2009 HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

A client asked me today if I thought waiting a year for the market to return before listing there home was a wise idea, and I just started to laugh. Not because the question was a bad one, or was i laughing in a righteous way, simply because the truth is, "The market is here right now"! What do I mean...  Well having been asked this question a few times before i have had time to ponder the often asked question. What I mean is that no one knows how the real estate market will be in a month, in a year or even five! We can all predict what will happen, just like we predict the outcome of a ball game. We can look at the stats, the historical data and then we can speculate as to what might happen. I often respond to my clients when asked this question "I will get out my crystal ball and give you the answer." Wait just a moment...LOL 

There is some good news and factual data that I am happy to share. Interest rates are still very low (below 6%), inventory is still very high (A lot of homes to choose from), buyers and sellers can now actually fairly negotiate and not one-sided... (striking home inspections or overpaying), as I believe it should be. Short sales and foreclosures are very frequent in the market place, and as a buyer some great deals are there for the picking.  The fact is that housing market, although having a seemingly tough time, will prevail as a strong market. This is my prediction!    

Did you know that the nation is only at around 8% unemployment right now, where as during the great depression (Great Name) unemployment was at a high of 24%. Inflation in the 1970's was at 21% and the Prime rate during the 80's was at 18.87%. In the early 90's the U.S. had 653 failed banks and S & L's, and in the early 2000's the Nasdaq was down 78%. In 2008 the GDP was up 1% at 11.6 Trillion dollars. So don't be scared, continue to be wise and let us take back an optimistic attitude and help government back to working for the people, not the other way around.  We are not on the verge of another great depression as the media and the new administration leads us to believe. Let's leave politics out of the economic growth of our country and let's help free enterprise and capitalism reign again!!! What a great country we live in!!!