Sorry for the hyperbole, but I'm trying to prove a point about the media using negative headlines and speculation to counter the positive FACTS about local markets.  My territory is mainly north of Boston, and my rant today is the result of an article published in today's Salem News. 

                                     North Shore real estate market in flux

If that is not enough to scare a potential client from reading on, they have the opening paragraph in bold explaining the negative aspects of both the National and Greater Boston Markets (without facts to back up the statements).

                    Home sales are down. And, by some measures, home prices in this area are down, too. They've certainly dropped both nationally and in Greater Boston, leading to some pessimistic talk of a "double-dip" in the real estate market.

Every time I read it, I can hear newspapers being crumpled up and thrown away.  Hopefully, people continued to read on. 

It seems that of the 13 local Cities/Towns that they were covering, 8 had an increase in number of sales over last year, one had a less than 1% drop, 2 had a loss of under 8% and two had significant drops (19% and 30%)

Much to their dismay, the news got better when the FACTS about the median sales prices were exposed. Again, 8 Cities/Towns had an increase in median sale price over last year including the two that had the large drop in number of sales. Only two had significant drops.

13 North Shore Cities/Towns and only ONE had negative numbers in both categories!  Does this sound like a market that is in flux?

 How about a headline like:  Local Real Estate Market Shows Signs of Life!   I guess negative sells!