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A Tip From and For the Math Challenged

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Home Jane Realty BRE# 01439865

I heard a theory on the news the other day that women are worse at math than men. Dunce

I personally cannot argue that fact.  I was a total imbecile in what we called maths in school in the U.K.  I am not going to tell you the scores I got in each of the three subjects, arithmetic, algebra and geometry. emember I said "imbecile".  

I can add, subtract and divide and multiply, which is just about all that is needed to function in daily life, but when it comes to complicated percentages and fractions, forget it.  I have no idea how to work out what percentage 67 is of 193.  Or what was the original number if 97 is 73% of it.  

Today I did a market report on Echo Park but since it is lumped together with Silver Lake, I couldn't get a ready-made one, so I had to work it out myself.  I was able to work out the average days on the market - I am good at averages - but I  did not have a clue how to calculate the median price.

Not to be outdone I looked it up.
Teacher

I thought would try and seem intelligent by passing that little tidbit on to my female friends.  Men, you may skip this, as I am sure you all know it.  

If you have an even number, 11, 15, 32, 34, 50, 53, you take the middle two numbers (32, 34) add them up (66) and divide by 2.  Your median is 33.

If there are odd numbers the median is the number in the middle.

Wow, you learn something every day.  You are welcome!

Comments (39)

Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Lori,  it most certainly would be.  Can you imagine where we would be without mathematicians.  Thanks for dropping by.

Jan 26, 2010 03:29 PM
Ruth Vogt
Fairway Independent Mortgage, LLS. Equal Housing Opportunity. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate. - Colorado Springs, CO
719-592-0855 www.ReverseLoansInColorado.com

I love math... better... after all, I'm in the mortgage business. ;)

Jan 26, 2010 03:58 PM
Sheldon Neal
Bergen County, NJ - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Maywood, NJ
That British Agent Bergen County NJ

... tee hee !

Jan 26, 2010 09:38 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Hi Jane,

I too love to come to your post because your posts always make me smile. You made me think of my dad who always worked with me on my math homework..every night. He was very good with numbers and always presented it another way that was somehow easier! I know he is the reason I did well with math!

Jan 26, 2010 10:51 PM
Tanya Nouwens
Immeubles Deakin Realty - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Real Estate Broker & Stager

I love math and numbers.  Does that make me less of a woman? : )  -- Tanya in Montreal

Jan 26, 2010 11:50 PM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Sheldon,  I am sure you can relate.  Would the now. 15, 16, 17 mean anything to you?

Dorie,  where was your Dad when needed him?

Tanya,  I'm confused.  You like English too.  You are a mutant!

Jan 27, 2010 03:08 AM
Janice Roosevelt
Keller Williams Brandywine Valley - West Chester, PA
OICP ABR, ePRO,Ecobroker

I love numbers and math - brains are hardwired differently - what I've learned in HOW GOD CHANGES YOUR BRAIN is that you ca rewire your brain - with everything from yawning to meditation to exercise to interactions with people.  I do recall that a certain part of a woman's brain is larger than a man's - in general - and that part has to do with emotion  - nurturing and fear.

Jan 27, 2010 06:29 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Janice,  I am happy with my brain the way it is :)  That is interesting info, Janice.  I envy people who can get into all this meditation, self-exploration stuff.  I don't have the patience.  :)

Jan 27, 2010 07:26 AM
Sheldon Neal
Bergen County, NJ - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Maywood, NJ
That British Agent Bergen County NJ

... well those we're the ages that I experienced many 'firsts' but other than that, enlighten me on those numbers !!!

Jan 27, 2010 10:06 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Sheldon,  out of 100.  Those were my scores.

Jan 27, 2010 10:16 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Jane:  Not sure if it boils down to a male or female thing ... I'm not a brave enough man to get into that discussion.  But I will relate this to you ... my wife says numbers and math actually make her physically dizzy.  She is not being facetious at all ... she says her mind literally whirls ... and has as long as she can remember.  She will not play games that involve that kind of mind game or work ... and complains that it just frustrates her to do so.  Now me ... love 'em ... so how that actually can be interpreted regarding the male/female brain ... not sure ...    Fun and interesting post!

Gene

Jan 27, 2010 10:57 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Gene, my case rests.  This is a little like your Mars Venus post.

Jan 27, 2010 11:05 AM
Mark Hall
Realty One Group Cascadia - Vancouver, WA
Homes for Sale Vancouver Washington

Lucky for me that Janice is a math genious! She says that the numbers just talk to her. The only thing that talks to me is the TV. Like I said, lucky SHE is a genious!

Jan 27, 2010 02:56 PM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Mark,  uh oh, there goes that theory - or does it.....?

Jan 27, 2010 03:20 PM
Carra Riley & Declan Kenyon
Brokers Guild Cherry Creek Ltd - Westminster, CO
Helping people Transition at all ages!

Jane,  It's LATE on Wordless Wednesday.... the TIP is great!  Fun to read the comments as well! Lots of fun Jane followers.

Jan 27, 2010 05:49 PM
Elizabeth Bolton
RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA
Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Jane ~ Not a male / female thing I don't think.  I love math. Not that it's all that difficult but my new obsession is KenKen - similar to Sudoko but waaaaaay better - it's a fill in the rows and columns by computations. It's the first thing I turn to in the paper.

Liz

Jan 28, 2010 10:34 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Liz,  Sudoku is actually logic, another thing I am not good at.  Haven't heard of Ken Ken.  Will look out for it.

Jan 28, 2010 10:39 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Liz,  Sudoku is actually logic, another thing I am not good at.  Haven't heard of Ken Ken.  Will look out for it.

Jan 28, 2010 10:40 AM
Michael Eisenberg
eXp Realty - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham Real Estate Guy

Hi Jane, I help my son with his math homework most everynight, he's from Thailand and has been her 2 1/2 years and doesn't read well enough to understand his math homework. I was a math major so most of it comes pretty easy, but Im occassionaly stumped by his 7th grade math.  Wish they would spend more time on the basics rather than algebra and geometry.

Jan 28, 2010 11:40 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Michael,  I could have done with just the basics also.  The rest completely lost me.

Jan 28, 2010 12:02 PM