Good News Now and Ahead

Some especially optimistic Good News for everyone this week, especially my real estate friends!

Fridays always mean Good News. This week I’m more optimistic than ever. Here’s why. Plus a bonus list for my real estate friends.

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It’s Good News Friday!

After a short hiatus, I’m back with a grateful round up of especially encouraging news and positive points for you to enjoy (and share).

• The S&P 500 broke through 5000 for the first time ever this week.

• The U.S. Conference Board / CEO confidence index rose above 50 as company leaders anticipated falling inflation, interest rate cuts and strong earnings.

• The US Economy added 353,000 jobs in January; hourly earnings rose twice economists’ expected rate.

• The FDA approved a “kinder” childhood leukemia drug called blinatumomab that effectively cured patients in the UK without the side effects of chemo.

• Buck Institute, an aging research lab, discovered a potential method for repairing synapse damage in Alzheimer’s patients.

• Cornell University researchers found tomato juice effectively kills the bacteria responsible for Typhoid fever, as well as various forms of salmonella.

• Professors at the University of California found an intravenous form of the Chinese herb, ginkgo biloba, dramatically improved recovery by 20% in stroke patients.

• Doctors tested mindfulness treatments for post-cardiac-arrest patients, with 80% showing dramatic reductions in PTSD, improved sleep and physical activity.

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers discovered methods for increasing biofuel refinery efficiencies, reducing the cost to produce carbon-neutral fuel alternatives from biomass.

• Danish researchers discovered a cell that “remembers” allergies, making it possible for new drugs to help the body “forget” them therapeutically.

• Engineers designed a 360-degree holographic system that keeps car drivers focused on the road by projecting obstacles and hazards regardless of obstructions.

Thank you, Tomo-chan © Matthew Ferrara

And finally, in the “Remember Where You Came From” column, Tomoko Oshimo, a former real estate agent, turned vegetable farmer, runs a food stand in a trendy Tokyo neighborhood on the honor system. Her mission: "I came here from Hiroshima with nothing. Lived on watermelon…. Thirty years and now, I grow plenty of vegetables. Tomo-chan [her nickname] is on your side, so don't worry about the future."

Patrons, typically younger residents of one of the world’s most expensive cities, pay what they can by tossing money into an old mailbox. When her harvests fall short, the beloved farmer works extra shifts at a local nursing center to purchase supplemental vegetables from supermarkets.

After a successful real estate career and raising a family, life led Tomo-chan back to farming. When a young customer confided about their struggles with money in the costly city, she became determined. “I hate the idea of young people walking around hungry," she told CBS News. Combining her knowledge of real estate and farming, Tomoko says, "I want young people to feel they're not forgotten, that they are treasured… I can make money anytime. Right now, I want to give young people a helping hand."

BONUS: A special list of 10 reasons why my Realtor friends should have no worries, either! 👇👇👇

During a recent webinar, I shared ten reasons why I think the real estate industry is on the verge of a great growth era. So here’s why the Groundhog not only signaled an early Spring, but a good spring market, too.

1. Most models (HUD, NAR, MBA) predict 5 million sales this year. That’s 13,698 a day and 570 an hour. You only need 12 to earn $116,000, and 25 to make $232,000.

2. Two sales per month are achievable on 2 appointments a week, with a mediocre 3:1 closing ratio (90:100 appointments = 30 deals). You have 7 days a week to get 2 appointments, with unparalleled technology at your fingertips.