LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Happy Holidays Readers!

For most of you, I would assume the holiday season is—or at least used to be—magical. For me, over the past several years it has become less so as I have worked harder and found more and more necessities to fill my days, and thus reasons to complain about the hustle and bustle added to the season; just more responsibility and jobs to accomplish.

Decorating became a chore, and the once-enjoyed baking and cooking became a chapter of my life that had passed. But something has happened this year—a combination of things really. I recently learned an acquaintance of mine was killed in a car accident while going in to work on a Sunday to help a customer. It shook me more than I had expected, since this person was not someone I was particularly close to, but she was someone I admired and I realized I should have made an effort to get to know her better. She was a very hard worker and it was very much like her to forgo her one day off to appease a customer. She never made it there.

Then I started to appreciate the joy and excitement that my 2-year-old son is experiencing. This is the first year of his young life that he really understands things—on some level—with regard to the holiday. The wonder when he looks at Christmas lights or the twinkle in his eyes when he sees a Santa hat or a decorated holiday mug is so beautiful to experience from the perspective of an adult. These are simple things really, but he has the innocence to appreciate them like only a child can do without the years of monotony we inflict upon ourselves that often dulls our senses.

Thirdly, I heard myself stating more times than I would like, “No, I’m sorry, I can’t accept that invitation, I’m just too busy” or “We can’t take that extra time to do XYZ because I have to work.” This is, of course, reality, but a reality that I have made—and only I can change.

So, if I follow my own belief and advice that this life is to be enjoyed, I am going to slow down and enjoy this holiday season with my family and friends with a child’s enthusiasm. It may not be taking a week or two off, but in daily life, it will be slowing down to smell the pine.

This season I have been reflecting on the wonderful people that are associated with this publication. They are not mere co-workers or clients—they are friends! Without the friendship, love and encouragement of so many, the gift of this publication to the Real Estate industry would not be possible. In a world where companies are trying to charge the consumer the maximum threshold possible, we continue to offer this robust publication to our readers for FREE.

All of us have enjoyed putting this December issue together for you. We know you will enjoy it. So, take the time to read all the articles—they are all our presents to you. (Feel free to grab a glass of eggnog before you get started.)

Our Feature Profile is on Eve Mazzarella, broker/owner of Distinctive Real Estate & Investments. Written by our dedicated writer Doug Shields, this article is a gem, and so is Eve. She is a special and amazing person. Eve is not only wildly successful but she is a devoted wife and mother, and surrogate mother to many animals. She is kind, genuine and an overall lovely person. Eve has carved out a niche for her brokerage dedicating her energies to the downtown market and its revitalization effort, and her passion has paid off. We are ecstatic to have Eve joining our team of contributing writers for 2008 with her Urban Update column.

Trish Nash, our Local Profile REALTOR®, has been profiled in the past in our publication along with her partner Sherry Thens of EXIT Realty Unlimited. This time, we are bringing you Trish with a new hat—the incoming 2008 president of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS®. We at E RealEstateExec are proud to assist Trish in 2008 with marketing efforts for this new board.

Summer Gardner, our Service Provider Local Profile, is a breath of fresh air. Her name suits her more than any other I could think to give her myself. She is another genuine, hardworking individual that prides herself on customer service. Signature Alert Security is Summer’s own business and she nurtures it and cares for her clients like a truly passionate business owner. I can relate to this feeling of nurturing your business like a child, so we connected right away. In a market in which it is often hard to find quality service providers, Summer and Signature Alert Security can be counted on to go the extra mile. Thank you to Shauna Newmiller of Abbots Technology Design Group for introducing this wonderful service provider to us.

Nothing says Christmas to my family like my grandmother’s recipe for spiked eggnog. In our Lifestyle article, Rita Templeton shares the history behind some holiday favorites. I would share my own eggnog recipe with you but nothing much would be happening in the Real Estate world if everyone was sipping on this little beauty.

The Legal Notes article by John Benedict is about retirement plans—a subject that is so important to the self-employed Real Estate professional and yet is often ignored. Why? Because we manage our financial lives in the day to day with the view on closing the deal—usually. For most of us, we limp along when business is dry and live off of savings or credit cards, and when we do have a deal (or two or three) we pay off those bills and maybe splurge on something. Who is planning for the future? Well I hope you all are, or at least will be now. It is more important than ever!

Brenda Calvin’s article in Vertical Update is about penthouses, but in the “true” sense of the word. People—ok, REALTORS®—misuse the term “penthouse” so often that it has taken away some of its prestige. The Barry and Allyn Shulman were kind enough to open their three-story penthouse to us and give us a peek into what the true penthouse is all about. Thank you to Brenda for the very interesting article and to the Shulmans for allowing all of us in.

We let Stephen Leon out of his restraints of the World Market Center for Design Connection and he is like a freed bird. He starts this new, broader column direction with a visit to The Gallery at Summerlin. I have recently had the privilege of meeting the owners and the gallery is lovely, but more than that, it feels very welcoming and not pretentious at all. The atmosphere is very friendly and the art is amazing. Time flew for me while I was there and I couldn’t help feel that I wanted to pull up a cozy chair, sip some tea and let the visual calm wash over me. This place is so approachable and I am thrilled that Stephen has introduced this amazing gallery to us.

All of us at Exec MediaGroup and E RealEstateExec want to wish you a fun-filled, magical and peaceful holiday. Slow down a bit, enjoy your family and friends and get ready for an outstanding 2008. There are great things stirring for the New Year and for YOU!

Lee Papa, Publisher

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