The last month or so, we have had more and more recorded voice messages, you know the type.  You pick up the phone and there is a recorded message which makes you promptly hang up.  Doh!

When the market gets shaky, some people just do whatever they can and sometimes they really do whatever.  I was in the office today when a phone call came in on a line our agents usually use.  I hear: "Hi, have you been thinking about buying a home?…"  I pause and say: "Excuse me?"  And the lady says again in an automaton, recorded style: ""Hi, have you been thinking about buying a home?…"  And she names the name of her company.  One of the biggest three out there!

I started laughing and asked her if she knew who she was calling, of course she didn’t know. I told her she was calling another real estate company and told her she was going to need a lot of luck.  I should have asked who she was, since she never bothered introducing herself.  This is one of the biggest three real estate company nationwide calling a real estate office asking if we had thought about buying a house?  You just have to love it.  Short of the obvious legality of soliciting business on a do not call number, how pathetic to not introduce yourself and strike a rapport and just spit out: "Are you thinking about buying a house?"

This troubles me for two reasons, a) cold call soliciting have legal implication, an agent cannot solicit over the phone and b) subtlety!  Is it very hard to introduce yourself, built a rapport and find out if the person is interested in buying?  C) is this what happens when the market because a little tough?

Funny how little effort some people put into redesigning themselves when a market changes…

I took the bus downtown today and I could not believe it.  They tore down that video store place.  It was not bad looking yet a little out of place, but I liked it.  It almost did not belong in the middle of a modern city, but it was part of the beginning of downtown. 

What worries me is what will replace it.  We desperately need more housing and I am sure a tower will go up there, ever crowding our view and space.  It is not a bad thing per se, if only the architect and commissions would give the green light to something that represent southern California.  Anyone who has seen most project whether they be for downtown or Second street and PCH will probably come to the same conclusion.  What does this have to do with Long Beach?  How does this represent Long Beach?  I was stunned when I saw the project for Second and PCH.  It looked like anything you would encounter anywhere in our country.  It did not represent Southern California, had no particular charm, it was just an architectural project that would be at home anywhere.  That, I cannot understand.  Why not create something that fits our nature, our character?  Oh yes.  I almost forget.  We are in the era of template and reusable modules.  Write once, make ‘em pay anywhere.

It is sad though, as we are seeing an end to local heritage and an onslaught of cookie cutters.  Driving through many cities, it would be impossible to determine where you are without landmarks and typical local architecture.  Is this what is in store for Long Beach?  Destined to become another big city that has also lost its cache?  I hope not.  But then it would require many people to voice their concerns and that is something we rarely do.