A Quiet Day on Wall Street

1 - We just thought last week was crunch time on the debt ceiling issue. Now it really, really is. If you're like me, you've been following this story hour by hour: time and again, the politicians appear to be in the verge of an agreement, and every time, someone gets mad, takes their toys, and goes home. I wonder if everyone in Washington really grasps the magnitude of the issue they are dealing with. At this point, there's little we can do but watch -- and will a deal to get done.

2 - The list of speakers is set for our August 9 event entitled "New Realities: Real Estate." We have three distinguished panelists, each of whom can be considered a real estate expert. One one (Cathy Toomey, president of the Polk County Board of Realtors) is focused on Polk County, one (Madelon Wallace, partner with Walker Wallace and Emerson) the greater foothills region, and the third (Scott Hamilton, CEO of Advantage West) all of Western North Carolina. If you have any interest in discussing the new facts of life as they apply to real estate, I urge you to attend. Libbie will be contacting clients soon to take reservations.

3 - Sharon and I just visited our son Drew in New York City over the weekend, and I took a side trip to Wall Street. Everything was closed, of course, but my purpose was just to take a few photos to show you what can be found in the few blocks surrounding the New York Stock Exchange. I include just three below: (1) the giant brass bull -- a perennially popular photo stop for foreign tourists; (2) Federal Hall, just across the street from the exchange, where George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States in 1789, and (3) one of the ubiquitous vendors that can be found all over Manhattan. How appropriate that, in the shadow of the very symbol of capitalism, you can find entrepreneurs still practicing the simplest form of free enterprise.

Have a great week!

-Andy