Monday, April 27, 2009

Mastering the Six Inch Market

In business there is so much that is out of our control. Unemployment rates, interest rates, and housing prices. Don’t ever get caught waiting for those factors to influence your personal income; or make decisions based on what is on the news. There’s only one market you can master and that’s the six inch market - otherwise known as the space between your two ears.

There are many new entrepreneurs and businesses doing well because they don’t know how the market is supposed to be. There are many veterans waiting for the market to turn to “normalcy”.

This is normal.

In each of the last five decades, there has been price growth and retraction; high and low unemployment; wars and peacetime. With respect to real estate, people are still buying and selling homes. In our area today over 1/3 of the new listings on the market sell in the first 30 days with another 18% in the next 30 days. Interest rates are low, selection is good and 90% of us are employed. Now is a great time to look into real estate … whether it is a personal move or an investment property. We are here for you.

Oh, by the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

It's Time To Freak Out!

It has been a little while since my last entry… it has been a long winter with a flurry of activity, just not many buying decisions. Buying or selling a home is still a major decision … but people around here are still moving.

If you watch the nightly news, listen to the politicians and surf the net on a regular basis, you might as well get it over with and have a complete and utter meltdown. Although I have a desire to be informed, do my research and stay current with the market trends, I’m developing an allergy to the media and the messages from these outlets. And as much as I try to stay positive and focus on my attitude, I found myself recently being surprised with good news.

Several weeks ago my daughter Jody decided to get into the market. As their family expanded by one grandson, Weston, so should their home. They started with a foreclosure and met with the same challenges we face everyday; a lack of motivation and slow to respond. In the meantime they put their current home up for sale … it sold in less than a week. Forced to look for a quicker turn around on a new home they found a beautiful 4 bedroom with very motivated buyers. SOLD / PURCHASED / MOVED … elapsed time 45 days. Congratulations.

This is not an unusual story. In Stark County over 30% of the new listings are selling in the first 30 days… just need to be priced right and in move in condition. The news in this market is not all bad… many choices and low interest rates are helping.

Don’t allow the negative voices to creep in to your thinking when you hear too much from the self-serving authors and media pundits who need drama to make money.

Is business booming like 05 and 06? Absolutely not and I hope we never see days like that again where people were taking equity loans at a record pace to spend money they didn’t have, on things they didn’t need to impress people they didn’t know. So yeah, it’s time to freak out. It’s time to get the messages from the freaked out media, the politicians and the pundits out of your head and life. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. I choose the good, I see the best and I believe my best days and yours are still to come.

Oh, by the way... I'm never too busy for your referrals.