“Without forecasts, we don’t look credible”
I might have said a few negative things about the office of the NAR Chief Economist (did you know NAR have a staff of ten economists and that Dr. Lawrence Yun takes the "the buck stops here" approach? I didn't) but I've also noted positive…
Do Realtors have a Board of Ethics?
In response to a question from a reader last week - "Do Realtors have a Board of Ethics?" Yes. Yes we do. All REALTORS® pledge to abide by the Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS®. The Code sets forth a REALTOR'S® obligations…
Should you disclose a disruptive neighbor?
Maybe, depending on the outcome of this case in Arizona. Glenn Melton thought he was buying the American dream for his daughter. What he got was a neighbor who launches into obscene tirades at any hour. So Melton sued the man who sold him the…
Latch on to any glimmer of confidence you can
Call it what you will - grasping at straws if you must. But if it becomes a trend ... But there is a glimmer of hope for the housing market. When asked of their plans to buy a home, consumers' expectations increased for the first…
Even more candor from the National Association of Realtors
I thought I'd never see the day when the NAR economist wrote something like this - Based on the latest available information, my outlook is for new single-family home construction to decline for another year-and-a-half through the second quarter of 2009. ... However, lower home…
This is exactly what the NAR should be doing
Lawrence Yun is providing a counter-point to the press coverage - based on actual facts and context rather than sunshine and smoke. A recent Wall Street Journal article points out that home price trends are divergent, depending upon the source. Housing economists are very cognizant…
Pulled from the comments – More on Dual Agency
The following comment was made by Joe Vita, a Realtor in Lexington, Virginia. Joe is also a member of the Virginia Association of Realtors' Policy Board.* "Dual agency practiced by one agent is always a conflict of interest for the agent even if legal dislcosure…
Rumors and expectations of the Realtors’ demise were greatly exaggerated
As predicted on 3 January of this year: The numbers of Realtors in the Charlottesville area is certain to decline in 2008. One simply cannot make a living on so few transactions per year. I was right - but barely. Yesterday was the deadline to…
The Wall Street Journal gets it right on commissions
I wonder if anyone else will notice? From today's Real Estate Journal: But like everyone else, buyer agents don't work for free. At first glance, it seems like the seller pays them, since most are paid at closing from the commission costs that the seller…
Zillow might be right(er)
Get ready for it - "marketing" a home may be free, sooner than we might expect. The successful Realtor's value will come from managing the transactions and representing the clients' best interests. Zillow's zestimates soon might very well be right "enough" for some. Zillow's zestimates…