Monthly Archives: January 2023

CATCH UP, Justice System

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My name is Brenda and I’m a true crime junky.  There, I said it.  I pay attention to what happens in our society and I believe in staying ahead of the times technologically.  So now, every time I turn around, criminals are whining about needing a CHANGE OF VENUE, so they can have an UNINFLUENCED JURY,  so they can have a FAIR TRIAL.  Meanwhile victims wait and wait and wait and wait, for their grief to be plowed up years down the road.  That’s bull.  

If you’re gonna do that, do NOT let pre-trial incarceration count towards the ultimate sentence.  And how about we consider the victims?

Listen up:  Surprise!  We have social media, we have an intelligent and engaged society who pay attention and have interest in victims getting justice.  And we can follow law enforcement press conferences and updates, and we can see the principals talking on the news or on social media.  We can email the police chief and the sheriff.  We get to see them talking, read their body language, decide whether they are bold face liars or not.  Oh my God I’ve seen some doozies.  Good thing we now get a TON of information, both true and untrue.  That’s the nature of the beast now.  That’s a GOOD thing.  Crime sleuths online have done some AMAZING THINGS.  Chris Watts:  The online community shouted collectively, “GUILTY!” when we saw that ridiculous interview.  And of course we were right.  What about little Quinton Simon’s mother and that RIDICULOUS fake crying?  Again, we shouted, “Guilty!!”  Gonna be right on that one too.  Serene and Classic, those adorable boys?  Yeah, that interview was telling too.

We, the potential jurors are observant.  Can we be fair?  Damn right we can.  Stop treating us like we’re stupid.  We are NOT stupid.  Show me the facts, show me the evidence.  So what if I have ‘formed an opinion’.  Opinions are just that: Opinions.  Facts pointing out error can foment a change of opinion, and isn’t that what prosecutors are supposed to do.  Prove guilt?    What are you worried about then?  Do your job.

I have a suggestion: Get better at spotting the leeches.  Weed out the ones hoping to get a book deal.  Get better at figuring out who is actually going to be able to be fair.  Ask for examples, real ones, about when a deeply held opinion was changed.  If a potential juror can’t come up with one, bounce him and move on!   

And for  God’s sake get rid of the unanimous decision rule.  ONE person can sway the course of justice?!?  Have you LOOKED at society lately???  The latest school shooter trial dodging the death penalty was a travesty.  ONE person did that.  

However you decide to do this, it’s time to catch up.  We have a level of connectivity in society we could never have imagined a decade ago.  It’s here and it’s not going away.  So, Justice system catch up or step aside in favor of AI.  Give more time for jury selection and LEARN HOW TO DO IT.  Stop spending taxpayers’ money to change the venue, to sequester the jury, to bog down the process and cause victims more grief.  Get your shit together and learn how to do voir dire.  I’m not the only one who appreciates truth.

One last thing:  If a lawyer says “quite frankly” more than once, can we just chase him out of the courtroom???? Yeah, talking about the Vallow Daybell case.  

Time for our Real Estate to WAKE UP! And it will…

close up photo of cute sleeping cat

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First, our market is the NC Triangle Market, with Raleigh NC at the center.

Second, real estate agents don’t own a crystal ball. We cannot materialize buyers.  We don’t actually control the rotation of the earth.  Hurts to admit that.  FORTUNATELY we have access to market experts who can tell us what to expect.  Here, (Triangle, remember?) we have FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE A MONTH moving in, according to the Triangle Business Journal.  I know that’s true when I drive around.  And, our market is predicted to keep right on humming along.  Hmmmm.  I wonder if the Journal are biased in any way.  Don’t think so.  Why?

Our area ranks fourth in the US, behind Seattle, Austin and San Francisco.  People love it here, particularly people from NY, CO, NJ, FL, TX and AZ (again, according to the Business Journal).  Why?  Tech jobs, healthcare jobs, universities, and just plain awesomeness.  That’s from me.  I live here and I work in real estate.  We are halfway between north and south east coast, halfway between mountains and coast.  I know, the only reason people from Seattle would come here is 1) job; 2) running away from something.  That’s a joke.  No, not really.

Well what happened in Dec and Jan around here then??  Well, holidays, interest rate shock, actually nose bleed from the fast elevation of interest rates, price increase of everything needed to survive, and maybe sheer exhaustion from 2022.  But things are beginning to normalize and will continue to do so, and people realize that even with a 6.5% interest rate, you can still buy a home.  And don’t forget that lenders are working hard to make it possible to get a loan.  Relax!  You can do this!  My first home carried an interest rate of SIXTEEN PERCENT and that was with perfect credit.  Seriously, relax.  I did it in my 30’s.  You can do this.

We have to keep an eye on the tech PLANS, because there are supposed to be some big dogs coming in to our area who may be slowed down because of inflation and all of the accompanying poop storm.  But they still have to have a ‘forward’ team who need housing and my expectation that they will 1) buy rather than rent; and 2) look in the luxury market.  Let’s see how that goes, because that’s a wild guess.  I do know that executives are ‘expected’ to live to a certain standard.  In other words, don’t count on them to buy the flipper house.

I have seen an early bump in activity in my business.  Normally my market wakes up and stretches in February’s but it started stretching in January.  That’s early.  So far, that’s supporting the TBJ prediction about the health of our market for 2023.  In the 2008 crash, as a reminder, we were the LAST in the US to fall, and the FIRST to start climbing out.  This wasn’t a crash, it was a forced nap; so we should be fine.

If you want to buy, you should still expect to put some cash up front on the table.  Due diligence, earnest money, inspections, etc.  Want to get a handle on that stuff?  I can help.  NOTE: Real estate laws in NC are not the same as those in TX, FL, CO, NJ, NY, AZ.  Yes you have the internet, but yes, you need an agent.  Because this is NC.

If you want to SELL, by February, you should be calling me to list your home, because by March it’ll be a race again.  I’m Brenda with Coldwell Banker Advantage.  Call me.