Yep, the economy is going to recover this year and we're back to a booming real estate market. . . sure. Tell me Realtors, have you ever advised somebody that it's not a "great time" to buy? When the writing was on the wall for all of this in '06, did you ever advise anybody to wait or were you giving them some version of "buy now or be priced out forever?"

Some Skeptical Buyer -

Thanks for your comment, I think I know exactly where you're coming from.  I'm a skeptic and glass-half-empty guy by nature, so I understand the cynicism. This was a repost from FrontDoor.com, and my own observation is at the bottom ... "we've got a year to see what comes true."  See, I don't think it's all roses, either.  In my market, we saw VERY FEW foreclosures in 2008 - so few, in fact, that in Blacksburg you could count them on two hands and still have a finger or two left over.  That's less than a hundredth of the total housing count that went into foreclosure!  While we've had some layoffs, they've for the most part been support-staff personnel and in some cases those same companies that laid off have been hiring at a frantic pace for the "money-drivers" - the researchers, chemists, engineers, etc.  It's easy to look at a market like the New River Valley and be positive, to be a cheerleader, but there are concerns.  Caution and prudence moving forward ...

Yes, I've asked buyers to hold off, and I've asked sellers to rent their homes.  The latter happened again just last week.  Does it benefit me as an agent to encourage them to sell - absolutely, I have a mortgage to pay just like a lot of others!  Will I?  No.  Why take on a listing that won't sell?  Why take on a buyer that can't buy?  I won't take every listing and I won't take every buyer just to try and make a buck.  If i take care of my clients they'll take care of me, and that's all that matters to me.  I'll leave you with one example of how that's worked out - 2006, a strong market for sellers (but not the strongest), I asked three buyers to hold off, repair their credit and save for a downpayment.  They did just that, and all three purchased homes in 2008 that would not have been available to them in 2006.  All three had tears in their eyes at closing, and all three are now in homes they can afford with loan terms that allow them to sleep at night.  I could have pushed them into a home in 2006 that would have required refinancing to avoid higher payments, but I didn't, and so I sleep well at night, as well.

Not all agents are after a buck, but I understand where your skepticism is coming from.  There are a number of problems facing my industry right now, not the least of which include low barriers to entry, failing accountability standards and the fact that we seem to lead the news every night for all the wrong reasons.  I hope you find a professional you trust, and who truly listens to what you tell them.  There are some wonderful, wonderful individuals in this profession - I'm sorry that the snakes have soured you on your opportunity. 

Wishing you the best!