Sprague Real Estate Group

Ron and I attended the 11th annual Kern County Economic Summit put on by the Kern Economic Development Corporation this morning, and received an earful of statistics from some very accomplished economists and professionals. The program focused on economic issues as they directly relate to Kern County. As a result, several strengths have been identified to give Kern County a competitive edge in coming out of the recession.

One of the most compelling presentations was given by Barry Hibbard, a colleague of ours who was responsible for the industrial and commercial development of the Tejon Industrial Complex at Tejon Ranch. For several years, he has focused on logistics as an incredible opportunity for growth in Kern County. With an excellent road, air, and rail system for distribution and plenty of land and labor force for assembly and manufacturing, our community is an ideal spot for businesses seeking to streamline logistics.

The keynote speaker of the summit was John Husing, Ph.D. After summarizing what many of the speakers had said throughout the morning, he made one message clear: Kern County is the next opportunity for expansion of Southern California. He compared the current recession to a check mark, in that there was a steep decline in the economy, followed by a slow, gradual recovery. However, by including Kern County with Southern California, he implied that there is potential for high industrial growth much like what was seen in the Inland Empire. In the meantime, many of the county’s economic drivers were rated above average. Agriculture, one of Kern County’s largest industries, is only threatened by lingering water issues.

Jim Beck, General Manager of the Kern County Water Agency, is fighting to keep water flowing strong through Kern County. Allocation of water to farmers and consumers from the state has been cut forty percent from traditional levels, largely due to the pumps that send water to Southern California being shut down to preserve the delta smelt, an endangered two-inch fish. In addition, delta that transports water from Northern to Southern California is potentially threatened to be destroyed by an earthquake. If models are correct, a 6.5 earthquake could send salty sea water into the fresh water supply, rendering it useless. In order to ensure a long-term solution for Southern California’s water supply, a peripheral canal is being planned to go under or around the delta in order to provide a reliable source of water.

All together, the Kern Economic Summit was very informative and was well attended by many public officials and private businessman. Kern County is a location that would make sense for any company that has a distribution element, as 90% of the State population is within a four hour drive. Along with agriculture and oil & gas, industrial land and development will be a key component of growth for our community. However, timing to get out of this recession is on everybody’s mind, and as Dr. Husing put it, we were quick to dig ourselves a hole…now it will take us a while to figure out how to build a ladder.

Between the culture, architecture, and the FOOD, New Orleans is a fascinating place. While the city as taken quite a beating over the past decade, the French Quarter is still alive and thriving. I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans as a result of doing something completely unheard of in today’s day and time: I paid my bill on time.

The Bakersfield Association of Realtors held a drawing last year, offering a free trip for one to NARdiGras, the National Association of Realtors annual convention being held in New Orleans. In order to qualify for the contest, I simply had to pay my dues on time. While I did not attend the inauguration ball where the results of the drawing were announced, I did receive several angry calls from fellow Realtors that night who thought it would be a great idea if I brought them along. I was a little confused, until the following day when I realized exactly what I had won.

My trip from Thursday, November 4th through Monday, November 8th was full of education and amusement. I attended several seminars and forums on a broad range of topics within the industry. In addition, the collaboration with other professionals and peers was invaluable.

The food and entertainment in the heart of New Orleans is incredible. In case you did not already know, Ron’s favorite hobby is cooking, which has led my entire family being pretty big into food. I tried as many different dishes as I could, including shrimp po’boy, banana foster, mufaletta sandwich, voodoo shrimp, and several gumbo-esque entrees. I was not disappointed…everything was amazing and I returned home to Bakersfield with a stomach that was probably too full to qualify for carry-on baggage.

The French Quarter put me in the spirit to walk around and enjoy the historic enviornment. I strolled down Bourbon Street which is immersed in live entertainment, and walked along the Mississippi River. One of the events put on at the NARdiGras convention was the Inaugural Ball, which featured a surprise New Orleans parade, complete with a marching band, several floats, and of course, beads.

Between the knowledge gained within the conference, the networking and relationship building as a result of the conference, and the tradition of the City of New Orleans, my trip was pleasantly successful. I am deeply thankful to the Bakersfield Association of Realtors for giving me the opportunity to participate in this event. I also want to thank  my colleagues who shared in my adventure, including Linda Vernon, the association executive of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors and newly re-elected Mayor of Tehachapi, Angie Trigueiro with Titan Real Estate and president-elect of the Bakersfield Association of Realtors, and Jeanne Radsick with Century 21 Hometown Realty. I had a lot of fun getting to know these leaders who are heavily involved in the real estate industry.

All-in-all, the National Association of Realtors annual convention presented an excellent opportunity for me to grow, both personally and professionally, and I think it would be a great experience for any Realtor to attend. Now, if only I had a chance to win a trip to New Orleans on every bill I paid, paying bills would be a lot more exciting!