Damien Hirst Teams up with Levis

Came across this the other day. You can look at how an artist of high status can collaborate on commercial ventures as this and yet still bring a valuable product and art piece.

Warhol Factory X Levi's X Damien Hirst, $350, available at Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave.,

Here is a Link to the site.

Seth Godin Discusses the sales funnel

This is a excerpt from an interview with Selling Power. If your in sales and haven't picked up an issue of Selling power you might want to.

Really liking this Artist's work

Chris Dorland

The Art of Collecting Art

Having been an artist myself and always following certain Artists, collecting art was always a dream. Trading art was always more tangible, but that would involve friends and peers most likely in your same genre. Although if i would have cared more in my early days i might be sitting on a small fortune if i would have reached out to friends of friends, or artists i had met at shows. So many of my peers have taken off and become solid collectible artists.

So running across this article brought me back to thinking about collecting art. Now with most my days filled with paperwork and the need to maintain my work. I still have a want to collect Now more than ever, especially while i might have some extra money to invest. So where does one start.

Here is the Article i ran across a great read. New York Times Article on Collecting Art

Zevs in Action

FHA raises mortgage limits in Santa Clara and 14 other Counties to $729,750

Quoted from article in San Jose Mercury News.

"Offering a ray of hope for a struggling California housing market, the government Wednesday doubled the limit for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration in 14 high-cost California counties, including Santa Clara County.

New, temporary limits announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were derived from median home prices in each county, and top out at $729,750. Previously, the maximum was $362,790.

The state was the epitome of runaway price appreciation during the housing boom, but is now experiencing one of the most severe corrections in the country.

Before the subprime lending spree of the past several years, loans backed by the FHA were traditionally a top choice for first-time home buyers who wanted to buy with low down payments. But because the maximum allowable loan amounts were fairly low, FHA-backed loans have been used infrequently in the Bay Area in recent years."

Whole story http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8463914?nclick_check=1

New Painting San Francisco 08

Sorry for lack of updates

I have been swamped with work, lately but will be sending you new updates regularly so stay tuned.

Thanks

Art

Pending Home Sales Climb Unexpectedly

"The National Association of Realtors' index of pending home sales climbed an unexpected 0.6%, the second month in a row the number has increased, it said Monday. The latest figure, which measures contracts signed in October, confounded economists' forecasts of a 1% drop." Article

As the bottom falls out, some search for that silver lining. I expect that those that understand and are able to see a genuine deal are taking advantage of the current free for all that the media continues to talk about. You will not hear about this article on the 10 o'clock news, instead you will hear the media's gloom and doom about foreclosures. Well sadly enough foreclosures are a reality and sometimes are good deals, some are not. I continue to watch the market struggle to find an identity, and yet still think it will be a long time before we have our feet under us. Just keep watching and if you come across something you cant pass up dont.

Artwork by Carlos Amorales

Came across this Artist currently exhibiting in Miami in Pieces. This Mexican Artist Born in Mexico City and currently resides in Amsterdam. I was first attracted to this first piece by the color, and subtle shifts in shadow. I liked the Aesthetic part of it. After looking a little deeper i came across these other images. Check it out.

Lennar fire sells billion dollar real estate portfolio 40 cents on the Dollar

Lennar Homes

Although Lennar homes sold there portfolio for 40 cents on the dollar, this i see as a positive. If there are big companies like Morgan Stanley willing to jump back into the market at a discount, it shows a bottom might have been reached. So check out the article and see for yourself.

Transcendent Momentum And Blind Finality

Once filtered through eyes that see existence as
the truest form of heaven, that even to be born is
to become. Become breath, become thought, look
towards life's finality as a dream that is dreamt
Transcendent Momentum And Blind Finality.

with knowledge and choices.

One determines that he is and then understands
that he also needs. The Need to accomplish all
things that have been burned into his intellect
since the day he could read and write.

His understanding that success abides by a
different set of rules. Rules built by those that
break them as evolution slowly builds systems of
decomposition. Decomposition of the underlying
understandings of business, logic, and morals.

Learning to become, you become unaware of your
own transformation. Your descent towards
assimilation, and the finality of the blind.

Bleed wisdom built from today's thoughts, not
yesterdays ideas. Think of your life as a scale that
you constantly need to balance, as your success
builds so does your responsibility to make sure a
balance is created.

There is nothing wrong with becoming. As long you
acknowledge, analyze and act upon. With every
breath, breathe life wherever you are. Bring
brilliance too undetermined and universal archetypes
of us all.

Advice for Agents in a Tough Market

How do we Survive? Well the first thing atop of your list should be, be consistent and don't rush to fast. Meaning this is your job and if you show up everyday adapt and try to understand your consumers needs, you will create opportunity. Those that gripe, and are giving up are leaving lifetime clients to be someone else's.How To Survive

Real Estate Video by - Real Estate Blogger

Heaven and Earth

“I’m interested in reconstructing symbols. It’s about connecting with an older knowledge and trying to discover continuities in why we search for heaven.” Anselm Kiefer

Huge Huge Influence on my own personal Fine Artwork. Enjoy.

Real Estate web 2.0 Trulia and Zillow

Here is an excerpt from a post i made on the website Trulia. This is one of the many websites that i frequent and actually contribute answers to consumers questions. With the evolving web 2.0 technologies sites like these will become more and more effective.

"These sites have filled gaps that were created by alot of inadequate real estate sites. It is no coincidence that as the public started to demand more access to the MLS. Sites such as Zillow and Now Trulia have grown faster than ever.

" The FTC and Justice Department had engaged in 15 investigations over MLS policies that block exclusive agency property listings from public display on the Realtor.com and some other public-facing property-search sites".

As these sites start to open the public to more access of listings and everyone with an idea creating a new listing service. It seems like this is just the beginning. Those that think things will ever be the same might be in for a shock.

With success comes responsibility and the sites will soon see that creating accurate models and continued improvement will either see them prosper or just open the door for the next big website.

It is a wonderful time for real estate professionals, some see a negative in progress as others see opportunity. The fact that you see all these questions on Trulia and new forums for discussion should be confirmation that a Realtors expertise will always be needed. Sure these sites make it easier for the public, but they cannot fulfill all of a Realtors Expertise.

Realtors will always play a role in the industry no website can replace them, and i like that other sectors of the economy meaning technology are helping us think outside the box and allowing us to reach more people.

$23.4 million Reasons to Become an Artist

At the ripe age of 52 years old Jeff Koons has Sold the This work of Art below for a price tag of 23.4 Million dollars setting the record for the highest paid living artist in an auction. The highest paid price tag for a living artist not in an auction goes to another Established British Artist Damien Hirst. His Diamond Encrusted Skull Titled "For the Love of God" which sold to an investment group CASH for 100 million dollars. There are talks about recession and a Art market Bubble, but with recent sales looks like the art market is still booming.

Learning to Say i Love you.......

Came across this and thought i would share. I know it is a bit off subject, but when clicking on this, i really could relate to these guys. I'm not married, but i have had my share of relationships and while being a motivated and focused businessman it is easy to become numb. I might be part Japanese now come to think about it, i share many characteristics of these men. Maybe it is the intensity and ambition that i work with inside everyday, it is really hard to unwind and take time to talk to those closest to me including family.

Jayz & Charlie Rose Talks about American Gangster Album

Warren Buffet Commenting on Real Estate and Obama

HIROYUKI MASUYAMA

Came across this Artist's Work i have always had a deep appreciation of the romanticism movement. This Modern Artist takes us back to that concept yet takes it further, and gives us a different view. Check it out.

"HIROYUKI MASUYAMA
beyond Romanticism

03. 11. 2007 – 12. 01. 2008


We would like to invite you to our next opening on Friday, 2nd November 2007, 7 -9pm :
Hiroyuki Masuyama: beyond Romanticism, 03.11.2007 – 12.01.2008."