Founder's Message: Persons of the year - by Roland Hopkins

Roland Hopkins, NEREJ

I’ve been writing these messages for many many years and have to admit that since I’m not allowed to write about politics or religion it becomes more difficult coming up with interesting topics. How many times can I say that the best investment any investor can make is real estate? How may times can I say that commercial brokers and residential brokers are as different as apples and oranges? How many times can I say that if you really want to sell your property, check the prices of like properties for sale in your area, drop yours below, and it will be gone in less than a month. Sometimes in a day?

So realizing that I have already written about these things too many times. why not come up with something fun and new that everyone can get involved in? How about a list of the ten most famous names in America today. And then the ten most famous names in American history? These don’t have to be good or bad people, just names that everyone knows. First example – Donald Trump. Does anyone not know who he is? Maybe last year some teenagers may not have been able to tell you much about him, but now? How about Warren Buffet? Tom Brady. Hillary and Bill Clinton. President Obama. George Clooney. Charlie Sheen. David Ortiz. Oprah Winfrey. And Billy Graham. That wasn’t as easy as I thought. Send us your lists and let’s see how many we agree on. Try and make them someone everyone knows.

Now the top ten people in American history. This should be easier. Babe Ruth. George Washington. Abe Lincoln. Frank Sinatra. Adam and Eve (we’ll call that one since I think they were married). Lee Harvey Oswald. Michael Jackson. Wilt Chamberlain. Bobby Orr. And I’ll cheat on the tenth because He wasn’t born in the United States. Jesus.

So, there are my top tens. Take a minute and submit yours and that will give me something to write about in my next month’s message.

Happy New Year.

Roland Hopkins is founder of the New England Real Estate Journal, Norwell, Mass.