Ritual of the Red Envelope

Legends Hotel 6, a photo by Andy Cardiff on Flickr.

         I am a Black Hat Sect Feng Shui consultant. I love to watch and experience how energy or ch'i flows in an environment. I also love how well the information, wisdom and knowledge is protected through the ritual of the red envelope. Feng Shui has remained intact for over 4,000 years. Think of how many other cultures, languages and oral histories would still be present if such protective care were taken with them! My teacher, Nancy Santo-Pietro, is such a compassionate person who gives so much to her students. While in her certification course, she asked us to come up with our own way of describing the ritual. Many years later, I can still say hers is the best one I've come across.  On page 145 of her first book, Feng Shui: Harmony by Design, she writes:

When transcendental cures are offered, the giver needs to request of the receiver one, three or nine new red envelopes, depending on how many cures were dispersed. Nine envelopes are usually given to the person with the cures when the receiver wants to express his/her greatest respect and thanks to the giver, but one or three are acceptable of only one or two cures are prescribed. These envelopes can be traditional Chinese red money envelopes (Hong Pao) or any generic red envelope from a local card shop. The important thing is that they were never used before and that after you complete the ritual they will be discarded and never used again. Inside each red envelope is a token monetary gift. The offering can be as little as 5 cents or 1 cent when it is being offered to a nonprofessional. When the envelopes are being presented to a Black Hat Sect Feng Shui expert or consultant, then the practitioner's fee goes inside the one, three or nine red envelopes. After the envelopes are received, before the individual/consultant can spend the money, she or he must sleep with it under his/her pillow or mattress for one night after blessing the envelopes, while reciting the Three Secret Reinforcement. It is important to remember to follow the Red Envelope Ritual, no matter if you share the cures with friends, family or clients. If you find that you are uncomfortable asking for the red envelopes or the person you are sharing these cures with doesn't want to follow through on providing them, then accept those signs as an indication that you are not ready to share these cures and most probably the other individual is not ready to receive the information just yet. Knowing when to help and when not to help is a very valuable and important skill to have. If you take this part of the Feng Shui process seriously, then be patient with yourself and the process - trust that you will know when it's the right time to share the information with others.

         Words to live by. I bring this up because I wrote last week that I would create a Feng Shui analysis for Detroit.  And I'm almost finished - just looking for a way to make a viable, virtual red envelope system. Hopefully within the next few days. I can only describe it as an interesting process.

Can Detroit Move Its People in a Sustainable Way?

Detroit People Mover, a photo by mrkumm on Flickr.

         Another part of my earlier conversation about Detroit real estate investing concerned its rail system. I first needed to get over the shock of its arson problem before I could adequately address it. It led me to wonder: can a big city thrive without a good transit system? Being from NYC, I'm biased and would answer with a resounding "no", but felt the topic needed more investigation.

         Detroit has The People Mover, a small, driverless monorail encompassing the downtown area.  Most of its passengers are tourists, with Saturdays being its heavy day. Considered by some to be "cost inefficient", there are plans to expand its reach. Given all the city's issues, when would be the best time to introduce the expansion, if at all?

         How does Detroit's system compare with others in the U.S.? I found three slideshows depicting the best transportation systems in the country & the world. I must say my Brooklyn pride is a little dented! NYC is ranked #2 in two of them and #7 in the third. US News places us second to Denver, CO (I need a moment). Environmental Graffiti has us second in the world to Hong Kong. And AskMen has the most recent poll and uses criteria such as wi-fi and mobile phone service, cleanliness and safety. Unsurprisingly, Detroit did not appear on any of these polls.

         According to City Solutions a blog created by National Geographic and C40 Cities,  cities across the globe now contain over 50% of the world's population.  By 2050, they will hold 75%. In a recent article, "Unlocking Sustainable Transport Starts with Cities" , a noted point was how can cities "scale up sustainable transportation", an increasing necessity given the growing shift to urban living. Unfortunately, "[all levels of governance], on a daily basis, make investment decisions that threaten to lock new and existing cities into unsustainable patterns". Is Detroit a harbinger in this respect?

         Three ingredient are crucial for success, according to the Science Direct abstract titled "The Key Factors for Providing Successful Public Transport in Low Density Areas in the Netherlands":

1. the presence of financial means
2. cooperation between stakeholders
3. flexible supply of scheduled and on-demand transports.

         The first two may be Detroit's biggest obstacles to overcome. My look at Detroit has been quite revealing thus far; but before I wrap it up, I want to do one more thing - a Feng Shui consultation. As a certified consultant, I rely on them to provide me with the best foundation from which to make decisions.

Until next week...

Can Detroit's Fires Be Put Out?

Detroit fire, a photo by Sam Beebe, Ecotrust on Flickr.

I had an interesting conversation last week about my buying and holding interests in Detroit. I was told about the documentary "Detroit on Fire" by Constance York, a woman who spent about two years talking to the members of the Detroit Fire Department (DFD) and the unprecedented number of fires there. 

According to the film, "there are an estimated 70,000 vacant homes in the city, but the numbers change daily and don't include vacant buildings". Detroit had "approximately 6,500 fires in 2008 with 60% - 70% of them being arson". DFD continuously fights an unusually high number of them on a daily basis, and the numbers increase annually. The setters of these fires are as varied as their motives for setting them. While fire damaged buildings can be part of an investors portfolio - a way to obtain property, rehab it, and then sell or rent it for a profit - Detroit poses a unique problem.

The best strategy might now be to buy, demolish and hold. A maintained vacant lot may be the best way to help rebuild the city. If you choose to demolish a property, please use a reputable demolition company as the unconfirmed conspiracist theory suggests that demolishing a home destroyed by fire is cheaper and simpler than demolishing one untouched by fire, and some companies or individuals may be taking advantage of this. The film states that "in 2010, Detroit was given $24 million in Federal funds to help stabilize neighborhoods.... Mayor Dave Bing reported that 1,800 of these homes were demolished [in 2010]." Demolition makes the city safer overall - less traps, less squatting, less repeat fires. 

A burning Detroit is deeply troubling but not hopeless. Deeply troubling due to the amount of despair; to the "3,000 missing people", including children; to the anger and rage; to its burning for the past 50 − 60 years; to see these Gilded Age structures destroyed; and to seeing Americans suffering this way. Detroit has hope because of the push to rebuild; because it has been done before in other cities; because Earvin "Magic" Johnson has the gift of successfully infusing new life into depressed neighborhood; and because I have a very special place in my heart for firefighters, especially FDNY. Now I've made room for DFD. And thank you, Constance, for doing such a great job with "Detroit on Fire". As investors who solve problems, it's time for us to turn our attention to this American city. May Detroit stop burning very soon.