About Me

Just what is  “A Stand-up Guy”?

Before I get to that, let me introduce myself. I have been a Real estate Broker since 1992. I have had as many as six offices in Florida and 40 plus agents working with me. I specialize in relationship sales and investment and second homes. I have been immersed in real estate since my first Al Lowery course when I was in my early 20’s. I’m now in my 60’s. I am aCertified Mentor and a coach, a real estate broker, a landlord, a real estate investor, father and grandfather, and  a devoted husband to Gail.

Right now, I’m in the middle  of reading a biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Varge, (2015 Harper Collins). It is a book that is hard to put down. I am learning more about this fascinating man and why so many people admire him. And as I tend to do, I am relating these things to my business and life.  Elon is what my friends and I would call a “stand- up guy”. Elon Musk, however,  has added a depth to this expression that really adds a new dimension to the label. Elon Musk is a stand-up guy with a vision that surpasses most mortals. 

Before I get to Musk and his vision, let’s talk a bit about promises and commitment. Promises are a great deal easier to make than commitments. A commitment is an action taken in support of a promise, a vision, or a goal.  I may promise to sell your house, but I will commit to a plan that you and I draw up together. People who are not “stand up” make promises that fall when resisted by predictable obstacles; obstacles like work, too much effort, or third-party influences like faulty alarm clocks. True commitments, however,  over-ride short term obstacles and stand tall over time.

People that prove, over the long term, that they keep promises and make commitments, will build personal integrity and a reputation of reliability. You and I both know who those people are in our lives. These are the people that we count on. 

“If he says he will be there, he will be there,” might be heard about those people. 

People like this are important to me and I respect them. In fact, I seek them out in my real estate business and am drawn to them in my personal life.

I’m also drawn to people with a vison, people like Elon Musk and indeed the founder of EXP Realty (The cloud based company I worked  with)  like Glenn Sanford. If I understand the vision of someone, I can better understand their ability to commit to a task at hand. These people will be guided by an overriding sense of the steps that are needed to achieve their goal.  Goal driven people tend build principles by which they will use to make decisions in their life and business. If I understand their principals, I understand what I can ask them to commit to and I will have a pretty good idea if they will perform. 

I can’t ask someone to promise to do something unless I know their vision, or I know they understand and support mine.

Now back to Elon Musk’s vision. According to Ashlee Vange, “Musk wants to….well… save the human race from self-imposed or accidental annihilation”. 

Wow.

To accomplish this,  Musk has committed to accomplishing what others believe is the impossible: Colonize Mars, Tunnel under the earth, Make an all electric car. Buy Twitter! 

When you understand the depth of his vision and his commitments to achieving his vision you better understand the man’s drive and what he might appreciate in others. He has great respect for people that stand up under adversity for what they believe in.

If a proposed plan does not support the vision, its success is not likely. 

Integrity is built, not declared.  Integrity is built not by promises, but by promises turned into commitments, and, over time, they prove integrity.

I have been in real estate in since my early 20s.   My commitment to informing and satisfying my customers comes from a passion for what I do. If I can help you become a value investor or help buy or sell real estate, please let me know. Need to plan your retirement or vacation home? Email me. Let us talk.