We Live In A Give It To Me Now World!

Is it me or has the media gotten more vicious with regard to their spin on the state of the Real Estate Market? Often they make Realtors® out to be something likened to an Abulance Chaser. Yes it is true that most of us, New Jersey included are in a "Soft Market". Does this mean we should all go into panic mode and not buy or sell real estate, certainly not? If the media had their way they would have us believing that we should all live out our entire lives in our current address. That rarely happens anymore. The days of "Mortgage Burning" are over.They make it seem as if no Sellers are making money on the sales of their homes unless they do it without the aid of a Realtor® This simply is not true, we provide a valuable service. We assist in helping Sellers come to a realistic asking price, we coach them through the entire real estate process, make recommendations as to what they can do to improve their chances of selling at the highest price and with the least amount of inconvenience to them., and we offer them referrals for other business services they may need such as attorneys and inspection companies. What we should be doing is taking a more realistic view on our spending habits. We as Americans do everything in a big way. Our serving portions are enormous. Let's face it we live in a Super size world. It is no longer acceptable (for most) to have enough food to satisfy our hunger. The same can be said of our vehicles, we need the biggest Sport Utility money can buy; after all we have to look cute driving back and forth for our 50-60 hour work weeks. The point I am trying to make is more often than not our actions are fueled by Greed. I do not recall exactly when the change came about (I didn't get the memo) but having a clean, comfortable, affordable home to raise your family used to be enough. This is no longer the case, overall. First Time Buyers are often lured into purchasing more home than what they need or can financially manage. Their eyes twinkle as they are told how instead of the modest home they should purchase as their first home, they can have the bigger prettier one that is move in ready and better still they can have it for very little to nothing down. Sounds great in theory but as we all know there is a price to pay for everything. For some it could be Foreclosure. We live in an Instant Gratification World. What are we teaching our children? I mean how can learn how to sensibly manage their finances and lives if they live vicariously through us. They see Mom and Dad mortgaging themselves into the poor house. Although I am a Realtor® and am happy to assist my clients with their home sales/purchases I try to do it with a sense of Integrity and Moral Value. I have to look at myself in the mirror long after that check is cashed! If I think clients are going to be in financial ruins by making a purchase that is too large too soon, I step in and offer my advice as a confidante. In the long run it makes me a happier person and definitely a better Realtor®.