"We're not getting out by Christmas, Deal with it"

Photo by: le faju

I now understand the reasons behind taking the easy way.  Passions that have been domesticated.  It's easy for me to look at people who 'gave up' on their dreams, feeling bad knowing what they could have been.   This market has awaken me to my over confidence- it humbled.  Indeed,It is not easy taking the road less traveled.

JoAnne Correira, the most refreshing agent in Reno, once told Joe and me: 'this down market will separate the men from the boys'.  I grossly underestimated what it meant. I am growing an inch of mustache every fifteen minutes. 

The author's present ranting is not meant to spread gloom.  We have enough of that.  I am recognizing that there is something deeper at play, a conspiracy to push us to the limit.  But why? why do I feel  that somehow this was meant to be.  And for some bizarre reason, deep at the core, I welcome the challenge: ' do your worst...' The thought of finishing this race stronger as ever gives me the chills.  I can't wait.

I am reminded of Jim Stockdale, an eight year prisoner of war at the 'Hanoi-Hilton' prison camp, (though what we are going through does not even remotely come close to what Mr, Stockdale experienced, his story has encouraged me a great deal) :

“I never lost faith in the end of the story,” he said, when I asked him. “I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."

I didn’t say anything for many minutes (Jim Collins speaking), and we continued the slow walk toward the faculty club, Stockdale limping and arc-swinging his stiff leg that had never fully recovered from repeated torture. Finally, after about a hundred meters of silence, I asked, “Who didn’t make it out?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “The optimists.”

“The optimists? I don’t understand,” I said, now completely confused, given what he’d said a hundred meters earlier.

“The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say,‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

Another long pause, and more walking. Then he turned to me and said, “This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

To this day, I carry a mental image of Stockdale admonishing the optimists: “We’re not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!”

 

Comments

[Mark]

A good reminder indeed.

At first, I thought 'oh another rant from an agent, what a surprise'.

But this definitely makes sense. I hope you come out of it alive. Keep doing what your doing.

[Gino]

yeah. I like that story.

Wish he won the vice-presidency.

[David Lorti]

Thanks for the wondeful insights on your market in Reno! As a Realtor in the Phoenix area, we have similar challenges as you likely are aware. I do see opportunities on the buyer side here but the buyer has to be very keen to get a strong value on a property.
In some sense, I look at the foreclosure/short sale market as the antidote to this troubled market. These activities (I'm not ignoring the negative aspects of foreclosures and short sales) will inevitably work to bring prices down to a level that could finally spark greater buyer participation in the marketplace and the market's movement toward equilibrium. This will definitely take some time and to get there means many hardships on the way. But if there is some silver lining to a difficult situation that many feel is inevitable, I think this would be it. Thanks again for your insights and updates. Dave Lorti, www.davelortihomes.com

[Reno Real Estate]

David,

That's an interesting insight.

"I look at the foreclosure/short sale market as the antidote to this troubled market. These activities (I'm not ignoring the negative aspects of foreclosures and short sales) will inevitably work to bring prices down to a level that could finally spark greater buyer participation in the marketplace and the market's movement toward equilibrium."

Yes, I can't wait for that equilibrium to happen. I have a feeling Reno and Phoenix may come to that level at the same time. Hopefully soon.

Your most welcome.