"Is this a dagger I see before me?"

Anyone else out there experiencing the "revenge of the appraisers"; sucking the lifeblood out of home values, all at a time when we can least afford to donate. Have you heard about HVCC? it ain't no heating or air conditioning system. Rather, what we have here is a now over-regulated system that ties the hands of our dear friends, the appraiser and yields withered values that frequently scuttle our hard fought escrows/contracts. It appears that the New York State Deputy Attorney-General's office helped craft this travesty that usurps our core belief that the buyer and seller have agreed on the price for a home. Here comes the Spanish Inquisition that now has the power to give a thumbs up or down to any deal based on such restricted guidelines that it sacrifices price accuracy for political expediency. How can we expect a broad base recovery if only one side of the market is working. I'm referring to foreclosures, reo and short sales. I know many agents are making out like bandits (excuse the expression) while the vast majority of us who work on more traditional sales are being staked though the heart like a dagger. The pendulum has now swung to its extreme again from too easy to too hard. I'm just looking for the middle of the road. Is that stage left or right? I'm just looking for a new direction!

Tsunami Warning!!

Greetings Fellow Surfers!

I had the opportunity to rise with the sun this morning; and looked out to sea to see what I could see. There, just out on the horizon, I saw the formation of what appears to be a wave, but just not any wave.

Based on the groundswell, shape and direction, I believe that this baby will become a tsunami. For the last few months, all the elements of a perfect storm have been gathering.

Have you seen the lowest home prices in a decade? How about the 50 year lows in interest rates? Did you think this eruption would not make waves?

While you've been standing on the beach with your pail and shovel building sand castles with an Open House sign in front of them, or scanning with your metal detector for buried treasure, the slow steady churn has begun.

I feel it my civic duty as both a Realtor and a concerned fellow citizen to sound the alarm. Look up! look out there, it's coming baby! Prepare for the ride of your life or the mother of all wipe-outs!

I've got my board waxed, my sunblock on and my listing contract in a watertight container.


Ready or not here it comes!

Go Get The Cheese!!

You can’t pick up a newspaper or surf on-line without being barraged by an avalanche of bad news about the economy, real estate or Brad & Jen. Come on people, did you really expect that as soon as Barack Obama took office that everything would just spring back to the way it was? Happily, I am not one of those people.

You see Desperaux (the mouse) had it right! While all the other mice scurried off and cowered when the light came on, Desperaux remained steadfast, eyes wide open.

So, are you a man or a mouse? I vote with the mouse.

When the world is illuminated, we can see all the abundance that it has to offer. When you cower and head for the hills, you fail to see the beauty and opportunity that is out there.

In my 14 years of real estate experience, I have never witnessed such a promising market. Really! Buyers and Sellers alike. Don’t live in fear. Desperaux was right! Go get the cheese!