April 2023

If you’ve read any of my monthly newsletter intros, it will come as no surprise that beyond selling real estate, I often talk about subjects close to me – bits of wisdom learned and little tips that have helped me make my way through this life.

I’ve sold millions upon millions of dollars of real estate, on my own and with my business partners over my career. And as much as I love what I do, I consciously determined early on that being a Realtor is what I did for a living, but I’d rather it didn’t define me. My epitaph won’t read, “Here Lies Derek Chin, Realtor…Gee, he sold a bunch of real estate”, lol. I’ve been blessed with a job that has a profound effect on the lives of others. I help people accomplish goals by making great transitions in their lives, and the results are long-lasting. When I take time to reflect on where I’ve been and what I’ve done, I wonder if this was always to be my journey. 

Given this is Holy Week, and Sunday (April 9th) is Easter Sunday, I hope you’ll indulge my foray into something of a spiritual nature. This is also a week I learned of the passings of a client, and the father of a client-turned-friend, and this intro is in remembrance of them. 

The concept of “spiritual beings having a physical experience” is a popular idea in many spiritual and philosophical traditions. It suggests that at the core of our being, we are not just physical bodies but also spiritual entities, and that our purpose on Earth is to learn and grow through our physical experiences.

Proponents of this idea often believe that the spiritual aspect of our being is eternal and transcendent, existing beyond the limitations of time and space. They see the physical world as a temporary and limited expression of this deeper spiritual reality, and view our physical bodies as vessels through which we can experience and interact with the world around us.

Some spiritual traditions also suggest that our physical experiences are part of a larger spiritual journey or evolution, and that we are here to learn specific lessons or overcome particular challenges in order to progress spiritually. This may involve developing qualities such as compassion, forgiveness, or gratitude, or overcoming negative tendencies such as fear, greed, or attachment. 

In addition, some proponents of this idea believe that our physical experiences are ultimately illusory, and that the true nature of reality is spiritual and transcendent. They may view the physical world as a sort of dream or illusion, and suggest that our true identity and purpose can only be found through spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, or self-inquiry. As a follower of the Christian faith, the idea of a soul or spirit is central to the concept of salvation, which is the process of becoming closer to God and achieving spiritual enlightenment.

Overall, the concept of “spiritual beings having a physical experience” is a complex and multifaceted idea that has been explored in many spiritual and philosophical traditions. While there may be differing beliefs and interpretations, this idea suggests that there is more to our existence than just our physical bodies, and that our time on Earth is an opportunity to learn and grow on a deeper spiritual level. This view can offer both comfort and challenges to those who explore it. It encourages us to view ourselves and others as more than just physical entities, and to embrace the deeper aspects of our existence.

Finally, I leave you this month with the poem “Awakened” by the late Polish Nobel laureate poet Czeslaw Milosz: “In advanced age, my health worsening, I woke up in the middle of the night, and experienced a feeling of happiness so intense and perfect that in all my life I had only felt its premonition. And there was no reason for it. It didn’t obliterate consciousness; the past which I carried was there, together with my grief. And it was suddenly included, was a necessary part of the whole. As if a voice were repeating: “You can stop worrying now; everything happened just as it had to. You did what was assigned to you, and you are not required anymore to think of what happened long ago.” The peace I felt was a closing of accounts and was connected with the thought of death. The happiness on this side was like an announcement of the other side. I realized that this was an undeserved gift and I could not grasp by what grace it was bestowed on me.”

Happy Easter,

Derek, Natalie, Mo & Arwin

Written April 6, 2023

We were honored to host a heartfelt and joyous celebration dinner with our clients, the Pinos, a beloved San Francisco family who are entrusting us with the sale of their cherished family home in Noe Valley.  As they embark on new adventures, including one of them moving to Colorado, we wanted to express our gratitude and bid them farewell in style.  

Our evening was spent at the iconic Original Joe’s, where we savored delicious cuisine and shared laughter and stories of San Francisco lore. We also reminisced about the Pinos’ fondest memories of growing up in their beloved home, adding an extra layer of warmth to the night.  

We were delighted to be joined by Annelle and her husband Gary, longtime friends of the Pinos who kindly referred them to us. Lisa Pino, Dan’s wife, captured the moment in this photo.  

This celebration was a reminder of why we are grateful to do what we do and the meaningful relationships we have built along the way. We raise a toast to the Pino family and all of our wonderful clients, past and present.  Cheers to a bright future filled with new adventures and endless possibilities!

🥂.

* habitableliving.com allows you to type in an address and see how a property may be exposed to fire, flood, drought, and heat risk. These days evaluating risk can  impact long-term valuation as well as monthly costs as it relates to potential repairs and insurance costs.

* Not sure if you see the irony in this, but……META is spending billions to develop its  virtual reality world – the METAVERSE – but insists its workers must be in the office physically for at least 3 days per week as coming together fuels creativity and collaborative, quicker solutions and results…… huh?  So the rest of us can be inefficient and ineffective on the Metaverse? Didn’t everyone resent wearing masks, and now they are supposed to wear a big, bulky headset all day?

* The Fed has been so focused on curbing inflation that it has essentially ignored the risks of its policy of raising rates more quickly than at any point in history. It has acted as if inflation is such a threat to financial stability that it lost sight of the fact that fighting inflation can if pursued in too draconian a fashion, can itself be a threat to financial stability. (TIME)

* Around the US homeowners have been alarmed by massive home insurance rate hikes as new bills arrived in recent weeks, some higher by as much as 50%-plus. Sharply higher replacement costs as construction costs soar, combined with claims abuses and climate-related risk increases are contributing to this….along with some good old-fashioned price gouging as there is reduced competition. (PS: check out recent earnings reports of insurance companies if you have any doubts….)