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Quarter Century with Coakley Realty: Into the 21st Century

We’re back with Part Three of our five-part series celebrating Coakley Realty’s quarter century in business. From 1999 to 2003, empowered by our “one stop shop” approach to meeting all of your real estate needs, we continued to grow stronger. Here’s a look back at what was going on nationally, globally, and at Coakley Realty at the turn of the new century. Enjoy!

What Happened in 1999

• The world’s population surpasses 6 billion 
• Fearing the Y2K millennium bug, public and private sector organizations worldwide check and upgrade computer systems to prevent a shutdown of critical industries and government functions at 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2000.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 11,000 for the first time.
• Mattel’s Barbie Doll celebrates its 40th birthday.
• Coakley Realty Management, LLC is founded by Rory Coakley and James Dailey.  In the beginning, the firm had about 10 tenants. Today, Coakley Realty Management has nearly 250 residential, retail, office and industrial tenants.

What Happened in 2000

• Concerns over Y2K pass without the serious, widespread computer failures and malfunctions that had been predicted.
• Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida. 
• Average cost of a new house in the US is $134,150.
• Tiger Woods becomes the youngest player to win a Grand Slam in pro golf.
• Microsoft releases Windows 2000. 
• Rory Coakley finishes second term as president of the Rockville Chamber. He is also named Business Person of the Year by the Catholic Business Network of Montgomery County.

What Happened in 2001

• September 11th, al-Qaeda terrorists attack the US using hijacked airliners to bring down the Twin Towers and crash into the Pentagon. A third hijacked plane crashes in Shanksville, PA during an attempt by passengers to take control. The attacks, which left nearly 3,000 people dead, become known simply as “9/11.”
• America declares war on terrorism and invades Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding.
• Timothy James McVeigh is executed for the Oklahoma City bombing.
• Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
• Wikipedia, a Wiki free content encyclopedia, goes online.
• Rory Coakley completes the Leadership Montgomery program, which brings together current and emerging leaders to make Montgomery County a better place to live and work by creating collaborations and partnerships to impact community needs.

What Happened in 2002

• Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee.
• President George W. Bush creates the Department of Homeland Security to fight threats of terrorism.
• Two snipers in the Washington, DC area kill 10 people and injure three more, spreading panic and fear.
• Kmart becomes the largest retailer in American history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
• Mars Odyssey spacecraft finds signs of huge water ice deposits on the planet Mars.

What Happened in 2003

• United States invades Iraq due to an imminent threat of weapons of mass destruction. Deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is later captured by U.S. forces. 
• US dollar LIBOR rate for mortgages at 45 year record low of 1 percent.
• The space shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard.
• Lance Armstrong wins his fifth Tour De France.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected Governor of California
• Coakley Realty is named an Advocacy Partner of Stepping Stones Shelter in Rockville, Maryland, which serves families who have become homeless due to job loss, divorce, death of a spouse, or other hardships. In 2000, Coakley Realty had converted its annual customer appreciation party to an annual benefit for Stepping Stones and has since raised several hundred thousand dollars for the organization.

Coakley Realty is proud of our 25-year track record of growth and success in the D.C. metro real estate market. But the best is yet to come!

We’ll be back soon with our retrospective on 2004 through 2009.  If you could share your own personal or business milestones during these years, that would be great!