Home-Base Thinking In Uncertain Times

Today I got another email from somebody selling a fool-proof real estate investor program, and decided to open it. The main reason I opened it was curiosity, because this guy has it all boiled down to a single page. That’s right, he has a one-page worksheet, at the low price of $7, today only.

How could anybody resist a one-page worksheet with the secret formula to real estate investing success? Well, I didn’t buy it.

But I thought about it for a while, and that’s probably more attention than it deserved. But, it made me think about how many people actually believe there’s a one-page formula for success of any kind. Whether it’s dating, operating a business, or winning an election, we all want the secret formula, and we want it to be quick and easy.

The business of secret formulas is big business today, especially online. Think about that for a minute, and if you spend much time online, even on Facebook, you’ll see it, too. Paying for education and training and coaching is fine, but I’m talking about the formulas and systems that promise success, if (and that’s a BIG IF) a person will only follow the formula correctly.

I’m not a pessimist, and I’m not raining on all the people selling success secrets, but I’m doing some serious thinking about having a home base in these tumultuous, uncertain times now.

Some people call it, “getting back to basics,” and some say, “drop back and punt.” No matter what your perspective may be in this life, there’s a time to re-group and focus on what matters to you and your family. And to your business, if you’re an entrepreneur.

To me, home-base thinking means getting and keeping a focus on my real estate investing business. Even in tough times, people need a place to live. They may buy or rent, but they make it a priority to have a home, a home base.

Today I realized that I’m in the home-base business, which is a good, basic business in any economic times. It just so happens that my home-base business is primarily located in Oklahoma, and Oklahoma is one of the oil-producing states experiencing great distress right now.

In a recent OKEnergyToday.com post I read: “While Oklahoma’s loss in the oil patch figures to be close to 12,000 employees in the past year, in the state of Texas an estimated 288,000 have lost jobs because of what’s happened to energy prices. One report says 72,000 of those are direct losses in the oil and gas sector while the rest, an estimated 210,000 are indirect losses.”

Oklahoma and Texas are not the only states experiencing oil-related job and business losses, of course. But all those people who’ve lost their jobs and businesses still have to live somewhere…

Being in the home-base business is good for the economy and it’s good for me and my family. I’m very grateful to be in the business of buying and selling homes in Oklahoma today.