Once again, I'm reminded that following your passions can provide wonderful results. That's because for more than six years, in addition to working full-time as a Realtor, I worked on writing a non-fiction book. 

What's interesting is that while 'Whispers From The Rae Room' includes some real estate information,
along with photos on local homes and architecture, it is not really a real estate book.  Apparently this didn't matter. 

Several weeks ago, my book garnered serious attention with a front page article in Oregon's largest newspaper, the Oregonian. 

Then the local ABC television affiliate picked it up, with an interview including yours truly. 

With a spike in book sales, bookselling giant Amazon.com added 'Whispers From The Rae Room' to their lineup.

Then came some wonderful e-mails and phone calls, many from clients.  Other inquiries have been from as far away as the Midwestern US. Was it a long, hard slog to write the book?  Sometimes it did seem like an uphill climb.  But I really loved what I was doing and that can make all the difference.   

I love fishing and boating.  Given our currently choppy and uncharted real estate waters, sometimes humor can be the best medicine.   For those who agree, let's set sail.   I'll be your captain.

  Captain Roy in action

Unless a turnaround happens soon, 2008 may be the first time in 22 years a decrease occurs in the average sales price of mid-Willamette Valley properties.  As a result, media reports continue to routinely portray a sinking real estate market. Among buyers, this tends to encourage bottom-fishing.  By many accounts, we've also reached a high water mark in home inventory. 

After more than two decades of steady market growth, it's important to understand what's behind this sea change.   One reason local real estate has floundered a bit involves the lagging of wages behind rising housing prices.

Another issue has to do with the tanking of credit markets.  Add to this recent shifts in local, national and even international economics, which together have been dragging the housing sector down like an anchor.  As the resultant flotsam, jetsam & lagan washes over our nation, the results are indeed trickling down to our region, making these waters tougher to navigate. 

The 'S.S. Market Recovery'

Just remember:  Like the ebb and flow of tides, real estate markets tend to be cyclical. This means that rather than ending up deep sixed in Davy Jones' locker, we should eventually look forward to a buoyant market with more liquidity.

Many people don't know that while I've been a full-time Realtor since 1988, one of my favorite pastimes is writing. 

This includes an occasional screenplay or magazine article:
http://www.forestnet.com/TWissues/Jan-Feb08/RaeTxt.html

...and even a self-published book or two:
http://www.lulu.com/content/1253645

But few who have met me know that my special passion is SONG writing.

In high school and college, I enjoyed performing in several local music groups.  Over the years, I continued to write and record original music, including some tunes I penned for an independent CD recorded with family members under the group name 'Blame The Rain.'  Before long, our completed CD was made available online at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/blametherain

Then one morning while checking my office e-mail, I began to read a message exciting to any songwriter: 

Do you folks know anything about the band called 'Blame The Rain' from the Portland area?  They have a CD for sale...I am a movie producer who is wanting to talk with them about their music for a movie I am producing.

Since that inquiry, two songs I've written have been included in what is now an award-winning, full-length independent feature film initially called 'Tillamook Treasure' and now known as 'The Legend of Tillamook's Gold:'  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillamook_Treasure

As an added benefit, I've enjoyed positive responses from clients who learned of my songwriting.  Here are links to both songs included in the movie:

Better Every Day  http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/blametherain-01.m3u  
Written by Roy Widing

Laugh   http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/blametherain-03.m3u
Written by Roy Widing