HometownGeorgetown.com

This morning, I pulled the paper out of its little plastic sleeve to find a front page headline: Home sales dip in ‘07, may weaken more in 08. (The online article is an abbreviated version of the article in the paper.) That sounds ominous, doesn’t it? But then I read the first sentence of the article, which said, “Despite the national turmoil in the housing market, sales of existing homes in Central Texas had their second-best year ever in 2007, lagging only behind record-breaking 2006.” Imagine how would our collective feelings would change if the headline had been “2007 second-strongest year on record for existing home sales.” Why must the editors of the paper look for a doom-and-gloom way to spin a story? Is it because we’re all more fascinated by tragedy than by optimism?

The article goes on to say that there are signs that our sales will continue to drop in the first part of 2008. I’m skeptical about their “signs.” The signs I’m seeing say that buyers are back out and looking and - more importantly - making offers. The agents and builders that I’ve spoken with recently in Georgetown have all commented on the fact that things seem to be picking up lately. I’m not wearing blinders. I know that home sales have struggled in recent months, but I truly believe that we are on the rebound.

Now is a great time to buy. Interest rates are around five percent. Five percent. And because of the recent months of struggling, buyers have an excellent pool of available homes from which to choose. Motivated sellers have reduced their prices, as well, so bargains are out there. If you’ve been thinking of buying a new home, please don’t let the scary headlines keep you from moving forward. Call me at 512-876-6544 so I can help you navigate the real estate process.