Why is self-agency the optimal word for commercial real estate finance in 2024? “Retail property owners holding loans that are set to mature in this higher interest rate environment are bracing for impact,” according to ICSC, an industry-leading publication. “Borrowers will feel the pain of more expensive capital and tighter credit, and pockets of distress will emerge among weaker assets.” In fact, $540.6 billion in commercial mortgages will mature in 2024. Thus, I’m putting self-agency at the center of the new year for my business.
My industry, commercial real estate finance, is grappling with 21-year high rates, rising costs and lending restrictions. How do we face these challenges in the midst of our new reality? Perhaps the key here, like the caterpillar, is acceptance. How often do we ignore and deny, obfuscate and distract from what is right in front of us? The solution all along is to accept and push forward, strengthen business relationships and collaborate on new deals.
As I continue to grow my business, I’m astonished to see how my connections – colleagues, friends, co-workers, firms, lenders – are the lifeblood of commercial real estate finance. I’m reminded of a quote from Desmond Tutu, celebrated activist from South Africa and author of…
With nearly 20 years in commercial real estate finance, I recently launched my own company – Brand Capital, Inc., a full-service commercial real estate mortgage brokerage firm – and I’m discovering new ways to succeed and how to better serve my clients and community. My new business has me thinking: How do I redefine my idea of…
Elizabeth Gilbert, famed author of the most beloved Eat, Pray, Love, writes a book about the audacity to live a creative life. The title, Big Magic, is just that: a bold step to connect with your inner creativity alive in us all and share it with the world. No matter your background, Liz’s advice is simple yet profound – get started and let creativity flow from you.
Wherever You Go, There You Are is about meditation practice itself. It deconstructs the true nature of meditation and its powerful precepts for transforming your daily life. Read it once for the knowledge you will gain about meditation and a second time for the wisdom it portends for a happier, healthier lived experience.
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha is about making peace with yourself. This powerful book asks us to use the teachings of Buddhism to pause, look within, and find the truth of our lives. When we do that, author Tara Brach promises, we reach our greatest potential — in the boardroom, at home and everywhere in between.
I picked this book up and couldn’t put it down. I was so moved by the stories of these two great men – who faced insurmountable odds in their lifetimes – and still found ways to reach for happiness. The Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu are spirit guides for having the courage to choose joy.
A banker friend of mine pointed me toward this book that I find to be a wholehearted piece of writing. I recommend this book to anyone on a journey of the self, looking for joy in an increasingly busy world. The core truth of this book is that we are all connected by the same thing: the soul, the center of our being, that yearns to be free.
Have you ever had a dream that won’t seem to go away? Years may pass and yet you come back to it in your mind through little reminders along your path. “Life happens” as they say and the dream becomes long-deferred, put off for the right time or the right moment. But your dream – whether to start a company, travel extensively or invest in commercial real estate – is the key to a creative life. Creativity is the conduit to soul connection, a feeling of purpose and meaning. “A creative life is an amplified life,” writes Elizabeth Gilbert, celebrated author of Big Magic. “It’s a bigger life, a happier life, an expanded life, and a hell of a lot more interesting life.”