David Rathgeber's

2022 Personal Note

This is written at holiday time with reflection and thankfulness. Life is good, but 2022 was one of the slowest of YFiRE's 35 years. The unprecedented rise in mortgage rates shocked our entire market, and finding that my number of friends in real estate was somewhat fewer than I imagined put the icing on the cake. But many do remember me, and some have progeny who are now buying homes. A few have told two friends, and hopefully they will tell two friends. A few new folks find me on the internet, so I'm still paying cash at the Giant. That's my logo on the right; it was once my photo. →

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 Northern Virginia Community College, TV appearances, and speaking engagements. Major media have serialized two of my books and published many 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 third book, Agent's Guide to Real Estate, has been featured by the National Association of Realtors and I have given talks at their national convention. →

THE RECENT PAST
Amazon selected Crystal City, my backyard, for its second headquarters. In response, I updated my Buying a Home in Northern Virginia book and did an entire rewrite of $elling Your Home in Northern Virginia. Both books are on Amazon Kindle, but for you they are free: Just click on the menu to the left! But it's been slow going on Amazon's planned 25,000 new jobs: I think they're only up to 4,000, and recently announced a hiring freeze!

I created a website, eclipseinfo.net, for residents of the Eclipse condo in Crystal City. A page for parking space rentals was a big hit, as was a page detailing units sold since the Amazon announcement. I also developed an algorithm to estimate the market value of all 464 units. This was an interesting mathematical exercise involving matrix inversion and auto-dithering to ensure accuracy.

Many of you shared days on the Lady Katie in the Chesapeake Bay as well as in the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras. But my SEO-tuned website found her a new owner in Montauk, New York. We enjoyed 14 fun-filled years, and I still fish in the Chesapeake Bay, out of Palm Beach, and with Captain Greg, star of the NatGeo TV series Wicked Tuna Outer Banks. I'll fish with Greg again in May 2023. →

My four-meeting home-selling course for George Mason University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute was offered virtually, and 45 students enrolled. My talk on home-buying was presented in person at George Mason University's Arlington campus for its Money Smart Day program and also was streamed to a few other audiences.

My main website, DrRealEstate.net, has a mobile-friendly version. There also is a website for real estate investors. For a change of pace, see the collection of my grandfather's Christmas poems (1928 to 1969), which includes photos like the 1895 family home on the right. No, that's not me on the porch. My father's Christmas poems (1945 to 1990) also are available. My next Christmas poem will be my very first, but don't hold your breath. A Family Archives photo assay, beginning in 1891, includes a 2019 addition: Wyatt.

See my about page for links to several videos.

THE FUTURE
In response to the wild spring market of 2021 I created a novel, data-based method to help home buyers win their home of choice and beat others trying to buy the same home. My idea found favor with fishing friend and syndicated real estate columnist, Lew Sichelman, and was featured in major newspapers nationally; details are here. This idea will be highlighted in my talk for George Mason University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in February 2023.

Meanwhile, it is a joy to be remembered by my friends in real estate when it's time to buy and sell again. Please mention Your Friend in Real Estate to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is buying or selling a home. A friend of yours is always a friend of mine. Can you scan the QR code with your phone? As you see, it appears on my yard signs. →

Here's hoping my 2023 calendar is on your fridge and that you are sharing the Local Market Report with friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers, as well as complete strangers. The Report often includes personal messages, tips, and Miscellanea, along with timely real estate topics.

It was a pleasure to see the multitude of responders to my email-deliverability request in the monthly Report. And special thanks to all who have helped me meet new friends at the Middleburg Races, on the Bay, and at your social events. Let's get together to fish or cut bait, have lunch or dinner, or even buy and sell homes. Call or text 703 434 0773 or email yfire1@gmail.com. Onward and upward!

With very best fishes,

Your Friend in Real Estate
Serving you and your friends since 1987

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AFiRE — Florida-licensed real estate broker
A Friend in Real Estate, LLC

YFiRE — Virginia-licensed real estate broker
Your Friend in Real Estate, LLC




* Copyright © David Rathgeber *
* * All rights reserved. * *