Hi Jeff, Thanks for dropping by. I'd love to be a mouse in a corner to hear the rationale for the procrastination. You have to wonder where many of these buyers are getting a lot of the mis-information they come equipped with.

Hi William, is was small indeed but has potential, :-)

Hi Margaret, I think there must be way too much snoozing out there. We often speak of the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it isn't a train, :-)

Hi Janice,  thought it was sort of cute to make the point.

Hi Cynthia, we can just hear this over and over in a couple years when people explain that they thought they should have but didn't.

The big Question Missy is the fear wondering if it is the right price. If interest rates start to go up, I suspect they will soon know the answer.

Hi Bill, I that that phenomenon is across the country but I would guess it is even more relevant in some of the bigger markets.

Hi Lenn, And just think, that 10% equity could be the real difference in years to come.

I think interest rates will start to go up and perhaps prices overall as well. Once it starts to move, it usually moves quickly and the increase in rates just cuts into the potential equity.

Hi Joan, Historically, We have heard this over and over and usually coupled with regrets that they didn't act when they had the chance. It the , "doing the same things over and over and expecting different results " syndrome.

Hi Gary, Makes perfect sense.

Hi Carol, Good Counseling from a strong REALTOR and a sincere desire added together is usually successful.

Hi Lynda, A least a few times a day, I 'd say,:-) Well, there is always tomorrow for that we all can be grateful.

Hi Jon, The irony in your tale is not just that he lost out but that a 2.5 million home is a short sale. Hard to figure how all this is happening these days so I am sure missing out on a new home and missing out on ones own home  creates a lot of irony.

Hi Richard, My ear to the ground says that the tax incentive might in fact be extended.Have you heard anything on this? I also hear that the tax incentive may actually be allowed to be considered as the down payment? Is that possible?

Hi Kathy, When I read your comment this morning in my e-mail, do you what came to mind?  Someone was speaking about the light at the end of the tunnel and I suggested it was actually a train. I did laugh out loud but I also hope that is not the case. I would love to get this all behind us and soon.

Hi Diane, Wonderful to see you and I hope your market is maintaining itself. We are expecting many many new foreclosures here to hit the market by late June or early July. Even though I got my certification for REO's I am not all that sure I want to market them. Been vacillating a lot and usually tells me that it is not what I want to do. A hesitant "sort of" won't cut it but there are so many inexperienced agents trying to make a go of it. I guess I am hoping I can make it OK without listing them.

Hi Andrew, Thank you for dropping over and for your very nice comments. This post is certainly not on a par with most things I write but seeing that little house for sale and the numbers of people that admired it and walked by triggered the thoughts that lead to my post. I saw it as a way to express my current impression of what that takes place every day in our industry.

Hi Tere, Very well expressed and those of us that work with Buyers know what it takes, a lot of persistence and effort to find and locate what will be someones new home for hopefully a very long time. I was invited to dinner last evening with one of my young families last night to visit their new home that they have recently moved in to. It certainly feels good when we accomplish our goal of locating that "just right " home. One of kids had me cover my eyes as she took my hand up the stairs to show me her new room. She is only 4 yrs old but she had to share with me how happy and proud she was. For a REALTOR and real estate counselor for the family, I knew I did it right and that feeling is what keeps us motivated. When I was leaving I got 3 little hugs and the older child thanked me for her new room. The eyes moistened a bit and the sense of pride is really what our careers are about.

Hi Myrl, Thanks for stopping over and I am sure  you are right. But in that situation, a dollar to a donut that it was very under priced to begin with and they were bidding over list. It seems to work and I wonder why we don't recommend the principle more to our conventional sellers. Start the price extra low, expose the heck out of it and see how many really want to live there. When it works I suspect it works well. I would also  guess that California living inspires the opportunity.

Hi Susan, Have you ever noticed that when the first and second houses are lost the 3rd is the charm saying doesn't necessarily hold true either? It then becomes second guessing instead of out trying to buy a suitable property at the right price that fits the desires and needs. I would seem the better idea for this Buyer is either step away or do some real soul searching about what their real goal is. A home or getting a ridiculous deal.

Woo Hoo, And I think it still has a ways to go before we see that train light at the end of the tunnel, LOL.

Hi Ruth Marie, that was a great comment and I LOL . At least you have a good sense of humor about it but it sure has taken its toll on lots of people. And the reports are the consumer confidence is really high. If that is true is only because they don't want to face it so they go shopping instead, :-)

Hi Susie, There was a lot of cash that was taken out of other investments and it gave the investors a way to garner major control of whole areas and turn single family homes into investments. There is good news and bad news in that. Ripe with cash, they will in some ways make these properties improved. They will rent, they will use the expense to offset other passive income and depreciate them for tax purposes. They is the good news.

The not so good news in my opinion is that instead of homeowners who would have a sense of price in the neighborhood, they will be tenant occupied and much less likely to remain improved. At times they will come back on the market at whatever the market at time would indicate but mostly at prices that gained over time.

But it will take other new homewners capital to retsore these homes to real pride of ownership levels for the neighborhoods. It will take years and years and many will continue to be sore sights in the neighborhood.

The landscape of homeownership in average neighborhoods is changing and not necessarily for the better.