I've always been called a professional opportunist, and in the future I'm open to anything. We've spent a lot of time offshore, looking at opportunities in real estate outside the United States.
Sam ZellThe question is not do you take money out of stocks and put it into real estate, or the reverse. There's so much money out there looking for a home. I don't think it's either/or.
Sam ZellThe single biggest issue that I'm very sensitive to is inflation. I'm very concerned that this extended period where the interest rates were quite low and stimulated a lot of activity could breed inflation and create a problem for us.
Sam ZellIf you could find a major city that actually had a functioning, good public school system, you should buy all the real estate.
Sam ZellJust by being private, the culture will change. We won't be forced to make decisions that are 90 days in relevance.
Sam ZellMy single biggest financial concern is the loss of the dollar as the reserve currency. I can't imagine anything more disastrous to our country. . .you're already seeing things in the markets that are suggesting that confidence in the dollar is waning. . .I think you could see a 25% reduction in the standard of living in this country if the U.S. dollar was no longer the world's reserve currency. That's how valuable it is.
Sam Zell