Each Friday, Robbie Briggs, president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of May 29, 2020.  FROM MY PERSPECTIVE How fresh air turns into fresh thoughts In Texas, we’re known for many things — but, dramatic mountain peaks are not among them. It’s OK: When it comes time to escape — to really refresh and recalibrate — Texans take to wide-open expanses of land and vast bodies of water. Those we have plenty of. More good news: Our land and lakes aren’t just places to wind down or wind up. Ranches and lake properties can be incredibly good investments. Land, especially, is a wise one — perhaps the safest bet you could make, now or anytime. You can enjoy that asset, too, while it builds equity. Weekends with friends and family. Another income stream from livestock. The possibilities are endless, because Texas ranches come in all sizes and types, from 2-acre weekend getaways to vast spreads that could be thousands upon thousands of acres, dotted with multiple lakes, multiple residences and wildlife galore. “Ranch life taps into the American desire for space, freedom and a connection with the land,” wrote Paul Sullivan, the Wealth Matters columnist for The New York Times. And, he said, “owning a ranch … has emerged as an alternative investment class.” Water is a valuable commodity, too, no matter the quantity. Beyond the obvious beauty of water, there are many benefits. Hearing it and seeing it gives our brains a break from all of today’s overstimulation. Being by bodies of water can put things in perspective — and make us think of the greater “we,” not “me.” It can even foster creativity, reports the Huffington Post. Around water, it says, “the mind switches into a different mode of engagement, known as the default mode network — the brain network associated with daydreaming, imagination” and all sorts of other big-picture thoughts. (That’s why you get so many great ideas in the shower, by the way.) If, in these wildly unusual times, you’re feeling cooped up — physically or mentally or both — land and water can be your antidotes. I know just the people you should talk to. We not only have more than 400 agents who can find your waterside escape in Texas or anywhere — as part of the Sotheby’s International Realty global network — we also have a division of expert agents dedicated to ranches and land. Together, their unbelievable expertise means that everything is possible, every dream doable. Doesn’t that notion make you feel better already?   Robbie Briggs President and CEO, Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty rbriggs@briggsfreeman.com