Is this world crazy, or is it just me? - by Rick Kaplan

As I sit here in my private office at my large mahogany desk typing this new article, I think how stable are the real estate and financial markets? If you listen to the news outlets on tv, newspaper or internet you never know what is real or fake. Then we have the messages from our government and the politicians. And we never know who really is looking out for our best interest, probably none of them. So how do you know how we should be investing in the stock market or real estate?

I think the answer is clear. We need to do our best to make personal and business decisions that can be as stable as possible in these crazy times. Real estate has always been one of the most secure assets that you can own. If done right. Is it really the best time to be buying or sell real estate? Commercial real estate owners these days have many tools to analyze projects and properties. In this day and age with new technology research from different real estate pro forma software can give you the insight that is needed to make the investment or to walk away. There are many industries now that have new technology to help with your future planning.

With that being said, yes we do have more tools than ever to analyze anything we want, is that enough to make any of your investments secure in this crazy world? We never know. Our government or other countries can do some crazy things that affect our economy and financial institutions. We have so many variables to think of from terrorism, wars, tariff wars, boycotts, tax increases and so on. But one thing that is guaranteed is we live in America. And we as Americans are strong and resilient. That makes me think, yes the world is crazy, but we will survive.

Rick Kaplan is the event coordinator at the New England Real Estate Journal, Norwell, Mass.