New Year New Direction!

Greetings from Hilton Head Island! We're glad to have enjoyed the Holiday's in unseasonably warm temperatures. It felt more like spring than Christmas with temps in the mid-70's! Wow, Santa must have been somewhat confused when he flew into the Lowcountry.

New Years Eve found us in Jacksonville, FL for the Gator Bowl festivities. We really enjoyed ourselves with fireworks at midnight along the St. John's River with thousands of our newest friends ringing in the New Year. It was tons of fun! New Years Day we had our Orange on but the Huskers were able to hold off a late rally by the Tigers. I've never been to a bowl game before, so it was lots of fun in spite of the outcome. We really enjoyed the game. Even while sitting in a sea of Red, we still had a smile on our faces at the end of the game.

The New Year has ushered in a sense of relief for some and anticipation of improvement for all. Real estate volume or the lack thereof and activity continues to be a major topic of conversation in the traditional, as well as the new media formats. What to do? Where is it headed? Will the Recession cause prices to continue down? Will Obama save the day with his Trillion Dollar Stimulus Package? Will foreclosures still be a huge factor and drag prices further? and so on and so on....

Let me say this, right now on Hilton Head Island there is a sense that things are picking up. It may be a hold over of Holiday exuberance or maybe things really are beginning to improve. Time will tell and time always heals.

As for the numbers, what has happened and where things possibly could go; I have been studying them and will report back in a few days to give you my- as objective as possibe- insight on market conditions.