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Greetings, All:
Recently a friend asked if and when I would retire from work.
I had to give my answer some thought. It’s not like I have a corporate job or a government position, where I’m guaranteed a pension or retirement fund. I’ve worked basically for myself my entire adult life. Self-employment, or as we say in the biz, being an “independent contractor” has been such a journey of self-discovery, as cliche as that sounds. I mean, we all have bad habits. Some of us procrastinate. We don’t work as hard as we should, or we work too hard. We’re too quick with our temper, we’re too slow to ask for help. The point is, we’re not always what we could be. In some cases, we’re quite messed up; indeed we’re all quite flawed. And when you work for yourself, these flaws manifest themselves in added stress.
I may be one of the few who like going to the office rather than work from home, where distraction and procrastination can be roadblocks to a productive day. I’ve been aware of this weakness for years. It’s a problem when you’re interested in so many things outside of work. But I’ve also always had a growth mindset, a belief that I could change and grow and be not only better at my job, but becoming a better person in the long run. Getting some agency over my thoughts, emotions and responses to life has been a personal, long-term project. Even if I feel like it at times, I never give up. If I didn’t believe I was capable of change, who would? If we don’t believe we’re capable of change then we definitely are not.
Gretchen Rubin, one of the most thought-provoking and influential experts on happiness, talked about one of the things she learned from her former boss, the Supreme Court’s first female justice, Sandra Day O’Connor. Shortly after Gretchen published “The Happiness Project”, she asked O’Connor whom she had clerked for, what is the secret to happiness? O’Connor replied, “The secret to happiness is work worth doing.”
Rather than seek happiness, the wise seek purpose. They’re of service to others. They work on art and make scientific breakthroughs and change people’s lives. They fight for causes. They dedicate themselves to their children. They do their duty. They do work worth doing. The byproduct of which is happiness, joy, contentment, pride, satisfaction, all of those things.
Guess I’m not retiring anytime soon.
Derek, Natalie, Mo & Arwin
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by Patrick Carlisle, Market Analyst for Compass Bay Area
Generally speaking, the market slowed in July, a common seasonal trend, and August is usually one of the quietest months of the year — though last year, a sudden, but short-lived drop in interest rates kindled buyer demand in August. Underlying economic dynamics — interest rates, inflation, financial markets, employment — remain on the same general tracks as in recent months. The Consumer Confidence Index jumped in July, hitting its best reading since October 2021: The Index is now about halfway between its historic low in June 2022 and the pre-pandemic reading in February 2020.
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New Listings | Just Sold | Announcement
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Please join us for our annual PHOTO PARTY where you can get your individual, couple, or family photos taken by Monica May Design, just in time for the holiday cards. Anthony’s cookies and bottled water! Pets welcome!
Please RSVP and reserve your time for a photo here including the # of people in your party. We will then follow up with a waiver required by MMD. Email us if the time slot you want is booked.
Location: Palace Legion of Honor
Date: October 8, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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* The housing market is responding less to traditional seasonal patterns and more to mortgage rates. If rates decline later this year, not only will financing be cheaper, but there may be more homes on the market than is typical outside of the spring/summer. Read Economic Reporter and blogger Aziz Sunderji’s theory HERE.
https://sunderji.substack.com/p/does-seasonality-still-matter-for
* Has the San Francisco Office recovery begun? Demand for offices in the city grew about 10% in the second quarter from the previous 3-month period. Currently, there are at least 10 companies now in search of almost a million square feet of office space mostly focused on AI and life sciences. In NewYork, demand was down nearly 4% from the previous quarter but up 7.4% over the past year. In the past year about 3.3 million square feet of office space has been absorbed in Midtown Manhattan, the most of any city in the US. Next was Nashville at 1.15 million square feet. (Bloomberg)
* A Forbes report concluded that Uber’s prices in the US have increased at four times the rate of inflation from 2018 to 2022. Fares rose a total of 83% over the nearly 4 years ending in Q3 of 2022….more evidence of GREEDflation or because-you-can pricing? (NY POST)
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Save the Redwoods League is now on a mission to raise the $6.5 million needed to acquire 394 acres of the Russian River frontage. However, the acquisition would only be temporary, as the nonprofit organization intends to transfer ownership to Sonoma County.
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The timeworn line of boulders is part of a system of stone walls, the remnants of which stretch along the East Bay hills all the way from Grizzly Peak in Berkeley to where I watched that family tie their shoes at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve above Eastside San Jose.
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Since Compass launched in 2012, we’ve been simplifying the real estate process one community at a time. Today, we have more than 250+ offices extending from coast to coast.
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© Compass 2023 ¦ All Rights Reserved by Compass ¦ Made in NYC
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 1527235, 1527365, 1356742, 1443761, 1997075, 1935359, 1961027, 1842987, 1869607, 1866771, 1527205, 1079009, 1272467. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions. |
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