1995 General Overview
April 19th rocked the nation as the US experienced its first serious attack on our own soil, when a massive bomb inside a moving van destroyed the Federal building in downtown Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. Timothy McVeigh became a symbol of hatred, while the world glued to the “Trial of the Century” and waited for what was ultimately a "not guilty" verdict for O.J. Simpson, in a murder trial that lasted for 16 months.
Netscape goes public, thereby launching the Internet stock market boom, while “life is like a box of chocolates” made Tom Hanks only the second actor to win two consecutive Oscar’s as Best Actor with his memorable performance of Forrest Gump.
Real Estate Overview
The letters HFS, speculated by some to stand for Houses For Sale, are introduced to the real estate industry when Henry Silverman, CEO of Hospitality Franchise Services, acquires Century 21 (C21) from Metropolitan Life Insurance. This overlooked acquisition (at that time) would turn out the be the start of what many consider the “Most Significant Real Estate Acquisition of the Century”. Longstanding industry tradition is shattered when outsider Bob Pitman, MTV whiz kid, unexpectedly becomes the new CEO of C21, and after only 13 months at the helm, draws major attention when he officially introduces the Internet into mainstream real estate in November at the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Business Convention in Atlanta by announcing, “Click a Mouse and Buy a House.”
