My company is considered one of the top passive investment companies in the country and is one of the most respected and without a doubt, we have been influenced from many things we have learned through our relationship with Than, Paul, Konrad and JD.  

Taxes continue to rise with no signs of abating given Chicago's fiscal situation.

And since there's absolutely no proof anywhere that the hotels do this better than str investors, and the development of tourism and even the City TOT is benefiting from it,  why voting these laws if not under the influence of the lobbies?

No one on the outside has any influence over that.

There's definitely something different meeting in person than online, you get to use charm and influence which you can't really do online.  

I feel with this I have some power to influence those who look up to me.Saying I tell myself are "if I see it its my responsabilty; My ability to Respond"Not to say I have to do something about it however, I have the Ability to Respond if I recognize it as my duty.I feel it is my duty to Mentor the new apprentices that are coming in because their clueless just like I was and its the people they work with that break them down or build them up and I want to build them up and build other people up.Back to the training: What I really apprechiated was is talked about how to lead and not manageYou can manage a business but its not efficient to be someone.

For me the interest in commercial real estate is about diversification, I would like to understand more about both commercial and residential and how they influence each other as well as have both in my portfolio.

Your SOI (sphere of influence) won't be much help for purchasing for a while, but let them know you can help them with rentals so when they think of real estate they think of you.

I'd watch out for liability in dealing with all investors, particularly ones who are elderly, unsophisticated, (or may appear to be) otherwise under undue influence from someone or something else, etc.

The first step the brokerage I work for had me do was to send a letter to my "Circle of Influence".