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Real Estate Is Local: Stop your whining about the real estate market



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By LAUREN HUGHES - Published: June 27, 2009

A good real estate broker usually has a lot of positive energy and has experienced the ups and downs of the real estate cycle over the years and will know how to successfully navigate through challenging times. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has heard enough about how times are tough.

Did you ever notice that if you are around a negative person or situation long enough you start becoming negative?

It is extremely critical to select a broker who has a positive approach to real estate and life in general. Surround yourself with positive energy and I guarantee you positive things will start to happen.

An experienced broker has succeeded over the years because they're very good at helping people envision how happy they will be at selling or buying a property.

It is important to start getting our confidence back because that is the factor that starts to turn things around. Select an agent who has a lot of stamina because people with energy are always looking for a place to use their energy.

They have the ability to think ahead and think positively to see an opportunity. It's a certain mindset that sets one broker apart from another.

The real estate market is offering a lot of opportunities right now and I've said it a thousand times, now is the time to buy with all of the incentives out there.

Most of the people I know are selling their properties because they want to buy another property, move to a different area, or position themselves for retirement. If they are buying another property they are investing in a time where they will eventually realize a substantial amount of equity once market conditions improve.

Homeownership still pays!

According to the National Association of Realtors, Federal Finance Agency and Haver Analytics, owning a home is the smartest financial decision a consumer could make. In comparison to renters, home owners have greater household wealth. Owners' wealth exceeds that of renters by a factor of 50 to 1 with a median of $205,200 versus a median of $4,200. The main wealth difference between the two is home equity.

Let's take a minute to think about what this statement is actually saying. Yes prices are down from two years ago but I'll bet that even if you price your home at today's market prices you still are making out pretty well from when you first purchased the property. And let's not forget about a couple of important factors: One, you have enjoyed living there all of those years, and two, you probably have also used your house for a nice tax-liability reduction over the years.

To all of the lucky purchasers that are looking to buy a home in these prime plus times please remember a lot of the properties that are on the market have already made their price reductions from two years ago and are priced very fairly.

If you had tried to time the best time to buy a house you could not have timed it better than right now.

According to the NAR there are a handful of struggling markets but the doom and gloom ends there. The NAR tracked 150 markets and people that have owned their homes for a few years have uniformly enjoyed strong equity gains despite the recent downturn. Now why don't we read this in the market material that comes in front of us? Like I said earlier it is time to start thinking positive, get our confidence up and let's not forget that Vermont is a beautiful place to call home.

I'd like to end my article with a thought from one of author's Jon Gordon's writings. "Tell yourself a positive story. Life is a story. The story we tell ourselves and the role we play in that story determines the quality and direction of our life."

The best real estate professionals are able to overcome adversity by telling themselves a more positive story than the rest. Instead of a drama or a horror movie, we define our lives as an inspirational tale. Instead of being the victim, we see ourselves as a fighter. We may not be able to control market conditions, but we can influence the outcome of our story.

Lauren Hughes is the principal broker at Century 21 Premiere Properties — feel free to call with questions at 775-5565 ext. 12, or e-mail Lhughes995@aol.com. On the Web: www.C21ppvt.com








READER COMMENTS


This is one of the most ridiculous "articles" I've read in the Rutland Herald in some time... and that's really saying something, considering that we're talking about the Rutland Herald here.

First, the Herald gives a revolving cast of local realtors (sorry -- "Realtors", as God forbid we forget to capitalize the name of their chosen profession) an opportunity to write self-promoting, self-aggrandizing "Yaaaaay, Real Estate" fluff pieces every week in an effort to pump up their own business.

WHY does the Herald do this? Because these Local ReAlToRs used do a lot of advertising with the Herald, of course! In a down market, they're not doing much advertising any more, of course. That means lost revenue for a paper that's already losing money and firing staff, and reducing the size of the paper to the point where it's gonna look like Reader's Digest in a year or so. So let's give our Big Local Advertisers a chance to write PR releases masquerading as "news" in order to advertise themselves... and maybe they're start doing some more REAL advertising with the paper. Get it?

And then, after several weeks of this advertorial nonsense (with the exception of the articles written by Lucy Biddle, who seems to be the only person who isn't selling something), we get Lauren Hughes -- a woman who was happily raking in the dough a few years ago when the housing market was on a completely unsustainable upward trajectory -- using her "article" as an opportunity to advertise herself as the positive, can-do kinda gal who can help you out -- not like all those other mopey Negative Nellies out there who, you know, see the local market for what it really is: swirling down the commode.

So sell your house now! Sure, you'll get far less than you could have gotten two years ago, but you'll still maybe possibly hopefully make a few more bucks than when you bought it several years ago! Unless you bought it just a few years ago, in which case you're completely screwed!

So buck up, lil' camper, and sell your home right now! Do it for Lauren Hughes, so she can keep up with her OWN car and house payments from when she and the rest of her Realtor buddies rode out-of-control inflationary housing prices to bigger and bigger paydays! Do it for the Rutland Herald, so they can start getting some legitimate advertising from local Realtors again, rather than this penny-ante fake journalism nonsense! Do it for Mom, Rutland, and Apple Pie!

What a complete joke...
-- Posted by That Guy on Tue, Jun 30, 2009, 9:52 am EST

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I guess a sap can still profit in a housing economy like this, so who's the sap?
-- Posted by Just Outoftyme on Tue, Jun 30, 2009, 8:45 am EST

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The liberals are all behind this person's right to tell those who don't want to buy a house now to quit whining. I wonder if they'd so fully support, oh say, a doctor's right to tell people to quit whining about their healthcare costs, or a CEO of the Big 3 to tell people to quit whining about their automobile costs.
-- Posted by Allen Kuusela on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 5:11 pm EST

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Just Outoftyme,

You may not be the plant or a tree, but you certainly are the sap!

Wake up and smell the coffee.
-- Posted by NONENONE ONE on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 4:56 pm EST

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The only people I know whining are the people that bought the overpriced houses the realtors were peddling three or four years ago and now that they can no longer afford the payments not only are they finding that it was a lousy investment it's as liquid as a piece of granite. Four years ago a realtor could sell a $300,000 property in a week and walk off with 6% commission ($18,000), not any more. Being positive doesn't help when your company lays you off or goes out of business. My guess is that L. Hughs didn't write her letter because she has more business than she can handle.
-- Posted by ex-vermonter None on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 3:53 pm EST

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I am not a realtor, i do know lots of realtors though, did not know the Hughes until we listed my house with them. With that said the Hughes are the best of all the realtors i know and they have the stats and sales to prove it.

So nice try none none one! Get over it, i'm not a plant.
-- Posted by Just Outoftyme on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 12:36 pm EST

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Just Outoftyme obviously a Realtor, knows a realtor or knows the Hughes'.

Nice try.
-- Posted by NONENONE ONE on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 10:06 am EST

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Well, Lauren - below is all the people who are contributing to the problem. I agree, If you think you will fail, you will. I have always said you can do anything in life, it's all about the sacrifices or risk you are willing to take. I took a risk with a house, sold it with Lauren & Michael Hughes - Yes they sold it at a nice price and profit for my hard work. Yes. I do deserve a profit for hard work, I don't consider this ripping the buyer off. The buyer recieved a house that was practically brand new in return for a premium price. I have worked with many Realtors in this area and can honestly say Lauren & Michael are the best! Constant communication and tons of information to back up their pricing and actions.

Local politicians do need to get the heads out of the a**es, but if you agree with that, what are you doing to replace them? That is the sixty four million dollar question. Stop being scared of them, they work for us not the other way around. Remember everything is local, yes even politics, so stop bitching about Lauren and start looking how to replace the so-called leadership in this area.
-- Posted by Just Outoftyme on Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 8:50 am EST

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"It is extremely critical to select a broker who has a positive approach to real estate and life in general. Surround yourself with positive energy and I guarantee you positive things will start to happen."

Not if the negative person is the onen with the money, you can be Positve all you want and you can dance and offer the Moon as a free bonus, but if the person doesn't reach into their pocket, then the negative rules out the Positive. Look at the Auto Dealers for a perfect example, they offered Employee Pricing, increase warranties, 0% financing and even threw in their Mother in Laws. What did that gett them? If the public dosn't want to buy, regardless, they are not going to buy.
-- Posted by None None on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 5:52 pm EST

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The Hughes have made their $$$ and spend most of the time out of state. To come to their defense I have heard the Hughes themselves are a powerhouse when they list a property, unfortunately, their sidekicks have little of that flair and energy or sales dynamic. We listed thru the other part of this team and only saw our property listed twice in ads.neeedless to say we are still here. Yes, her article was cold and cruel and in bad taste, but the real problem in our community goes beyond real estate agents to the politicians running Rutland and the county into the ground. We are a failing community, whose politicians are addicted to our taxdollars to keep afloat a decaded political forum trying to keep the status quo for unions and their friends they've hired.
-- Posted by Curious gt on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 3:33 pm EST

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Century 21..? yea right. These are the folks that would have done my mortgage for about 4 times what i could have realistically afforded. I even spoke to a Representative on the phone- hung up and tried to call back and all i got was a recording. No thank you Century 21. Your customer service was not acceptable.
-- Posted by mark youden on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 1:53 pm EST

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This is a reason why so many homes are listed now as "For Sale By Owner" and why many buyers only look at those particular homes. Who wants/needs to pay for this? A reduction/elimination of her fees might be enough to turn a "no" into a "yes!"
-- Posted by Colleen Wright on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 12:58 pm EST

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Way to get free advertising!
-- Posted by Comfy Anon on Sun, Jun 28, 2009, 3:57 am EST

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Lauren,

Who the **** do you think you are?

We were going to list our home in a couple of months NOW we know we aren't going to list it with you!!!!

Just remember folks, when you call a realtor looking for a house they don't work for you...they work for the SELLER!
-- Posted by NONENONE ONE on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 5:32 pm EST

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The best line I ever heard from a real estate agent was: "I am working for you." I stopped her and told her: "No, you are working for yourself." And that's the way it is. They will tell you whatever you need to hear so they can get their commission. Truth need not be part of that equation. Whatever bad things you think about used car salesmen goes double for real estate agents - except the stakes are much higher.
-- Posted by Michael in Vermont on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 1:07 pm EST

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Notice who benefits here. She does. The consumer is the sucker while she and her chamber of commerce ilk whistle to the bank ...or so they hope. The message seems obvious, this what you are to believe, now shut up (ignore reality) and get in line. Instead of trying to hoodwink the consumer, how about investing some of that downtime the economic downturn has given you, along with your creative imagination, in giving back in true community service...
-- Posted by Marginalized Voices on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 12:25 pm EST

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Is she kidding? Is this a tough love message to people who are trying to figure out how they will put food on the table and heat their homes this year? Selling your home, that is if you haven't lost it in foreclosure, probably the only asset you had set aside for retirement without foodstamps, at rock bottom prices doesn't make me sleep well at night. Real Estate was one of the last venues for income production many residents have left after the outsourcing of so many jobs to foreign countries, and policies set in place by congress have now come back not to affect them (apparently, elected legs. don't seem to file tax returns), but the american public. Sure sell me the "pie in the sky," rhetoric, but stop beating me up for a normal reaction to a horrific turn in the economy that has affected so many of us in a way we may never recover from for generations, my dear. The last I heard, banks require wages and income before they hand over any money and there are less and less of us who meet that basic tenent.
-- Posted by Curious gt on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 8:52 am EST

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You stop whining! Tell the unemployed its ok. You need to deal in realty not wishful hope that all will be ok when you have no money or job. That stuff is real not your positive spin on things. How about prices 5 years ago that were out of control upwards. I bet you enjoyed those paychecks. Things are tough selling dreams is great but real life slaps you on the face sometimes and trying to fight out of it is tough.
-- Posted by None None on Sat, Jun 27, 2009, 8:03 am EST

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