Personal Note history

HISTORY
In 1985, I decided to end a rewarding career in industry to gain control over the future. How can one trade in a 22-year engineering and management career for the great unknown? There were resources to ensure the family would have food, shelter, and college tuition for Neen and Davey. And I believed I had whatever it would take to meet a new challenge and again be a winner. →

With my decision made, I sold my sportfishing boat and prepared a spreadsheet to plot a new course: Over a dozen possibilities were analyzed; McDonald's and AAMCO franchises, marinas, a flirtation with inventing, and several real estate related ventures. The diversity of real estate seemed appealing, and it would be a logical step into home building for an engineer with an MBA. So I took the courses and exam, gave notice to Mobil Oil, and joined Long & Foster Realtors in 1987.

Just before I left, Mobil announced plans to transfer its New York headquarters to Virginia. Insider trading? In the first 3 years, I sold more homes than the average agent does in decades. But the early 1990s was not the time for my home building venture; the real estate boom of the late 1980s had come to an end.

Meanwhile, I developed unique ideas about how an agent can provide a systemic advantage. My technical background was invaluable in developing a data-based system that inspired trust. My methods and message began diverging from "what everybody knows." This led to my first home selling book in 1993; an updated free edition is available here.

The book helped convey critical details to home sellers and led to the home buying book, courses at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, TV appearances, and speaking engagements. Major media have serialized two of my books and published dozen of my articles. My unique ideas also have been covered in major newspapers coast to coast.

My articles on negotiating, market statistics, and other topics have appeared in the national REALTOR Magazine and elsewhere. My Agent's Guide to Real Estate book has been featured by the National Association of Realtors, and I have given talks at its national convention. →

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