Real Estate Trend Shark

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” John F. Kennedy “Do you think I have to worry about climate change?” “C’mon, is that something that will affect us?” “I probably should give that some thought, right?” “Oh, could that really be a problem for us here in this area?” “Do you perceive it will affect my real estate’s cash flow?” The disconcerting thing is these are comments and questions I hear come out of real estate investor’s mouths all the time. But, the true concern is what these types of responses tell me. They indicate our industry has been looking the other way while so many other industries are and have been moving aggressively to find ways to react to, act upon and manage the advancing risks caused by climate change. So, to not leave you in suspense, the answers to the above questions are, in order: Yes Yes Yes Yes and, Yes Okay, so now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let’s get down to business and pound some brass tacks. Looking Away Will Not Stop the Future There are times when we must look at the things that are uncomfortable. We must confront the things that make us feel unsafe and this is one of those times. This distressing reality is not just going to impact our personal lives, but every one of our overall investments, every career and each industry throughout the world. Because of the litany of comments and questions I get in the exact tenor of the ones I listed above, it became necessary to throw open my computer and begin pounding on it with a fervor. I have spent years researching this topic combination, the intersection of real estate and climate change, but I was constantly struck by how little my colleagues, peers, students, trainees and partners were aware of the monster lurking around their portfolios. I have unflinchingly watched the growing momentum in the scientific community, defining the ever-increasing realities of this existential phenomenon, one that is bigger than any of us, bigger than any that has come before. Greater in its impact than even the two World Wars we, as a global community, have experienced. We must recognize the impacts climate change will have and is already begun having on us. This is global. This is immense. This is vast. And therefore, yes, it can be and is intimidating. It doesn’t matter if it feels too big. It doesn’t matter if it looks overwhelming. It is happening. NOW! In this case, ignorance is not bliss; it is financial suicide. The only way we can manage it and to get ahead of it is to get started. Take action. Understand the risks to our investments, our professions and our industry. A Clarion Call To Stand Tall In The Face Of The Truth My momentum to educate real estate investors and professionals in all our related and surrounding industries is fueled by the knowledge that our industry’s ancillary periodicals are constantly addressing this issue, but unfortunately those white papers, research articles and industry periodicals are often NEVER read by real estate investors. Time is not going to wait for us to catch up. It will march ahead. And be sure, it will run over us if we don’t figure out, quickly, how to make ourselves aware of where it is going. You Are Not Alone My recent book, FEARLESS: Real Estate Investing In The Era Of Climate Change is for every real estate investor who has ever asked themselves, "How will climate change affect me, my investments and my strategies for investing for the future?" The book is NOT a philosophical debate about climate change. The book is also NOT about what has caused climate change or why it is happening. Climate change is real, it’s here, it’s increasing and the effects on your real estate investments will be exponential. So, I intend to train you how to get your house in order (pun intended.) I have one single objective, to give you a rock-solid how-to plan to thrive as a real estate investor in this era of global climate change. By giving you the tools to become an expert in how your real estate will be impacted by climate change, I am teaching you how to empower yourself to protect your property investments and how to safeguard the financial health of your business and your family’s future. FEARLESS gives you a clear understanding of how climate change is impacting your real estate investments right NOW – and how it will continue to do so in the future. What skills will the book offer you? You will discover: Methods to use to determine where to buy your next real estate investment property. How to assess your (or ANY) region, town, neighborhood and property for resistance to climate change impacts. How to determine whether to hold, whether to sell, and how to look for the best locations for future investing. Tricks to mitigate the deficiencies in your current properties and to preserve your cash flow. Advice to decide what your personal risk limits are when deciding where and whether to invest in real estate. Who can benefit from this book? FEARLESS is written for our entire industry. Real Estate Investors (of every size) Commercial Realtors Residential Realtors Insurance Companies Developers Real Estate Attorneys Retailers Institutional Lenders Property Inspectors Real Estate Appraisers Building Contractors Property Managers Mortgage Companies Investment Managers Credit Rating Organizations The Courage To Look The Monster In Eye If you have read this far, then you are likely either already investing in real estate, you have a desire to invest in real estate, or you work closely with real estate investors in a professional capacity and you want to be able to address both your and their increasing concerns about climate change – and how it will continue to affect your business. You want to become an expert in how to handle the present changes and the future trends more knowledgeably, more confidently and more effectively. In short, you fearlessly want to comprehend and problem-solve the risks and variables quickly shifting in our abruptly changing world.