Well, it's been a week since I predicted the GIANTS would defeat the PATRIOTS in SUPERBOWL 42! Yes, I also said the groundhog would NOT see it's shadow but the GIANTS beat the PATRIOTS!

There is a real estate lesson in the GIANTS win if we choose to look for it:

The PATRIOTS symbolized all the negative press and media attention real estate has been receiving every day, and the GIANTS represented us, the real estate practitioner. All we ever heard was, "The GIANTS don't stand a chance!" And everyone believed what they heard...except the GIANTS!

In the following article from openingdoors.tv, Jacqui Markowitz sums it all up and incorporates the quote of the year from Michael Strahan:

Play like the Giants

By Jacqui Markowitz

Frankly, I was watching 'Notting Hill' again, and flipping over to the Super Bowl occasionally. I guess I'm just a sucker for Hugh Grant, although I must admit Tom Brady does make football a little more entertaining. My husband and my girls are big Patriot fans. Me, I'm really only interested in the stories, how they got started, who they're dating, kind of like 'The National Enquirer' version of football. But, I must admit…thirty-five seconds to go and the New York Giants leap into the lead, leaving Tom and the boys in the "I can't believe this is happening" dust, Hugh and his devastatingly cute British charm took a back seat. This was exciting. This was drama. This was both the ecstasy and the agony of sport, of life. Who would have thought that after a perfect season, and control over most of the game, that in the final seconds of play, New England would loose their game?

Chalk another one up for perseverance, for absolute belief in yourself, determination, for eliminating failure from your vocabulary, and for that undeniable, indescribable, 'it' factor that sometimes enchants your normally predictable world.

Giant's defensive end, Michael Strahan said after the game, "I think if you listen to all the hype, you can talk yourself out of a lot of stuff. I think a lot of teams who played the Patriots just flat-out talked themselves out of it before the game even started." Ahhhh, there are many lessons to be learned here. If we, as real estate professionals listen to all the hype that is exploding from the media about the devastating market conditions and the dismal depletion of buyers and sellers, we wouldn't bother to get out of bed in the morning. Many agents have talked themselves out of the game before they even get going. What we can learn from the Giants is that 'it isn't over 'till it's over…." Despite all the odds, we can still train, prepare, and get out there and steal the win. Get into the game. Leave it all on the field and play from the heart. There are still many, many people who are buying and selling houses so go out there and win.

And now, back to Notting Hill, even Hugh got the girl of his dreams, despite all odds.

Jacqui Markowitz is the Director of Communications for Opening Doors and Frame of Mind Coaching. Please forward any comments to

I would like to thank Jacqui for both her wonderful article and her permission to post it on my blog.

LET'S GO GIANTS!

Jacqui@openingdoors.tv

As we enter the second month of 2008, I remain cautiously optimistic about the future of real estate in Toms River, New Jersey! January proved to be a very productive month for our company, despite the seemingly omni-present negative news stories. We wrote as many contracts this January as we did last; we are reporting good turn-out at our Open Houses; morale is at it's highest level in months and the ground hog will tell us if we're in store for 6 more weeks of winter, or not, tomorrow.

We have noticed a "surge" of new listings in the last month; possibly attributed to the Sellers who took their homes off the market for the holidays coming back on, coupled with the Sellers who want to beat the "Spring Rush" and capitalize on the interest rate cuts. What ever the reason, today's Buyers are in a unique position; a large variety of inventory and historically low interest rates!

As for February 2008; time will tell...but I'm betting the Giants will defeat the Patriots in SUPERBOWL 42 (27-24), the ground hog will NOT see it's shadow and real estate in Toms River, New Jersey, will continue to sell! As Rhonda Byrne wrote in THE SECRET, "Thoughts become things." Let's keep thinking positive thoughts!