Looking UP

I sat in sales meeting this morning listening to an agent whine about unmotivated buyers and low-ball offers and I wondered what agents like this do with their time. A relatively simple examination of our MLS shows pending sales units up about 10% from the 4th quarter of 2008 and our 2008 average sales price up 2% from 2007. In addition, our Board's listing inventory is the lowest it's been in many years.

To me, those are positive signs. Here in Muncie we didn't experience a real estate price bubble. Therefore, we haven't seen the drastic effects felt in other areas. I know the public perceptions fueled by the media, have everyone living in CA or NV or wherever there's the greatest market turmoil, but isn't it our job as agents to educate our buyers and sellers as to the reality of our local conditions?

It's easy to look at current activity or lack thereof and say this is gloom and doom, but just as sure as it's Feb. and the snow is coming down, spring is only 6 wks away. Before we get there, there will be warm spells followed by cold snaps and the warm spells will become more frequent and of longer duration. NAR reports their pending sale index up in Dec. Muncie's pendings are up in Jan. I think these are the beginnings of an increasingly active real estate market and I'm looking forward to spring in both my business and my calendar.