Suzette's Biz Talk posts

I did it!! I am a Certified Green Broker Now!

Just wanted to announce the great news! As of yesterday, September 30th, I passed the Green Broker Certification exam offered through the Cascadia Green Building Council in partnership with the Commercial Brokers Association.

Here's some info about the Green Broker Certification program:

http://www.cascadiagbc.org/news/press-releases-1/green-broker-certification-program-launched

I am super excited! From what I understand, there are not many Certified Green Brokers yet because the program is still fairly new (since early 2009). To add to this exciting news, I also have the pleasure of representing the owner on a development project involving a deep green sustainable office building. We are still in the integrated design phase of the project, but it is sure to attract a lot of attention because our goal is to implement some assertive and innovative water management, energy, and indoor air quality strategies, just to name a few!

The design team on the project is the award-winning architectural firm of Weber Thompson, which has won several regional and national awards for their sustainable Terry Thomas office building in Seattle Washington, as well as their progressive leadership in the sustainable design community.

Here is a link to their numerous awards:

http://www.weberthompson.com/awards.html

Here is some more info about the Mile Hill Drive Project in Port Orchard:

http://www.weberthompson.com/mile-hill-drive.html

The new redesign of my website is awesome!

http://worldwestinvestments.com

What a year 2009 has been for me!

GO GREEN! Yeah!

Great News for First Time Homebuyers: FHA Close to Monetizing Tax Credit...Means More Down Payment!

HUD officials released some exciting news on May 12, 2009 regarding how they are close to allowing the monetization of the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit!

According to Secretary of HUD Shaun Donovan:

"I'm excited to announce here at NAR that FHA's policy on the "monetization" of the first-time homebuyer tax credit will soon be published. I know that you've been waiting anxiously to hear FHA's position on the matter. We, like you, believe that this new tax credit is not only a tremendous opportunity for first-time homebuyers, but also an enormous benefit for communities struggling to deal with an oversupply of housing. According to estimates by the National Association of Home Builders, this new tax credit will stimulate 160,000 home sales across the nation - 101,000 of which will be first time buyers who will receive the credit. Another 59,000 existing homeowners will be able to buy another home because a first time buyer purchased their home." (Donovan, 05/12/2009)

Source: http://www.hud.gov/news/speeches/2009-05-12.cfm

Frank Garay and Brian Stevens of ThinkBigWorkSmall.com explains how the monetization of the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit will allow FHA approved lenders, HUD-approved non-profits, and local governmental agencies to "monetize" the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This translates into money that can be applied towards a homebuyers’ down payment!

See video: https://www.thinkbigworksmall.com/public/showArchiveVideo/1/4662

Academy of Achievement: Passion

In my search for inspirational words, I came across the following quote from the Academy of Achievement:

"What is most beautiful and sacred to you? What would you feel incomplete without? When you have identified that which brings you complete joy, your own unquenchable desire to achieve that goal will become your passion--the inner drive that turns your dreams into a shining reality."

I felt a response in my heart when I read these words and wanted to share.

My best thoughts to everyone!

Congratulations Weber Thompson for Achieving LEED Platinum Certification!

A heartfelt congratulations to my friends and design team at Weber Thompson for achieving LEED Platinum Certification for Commercial Interiors for their Terry Thomas office building located at 225 TERRY AVE N in Seattle! This impressive accomplishment, however, was not their first achievement of the year. On January 29, 2009, the company announced that it had achieved LEED Gold certification for Core and Shell; two great achievements before the end of the first quarter of 2009!

If any Biznik Greenies out there want to extend congratulations, feel free to reach out and contact them! They are good people!

Read full news released by Weber Thompson!

Inspirational Quote: "Big Idea - Be Unreasonable"

As I was scanning through emails today, a cool quote caught my eye sent by the folks at PhilosophersNotes.com and I thought I would share it with you. The quote comes from the book entitled "The 80/20 Principle"

"Everything you want should be yours: the type of work you want; the relationships you need; the social, mental, and aesthetic stimulation that will make you happy and fulfilled; the money you require for the lifestyle that is appropriate to you; and any requirement that you may (or may not) have for achievement or service to others. If you don't aim for it all, you'll never get it all. To aim for it requires that you know what you want." ~ Richard Koch from The 80/20 Principle

Great stuff!

End of Year Market Update 2008

I have written a blog that comprises a collection of information gathered from various key sources regarding the state of the economy and the impact it is having on commercial real estate, as well as their predictions for the coming months ahead.

It is hardly a secret. Not only is the American economy in trouble, but so is the global economy. Sparked by the mortgage crises, we have seen the decline of mortgage-backed securities, which was the engine that drove liquidity in the lending industry. When the crisis hit, it was mostly subprime and alt-a mortgage products. However, in a recent interview, Jaime Peters, a Senior Equity Analyst at Morningstar, explained that the crisis has bled into the prime market.

For the details, please visit my blog entry:

End of Year Market Update 2008 By Suzette West, Broker / Principal - World West Investments, Inc.

Paul Newman: The Ultimate Innerpreneur

I was saddened by the news of Paul Newman's death, but what a full life he had! There has been much discussion about innerpreneurs here on Biznik lately, and in my opinion, Paul Newman was one of the first with all the good he has done with his "Newmans Own" enterprise--a company, which according to a statement he made, was started as a joke, but grew into a multi-million dollar business that continues to produce millions of dollars for charities.

He was the ultimate innerpreneur/social entrepreneur and the ultimate role model. He showed the world that it is possible to grow a successful business and use that success to contribute something positve to the world. I am thoroughly in awe and inspired. The example he has set for social entrepreneurship is a legacy that will stand the test of time.

May he rest in peace.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20080927/122253216000.html

At What Point Does a Community Become a Clique?

In my opinion, a community becomes a clique when small groups form and--through a series of verbal and non-verbal communications--begin excluding others. Most of us have seen this happen in high school, as well as other places where people gather.

To me, a community is inclusive and open to growing in a positive direction. It is a place where members feel safe to share insight, build connections, as well as offer mutual support.

So, I would like to know how others feel about this topic. At what point does a community become a clique for you, and in your opinion, how can a community remain a safe place to build connections and mutually satisfying business relationships?

Hello! Biznik Newbie Here!

Hi, my name is Suzette. I specialize in helping people build passive income through real estate investments, so that they can escape the "rat race" and live the life of their dreams. When I am not working as a real estate entrepreneur, I am a musician, songwriter, and vocalist with my band Legend Heart, as well as a general partner with Legend Heart Records.