Why the Media is WRONG in Ann Arbor, MI.

Good for your market and your agent, Missy.  You are so right...all of the groundwork laid today will be our closings in 1Q08.  Gotta try to keep that pipeline filled...

Now Missy you better watch out! You'll have the negative police all over you like I have for the last several months (now turning into years). But if they mess with you just tell them you know me - wait, better not. Keep writing the truth because it always overcomes! This mess is (was) NOT global and the only I mean ONLY reason it got so bad was because the media skewed the data negative and scared all the little sissy investors into making knee jerk reactions.

Good for you Missy!  It can't be reiterated enough, Real Estate is a Regional Market, not a National one! 

Missy - Very uplifting and inspiring email to get! Thank you for sharing it, I do believe regardless of what the media throws out, buyers have been waiting for greater inventory, better all time lower rates and lots of great deals (buyers market)....I say now is the time! Kudos to your team and to your new agent under a year! Yeahhhhhhhh!!

Missy - Hallelujah! I went to a seminar earlier this year entitled All Real Estate Is Local. Ain't it the truth?

Missy, I love it! Something postive going on! Can you package it and mail it to Daytona?

The Media is wrong in Austin as well.  I have finally been seeing some media change their minds.  So crazy how people believe everything the media says.

Sucks.

J.

Missy, I am glad your region is doing well. I know that there is going to be a new local addition there soon. Maybe new blood that can give OSU a football game. Good luck in the Rose Bowl.

Missy, I LOVE this post!!! The national media needs to get a copy of this and shout it from the roof tops! Yipee!

Missy, Glad to hear about your teams success! I see that you've been tagged. Can't wait to see whom you will pick! 15 degrees - brrrr! Sorry, but it's a beautiful day and supposed to hit the 80's today. Got to love Florida!

The media is kinda like the weather man Missy, right?  They are wrong all the time and the public knows it.  Why can't we get them (the public) to remember all the times the weather man was wrong, and know that the rest of the people who work along side the weather man are often wrong too!  Great post, fight fire with fire!  Every post that has a positive message about RE should be featured on AR everyday!  We have to fight the media's "crappy" news!!  Our growing membership and readership here is just the right platform to do it!  :-)

Thats great Missy...I hope it spreads up to our way. We're pretty slow still.

Missy,

Every year at this time the real estate broker that I worked for would post sticky notes on each agents mailbox..."If you want to eat this winter, you better start hustling now"...warped sense of humor he had!!! Thanks,   Fran

Hi Missy,
It is so refreshing to hear the good news!  I agree with Brad, let's get the positive message out to the public.  Hey, how about calling your local tv station and tell them this story, challenge them to feature you on the local news tonight.  I like that idea, Missy!

Missy, it is the media doing this to us isn't it?  In the almost 11 years that I have been in real estate I don't remember being asked how my business was as much as I have in the last few weeks.  When I say I'm as busy as I would want to be I get shocked looks.  Cynthia has a great idea about your local tv station but I doubt they will listen as I don't know they look for positive stories.  Maybe if you challenge them they will listen.

I'm with Sardi...it's regional, even neighborhoods...geez. Good for your area Missy!

Yay! Great post about your team's success...keep the postive news flowing in A2 (was trying for "A squared"...do they still say that in Ann Arbor or am I hopelessly out of date?). Anyway, great job!

Missy - Thank you for this! Our media touts how bad the real estate market is too. Our office pended 30 properties over Thanksgiving weekend. That is a great market!

Great post - The media is wrong here too. 

BTW - Great buyers agent you have. Hold on tight great buyers agents are hard to come by.

Kelly, YES we do call it A2 ALL the time, but I didn't think most people would know. In fact we even mail letters that way and somehow they always make it.

Rebecca, you are riight and she is really learning and doing well.

Ryan, amazing isn't it and that is awesome over Thanksgiving weekend.

Sally, thanks real estate is local.

Marchel, LOL we'll it's an idea.

Cynthia, well our media market is Detroit and they mostly talk to Realtors out that way.

Fran, LOL and THAT was suppose to encourage you ?

Lisa, yep I'm trying to that, keep that pipe line full.

Ken, OK, I won't use your name, don't need the police after me. But, things are selling if priced right and I think it is a perfect time for investors.

Jason, it is regional and local. It is always thinking outside the box and working hard and refusing to give up. I have always said you can work and make money in any market, you just have to work twice as hard.

Candace, thanks for stopping by and commenting. She is doing great.

Tom, true it is and thanks for commenting.

Lysa, if you package up 70 degree weather and send it up here, we got a deal.

Missy - Let's face it - the media is generally wrong everywhere.  It sounds like you have a great buyer's agent there.  I have about 12 agents working for me now, and the good ones are hard to find.

Great news...Should be featured on page one everywhere.  Thanks for the positives.

Jeff, why do they report the negative ALL the time. Do they think it sells papers ? In my area, more people unsubcribe every day from the print, but it is still all over the National News too.

Mark, we'll a few years ago I think we held the lead. LOL I hope we get a whole new staff and come into modern football and not just Big 10 football. Go Blue !!!

Linda, thanks.

Marc, it will be later today as I am out the door to an appointment, but I am excited.

Brad, I love that !! The weatherman, yep how often are "they right"? 50-50 but in Michigan you can blink and it changes. I will use this illustration.

Monika, I think it will change and I can't say the market is great here, just that we are busy.

Jason, all 4 of mine are tremendous. One month ago this one was thinking of hanging up her hat. I said no, you can make it ! I know she would be good, I had her take the DISC tests first and she is so thankful I wouldn't let her quit.

Elaine, wouldnt' that be lovely ?? YES

Missy - What is really amazing is that most of the media that touts how bad the real estate market is wants us to pay them for advertising. Most local newspapers charge an arm and a leg for advertising, but they are against us. I would like to see a newspaper write an article about the power of advertising on the Internet and how useless print advertising is.

Hey-can you clone her and send her my way??

Missy - I haven't tried using the DISC test, but it seems like a great idea.  What do you look for when scoring the test?  Maybe you could post about it even.

Wow!! That's excellent Missy. Certainly sounds like this BA knows how to make things happen. I need me one of those!! There is always business for folks willing to go get it. I too have been very busy. My biggest difficulty these days is getting them to closing.

Sounds like it's never a dull moment in Ann Arbor! 

I second Bryant's opinion that there is always business for those willing to get it! And yet another testament to the fact that people are buying before Christmas!

Happy Selling! 

™      

'Looks like you're not taking off for the holidays!  'Glad to hear the press is wrong in Ann Arbor!

Ryan, you are absolutely correct. We pay tons here in Ann Arbor, I don't use print media anymore.

Jason, Ok I will you take it on line and then it gives you the results.

Leigh, :)

Bryant, buyers rule right now. Why don't you have a buyer agent to show your homes and hold OPEN houses. Maybe I'll move to Florida and be yours. :)

Ricardo, LOL Your right never a dull moment. Especially now with us hiring a new coach. It is dominating the talk radio shows.

Terrific Post Missy!!  I loved the read...loved that the media is WRONG and loved that your buyers' agent is thriving in a down market!  Wahhooo for you!!  And Brrrr too!! 

Missy--This is GREAT news!! That is probably why the media isn't mentioning it! :)

Missy -you guys are on fire. This is very impressive -it could be an indication of a better market, or that you guys have the whole market all by yourself:) Good luck on all the deals.

Susie, yea it is soooooooooooooooo cold here.

Teri, of course it is that and the hundreds of other Realtors who are having a great year.

Faina, Ha, well not quite having the whole market, but we are busy and for that I am very very grateful. :)

Missy I do have a BA. She's half way through a months vacation in Vegas!!!! I actually have a network of agents that I refer buyers to. I've been doing this for years. The advantage is they now love to sell my listings. It's a pretty good system. Builds a ton of goodwill with my peers.

Missy- It is what you make of it no matter what the market is. Homes get sold in all markets good or bad. It is ground zero down here but we are still selling houses! We are still listing houses! We are rainmakers and that is all that matters. The only thing that has changed is that all our buyers agents quit real estate and we have to show buyers homes because they are referrals that want to work direct with us. In this market I tell agents you even have to work rentals to pay the bills, then that is what you do! Katerina

It really is crazy how some people can make lemonade out of the lemons and others can't get past the rind.  I personally am having a great year and a great end of the year.  I now have over 20 listings and may have 25 before long.

So, if yo are going to complain, get out of my way and let me have your client list - I'll show you how to make a lemonade stand from your list!

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet REALTOR®
Mission Grove Realty

I was having an email conversation with a client yesterday and she brought up a news story that rubbed her the wrong way.  (Entirely negative)  I sent her a link to this article you wrote and she loved it.  It reinforced for her, and for me and others that there *are* positive things happening and that the media needs to listen to those of us out in the trenches every day, as your buyers agents obviously are. 

Missy, thank you for putting the word out.  If we all do this, perhaps the media will pick up on it and try to somewhat balance the "crisis" mentality of reporting.  

Missy, I have seen good signs in our area as well. I wonder when the media will start reporting the good things rather than the bad news.

Bryant, that is great. Didn't know you had one.

Katerina, I have done 3 leases this week. We do what we have to do.

John, Fantastic !!

Kris, awesome, is she going to start blogging ?

Gita, I'm NOT holding my breath.

Missy, today it is foggy with a forcast high of 75, however I can wait until tomorrow and package sun and our forcast high of 80?

Oh the Media KILLS me; or rather I would like to kill them.  Real Estate is L O C A L !!!  Very local sometimes.   DC is 61 square miles (not THAT big) but differnt parts of the city places will sell in days compared to weeks or months.

Glad Biz is good for you!

I have seen a good amount of activity here in Northern Michigan as well recently, now that sellers and banks have seemingly gotten realistic about pricing.

Missy, I hear that alot over in this area as well, seems to be every where. Don't they realize spreading negativity just brings negativity, whatever happened to staying positive. It will pick up it always does. Sometimes things have to fall a little to come back better than they were before.

Missy- Sounds like you are running pretty well up there! Mayhap you won't ever relocate to the South again...Glad it is going well!

James, same thing here, some area's are selling fine, never experienced a slump. Some area's where the builders over-built and you have the most foreclosures and hense prices have come down.

Stefan, same thing in Southern Michigan, now we are on the opposite........convencing buyers the home is "priced to sell" and them still wanting to make ridiculous offers.

Maey, yes correct

Vanessa, nahhhh the market here is still a buyers market and your still in a OK market. I follow it all the time and have listings sent to me, I do see some reductions and then they sell.

Missy~ Buyers waiting for a bottom are going to miss out on this wonderful market.  I am putting people into homes they could never have purchased a few years ago, thanks to the lowered pricing.  I tell them how jealous I am of their getting to take advantage of these times. 

I had no idea that homes in the Ann Arbor area could be found now for $100,000 or less, thats amazing.  But, in Tecumseh 4 years ago you couldn't find a fixer-upper for under $100,000, now I can take buyers to repos that are in the 60s, 50s and even one in the 40s, times they are a changing and they will change back again, so stike while the iron is hot buyers! 

Beth, yes for the first time in I can remember Ann Arbor is affordable and it has really hurt our outlying areas.

Gary, LOL