Mastery is not a goal or a destination, but rather a process, or a journey.  It takes time, yet is available to anyone who is willing to get on the path and stay on it. Mastery is the journey to becoming the best that you can be in whatever endeavor you choose.The War Against Mastery 

By all appearances it seems that our society is waging a war against mastery. We live in the day of the “quick fix” and instant gratification.  Want a new wardrobe? Simply grab the credit card and you instantly have it. Need to lose weight, take this pill and lose fat while you sleep. Want to live the life of luxury? All you need to do is buy a lotto ticket. Have a headache? Take this pill for “fast relief.”

In fact, an ad for one state’s lottery showed a man laughing at people buying savings bonds while insisting the only way for an ordinary person to become a millionaire was to win the lottery.

The Path of Mastery 

In what are you striving for mastery? Is it your business? Is it your relationships? Is it your inner self? Hopefully, you haven’t succumbed to the idea that you can achieve mastery in the next 15 minutes. You do understand that mastery requires patience, dedicated effort, and the willingness to apply yourself for the long haul.

The path of mastery is no quick fix. Those who strive to be the best of the best choose it anyway. The rewards of mastery are worth it.

Next week we’ll look at Learning to Love the Plateau.

(This series is inspired by my reading journal of the book “Mastery: The Keys To Success And Long-Term Fulfillment” by George Leonard.)

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.)

Florida ranked #2 in the nation for the number of foreclosure filings per capita in 2007.  Nevada was number one.  Florida saw 1 foreclosure filing per 25.7 houses. Almost every day I receive a phone call from someone asking about the foreclosure timeline in Florida.

My website The-Short-Sale-Expert.com has a wealth of information for the consumer.  I invite you to check it out.

If you are a Manatee County Florida homeowner facing foreclosure you need to know the timeline for a Florida foreclosure. The shortest amount of time for the foreclosure process is about 90-120 days.  The longest is many, many months.  Here’s what happens.

1. The Borrower falls behind in their mortgage payments and starts receiving calls from the lender demanding payment.  This may go on for 3-6 months, or longer.

2. The lender hires an attorney to start the foreclosure process. 

3. The lender may order a “drive by” broker price opinion to see what condition the house is in and what it may be worth.

4. A “lis pendens” is filed. The words actually mean “litigation pending.”  The homeowner is served with the foreclosure lawsuit.

5. The Borrower has 20 days to file an answer to the lawsuit. If they do not file an answer, it goes forward like an “uncontested” foreclosure and is fast-tracked.  It is always best to involve an attorney at this point.

6. A hearing date is set and unless there is good reason to stop the foreclosure a Final Judgment is issued and the sale date is set.  This is typically about 30 days after the final judgment.

7. The public auction is held at the Manatee County courthouse steps.

8. The winning bidder is given a certificate of sale.  This is like a receipt, but does not constitute actual ownership.

9. Providing the sale is not disputed, in about 10-12 days a “certificate of title” is issued to the new owner.

10. If someone is still living in the house the judge will grant a writ of possession and the sheriff will serve notice to the occupants that they must move out within 24 hours.  If they don’t move out all of the belongings may be set out to the curb.

You may also want to read: The Florida Foreclosure Time Line

Foreclosure procedures differ state to state.  You should check out the foreclosure for your own state. Also, nothing herein should be considered legal advice and homeowners are advised to consult with a competent attorney for all legal advice.

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.)

The path to mastery is sometimes difficult and offers no easy shortcut.  Not everyone is cut out to do what it takes to become the best in their industry, in their sport, or even in their relationships. See if you can see yourself in these descriptions:

The Dabbler

The Dabbler is the kind of person who makes a great start but follows up with a weak finish. The Dabbler approaches each new career, new project, or new relationship with great enthusiasm.  He or she loves the getting ready part and the newness of starting something fresh.

The Dabbler loves starting a new job, getting a new office, and talking about how great the opportunities are. Then he/she hits a plateau.  Maybe this job isn’t so great after all. Maybe it’s time to start looking for something different again.

The Obsessive

The Obsessive certainly has a goal of becoming the best of the best.  She is focused on results and puts in long hard hours to get everything just right. She goes to all the seminars and courses.  She reads all the books and listens to all the CD’s.

There is much progress at first.  Then she hits the plateau.  Unwilling to accept it, she redoubles her efforts and pushes herself almost to exhaustion. She refuses to accept the advice of others who encourage her to be more balanced. She tempted to take short cuts and her work suffers even more.

Progress comes in spurts, followed by steep declines, until it all falls apart. When that happens, the Obsessive is hurt along with family, friends, and colleagues.

The Hacker

The Hacker is cut from a different cloth altogether.  After a mediocre start, he is willing to stay on the plateau forever.  He really isn’t trying to become the best. He never goes to seminars or training courses, never reads the right books, and skips the important meetings that are essential to growing his business or relationships.

He does just enough to get by and follows the path of least resistance.  He just can’t figure out why success doesn’t come his way.  He feels short-changed. The path to mastery is just too much work.  He would much rather just goof off with fellow hackers.

Keep in mind that it is possible to be a Dabbler in relationships and a Master at work. You can be a Hacker at golf and a Master at your profession -or vice versa.  However, more often than not one of these descriptions will be the dominant characteristic in your life.

If you see yourself in one of these descriptions you are beginning to understand why you are NOT on the path to mastery. Understanding this is the first step to doing something about it.

Next week we’ll look at The War Against Mastery.

(This series is inspired by my reading journal of the book “Mastery: The Keys To Success And Long-Term Fulfillment” by George Leonard.)

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.)

Dan Forbes, PL is a licensed Broker-Associate and Certified Residential Specialist. He leads the Forbes Advantage Team at RE/MAX Gulfstream Realty’s Lakewood Ranch Office in Bradenton, Florida.To learn more about buying a home or selling a home in the Bradenton - Sarasota Florida Real Estate market please visit Dan on the web at  BradentonFloridaRealEstate.com ;   TheRealEstateZoo.com ;    The-Short-Sale-Expert.com ; and   BradentonRealEstateClub.com  Call Dan Forbes today: 941-713-5760 or toll free at 800-756-3068.

Are you the BEST that you can be at anything in life? Do you have a goal to be the best Realtor, the best Mother or Father, the best Mortgage Broker, or the best golfer? Are you committed to reaching the level reserved for someone who MASTERS their chosen profession, sport, or goal?

If MASTERY is your goal then please read this series of posts.  You may want to go back and read post #1: How To Achieve Success In Every Area of Your Life

What is Mastery? 

Today, let’s talk about…What is Mastery? It is not a goal or a destination, but rather a process, or a journey.  It takes time, yet is available to anyone who is willing to get on the path and stay on it.

The journey towards mastery begins when you decide to learn any new skill.  For example, a Realtor may decide to master working expired listings. There are certain skills to master. How do you find expireds? How do you market to expireds? What words will you use? What scripts? What objections must you learn to over come? How do you become the best?

Learning to Appreciate the Plateau

Learning any new skill involves brief spurts of progress, each of which is followed by a slight decline to a plateau somewhat higher than that which preceded it. George Leonard in his book, Mastery, calls it the “mastery curve.” It looks like this.

To stay on the path to mastery you must be willing to spend most of your time on the plateau. You must be willing to keep praticing, keep moving, keep working, even when you seem to be getting nowhere. You accept that you must practice primarily for the sake of practice itself.

Too often we become frustrated while on the plateau. Our job is to learn to appreciate the plateau and in fact, enjoy it just as much as we do the upward surges.

Leonard writes, “Genius, no matter how bright, will come to naught or swiftly burn out if you don’t choose the master’s journey.  This journey will take you along a path that is both ardous and exhilarating.  It will bring you unexpected heartaches and unexpected rewards, andyou will never reach a final destination. (It would be a paltry skill indeed that could be finally, completey mastered.) You’ll probably end up learning as much about yourself as about the skill you’re pursuing.”

If you want to join me on the path to mastery please subscribe to my blog and join me next Monday as we meet three characters –the Dabbler, the Obsessive, and the Hacker.

(This series is inspired by my reading journal of the book “Mastery: The Keys To Success And Long-Term Fulfillment” by George Leonard.)

Please contact me, Dan Forbes, or call 941-713-5760 (toll free 800-756-3068) if you have any questions about our Bradenton Florida Real Estate market. Please visit BradentonFloridaRealEstate.com; The-Short-Sale-Expert.com

Our Manatee County, Florida real estate market continues to show slow improvement.  That is welcomed news! 

However we are not out of the woods yet.  Economist Hank Fishkind predicts the number of homes for sale in Manatee County won’t return to normal until the middle of 2009, when the market is expected to finally hit bottom.

The Total Market Overview Reports below show by price range:

* Current number of active listings
* Number of expired listings for the month
* Total Number of Pending Listings
* Number of closed sales for the month
* Absorption Rate
* Average List Price and Average Sale Price
* Average Days on Market
* Market Trend: Improving or Not
* Compared to 6 months ago
* Compared to 1 year ago

Dec 2007 Residential

Dec 2007 Condo

Please contact me, Dan Forbes, or call 941-713-5760 if you have any questions about our Bradenton Florida Real Estate market. Please visit BradentonFloridaRealEstate.com; The-Short-Sale-Expert.com