Books Completed in 2008

Below is a list of books I completed reading in 2008. Some are better than others. All these are 3 stars or above. All are in my personal library. 

The titles are linked to either the Google Book Search™ results page or to an Amazon.com sales page for the one book that is not in the Google Book Search™ results. Check them out, and if interested, take immediate action.

THINK & GROW RICH

NAPOLEON HILL

THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU 

MARCUS BUCKINGHAM

LITTLE PLATINUM BOOK OF CHA-CHING

JEFFREY GITOMER

THE MYTH OF EXCELLENCE

FRED CRAWFORD & RYAN MATHEWS

*PERSONALITY NOT INCLUDED

ROHIT BHARGAVA

THE LAST LECTURE

RANDY PAUSCH with JEFFREY ZASLOW

BUYING IN

ROB WALKER

LEADERSHIP ENERGY

DAVID COTTRELL

THE EIGHT CONSTANTS OF CHANGE

STACY AARON & KATE NELSON

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER

DAVE RAMSEY

THE SALES BIBLE

JEFFREY GITOMER

THE ELEMENTS OF INFLUENCE

ALAN KELLY

WAL-SMART

WILLIAM H. MARQUARD

GROSSE POINTE WOODS: HOME SALES

In the past few days there has been a change in the local real estate market. Homes are being sold. There are still quite a few homes with FOR SALE signs, but it is nice to see deals being consummated.

A warm welcome to all the new neighbors. ;)

If you are thinking about selling your home you may want to contact the folks who are closing deals. Hopefully you can get the names and contact information from the signs.


THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THESE AGENTS. JUST AN OBSERVATION.

WSJ: Coke, Pepsi Bottlers Try New Sizes To Boost Sales

By BETSY MCKAY

May 2, 2008

Hoping to pump up soda sales, several U.S. soft-drink bottlers are testing alternatives to a convenience-store icon: the 20-ounce bottle.

MY THOUGHTS

• Lower prices are better price points for consumers
  
• Smaller package may have better results on buy 2 promotions
• A variety of sizes to meet customer demand is a good thing
• Some consumers do not want 20oz
• 16.9oz was the glass bottle size back when I was a child

What are your thoughts?

HOUSE FOR SALE: TIGER TICKETS INCLUDED

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

That probably doesn't shock you.

The key for any individual property in a soft market is...

• Get buyer attention
• Get them intrigued
• Get them excited
• Get them to consider
• Get them to schedule a viewing

It's hard to sell a house at a fair price if the buyer is unwilling to view the property. To buy sight unseen is to offer pennies on the dollar.

The Detroit Tigers have what many to believe to be a very competitive team this year.
This may achieve some level of differentiation versus the objectives listed above.
The seller wants potential buyers to consider something other than major price reductions.

Tiger Tickets are priced at $5 - $ 65. These are individual game ticket prices.
Lets assume the package offered is [2] $15 tickets for all 81 home games [3 games have already been played as of press time]
2 * $15 = $30 * 81 = $2,430.

This offer is probably about 1% of the asking price for this property. Potential buyers will probably say... Keep the tickets and drop the price 2,500 bucks.

• Gets more potential buyers interested and in the door
  
• Keeps price cuts smaller than they would be without the ticket offer
• Resulting in a higher selling price

What are you thoughts on this offer?

REAL ESTATE: AT BOTTOM?

OBSERVATION:
Real Estate seems to be at a bottom.

• Inventory is high
• Long Term 30 yr fixed mortgage rates are low and stable
  
• Buying season is starting soon [most (or is it more) sales occur in spring and summer]
• Sellers are figuring that it is better to reduce prices to market than to continue paying interest for many months [or years] waiting for a sale [at last years valuations].
• Existing homes sales are slowly increasing still falling. Business Week coverage.
  

OPINION/PREDICTIONS:

• The slowdown may be coming to an end as government stimulus checks are going out in about 5 weeks.
  
• As usual the stimulus will probably be late and the economy will already be in recovery.
• This is the bottom and the deals will not be this good for some time [if ever again].
  
• As this becomes the sentiment of buyers [and vultures] they will rush in to get the best locations and values.

The next few months will be interesting...


Any thoughts on housing, interest rates or the economy?