This past week, interest rates on mortgages broke past the 5% barrier, the highest in almost ten years. The stock market had its biggest two-day drop since the collapse in 2008, and the projected deficit for 2018 was adjusted upward to nearly $1 trillion. Additionally, gas prices are spiking and Ford announced major job cuts. Is this just a short-term adjustment or are we on the verge of an economic meltdown? I think only time will tell, but savvy investors are starting to prepare. My advice is to avoid long-term debt and make sure you have plenty of your assets in highly liquid securities. We are at the tail end of the longest period of growth in U.S. history and whether it’s this year or next, a significant slowdown is coming. You shouldn’t panic, but you don’t want to put yourself in a bad spot. Fortune Magazine had a good article on investing during a recession a couple of months ago. You can see it here.
Over the next 24 months, the real estate and mortgage industries will be challenged like no time in recent history. Companies that have healthy capital reserves and their fixed expenses under control will expand their footprints, and increase market share…Conversely, companies with high fixed expenses, and singular revenue channels will suffer.
Over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak at the T3 Conference in Florida…I surprised the audience when I explained how the issue of diversity has been framed incorrectly, and has for the most part alienated the business community.
When we invited Gary Vaynerchuk to NAHREP at L’ATTITUDE in 2021, I was mostly relying on input from others. Several members loved his content, but the little I saw online left me underwhelmed. However, I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation at our event, particularly his comments about toxic employees, which he says to dump with impunity.