I’ve noticed that“Uncertain Times” is the preferred media title for this pickle we’re in. It’s almost as if there’s something different going on. My observation of the world during my lifetime has always been best described as “Uncertain Times”. While studying the variety of “origin stories” while in School, it seems that ALL times have been uncertain. History reports troubling happenings replete with things like ” UNIVERSE BIG BANG” – Self-organizing matter mystically creating life on this planet – God creating all that is – The appearance of animals and humans and vegetation – civil unrest – Natural disasters – WARs aplenty – Famines – Plagues – Political unrest” . . . all leading to my primary question: When has there EVER been anything akin to “Certain Times”? Times when everything ... 04/07/2020

You’re Invited: Optimizing YourSelfOur Theme:Living your unique purpose Let’s make lemonade with these lemons . . . Re-creating (y)our SELF on purpose as we practice quarantine The covid-19 virus has imposed upon us a sabbatical.What if we were to use this “opportunity” to work on our SELF?How can we (YOU) improve (y)our way of living? I believe we can all re-create ourselves during this time of quarantine such that, when we regain our freedom to physically congregate, we will be able to do so with a better overall quality of life. Having been forced to pause our frenetic life-styles, let’s use this mandated siesta to re-program priorities such that we live in FLOW rather than “in URGENT?” You are invited to this 5 day ZOOM expedition to explore issues and opportunities relating to our ... 04/06/2020

Call it whatever you want . . . Lead Generating Connecting Wellness Check-in Follow up Good will ambassador In times like this, hearing “I was just thinking about you” can LITERALLY be a life-saver. Perhaps you’re thinking about what you “should” say. My response to this is: “as little as possible” . . . With genuine empathy, a good start is something simple . . . “How are you doing with all of this craziness?” No script would do this call any justice – Just listen and be present for as long as this person needs. Validate their feelings and assure them that, while they are physically isolated, this is a temporary condition and that you are here for them. What fears are present? Physically SMILE throughout EVERY call – It’s contagious! “It’s not what you say, it’s how you make them feel”... 04/02/2020

The Lead Did Not Follow UpIf you are “in sales” and you have an expectation of immediate gratification follow initial contact with a lead, I recommend you find a different career. But then . . . Here’s the crux of the problem . . . It’s arguable that ALL of us are “in sales” We are “selling ourselves” – who we are – what we do – when – how – to those we serve. So – Sales person – How DARE you expect your prospect to follow up with you? This egomaniacal approach is a recipe for Skinny kids. WAKE UP! Your job is simple and to the point. Meet as many of the right people you can each and every day. “Right people” are ALL of the humans who want or need this service or product you’re peddling . . . AND/OR . . . well connected humans who might know other people (Family, friends, work associate... 04/01/2020

 Well . . . Seems COVID-19 is hitting the reset button for most of the world. What’s most eerie about this for me is the deafening absence of any signs of CHAOS. We’re all in our “Safe Places” . . . taking shelter from an enigmatically pesky little virus fabled to have been unleashed by a vendor at a Marketplace in the Chinese City of Wuhan. The agility and creativity of this virus is nothing short of mind-boggling for ALL of the “experts” . . . As time passes, it morphs – Seems to behave differently in different places. While it appears to be particularly lethal for frail elderly folks and/or people with “compromised” immune systems, it strikes down some people who, by all medical standards, are as healthy as oxen. Our best game plan is a DEFENSIVE approach. The focus is to deny as man... 03/31/2020

Posted byBarry Owen March 27, 2020 Leave a commenton What the world needs now EditWhat the world needs now Two amazing performances to lift your Spirit during uncertain times. More of this and less of that other stuff, and we WILL prevail! With Love, b 03/27/2020

Making Lemonade with these LemonsFor the past few weeks, I’ve been VERY busy talking Realtors “off the ledge” as the reality of the COVID19 “LOCKDOWN” sets in.  The world is NOT going to end! This WILL pass! NOW is the best time EVER to crank up the volume in terms of reaching out to your family, friends, acquaintances, current and former clients, new and old leads and prospects.Believe it or not, most of the people you know are VERY interested in how this pandemic is affecting the Real Estate market. The stability of Our industry is important in ALL kinds of economic climates.  After all, we’re ALL in the same “quarantine,” albeit in our own abodes. Let’s shift perspective and find some GOOD possibilities. Within your communication with your peeps, put on your Doctor/Patient bedside ma... 03/26/2020

 When winter creeps over our gardens with its freezing temps and blankets of snow, it doesn’t mean we can’t keep some greenery to spruce up the place states Dennis Sons of Tn Nursery, a large mail-order nursery in Tennessee! Browse our favorite winter-friendly plants below (some are ideal for Tennessee gardens) and see what works in your neck of the woods!   Christmas Rose/Lenten RoseIf you love pretty winter blossoms of pink, red, purple, white, green, and sometimes even black, then give these plants a glance. If you’re shopping at the right time, you’ll be able to choose yours while they’re in bloom to be sure to get your favorite color. Known as the Helleborus, this plant’s blossoms will start peeking in late winter, so be sure to plant them where you can enjoy them the most -- a win... 03/15/2020

What is “Affordable Housing” to you? Is it houses priced under $150,000 – or $300,000 – or $500,000 – or anything under $1,000,000? Is there a commonly accepted definition of “Affordable Housing”? What if we were to switch the words to be “Housing Affordability”? I found this “stab” at a definition on the HUD site from the EDGE on-line magazine. Defining Housing Affordability (Hit this link for the full article) ” Housing programs in the United States have long measured housing affordability in terms of percentage of income. In the 1940s, the maximum affordable rent for federally subsidized housing was set at 20 percent of income, which rose to 25 percent of income in 1969 and 30 percent of income in 1981. Over time, the 30 percent threshold also became the standard for owner-occupied h... 03/10/2020

A Time for Coming Together  SO much has happened in the past 6 days, and I am in deep appreciation of the generous people of Nashville. An AMAZING amount of “recovery” has been accomplished in a crazy short time. We know this is only the beginning of healing, and we are keeping our ears open for additional needs out there that we can participate in fulfilling.Sherry and JR, Anna, my friend Ernest, and I tackled a Hermitage neighborhood on Saturday with 3 chain saws – We did an amazing amount of clean up in @ 4 hours and stopped when 2 of the 3 chain saws quit working.If you are here in Middle Tn and are participating in the clean up, PLEASE report your hours worked at Hands on Nashville – These hours recorded will positively affect the Federal funding Here we are #NASHVILLESTRONG Last w... 03/09/2020

Welcome to March! Below is a message I sent to my SOI - A weekly email every Monday morning   Yesterday, I declared it to be SPRING in Owen hollow. Yep! I hung the Hummingbird Feeder and spent the weekend tidying up the many fallen limbs and sticks. This is a very serious and intentional process of gathering the scattered debris into piles all over the property . . . and then went about the laborious task of moving them all to the Fire Pit area. this is a Spring ritual for me. It’s a very deliberate process – Gather – Move – Process . . . The process part is sorting kindling from logs which I cut to 18 inches . . . and then stack all of it and cover with plastic. That wood will dry out over time. I have 4 of these piles accumulated over the 4 years of my working this land. I get great p... 03/02/2020

A crisis is brewing as our economy continues to thrive. From the perspective of this long-time Principal Broker here in Middle Tennessee, the massive increase of newly licensed real estate sales agents is creating potentially terrifying conditions for uninformed home Buyers and Sellers. We REALTORS (Members of the local, state, and National Associations of Realtors) are deemed to be “professionals” in our practice of representing Home Buyers and Sellers. Most professions “subscribe” to a Code of Ethics, but many are “aspirational” and inert. Ethics – The Realtor Code of Ethics differs from ethical codes in most other professions because it is ENFORCEABLE by the Realtor membership. Realtors “Police” each other and the general public can file grievances. The original intent of our COE was... 02/28/2020

7908 Oakfield Grove Drive in Brentwood Tn 37027 is now under contract first day on market. This 2210 square feet home with all the bedrooms on the main floor was in immaculate condition and the interest from prospective buyers was immediate.Homes in Brentwood of this size and price range are hard to find, and this home should be a good investment for years to come.Search for Brentwood TN homes for sale here.Benchmark realty can assist buyers in all forms of Nashville relocation needs including new construction houses, condos, townhouses, for sale by owner homes, residential lots, townhomes, lofts, and new homes in various subdivisions across the Nashville Metro region.information on this page is based on information on single family homes for sale in Nashville Davidson county per the Na... 02/27/2020

If you've been considering a move lately, now is about as good as we've seen it in several years. You can expect to get top dollar for most Nashville real estate, and you will probably get the lowest mortgage rate in your life. The only downside is that whatever you decide to purchase will also be a high price.The Nashville real estate market is very active and the global concern for the Corona virus has drive bond prices up and rates down. It's a good time to take advantage of the gift of low rates if you were already considering a move.Search for Nashville Real Estate for sale here  Information on this page is based on information on single family homes for sale in Nashville Davidson county per the Nashville Multiple Listing Services, Inc. and is deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. T... 02/27/2020

Let’s spice up our way of living with a radically different perspective. Each of us has our own, unique routine which we might find dull and monotonous. Alarm goes off – hit snooze twice – feet hit the floor and stumble into the bathroom for cleaning and grooming – Walk the dogs – prepare, then consume breakfast and COFFEE – Drive to the office, and proceed to have the “same day” as the day before . . . more of the same every day. YAWN! There’s GOT to be more to life than THIS, Right? Well . . . there IS more to life, and I believe every one of us was born with vibrant living in our DNA. Tapping into this exciting way of living is WAY easier than you might think. This strategy does not include therapy of any kind . . . no need for re-programming any brains . . . because it’s already bak... 02/27/2020

The Nashville Real Estate Market is Still Hot - Home sales continue to increase inventory continues to shrink and as you would expect, prices continue to rise. 2152 homes closed during the month of January compared to 1888 for the same month last year an increase of 14% 6588 single family homes are currently listed for sale in Nashville compared to 7702 last year, an inventory reduction of 17% the median price of Nashville homes sold was $305,000 compared to $293,650 the previous January an increase of 4% the absorption rate of homes based on January sales and current inventory is still only 3 months Nashville real estate is in a very active sellers market with inventory levels still excessively low in most areas. Find the value of your Nashville home here Nashville real estate values,B... 02/18/2020

There’s a veritable trifecta of good Mojo Happening in the next 30 days By trade, I am Principal Broker/Owner of Pareto Realty With great passion, I serve the Vital Few members (Real Estate Sales Professionals) by offering them unfettered access to me for training, coaching, consoling, celebrating . . . We're like family, and I'm always hopeful that more agents will find themselves attracted to join us.   I also serve Home  Buyers and Sellers, who come to me by way of repeat and referral business from my Sphere of Influence - I don't "compete" with my agents for "new business.   With all of that having been said, what REALLY gets me excited are those times I have the honor to enhance other people's quality of life . . . and the next 30 days will be VERY full of those opportunities.   LU... 02/17/2020

Balance is an illusion. When we shift our mindset from “Life Balance” to “Life Rhythm”, AMAZING things begin to happen. We find ourselves getting more done with less effort. The right people start showing up in the right places at EXACTLY the right times. It is when we understand the Law of Least Effort powered by the sole principle of focusing on The Vital Few, we will have the most fantastic moments of flow . . . effortless productivity. This isn’t VOODOO . . . It’s as simple as caring for Whole Self first by aligning with our Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Social, & Emotional well being. In preparation for the upcoming World Happiness Fest 2020 – Nashville Agora, I am offering this opportunity to do some awesome “mindset” work. Initially created to help REALTORS live better lives, this... 02/14/2020

BREAKING NEWS!Because we ALL live on Planet Earth, I deem this post worthy in a Real Estate forum :-) Barry Owen and Joe Brodnicki will co-host the World Happiness Festival Nashville Agora (Tennessee USA) March 16-22, 2020. As one of the 60 AGORAS in the world, the Nashville AGORA will be conspicuously NOT like the others. Why and how will our AGORA be unique? We’ve “broken the mold” with an absolutely ridiculous scheme to blend Open Space Technology with World Happiness, and we know in our hearts that this is a match made in Heaven. Who are we? Barry Owen owns and operates Pareto Realty, a boutique Real Estate Sales Firm in Nashville, TN. Barry is a Native Nashvillian. In his lifetime, Barry has lived a multifaceted career path from Restaurant management – to 12 years as an US Army Com... 01/31/2020

Real estate sales professionals are the “Quarterbacks” on the home sale team. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 42 people participate in every transaction – Buyers – Sellers – Lenders – Appraisers – Title Companies – Contractors – Inspectors and the list goes on including all of the staff of all of these players. So . . . technically, every transaction is its own 42ish person organization (team). All of these people have crucial functions in this important, wildly complex endeavor. One dropped ball by ANYONE at ANY time could kibosh the entire deal resulting in home buyers not owning that house they love and Sellers not being able to move on with their new lifestyle in a different house. Indeed, the stakes are HIGH! Most of the these transactions originate with REALTORS. Home Buyers and ... 01/29/2020