A Buyers' Market.” Almost every major news and media, business, and Real Estate publication has been screaming this for months; extolling the fact that there is a surplus of housing coupled with stagnate home sales. In addition, Interest Rates are still at a Forty-Year Low! Accordingly then, "Opportunity Doesn’t Knock Much Louder than this for Buyers’ or Long Term Investors." Does it? The conditions currently are similar to those that spurred the start of the housing boom just five short years ago. So what is happening?

Regardless of what the "experts" are saying "industry wide" - local markets require specific analysis - street-to-street, neighborhood-to-neighborhood. The media and others track trends over a quantitative period to qualify their claims and predictions for the next trend in the market. However, by the time this data has been gathered, analysis made and conclusion attained - the market has likely changed and moved on. Real Estate is a very dynamic and diverse field.

Like the stock market, real estate has various, and often opposing, sectors and sub-sectors. While one area may be down and falling – another area may be way up and climbing. Each sector must be assessed at the specific time you're entering that specific market. Each area has its influences that define and impact that specific market - at that specific time. However, we have seen - especially in the last quarter, the tremendous impact the “psychology-of-the-whole” plays on every aspect of the market.

Though all the conditions seemed to be there to fuel a Buyers' market - low interest rates, surplus of housing, retreating prices, "motivated" sellers' etcetera, buyers’ still basically sat on the fence, Why? Were they waiting for the "experts" to tell the bottom was reached? Were they waiting to hear the "bubble burst?" Or, was it the market uncertainty coupled with an atmosphere overshadowed by a shaky economy, disillusionment and distrust of the government, high and climbing energy costs, foreign affairs, war and global terrorism, political scandal, the national immigration policy, global warming…? Whatever it is, there is no doubt that the macro -influences of our daily world impacts our micro worlds, which in turn fuel our overall consciousness and pervasive feelings. Simply put what you feel is what you think. And, as you think it, so it shall be.

Excellently written and noteworthy article. Who will be the next "trend makers" driving the Real Estate Industry??