estate crash in 2006. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the primary buyers of mortgage loans, started taking no document loans with no money down. People who couldn’t afford to buy, bought, and investors piled on...

In 1969 the Beatles sang a catchy tune from the Abbey Road album, with upbeat lyrics projecting an era of peace, love, and good times. I heard it on the radio the other day and found it to be a relief from the gloomy daily news, “sun, sun, sun, here it comes.” Those...

Working as a busboy in a local restaurant, I observed a table of seasoned men discussing business, politics, and the economy; each statement embellished with life stories. It was 1965, Beadle County, which was comprised mostly of farm-based Democrats - John F. Kenedy...

A few weeks ago, America turned another page in history with the changing of the guards. The media speculates on what will happen with the new administration. Interestingly, polls state 46% of the people are afraid. Hopefully, fear and anticipation will diminish soon....

Some people are disappointed at the end of the year, they didn’t get what they wanted, and yet there are others who celebrate success. Surprisingly, each got what they planned to get. Having a dream and wondering why it never comes true is not uncommon. A dream is...

This quote is from Dan Sullivan, the founder of Strategic Coach, a high-income entrepreneurial coaching program based in Chicago. Dan meets every quarter with 40 entrepreneurs from around the world to discuss ideas for growth and performance. This day’s session was...

Sadly, we hear too many people tell us they will do something, and they don’t, or tell us one thing and do the opposite, or think we should believe what they tell us even though we know it’s not true. My father reminded me, as I approached adulthood, to “judge people...

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana Home values have increased on a steady path for decades in the Sioux Empire. Outside of a few economic crashes, we haven’t seen any significant decline since 1983, nor does it look like...

When things aren’t going our way it’s not uncommon for us to complain or look for someone to blame. A sad thing about human nature is we seldom look at situations without bias. This is a protective instinct handed down since the beginning of time. We judge situations...

Most people think the American Dream, in part, is owning a home. For many others it’s Freedom. In my world, we think of them as working together. They both require mature behavior. When I hear someone say they can’t afford to buy a house, I question what their...

We hear that buyers can’t afford to buy a home today; homes are unaffordable because of mortgage rates and home prices. If we look deeper at the financial picture, one can see the misnomer and will conclude not only can they buy, but they should buy as much as they...

Migration to America began hundreds of years ago, and it continues. There are many reasons for it; freedom, financial, religion, famine, and real estate ownership were, and are, some of the motivating factors. A chance to create a better life is the dream. The New...

When someone begins to look for a different home, they often start by going to open houses or searching online, hoping to find what they think they want. In reality, they are looking because they don’t like what they have. We subconsciously dislike our existing home...

The start of a new year is an intriguing event. We are either excited, apathetic, or disappointed with last year’s conclusion. It’s interesting, when asked, people tell me they got what they thought they would. It’s like they created a self-fulling prophecy. So, does...