Defending an Industry

Realtors and real estate agents are having a tough go of it right now, I feel.

Sometimes folks represent real estate as a side job. For others it is a full-time job and even a career choice.

Currently there are many housing units on the market. I don't know what the short-term and long-term future holds for the marketing of real estate, but it looks like we could be in for a rough and tumble time.

People who represent home for sale and purchase earn income from the successful completion of the transactions. Income earned goes back into the economy and we all benefit when every industry's economy is booming. We all need the benefits that the real estate industry provides, within reason.

Please don't think I would write that we should have major developments in our community just so the real estate industry benefits. That industry makes money whether a single-family detached home is bought or sold, or a large development has buying and selling going on.

We now are witnessing the gathering of interest in Seaport Luxury Homes. "That MONSTER" is scheduled to be occupied in the fall of this year. The web site: http://www.seaport-homes.com/ is up and not running smoothly at all by many accounts of how it still, seemingly, ignores the city where the development is actually being built in. Interest in the development should be growing now that there are also folks representing units for sale within the development.

I do not begrudge any person involved in the real estate industry from trying to make their livelihood by selling units at Seaport Luxury Homes. The income these many folks will earn will go back into our economy and that is a good thing. Many of the folks who will earn commissions on the sales of these units live in OUR community and even though it looks kind of like the development is being marketed to folks outside our community, the folks who live here and will earn money here, will help our economy. If there are residents of our area who would like to live at Seaport, perhaps they will be able to get over the obvious snubs of San Pedro found on the Web site and in the advertisements.

I would rather see local members of the real estate industry make money from the sale of units at Seaport than I would having non-locals take home a check. Torrance, for me and at this point, is a non-local area.

If some folks have a problem with so-and-so doing such-and-such with regards to both selling units and Seaport and being involved with community issues, then there is hope they realize that sometimes and income is just as important as an issue. We may not like their stance on the issues, but we should not protest their quest to provide for themselves and their families.

There are some folks very critical of Bob Bisno's current plans who are also in the real estate industry. There are members of R Neighborhoods Are 1 who are in the industry, just as there are several members of the Community Advisory Committee, and even some government workers who represent real estate for sale. I am quite sure that there are many supporters of Bob Bisno's current plans who deal in real estate.

It would probably be wrong if an ardent supporter of the current Ponte Vista plans, who also deals in real estate, is denied the opportunity to represent single-family, detached homes just because they support the development of 2,300 condominium units at Ponte Vista.
We should not be angry if a real estate agent or Realtor comes to board meetings for the Ponte Vista Advisory Board and then turns around and sells many R1 properties in OUR community.
Those folks need to make a living, too.

I would like to see every supporter of the current plans for Ponte Vista have the opportunity to sell single-family, detached homes at Ponte Vista, if a compromise is not found. Similarly, if there is a compromise found that is in the best interest of all of us, then all folks who represent real estate for sale, whether they are currently supporters or opponents, they all should have the ability to sell whatever is built at Ponte Vista.