Author's Note: First, let me say I recognize there’s been a pause in our normally distributed newsletter, which I know some of you read faithfully.  We’ve been hard at work this summer helping clients manage this challenging time in the market, AND have been diligently preparing for our upcoming seminar series.  To that end, from the perspective of the Sullivan Seminars, we’ll present in this issue a historical market review leading up to today. 

Tim Sullivan, President

Examining our Options

For more than six years, my research team and I have been translating our field work, client interaction, and extensive information service into industry seminars in which we examine key issues in an open forum.  Over this time, there has been a lot of change in the market, and in examining the seminar topics we can see the framework of these shifts.  So, reflect with me on the evolution of these seminars:

• Wild Ride – In 2001 to 2003 we conducted a series of seminars in the Western United States that tracked and dissected the rapidly expanding residential industry, highlighting contracting affordability and product ideas that offered competitive advantages – in what was fast becoming a wild market.
  
  
• Bouncing Bubbles – In 2004 to 2005 we assessed the definition and debated existence of a housing bubble, one that was supported by sky high prices but offset by an expanding economy.  We considered the dangers of rapid house and land price appreciation and shared observations of organizations that were battling the market through creative use of density and increased operating efficiencies.
  
  
• Caution Ahead – In 2005 to 2006 we expounded on the fundamental weakening in the housing market that began with increasing unsold inventories and expanding foreclosures, and provided ideas on how to quickly shift operations to prepare for the market downturn.
  
  
• Fear and Confusion – Now we’ve come to 2007 - a time of pain, confusion and fear in our industry.  Reacting to the current state of the market, our goal in this round of seminars is to ferret out survival strategies in the face of perhaps the most difficult time that housing has ever faced.

Please join me and your industry friends for an analytical and open-minded exploration of the Who, What, When, and Where of the local and national economy and housing market.  We will asses the following (and more): 

• Where is the economy headed?
• Are there any positive signs out there?
• How much will foreclosures impact us?
• What can we do to compete in the short-run?
• What needs to happen before the market strengthens again?

While we can’t, and won’t, sugar-coat the reality of where we are at as an industry, we’ll use our combined 120 years of work in housing, vast reach of data and extensive field work to offer advice on what you can do now to remain competitive and how to plan for success in the future.

Register Here

>>>Personalize it!  If you register by September 4, we'll give you the chance to customize our seminar to meet your needs. We'll shape our presentation (Please note that while we will make every effort to include information in our seminar based on ALL questions, we can NOT guaruntee that all will be answered)<<<