by : jeffvo Featured

Creating traction

Little do I know, the work that you do sometimes can be rewarding but stagnant over time. Perhaps you need new challenges, bigger goals or a change – new environment, new you. Time for a pause. Reflection. Seek the understanding and wisdom. Determine the best options.

The Q1 2023 ends with an execution of an extensive lease. The 20k SF flex building took over a year to complete. The difficult leases are the ones I get to learn so much from. And the relationship become stronger overtime. Super excited for the parties involved especially both the landlord and tenant. The 10 year lease plus two options will create a strong and long lasting landlord tenant relationship. Patience was the key. It is indeed virtual in all aspects.

The leases and sales in commercial real estate can take awhile to complete and close. Some sales can be easy and quick within weeks and some might be months or longer. As long as each quarter consists of one big close and many small deals in between, the outcome can be rewarding.

After almost 20 years in the business, everyday is a different day and always with something new to learn. Some days are just another day. And when you’re 44 years young you’re still curious of what’s more than to this business. With the whole technology progressing at a tremendous pace, you’re literally behind the millennials who are adopting all these A.I. techs. Never mind these tech savvy themes, the real estate business still requires relationship and services. What else is triggering the curiosity?

Certainly, you become adaptable to the environmental that you’re surrounded with. But never get off track with your business. Always create traction, however small, to build your business, to re-ignite your business or to start a new business.

by : jeffvo Featured

How to Buy Your First Strip Center

blueprint of commercial building. photo courtesy of photodune

Commercial Real Estate

A quick overview. 
Your backyard or city is the best place to start. If your city is too expensive, then study a city that has the great potential. 

Know your goal and budget. Start small.  Maybe $2M.  Gather the fund. Typical down payment is 30% or $600K.  Ask friends and investors to join. Lower your risk. Wait for the good deal. 

  1. Pick a location or city
  2. Study the market 
    • rents in each center
    • compile a list of all the strip centers 
    • Centers for sale and sold in the last 12 months
    • Use LoopNet and CoStar to review the data
  3. Analyze the data 
    • Good or bad deal? What are the risk? 
    • Market rent vs actual rent 
      • this determines if you buy at actual value or inflated value because of inflated market rent. Hence, it affects the outlook and decision-making based on NOI, CAP rate and purchase price. 
  4. Brokers are your friend
    • They can help you research
    • They find deals and track new listings
  5. Move fast when the time comes
    • Don’t try to save $20k when seller expects full price
  6. Due diligence 
    • DD is important. Here are some crucial parts
      • Check the rent
      • Order inspections
      • Get the tenant estoppels
      • Review all the expenses
      • Review all the leases 
      • Environmental report 
  7. Take care the property 
    • attract great tenants
    • hire a property manager
  8. Repeat

Buy property that you can make value go up.  Not because you think the value is going to go up.

by : jeffvo Featured

The Greatest of All Time

Warren Buffett

91 Years Old. One of my favorite people on the planet is 91 years old.

His name is Warren Buffett. 

Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, MacKenzie Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg or Melinda Gates are all in the billionaire club. But when it comes favorite billionaires, I have one and it’s Warren Buffett. He is the best investor of all time. He is the goat. Greatest of All Time. 

“Oracle of Omaha” is what they called him. 

By the age of 16 he had made $53,000. Selling sticks of gum in packs of five for a nickel. His father became congressman, his family moved from Omaha, Nebraska to Washington DC. Buffett delivered the Washington Post every morning and brought in about $135 a month. That’s more than what teacher salaries were at that time. He pursued side gigs selling used golf balls and collector stamps and buffing cars. By the time he was 16, he earned $53,000 in earnings. Bought his first stock when he’s at 11 years old.

Every three months we learn more about what he’s doing and what he’s thinking. His track record is was is amazing. And there’s no doubt that he’s kind of coming away a little bearish these days.

Every three months we learn more about what he’s doing and what he’s thinking. His track record is was is amazing. And there’s no doubt that he’s kind of coming away a little bearish these days. 

Berkshire Hathaway

He was a net seller of equities, also known as stocks in the third quarter. He owns a big company called Berkshire Hathaway and he’s reducing its exposure to the stock market amid a series of then-record highs and increasingly stretched valuations. 

3rd Quarter 2021

He’s continuing to play defensive right now. He saw a total of about $1.9 billion in net sales. That was up from selling $1.1 billion in the second quarter. So he’s continuing to trim…

  • Reduced stake in
    • US Bancorp
    • MasterCard
    • Visa
    • Bristol Myers Squibb
    • Charter Communications
    • AbbVie
    • Marsh McLennan
    • Merck
    • Liberty Global Class C Shares
    • Cut stake in Organon
  • Added to stake
    • Chevron
    • Liberty Sirius XM Group
    • Floor & Decor Holdings
    • Royalty Pharma

Buffett is always worth watching. He was rejected by Harvard Business School. After graduating to the University of Nebraska he applied to Harvard Business School.
But during a brief interview with a school that would determine his acceptance, the staff said to Buffett forget it, you’re not going to Harvard. When you’re the richest man on the planet, he should write them a letter.

He eats like a six year old child. Coke Cola and ice cream. Buffett claimed he has one quarter Coke Cola so he’s 25% made of Coke Cola if he eats 2,700 calories a day a quarter of that is Coke Cola. He drinks at least five 12 ounce servings every day. 

He’s lived in the same house since 1958, originally bought it for $31,000. He’s the world’s richest man for a long period of time. His father-in-law told him that he was gonna fail.

Today, he remains to be one of the richest people in the world.

by : jeffvo CRE, Featured, Life

The future resembles the past

Photo courtesy of aboutimages. Little boy with a rocket backpack in a field.
Our future determines what we’ll do today.

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

The daily same activities induced us to believe the future will resembles the past. We know when the sun raises and when it sets. We know when we’ll go to sleep and wake up. The future resembles the past.

Tomorrow, we’ll rise early, get our coffee and get ready to go to work. Then we walk to the car, head to work. End of the day, we walk to our car and head home. Unless our activities are different, the days after will be repetitive. Our future resembles the past.

We are here to contribute, whether it’s a small viable idea or effort to our community and the world. Our future determines what we’ll do today.

What are we contributing today so that our future pans out?
What choices are we making today that will make a difference tomorrow?
What action are we taking today that will move us forward?
What problem are we solving today that will pave us in the right direction?
What are we doing today that will be resourceful tomorrow?
Who are we engaging today that will empower us tomorrow?
Who are we helping today that will help the next generation?
What are we building today for the future?
What do we have to lose today to gain tomorrow?

Easy vs difficult choices. Our first step is will we give up the easy choices for the difficult ones. There are easy reached choices that alter our lifestyle and well-being. Recently I decline some sweet desserts and excessive drinking in place of a healthier me. Like writing, I commit to daily exercise.

It is said, tough choices, easier life. Easy choices, tough life.

The future resembles the past.

by : jeffvo Featured

Feynman Learning Technique

Enhance your mastery

Four essential steps

What I have been seeking to understand and convey to others is actually the Richard Feynman’s technique known as The Feynman Learning Technique.

It’s an incredible framework for unlocking growth, supercharging your learning and approaching anything new you want to learn. New topics learned then can be written into essays, articles or even blogs.

Feynman technique focuses on four steps.

1. Pick and study a topic

  • identify the topic you want to learn more about
  • write down everything you know about the topic as if you’re teaching it to a child.
  • research the topic and capture all of your new learnings

2. Explain it like I’m 5 or to someone unfamiliar with the topic

  • use simple language and terms
  • basic concepts and vocabulary
  • focus of brevity

3. Reflect & Study (Identify any gaps in your understanding)

  • identify gaps in your knowledge – what you forget, unable to explain, trouble thinking.
  • how well did you explain to a 5 yr old?
  • where did you get frustrated? where did you resort to jargon or get stuck?
  • read, study to fill the gaps

4. Organize, Convey and Review (review and simplify)

  • organize your elegant, simple language into a compelling story or narrative from beginning to end.
  • test-and-learn. Convey to others. Iterate and refine your story or narrative accordingly
  • master your topic, gain deeper understanding of the topic.

Now, select the topic we’ve always been wishing to learn more, follow the Feynman Technique and put in the work. If we stay consistent, we might come out with tons of topics to share.

by : jeffvo Featured, Life, Nature

The Accidental Meditation

Something we haven’t notice now can put to practice.

The accidental
meditation

Once in a while, we need to remove ourselves from distractions and noises in the world. The more we do it, the more we can focus on ourselves. Many influential leaders practice meditation daily for that purpose and more.

Here are some accidental meditations that we haven’t notice. Now that we know, we can put more in practice.

Listen to classical music while at the wheel.
I’m at the wheel for a good twenty minutes. I get too excited if the upbeat music is on. I might get too creative if podcast is on. Upbeat music gives me more ideas and daydreams. But the mind is not at peace. When the music is tune to classical my mind is at ease. Let it wonders quietly, note by note.

Sit quietly for half an hour.
You can call this the sitting meditation. I sit at a quiet spot for a good half an hour. Need to ensure no one or anything is interrupting. Let my mind wonder. Not gonna move anywhere. Even if the phone notice comes in, leave it be. I’m just gonna sit there.

Take a long walk.
It is said walking is a meditation in itself. It’s an accidental meditation. Monks do it too. Breezy airs and nature will do wonder. That’s when I don’t have to look at my phone. My mind is with nature and the surrounding environment. Put in the walk daily.

Take a good warm shower.
I get complain for using the restroom too long. Yes, that’s right. But i think that’s also the only time where i don’t touch my phone. I’m taking a good warm shower. That’s where my mind is calm and in the presence. Shall I call it a shower meditation?

by : jeffvo blogging, Featured, Life, Productivity

We rise to the occasion because we care

We rise to the occasion because we care!
We care for the audience who paid to attend. Whether it’s friends or supporters who attended, it’s our professional responsibility to deliver the expected work. It was a chance to create magic for those we seek to serve.

Teamwork. photo courtesy of amazingmikael

We rise to the occasion because we believe in the vision.
We all visualized exactly what we need to do to ensure it’s magical. We shared our big goals and high aims. Even it sounded ridiculous, we all stood behind the goals and all the obstacles we could potentially faced. We learned to ask. We learned to plan. We learned that it’s all possible.

Our plan was to host a fashionable red carpet Oscar like event for 300 paid audience, with little to no budget and only sponsors and supporters fund. With limited budget and personnels, we formed volunteer groups and created our own contents.

We rise to the occasion because we believe in change
Even in the darkest moments, all could fall apart, but we stayed persistent and committed. We solved issues as they arised. The journey was to create a new expectation and a better norm for ourselves and our audience. We embodied the confident and motivation to ensure our team rise to the occasion. Time sacrificed and creative inputs are meaningful when we delivered our works to the audience.

Those who showed up to do the work daily were inspired. When the aims are high, we become obsessive and relentlessly committed to complete the work. The hobby become our professional commitment.

We rise to the occasion because we care!
We care because it’s about our audience, our community and the change we seek to make.

by : jeffvo Featured

We can create a system to integrate values into our lives

Beside sitting meditation for half an hour, brain dumps everything on paper has been a therapeutic journey.
There are aspects of our lives we need a diagnostic and treatment on. We need to evaluate our own performances, commitment and dedication to each aspect. It’s a confirmation of our own current state in life. That’s when we recoginize what we lack or have too much of.

Values. Photo by twenty20photos

We can create a system to integrate values into our lives.

  1. Invest the energy and time into things that matter most

Remember when we workout to achieve the desired body, it’s the same energy. It’s always on our calendar, only to become an integral part of our lives . The energy and time spent solidified into a habit. Now imagine the impactf if the same energy and time are invested into other aspects of our lives.

2. Identify and compare what we lack or have too much of.

We can recognize the things that considered good or bad, advantage or disadvantage and important or not. Too much drinking is bad and a disadvantage of achieving a healthy life.

3. Make a plan. Build a foundation.

Change doesn’t happened over night. And there’s no antidote for shortcut. If we want to escape from the disorder place, we need an escape plan. The first step of a simple plan is the foundation. Writing the plan has helped me clarify my thinking and what I need to work on.

We can create a system to integrate values to our lives. What values are you adding to your life?

by : jeffvo Featured

The Importance of Getting Started

Everything from happiness, healthy and all that exemplifies a fulfilling life requires one’s willingness to get started. Action speaks louder than we can imagine.
The action to get where we want might not be the outcome we hope for. But getting to the finish anything is itself one of the most fulfilling feelings.
We won’t know for sure how much the project, task or goal entail until they’re implemented.

What I learn about the importance of getting started:
1. Creativity opens doors for more opportunity
By starting, you put together the process. The process become a system that you consistently build to become effective. The process is the creative routine and a pursue of excellence.
2. Allow you to grow personally and professionally
The start harness your ability to grow smarter, skillful and stronger. It’s a start of a transformative you.
3. The risk of starting is far more validating than the risk of not starting
The risk is higher if you didn’t start.  Even regretful. The risk of starting is more rewarding and bringing out the best in us.
4. The works benefit you and those you serve
Your work is an attribute to your experience and well-being. Any progress you made is a contribution to those you serve – your job, your family, and the community. 
5. Getting started is empowering
The more you’re at it, the more motivated you feel. The momentum is empowering and encouraging, leading to stronger relationship and better quality of life.

by : jeffvo Featured

Knowing Isn’t Doing

It’s so true about knowing isn’t doing.  Let’s be honest to ourselves, it’s so true to our gut bone the future looks dismal.

Over the years I collected tons of information – how to’s, advices, business plans, wisdoms and insights – and I am still pondering on how I’d like to use the information.

The sea of information keeps adding to the collection. The books I’d like to read, the things I’d like to do, places I’d like to travel, restaurants I’d like to try, desserts I’d like to taste, and on and on. I’m already overwhelmed just by listing them out.

Worst of all, projects I’d like to implement. Talking about projects, they keep piling up. I know what I should do, yet i’m not doing it. Have you ever wish there were three of you?

We are all consume our time with family, work and high priority commitments. Often time we’re stuck. We must recognize it’s not the list of task that we should be doing but NOT doing.


On my notebook, I have a single page monthly calendar with four things I need to complete daily called WERF (Writing, Exercise, Read and Filmmaking). Up to today, getting a month streak is still a goal.

Solve the issue to know what to do:

  • Compile a NOT to-do list
  • Time blocking to complete high priority tasks
  • Forward thinking

If the future looks dismal, a rapid pivot is essential. Staying stuck or playing victim adds no value.

What will we do today to take us to the desirable future?

Once we savaged what’s on the not-to-do list, we can create a new compelling aim and vision to put our time, commitment and resources at better use.

Tap on in new ideas to think forward. Now do what we need to do.

Jeff Vo's Blog