PONTE VEDRA BEACH REAL ESTATE Terri Hattaway

It's official. We've got big problems in our industry. Frankly I believe that government's meddling in the market ecosystem is only going to exacerbate and prolong the problems.

Market shakeout is a good thing. Aggressive lenders and lazy Realtors leave the business. Honest professionals who are burned out and should have retired, are also leaving the business.

I remember many years ago at a seminar sponsored by the Greater Orlando Association of Realtors, a speaker said, "In sales, nothing happens until the problem gets big enough."

Now there are two ways you can look at that comment, and I wish I could properly attribute it to the speaker but it was a long time ago. One way is to see sales professionals as opportunists who prey on people with problems. I prefer to interpret it as seeing sales professionals as problem solvers who are compensated for their skills and for the benefits they bring to their customers or clients.

For those of you who think we are in the real estate business, I suspect you will be bailing out of the business any time now. We are in the people business. People buy and sell homes and businesses for the same reasons they always have. Because there is a problem.

The problem du jour is the rate of foreclosures and the imploding lending industry, and of course the mess on Wall street. But what about all the other problems that prompt people to buy or sell their homes? People still want to retire, (and who wants to retire in Michigan?) People still need a bigger home to accommodate a growing family or to take care of an elderly parent. People still get job transfers, divorces, or inherit property in places where they don't want to live.

There is a time to ride the wave and a time to swim against the tide. For those of you who have wandered into the short sale glut, you may want to consider swimming against the tide and going back to basics.

Whether you are a Realtor or you just want to invest in something that won't disappear in a market meltdown, (sorry Wall Street!) it has been a long time since we have seen buying opportunities like we now have, for investors, first time home buyers, or anyone else who needs to buy real estate. And not all of these properties are in bank lock-down.

As for sellers who have equity in their homes, many of them can take advantage of the opportunity to hold a mortgage and get a nice return, secured by real estate.

If all you can see are the problems, that is all that will come your way. But take another look. Instead of jumping on the bulk bank owned bandwagon, try reaching out to those clients who need your services now more than ever. They're counting on you.

May this be your break through year in real estate!