Michael W. Dardick

How about the Rangers, the Stars, the Mavericks and the Dallas development scene? Lots of winners—right? (Well, kind of ...) But more to the point, how are they all managing to put some W’s up on the board in spite of a lot of naysayers?

Although the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox seem to be evenly matched, they do have different styles. These differences are best captured in the “mottos” of each—“The Cardinal Way” and “Boston Strong”.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the political "attack season" and, therefore, the constant messaging about everything that is wrong with the country. For those of you who know me, I don't wear rose-colored glasses and ignore reality. It's clear that we have a lot of heavy lifting to bring solutions forward.

I just returned from an overseas trip, and part of the excursion was certainly about perspective. It is hard to view a 1,000-year-old construction and not be impressed that it is still standing! Moreover, all the ornate stonework in these old buildings leaves one awestruck at the craftsmanship.

With some $1.2 trillion of real estate debt coming due the next several years, and much of it not fully supported by the asset, there will be many unique opportunities. However, not all will be worth the risk. This early part of the recovery is very much about city, submarket, and asset-specific picks—a “stock picker’s” market versus a “buy the index” market.