Detroit's Revitalization

detroit riverfront, a photo by grgbrwn on Flickr.

Detroit was on my mind last week as I spent a good part of it analyzing some of its residential properties. I found a handful of promise in only a few. And my small success had me wondering what's the best strategy to use there.

I've lived long enough as an urban denizen to know cities have their share of ups and downs - the bigger cities experience them within their many neighborhoods all the time; and Detroit's plight is well known. The pressing question to be asked is "when will their comeback take effect?". In one year? 10? 20? Or longer?

Buying and holding might be the best bet. The Information Age is taking hold and replacing the manufacturing relics. The Detroit 2.0 Movement and Dan Gilbert of Quicken Loans are working hard and fast to bring the city back to glory.  Magic Johnson has partnered with Detroit Venture Partners to help inject new blood. My most pressing hope is for the crime rate to go down, as that will encourage more people to return. Getting one or more fiscally sensible properties, while watching Detroit's Renaissance take place right before your eyes might be a great experience in and of itself. I think it's time to get my business plan ready.

The Perfect Idea of Money

"The sun radiates just the right amount of heat and light, and we are supplied with the perfect balance of gases in the atmosphere, to support life on Earth. Our planet rotates on its axis with total precision. and without any wear or tear on itself." - Arnold Patent, You Can Have It All

I love this quote because it keeps things in perspective, removes my worries and reminds me of the true nature of perfection. Perfection is not something we have to strive for: it's right here, right now.  Last week's airing of Nova's "Earth from Space" not only reminded me of that tenet of perfection, but expanded it. The data satellites have collected about the role of Antarctica, brine, phytoplankton, lightning, and our magnetic field, to name just a few, is the equivalent of when earlier humans realized the Earth is not flat. Our human role gets highlighted in the end (no spoiler alerts here) and I was left questioning why we humans behave so destructively when we have everything provided for us.

Then I asked myself a question. Why haven't I created everything I've wanted in my life? Well, I'm clear that transmuting what I was taught and exposed to into the thoughts and beliefs that are on par with successful investors and business owners requires a great deal of focus and work. And, I'm eager to experience (and share) that moment when it comes.

I want to purposely create a point where money is generated from my ideas, instead of disproportionately from punching a clock as an employee. This blog seems to be that perfect place, so I applied to Google's AdSense program... and was rejected. At its first tinge, I saw just the rejection. "Why" didn't register right away. I'm guessing it's because I don't have enough traffic yet. I'll figure it all out this week, then try again.

The perfection is revealing itself though: finding out why will show me exactly where I need to go, where more focus is needed. I'll need to make a few adjustments, just as our great planet makes millions of its own. In the meantime, I'll celebrate this moment of perfection with some well-dressed water fowl. Above is a picture of some African Penguins taken at Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium - a nod to our southernmost pole, Antarctica and a first grader's science project.

Until next week...

Just Keep Swimming

I was on the fence about how to return to my blog, being embarrassed about the long delay in my posts. The best thing to do in an instance like this is to just be honest, take responsibility and move on. Here goes: when I make a mistake, I tend to shut down. I'll work on taking time to lament whatever needs lamenting and then getting back to business. Kind of like what I'd do if it didn't work out with a guy I was dating - spend a few days expressing all my feelings and then getting back out there! Life simply happened, and in some instances much larger or horrible than we could ever imagine: Super Storm Sandy and the shooting at Sandy Hook. Two huge opportunities to practice compassion and to re-focus on what's really important - living our lives the best way we know how.

On a positive note, many great things are happening as well. One of my siblings is expecting, I've moved and changed web hosts for my site. The new website is not online yet and I had to change URLs from flowproperties.com to flow-properties.com. It means rethinking and recreating some parts of my company when I liked what I created. I took a fabulous course at the New York Real Estate Institute called Investor Profit Lab. I learned so much! The most important skill I learned was a concrete way to analyze properties. I do 25 per week now! I'm working to getting it to 25 per day.

I have a new accountability partner - Janice Saunders of One Jazzy Life. I've known of Janice since my competitive swimming days. We weren't on the same teams; but when I saw her, another girl of color, tearing it up in the pool I took notice. She received even more of my respect because she was, hands down, much faster than I was. I don't think we ever raced each other in the same heats until the All City Championship of my junior year. We were both in the final heat for the 50 yard freestyle. This race would determine who would be the fastest girls in New York City! And to think, two Black girls up for the title! Alas, tried as I might, I came in fifth. She (correct me if I'm wrong, Janice) came in third. Yes!! Due to my decade of conditioning in the pool, I was okay with the loss because it was a personal best time for me. You win some, you lose some - just never quit. I have been in awe of Janice ever since.

Fast forward some twenty or so years later, I bump into a very familiar looking pharmaceutical rep at the now defunct hospital I was working in. It took me about a week and a conversation with an old high school classmate for me to realize who she was. After hitting me like a lightning bolt, I couldn't wait for her next visit to the hospital. I want to apologize to my former colleagues if we created a scene in the department's hallways. We decided we needed to go to lunch to truly "catch up" and we have been each other's support system ever since. Now if we can just go on a scuba diving trip together -I'm in dire need of a reliable dive buddy. Turns out, Janice has been moving and shaking for quite some time. We're both starting our own businesses, so the timing is perfect. But if you need any kind of coaching, call on Janice, she's a master.

So with new skills, more accountability and new goals, my direction is becoming more clear. My intention is to be consistent. On that note, I'll save next week's post to discuss my new goals. Nothing like a blizzard to get a person to focus inward. Thanks Winter Storm Nemo! See the attached pic for a look at his wrath in New York.