Remember when you've been in a rut, you concentrate on a depressing situation and the more you hear and think about it, the more horrible everything seems. It's hard to work your way out of these ruts, especially when whatever you hear on a regular basis seems to contribute to the "awfullness." That's exactly what the "boob tube" is doing to us every day. It makes daily contributions to our ideas of how bad the economy is, how bad the real estate market is, how terrible the mortgage industry is and pretty soon we're convinced and we're telling everyone we know how bad things are in the world where we live.
Monday morning, my first phone call was from a grandparent driving around looking for a house to move closer to their grandchildren. They called me on a listing and walla, we met, we looked, they bought. That can't happen in this "awful" market, can it? Last week a customer called needing to move close to the new job they'd just accepted. We met, they looked, they're deciding which house will work for them. That can't happen in this "awful" market, can it? Today, we had multiple offers on a listing of mine. That can't happen today, can it?
The real estate market has changed. Just like our kids change, our neighborhoods change, our towns grow and change. Everything changes, no matter what we do to stop it, we can't. Are they all bad changes? Not at all, but in the case of the real estate market absolutely none of the good things that happen to us each and everyday are publicized. No one finds out about the happy young couple who buy their first house and can't wait to get the keys. No one publicizes the family who moves up into a bigger, nicer home as their family grows. No one hears about the retirees who downsize to a house on the lake or golf course where they comfortable settle into their new lives.
There is some bad news, but I can't say it outweighs the good news we all experience everyday. It's just that we let outside influences like television and newspapers shape our opinions. Go back to the basics before your opinion is carved in stone. Remember, they're trying to sell programs and news stories so they're source of income, advertisers, are happy. If you read or if you watch they're happy, and you're depressed.
The web doesn't seem to concentrate on bad news. I saw the most wonderful video in my email the other day of a college softball player on the opposing team who carried her opponent across home plate when she hit a home run, but at first base hurt her leg and couldn't run. This story should have been publicized on the front page of every newspaper and been the first story on the six o'clock news. It was a "feel good", "warm and fuzzy," make-your-day kind of story. But was it? I didn't see it. Of course I could have missed it, but did I?
All that I ask is that the media cease to be the "shaper" of your opinions. Don't let them make decisions for you about a real estate market or any industry, the crime rate where you live, schools, business and above all, don't let them elect the President of the United States or any other elected official. They will try but if you shape your opinions based upon your own experience. the research you do, and the questions you ask, your own very valuable opinion will be created. Your decisions will be based upon sound information, not what someone wants you to believe. If you ask me what happened in the real estate market this past week, I'll tell you what happened and it won't all be bad news. And remember, just as my market has it's own bad and good things, each and every market is different. I'd describe my market as approximately a 30 mile radius around the town where I live. I don't claim to know what's going on everywhere, just like the media shouldn't claim to know what's going on everywhere.
Well, I feel better.
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