Overheard in my office more than once in the last two weeks, “Ever since the elections, it’s been like a Spring market.” The elections they are referring to are our Michigan gubernatorial elections in which the incumbent, Jennifer “She Can’t Run For President Because She Was Born in Canada” Granholm, easily defeated her Republican challenger, Dick “George Bush’s Amway Rep” Devos. We had an idea of how Dick could occupy his time for the next few years, but he has not called us to let us know if he is taking us up on it. Back to that Spring market thing…
By Spring market, these agents mean that buyers are doing what they are supposed to do: BUY HOUSES!! Now that certainly got my attention.
After all, I can be a skeptic. OK, I am a skeptic.
I needed proof that we didn’t have a case of Realtor hyperbole spreading through the office faster than gossip the day after the office Christmas party. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a PR campaign by local Realtors to prop up the market.
Admittedly, my research was kind of superficial. I did limited sampling. In fact, all I did was take a look back at our own business since the elections. Here is what I can report:
So, whether it is Post Election Fever or a gift from Santa, there is anecdotal evidence that a shift is occurring. Either way, we’ll take it.
Our best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The photo is of Boston’s Speedo Santa Run for Charity. It was taken by Presley and is used under Creative Common License.
Dmitry & Maureen, specialize in residential real estate in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills, Royal Oak, Troy and surrounding communities. Relocation specialists. Call us at 248.961.0801
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If Jeff Belonger hadn't posted that meat photo, I never would have "gone there." Apologies to anyone who is offended by men running in Speedos.
Love that photo..:)
I'm hoping we get that gift here as well!!!
Would be very nice!
Happy Holidays
Monika
Monika, do you mean that you hope that men in Speedo's run through your town?
LOL I like that photo...and my hubby liked Jeff's photo very much...he was even trying to figure out what kind of sheets she was on...I'm like why does it matter to you Jay? LOL poor guy!
Well, in my area, there were 222 new listings yesterday and 170 settlements.
I don't know what it means but it looks suspicious to me.
Hey guys, have a wonderful holiday and a VERY prosperous 2007. I know you will.
Thanks again for introducing me to Active Rain. I needed a new hobby since RT is a mere showdow of it's former self.
Lenn
LOL..I just saw the running through town in Speedo's comment....that would be nice as well!!!
I guess we will have to figure out if these are genuine Speedos or generics then!
And Lenn, though I am sorry to hear that RT is withering on the vine, I am delighted that you took me up on the offer and joined so many of us over here. Keep on blogging!
Let me know once you test them.....:)
That is good news MF, and interest rates are great; so let 2007 come. Thanks for the uplift - and how do those guys keep those hats on
As long as the Speedo's don't fall Carole. It's cold out there.
What hats!!!! LOL
Figures I'd find Carole here. :-)
I've been around a few elections (that comes with being old) and in general there is a little bump after the elections. Hopefully the interest rates stay decent and we can start the New Year with a bang.
It doesn't surprise me that RT is withering. I used to spend some time there and got sick of the "agency" battles. It got very tiresome. Lots of big egos there.
Hats???
LOL I cant believe I got to comment before Linda; this is a record! :0) I think the hats slow them down Maureen lol
Hmmm, no guys are commenting on this blog. Do you think the picture made them uncomfortable?
I bet it does...all those Speedo's can be intimidating..No?
Maybe this will turn out to be a chicks only blog.
I noticed that the word withering showed up in two of the comments. Speedos and withering sends my mind...well, never mind.
LOLOL this is good, a serious discussion on the improving market : - ) I get a lot of emails to help with that issue lol Improving markets of course
Most guys that wear a speedo... shouldn't. However I am not cowed... and will comment anyway.
I have a town-home listed here, listed it at the end of October. In mid-November we had an offer, it dragged out and the buyer got cold feet... then we got an offer at the beginning of December which took us off the market for a while, fell apart due to Attorney issues (not the Attorney's fault, the buyer was a pain) and within a week we had a better offer from a better buyer.
There is activity out there and I expect good things in 2007. A very happy moo year.
Linda, the comments also have "uplift" in them. It's not all bad news.
No guys will comment now for sure.
Angus Thank you for feeling secure enough to post. It might have been your kilt wearing youth. You and I must have been pushing send at the same time.
Isn't it a little cold in Michigan to be dressed like that ???
ah oh, this post made the dashboard. Guess we better start talking about the market again.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas and an ever-improving marketplace for the new year. That is great news for your area!!
Maureen which of those guys is Dmitry? He's in there somewhere right? You girls had me laughing out loud with the innuendo. I didn't realize Linda Davis had such a quaint sense of humor. Maureen of course, doesn't surprise me at all. Ain't it great what gets "featured"?
Monika-I think I know the source of Jay's comment...he and Jeff Belonger hijacked a post of mine entitled 'I didn't make this up', if you need a laugh and want to shake your head at your sweetie, have a read. =)
Maureen-I love that photo! Good and darn well time to see men in their skivvies (albeith speedos)
Angus...was the attorney wearing a speedo? <gg> BTW do you still have that man purse? PMP!!!!
Maureen...Is that Dmitry over there next to Jay?
Wonder if we can super impose their faces on those speedo's some how??? And Mark and Angus too, I think I see them as well...
Leigh you made Jay's night!!! He has been trying to convince me of his innocence for days... One look at you blog and I can see he is in the clear :) ...Thank You!!!
Oh are we supposed to be good now that this is featured???
Monika, they featured a post with men wearing speedos. Where did they think this was headed? Most of our comments had been made when it was featured. Methinks we are fine.
We need someone with photoshop skills to put the guys in. That would be HILARIOUS! But I am no photoshopper.
I'm not either...I tried adding a simple Santa hat to my photo today and could not do it!!! I was pretty ticked at myself!...Oh well!
Monika,
Try pikipimp.com. Very easy to use and great santa hats.
Maureen That is awesome!!!! Thank You so much!!!
Maureen, Thank you so much for sharing pikipimp - that is soooo cool!!!
MF - I don't know what your post is about - all I know is that I LOVE the photo! Where does that charity take place?
SERIOUSLY NOW...I do see a shift in our market as well.....it's not huge, but it is a beginning...could we have passed the bottom of the pendulum? I sure hope so.
BTW - Can you make the photo a little larger so I can detail their hats? :)
Now those are two pimpin' New Hampshire elves.
Ines, aren't you too good. You actually talked about the market.
Oh I am going to have fun with that website...did you see the muscle bodies?????Way to cool!!!
Thanks so much!
Moni
I just pimped our picture and posted it in our profile! Thanks MF!
Love that Ines! I gotta do something like that too! Hope you don't mind if I steal your idea.
LOL..I love it..Jay and I changed ours as well!
Happy Holidays!
Steel my idea? You gave me the link to the site! It looks great MF - What do we do for new years?
That's welcome news, Maureen (the buyers...not the speedos). Maybe some of that spring buyer fever will head a little North my way.
I keep reminding myself (and my associates) that in real estate, spring starts January 1st.
OMG those are awesome, great hats Mo I love it. Moni you guys look pretty chic too. Now, where are your speedos????
You gotta go pimp 3C. Dmitry and I are sitting here laughing as I change the picture.
OK, ladies, we have some shenanigans going on again on the dashboard tonite! Too funny.
Does Dimitry know about the glasses???? LOL
He asked me to add them. Did you get anything to work?
Merry Christmas We need all the buyer for Christmas we can get.
Maureen- Thank you for the post - the running Speedo Guys, well... enough said!
Happy Holidays to you and yours - and TY for the link to PikiPimp!
Maureen...thanks for the mention. What is this site that you all are talking about? To design things? I guess as in the x-mas hats? Could you send me the link?
Those guys running? Kind of skinny, huh? lol Maybe they are running after my meat girl... lol
Very entertaining discussion!
So THAT'S the ticket....use a picture of half naked men running around dressed in Santa garb and you get a Gold Star and 50 points!
For the past 3 years, I've been the most busiest during the winter months, so go figure!
Just because you can doesn't mean you should...the Speedo guys....shouldn't!
Economic indicators are lookin' real good for the Denver metro area. We are melting, good thing the Speedo guys don't run here they have frostbiten...parts.
kk
Glad to hear that there is some evidence of an upswing in your local market, god knows it has been particularily difficult in your neck of the woods. I have a borrower (from 6 nonths ago) that has relocated from your area to Orlando. Mr. is here, Mrs. back home. Their purchase here is contingent on sale of their fairly new Michigan home. They have lowered the price several times and still few if any showing's.
Gently used can be challenging, Ron. Especially if it is in a new sub. The builders are undercutting prices and the previous buyers owe more than the builders models.
Jeff, it is pikipimp.com. I will email it to you.
KK, you are probably right. I need to warn you though that my next post isnt going to be much better.
Mariana, thanks for the pretty garland.
Rob, we sure do.
Kaushik, all the best this holiday season.
And a Very Merry Christmas to you!
What's a Creative Common License?
MF: Things seem to be building here, just a bit more activity my sources tell me.
Jay Merton
OOPS, Busted!
Sharon, Creative Commons Licenses "provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved."
Jay and Caron, thanks for those delightful pictures.
ho ho ho to all...
Maureen - Thanks for the link to pikipimp.com. My four year old daughter spent an hour doctoring up my photo. Purple wig, clown glasses, ruby red lips, earring...........priceless.
I hope you and your husband have a blessed Christmas.
Dmitry's glasses added the perfect touch! Merry Christmas!
Richard, click on the photos in my blog here. You won't get your daughter away from the computer today. OfficeMax has a lot more fun stuff they have posted. The dancing elf is a hoot.
Maureen - How is Michigan doing "in general"? I know that Grand Rapids and Detroit (my parent sold a house there last summer) have taken it on the chin for residential - but is the second home market doing well?
I just wanted to say the photos are great!! I am from Minnesota and that looks like something I have seen up there. I just had to make one comment totally unrelated to real estate: The other day it was "cold" here (at least what Floridians would call cold). They mentioned a "wind chill" of 50 some degrees and recommended everyone bundle up. I thought that was good for a laugh.
I am happy that your market seems to be picking up. We have hope for that here (Flagler / Palm Coast, Florida) as well. Our market has been on fire for the last few years and has slowed to a crawl over this past summer. Now is the time for all of us who love real estate and our careers to show what we are made of!
I 60 listings and am working with buyers once again. I also pay a handsome 33% referral cobroke to referring brokers . . Keep me in mind! Thank you.
www.KevinOrak.com
Have a very Merry Christmas and a great 2007!
Never did the Speedo run when I lived in Boston :) Too chilly for my tastes. Besides running around Boston Common in the dead of winter is NOT my idea of fun. But maybe in the Caribbean I would...
Happy Holidays to all and hopes for a busy, and prosperous 2007!
Putting those glasses on me is one thing. If you tell anyone which jogger I am I will be upset.
xoxo
Jeff Dowler omg I really did spit coffee lmao
See, I had to come in and see what kind of trouble you were all in again...I knew you were. Jay, Chris, Jeff, all the new photos....very cool! Time for more coffee and a cleaning towel for the keyboard :-)
Dmitry...Which one are you..I won' tell anyone.
Jeff, you and I have the same Christmas hat this year!
Tony, I would hazard to guess that the second home market has been affected a lot, especially further north. When we were up there this summer we were surprised by the number of signs. But Stefan Scholl would have a better idea on that than I have.
Carole, good luck with that keyboard.
Monika, he just went outside. Not to jog.
Though not as versatile, www.elfyourself.com is pretty fun, too.
There seems to be some increase in business here, too. December was, believe it or not, my biggest closing month of the year. Does it represent a trend? We'll see.
This is the blog that just keeps on giving - Jeff's picture is priceless!
Thanks, Linda. I decided to go back and enhance my mustache (is that cosmetic surgery?)
Sorry to hear about your coffee, Carole - but it IS supposed to go in your mouth and stay there. :)
Have a great holiday!
Oh Geez Jeff. you grow facial hair quickly!
Quick, who drew Jeff in the gift exchange? Send him a Schick...real quick!
kk
Kristal, you're a KICK. How'd you know a SCHICK is my SCHTICK?
ROFL I see things have continued to deteriorate; wtg everyone :-) and yes, Moni did pimp me lol (hmmm, I wouldn't mind being pimped by Xhibit from Pimp my Ride but thats a whole other story :-)
Laurie
Maureen,
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Not sure if I like the Speedo guys. I like to use my imagination:) It's usually better. I think that a lot of Realtors tend to "clean up" at the end of the year, like sales they forgot to enter. Can be deceiving. But I have noticed a "very very slight" increase in home sales in my area. Can always hope.
If you liked pikipimp, check out northpoledancing.com. You can change the song, scenery, dance sequence and upload your photo. IMHO it is better than the dancing elf.
Karen, I hear you about the speedo guys.
Speedos and bike shorts; same issue lmao
81 comments on speedos; I love it! :-)
This blog actually WAS about real estate. It's the comments that weren't. A picture is clearly worth 1000 words. Hopefully google will like this post. It doesn't read pictures very well, so it won't be put off by the speedos.
Maureen & Dmitry,
Another missed post. Great photo. Anything that stimulates the market is a good thing!
How did you find that photo of me?
I have to agree, we saw a major increae in activity after the election. But I also wonder if the spring-like weather is also playing a role.
However, we are nervous here in Ohio because of "Taxing Ted" taking over as governor, but we can't get much worse than the 12% approval rating from Taft.
Toby were you one of the participants in the photo shoot.....oh I can 't remember the artists name, but he does masses of nudes all over the world, he came to Cleveland and did a shoot of thousands Downtown. I happen to know there were agents in the group (and no not me LOL)
Somehow I have the feeling that this post will not be on localism...
Im betting it is unless you didn't check the right boxes - or, unless you checked the RIGHT boxes ROFL
It's on Localism. Just click on CA, then go to San Francisco.....hehehe
rofl