A penny for my thoughts, oh no I’ll sell them for a dollar

They’re worth so much more after I’m a goner

And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin’

Funny when you’re dead how people start listenin’

~The Band Perry

Last week the real estate community lost an icon. Carole Rodoni was an economist, a real estate guru and the toughest sub five foot woman you will have ever met. I know real estate and I’m smart, I bowed to her insight. She was the President of Fox and Carskadon, COO of Cornish and Carey and the President of Alain Pinel Realtors. Most Realtors were not qualified to have a conversation with this little fireball. Whenever I asked her a question I was always mindful to not sound like this guy.

Isn’t it true….and I would be the worm.

She gave out some of the best real estate advice I’ve ever received. She understood how the bay area worked and how the world worked. She would start with a view of the world’s economic situation and chunk it down to the United States and then chunk it down to California and ultimately to the bay area and Contra Costa County.

I would have liked to have heard her thoughts on the tariffs. I am deeply concerned that they are the canary in our collective coal mines. Most go into effect starting October 1, 2018. I’ve had business owners tell me that their cost of goods will be going up. Spun Bicycles in Cincinnati has received notice from several providers that various bicycles are parts will be going up in cost by 25%. I spoke to the owner of Chase Customs who told me that a roll bar that used to cost around $350 was now costing him $700. Steel parts were already doubled in price in some situations.

Our economy is not strong enough to withstand this kind of rise in COG and I am doubtful that it can continue to grow under that pressure.

We are used to Presidents who negotiate in a certain manner. I believe this President is a brash, bare knuckles type of negotiator and that’s what is happening right now. He is blustering to get the Chinese to the table and the tariffs will not ultimately be in effect long, if at all. If I am wrong, we could be in for a long cold winter. I wish I could give Carole a penny for her thoughts on tariffs. She will be missed.