The Woodlands TX Kathi Frank

I just have a few minutes before I leave for an appointment, but I was reading a backlog of email when I came across this post in the Houston Business Journal: Economist: ‘Free-fall is over' Since I always love good news and share it with my client base, I hopped over to the website to see what the article used to support the claim of economic recovery. Both real estate buyers and sellers around The Woodlands love to hear some good news.

When I got to the last paragraph of the article where it predicted the price of oil (an important factor in Houston economics)...this is what it said: "Like the rest of the economy's prospects when the slow recovery begins in 2010, Gault doesn not expect energy prices to spike quickly as some recent reports have suggested. Oil prices will average $46 a barrel this year, he suggests, rising only to an average of $54 in 2010 and would not move past $75 until 2012."

Recalling a news report on NPR, I googled today's price of oil only to find that the price of oil climbed TODAY to $58 per barrel. With this level of accuracy, can I apply for the job of "noted economist"???

Social Media Skills

Back in the day when hoards of people rushed to California to "Find Gold" many starved because they did not first learn the skills for panning the nuggets. Have you learned how to sift out all the time-wasting "worthless rocks" of chatter in social media to find the glittering sources of wealth?

A lot of people are promising to share their wisdom about how to make $$money$$ using social media. Some of them are repeating what they saw in another person's blog...but a few people have actually discovered some really useful information and they are willing to share with the rest of us.

Can you increase your connection with real estate buyers and sellers? Get your pan ready and find out how to bring home the gold.

On the local radio show, www.TheWoodlandsTalk.com, local expert Colin Mason will teach us a little about what he knows.

Join us on your computer, or by phone ((646) 929-0726, at noon this Thursday, April 23rd. You can get in the chat room with comments, opinions or suggestions. Or you can participate live through your telephone connection.

To learn more about social media, get a copy of this new, ground-breaking book!

The first printing of the books have been ordered and will soon be available in print.

You have the opportunity to get an advanced digital download of the entire 140 page book. Right NOW! AT NO COST TO YOU!

This exclusive offer is only good until June 30, 2009.

After that date, you will pay $12.95 for the digital book PLUS $19.95 for the printed book.

You simply do not want to miss this amazing opportunity! Technology is literally changing the future of our business. Whether you are a novice, or a tech-expert in your own right, this book will help you take total control over your real estate business by exploring every facet of what needs to be done.

The Woodlands is Celebrating EARTH DAY

Rain or Shine!

Saturday, April 18th - 10am to 3pm

The Woodlands High School, 6101 Research Forest Drive

learn more at:

www.TheWoodlandsGREEN.org

On Thursday, I interviewed Lynne Aldrich, manager of The Woodlands Environmental Services Department on my radio show. She shared information about the hundreds of booths and activities that will take place at this event. Last year, somewhere between 6-7,000 people attened. I hope that the forecast of rain does not keep people away from the event this year. She assured me that "Rain is nature, and the Earth Day Celebration was all about nature". Come join us and enjoy a little more nature than you experience in your daily life.

You can listen to the Radio Show from your computer or download it to your iPod. Find the show at: http://www.TheWoodlandsTalk.com.

It's official - We are now in a tough market in the Houston area.

We have been able to say that the downturn in the market did not affect our area for most of the year. Foreclosures were almost exclusively in small pockets of our marketplace. Homes that were priced well and staged well were selling in less than two weeks in the desireable communities.

Then IKE hit us! You wouldn't think that a hurricane could adversely affect the market. After all, we heard stories of housing shortages in New Orleans after Katrina. The prices in nearby towns shot up quickly and demand was fierce. Good, knowledgeable and prepared agents could not find enough houses to sell because the buyers were abundant.

As we took the trees off of our houses and endured days (if not weeks) without electricity, we held out on the assurance that our suspension of income was short-term. We knew that when people started getting insurance settlements we would follow the lead of New Orleans. Little did we know that while we were without electricity, the rest of the nation was hearing more about the downfall of our economic reality and really did not have time to feel sorry for our plight.

As the weeks have passed since our disaster, I have written several contracts for buyers. One client, weekend before this last one, had me write an offer for $625,000 for a house he wanted to purchase. Of course, he also wanted a listing agreement to sell his current home at $365,000. He invited me to his house for dinner on the deck overlooking Lake Conroe and there was an element of celebration. Monday morning he called to call it all off.

If this were an isolated incident, I would not be shocked. But it is a repeated performance of what is happening in our area. First, it was people who would tell you that they were perfectly confident of their own personal financial status...they were only worried about others. Now, whether it is real or imagined, it seems that people are actually concerned about their own financial well being.

It is time to dig our trenches and begin a battle strategy...and remember the words of Richard Bach:

"There's no disaster that can't become a blessing, and no blessing that can't become a disaster."