Welcome to Localism

Anybody who knows me will tell you that I am an Army Football fan. I played for Army in the 1980s and I attend their annual football team reunion up at the academy each year.

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who is also a fan, but is (I believe) a little biased when reporting how well a team with a 3-5 record is really doing.

Army played Rutgers this past Thursday night, but I did not watch the game. The next morning I read that we had lost the game, so I called my friend to see how the team had performed.

Our Conversation

Me: So did you watch the game?

Him: Yes! Man we had it right in our hands.

Me: Really?

Him: Yeah, we really looked strong. We took the opening drive and shoved it right down their throat. We ran 11 plays and scored a touchdown. We were dominating.

Me: Oh? What happened after that.

Him: Well, Rutgers ran off 17 straight points and then scored the final 10 points of the game to beat us 27-10.

Now I wouldn’t call his recollection of the game a true, un-biased account. I’m not so sure that Army “had it right in their hands.” I’ve learned over time that if I really want to know how well (or how not-so-well) the Army Team has done, I need to read a few different accounts from the game. Everybody has their own viewpoint, and all come will a bias.

Beware Of False Prophets In Real Estate

So why do I begin a real estate blog with a story about Army Football? Because home sales in Tallahassee are a lot like the Army Football Team. There is a lot of talk and great signs of promise, but so far the record indicates that a recovery has not been made!

Recently, a local publication took a report from the Florida Association of REALTORS® and wrote an article that I think painted a picture that is not truly accurate. Much like my friend reporting on Army Football, the writer spouted a few positive (facts) and then let the reader conclude that the Tallahassee housing market is on the upswing.

Unfortunately, REALTORS® typically only report about 1/2 to 1/3 of all the home sales in a market. I like to know what the REALTOR® reports are saying, but to get a true picture of the Tallahassee real estate market (or any real estate market for that matter), one has to dig deeper.