News and Trends with Buddy West
03/31/11Hope Springs Eternal
This is the start of spring. It is about time. I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of the cold, wet, snowy winter we have been forced to endure. The signs are evident that spring has arrived as the temperature has topped the 75 degree mark, parks are filled with activity, dogs are taking over the bark parks and the price of gas is on the rise, as expected prior to summer. (Note: Any excuse to give us a good fleecing.) The best sign is the sound of the wooden bats hitting the ball outta’ here for spring practice. The excitement of Phillies fans and the Phils’ unbelievable pitching staff coming into the season is a sure sign that spring is upon us. The sign I like to hear is the sound of a hammer cracking on the top of a sale sign in front of a... Posted at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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02/25/11Show Me A Sign
Less than 30 days and we will be into spring. Can you believe it? As I am writing this snow is falling and expected to pile eight more inches onto a driveway and walkway that are sick of the sound of my snow blower. Shouldn’t we be waiting for the season’s first bloom and not another appearance from the ever-present snowplow? Come on—show me a sign. When can we visit the Spring Banks at Winterthur? The spring market sets the stage for real estate sales for the entire year. Last year was a disastrous start weather-wise but the federal incentive program bolstered sales through April 30. Once the incentive stopped, so did the real estate sales. 2011 is a new year and this is a new spring. The weather will soon be heating up as will the real estate market. There... Posted at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
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02/10/11Take the Plunge—It’s a Good Thing
Wow, this past weekend my thoughts were all about taking the plunge. For months I have been talking about it. People all over the state have been talking about it. And since Monday, thousands are chatting about how glad they feel to have taken the plunge. This economy has been such a roller coaster for so long, the weather has socked it to us for the past several months, and people have been stir-crazy with pent-up energy. They needed to get to their bank accounts, piggy banks, safe deposit boxes, friends and families to assemble as much money as possible so that they could “take the plunge.” In such a short period of time, over 3,000 took the plunge last weekend and used their hard-earned money to feel good about the future. The fundraising numbers were pretty... Posted at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
02/02/11From Prestidigitator to Prognosticating
2011 is underway and it’s hard to tell which road will be taken. I am hoping that it is the road less traveled—the one to the settlement table. It’s time to get this housing market kick started and ready for a robust spring. Call your senators and congressman and ask them to put pressure on lenders to free up some of that TARP money. Families are in the wait. Move-up buyers have a huge inventory to choose their next house and the money is at its lowest rate in years. Open the vaults and get it to the buyers. Let’s talk numbers. TREND, (our multiple listing system) keeps statistics on everything real estate. The stock market is positioned to break the 12,000 mark—evidence that the economy is moving in the right direction. Jobs are still... Posted at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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01/12/11Second week in—and still the resolutions are going strong
Happy New Year! Good riddance to last year. I hope 2011 shows us an expanding economy, lots of new jobs and a real estate rebound. Personally, I have many resolutions to make and keep. Sound familiar? How about I am going to lose weight, eat healthier, work harder, be nicer, be more accountable, and on and on and on.
This is our nature. We all have good intentions, but as my minister said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” That sounds very cynical so I am going to stick with this: If you see it, believe it, you can be it.
I may want to lose a bit more weight, but more important, I want to maintain my weight, keep my... Posted at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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12/30/10Auld Lang Syne
Whew! Christmas has passed and we are embarking on the last holiday of the year” New Year’s Eve. Take a moment to consider the dichotomy of the two holidays—so close together yet so far apart. Christmas, or whatever holiday you choose to observe, is a celebration of new life, religious roots, gifts, decoration, family and friends. There is a certain formality about the holiday that invites fellowship, renewal of friendships and relationships leading to an overall feeling of kindness. It is as though the troubles are frozen in time for a brief period. The reality is nothing goes away, but it’s nice to have a break. I did not post a blog over Christmas because it took me longer to feel the spirit this... Posted at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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12/15/10Time, Tide and Real Estate Wait for None
Much can be learned from history if you just stop to think during these fast-paced times. We suffer from information overload, job fatigue and economic disasters. History tells us that time corrects most and moves beyond that which cannot be corrected. What is most important, according to my grandfather, is that we learn from history. History repeating itself can have dire consequences. It is as if to say that the definition of insanity is doing something the same way over and over and expecting different results. Real estate is no different. We have been in good times and bad. A question often asked to me as a Realtor is, “Is it now time to sell…or buy?” My answer is always, “Do you want or have to sell…or... Posted at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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12/02/10A Tale of Two Cities: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?
Last week, I spent the Thanksgiving weekend with very dear friends in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Allisons lived in Wilmington, Delaware, until a few years ago, when they chose to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Truth be known, they got out just in time. Their home in North Wilmington sold at its peak and their land was ready to build in North Carolina. This clearly was the definition of, “timing is everything.” That said, the value of their new home may have dipped a bit, but it doesn’t matter because they are not moving. This is a good story for one seller and buyer whose plan came together. You can feel how happy they are just by being around them. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many who have had similar plans... Posted at 03:59 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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11/24/10Not Talkin' Turkey
The holiday season is upon us. The evidence is everywhere. First, my newspaper is much heavier. Holiday decorations are sprouting up like bulbs in spring. Window trimmings in department stores are showcasing the latest and greatest gifts. When I was a child, Thanksgiving signaled the start of the Christmas and Chanukah. Times have changed with retail extending the shopping season as long as possible. In the future, can we expect holiday circulars on or around the Forth of July?
Let’s now celebrate Thanksgiving. This holiday clearly represents who we are as Americans. We should pause and be thankful for all that we are and all that we have in this great... Posted at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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11/19/10News From Atop the Hill: NAR and FAR
Wow. The election is over, and none too soon for me—though I will miss some of the more colorful commercials. Some of the candidates seemed to appear out of Hollywood’s central casting. The dialogue in these commercials mirrored a soap opera script with references to a witch, a bitch and the rich. Little was focused on how to get this economy up and running, jobs back or tax relief.
Pardon my logic, but where were all of our leaders during the four months prior to the election? Were any of our elected officials doing official business like creating jobs, focusing on tax relief or just legislating? And since this has proved to be the costliest election of all times, wouldn’t it have made better sense to use some of the money to fund the very...
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