WHO WE ARE

Dear Fellow REALTORS®, Sellers, Buyers et al.,

I’m originally from northeast Ohio and now live in Sarasota, Florida.  I grew up watching my father and my eventual business partner (my brother-in-law) grow our family trucking company my dad started in the 1950s. I started working at the company after graduating with a BBA from the University of Notre Dame in 1979.  Eventually, I became Treasurer of the company with day-to-day duties of the entire back office – billing, payroll, employee benefits, etc.

I enjoyed my work, especially the fact that it was mostly objective work. Either the checkbook balanced or it didn’t.  There were of course times when decisions had to be made, e.g. which insurance quote was best (not just lowest). 

We sold the business in 2011, which provided me, at the age of 55, with an opportunity for a second career. I had always wanted to give real estate sales a try.  Boy, am I glad I never go into it while working full-time?  Being a REALTOR® (which I am) takes a lot of time helping customers.  I would have hated it.  I love it now, being able to devote my time (part-time mostly, I told you I’m in Sarasota. What would be the point of being here if I worked full time at this stage of my life?)

My family has been coming to Sarasota since the early ‘80s.  I could rarely get away for long periods having weekly and semi-monthly payrolls to process.  Selling the business allowed me the chance to move to Sarasota (don’t forget this was pre-COVID-19 when few folks worked remotely) AND get my real estate license.  I obtained my state license in 2015 and moved here in May 2016.

I started with Coldwell Banker which was a good choice to start (especially given their training programs). I’ve met several wonderful REALTORS® and customers.  I am now with a great boutique firm in downtown Sarasota, Chrome Realty LLC.  I love working with Buyers (I capitalize the B out of respect).  It’s way more time-consuming than listing properties (which of course has its rewards and I enjoy helping owners sell as well), but I love the challenge of finding the perfect home for my Buyers. My record number of showings is 20 properties in one day, to my most recent Buyers actually – we probably toured live or remotely close to 50 properties. But we nailed it!  

I couldn’t believe some of the claims (the attorneys for) the plaintiffs made (see HERE’S THE DEAL Ps & Rs). Of course, it’s obvious NAR’s hands weren’t totally clean (what were they thinking?)  So, we have the Settlement Agreement. What’s the solution?  HERE’S THE DEAL.

I have to tell you this story before wrapping up my brief history. Back in the 1990s our trucking company was one of the original members of a class action suit brought against several railroads (that’s an interesting story itself, I think.)  We won the case which ended up being appealed, by the few defendants who hadn’t already settled, to the Supreme Court.  SCOTUS denied cert on January 24, 1994. 

I was reading The Settlement Agreement when it came out in March.  I get to the bottom where the signature page is (page 107 of 108) and which firm is signing for the plaintiffs. The very one who represented us in our antitrust case!  I almost fell out of my chair. 

It’s ironic, that my buddies at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC (kudos to Ann Yahner now a Principal Admin, Law judge at DC Government Washington, District of Columbia, United States who did a great job for us) are on the other side, me being a REALTOR® and all.  But actually, we are all on the same side now having agreed to shake hands and move on with The Settlement Agreement. 

Don’t burn bridges, my father and mother always told me.  I might be needing Cohen Milstein et al. if the DOJ tries to shut me down.  The DOJ is so blinded by its veracity to end Buyer representation (yes, that’s my opinion along with many who’ve followed or read the history of DOJ v. NAR) and not just Seller cooperating commissions, that it might not understand this site.  If HERE’S THE DEAL is not the ultimate expression of a free-market platform (the antithesis of antitrust) where all parties are informed of the variables: list prices, offers, etc., then really there’s no such thing as a free market.

I will remind everyone (here I can’t help but visualize Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest) that we have NO DATA FEEDS EVER and (and Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man) reiterate WE ARE NOT AN AGGREGATOR. 

Sincerely,

Ronald J Tauro

CEO, Wilshire Widgets LLC

HERE’S THE DEAL IS FREE TO USE

WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A LIMITED FREE VERSION TO SHARE INFORMATION