John's Blog

I am not a fan of short sales. (http://www.lbre.com/pages/news/2008/why_buyers_should_avoid_short_sales.html) . But I am a big fan of analogies. And I finally figured out the most appropriate analogy.A short sale is like dating a married guy, when what you are looking for is a commitment.Certainl...

Having just written my last post, I am reminded of how today's correction compares to the Real Estate downturn of the 90's. And more importantly why the worst may be over.When buyers just walk away from the table prices fall. Buyer disappear for various reasons. Maybe buyers leave the state to lo...

During the early 90's buyers were few and far between. Today there are lots of buyers out there making lots of "Low Ball" offers. As a listing agent this has actually made determining price a little easier.With a greater number of agents and buyers showing my listings, there are people to intervi...

Prices may have bottomed because most very well priced listings these days are getting multiple offers. This could just be a temporary blip, only time will tell. I spoke to an agent today that wrote offers for 4 separate buyers last week, multiple offers piled up on 3 of the 4 properties.I also a...

Homes are usually price based on Comparable Property Sales. This method, while the industry standard, can be subject to the "Greater Fool Theory".It is wise to use additional methods of valuation. Two other methods would be comparing the payment to rental income, taking into consideration tax bre...

While in my last several posts I posed some Bullish Scenarios, my prediction for the future of Real Estate is that it chugs sideways for several years. Maybe two, maybe three. Who really knows.This is why.... On the demand side, the last two "bullish posts" make a case for buyers being willing to...

An example of a contrarian indicator. It is a great time to own stocks.... This positive sentiment can actually be negative. Because if everybody thinks it is a great to own stocks, they should be fully invested. Leaving no cash on the side lines to buy.How this applies to today's Real Estate Mar...