An appraiser looks at 60

Where are you in your life path?

I hope you’re looking at life forward towards the bow (opportunity) and not the stern (regret).

My birthday is today, placing me in the typical appraiser age bucket.

I don’t feel that getting to the 6th floor of life is a big deal.

I have employees and clients that I love, wrapped in the valuation profession that’s given me so much.

I feel that Realwired is a career of ultimate creativity I never have to retire from.

I’ve never believed in the just-out-of-reach future concept of “I’ll be happy when I [insert achievement, obtain certain possessions or travel to some exotic destination].

I’ve been to a few cool places, Dubai, Europe, the Caribbean, Cuba, Israel, seen the Taj Mahal. But those places mean nothing without a shared experience. For me that’s my wife Brenda. I’ve had the honor of 30 years with her and it’s been amazing.

We’re sailing to Mexico on our 36’ catamaran next month. I just signed up for a half marathon in Scotland in July, so I’m not bored.

10 Impactful Warren Buffet Quotes

  1. Everything is temporary -The current funkiness of the market, including the office sector, is temporary.
  2. Life isn’t fair -This can be addressed by gratitude, no matter the situation.
  3. Family matters more than friends – Consider giving extra consideration to family members.
  4. Others treat you like you treat yourself -If you’re hard on yourself, you may consider giving yourself a Mulligan.
  5. Beneath anger there’s always fear -This one is powerful. Think about your motivation and what drives your decisions.
  6. Happiness is a choice and requires hard work – This is my favorite one, the idea that you can create/change/improve your attitude regardless.
  7. A lifetime isn’t as long as you think – Turning 60 this one feels particularly relevant. It’s like the Dr. Seuss quote, “How did it get to be so late so soon?”
  8. The biggest risk is not taking a risk -This might show up as not investing in technology and processes in your appraisal firm or appraisal department.
  9. Things don’t matter so much – This concept permits you to make decisions quicker and not worry so much about the fear of making a wrong choice.
  10. You played it too safe – This is the valuation profession’s kryptonite. We’re in the risk business but that doesn’t mean we have to self-limit our outcomes.


Consider looking forward with anticipation, ready to set sail into the next decade with optimism and a sense of adventure.

I hope things are going amazing for you and your family.