Have you noticed how many people are rushing to deliver bad news these days?  I have.  I watched a financial Youtube channel yesterday and I swear I could almost detect the glee in the presenter’s voice.  Thing is, I disagreed with her gloom and doom fare; and I could not for the life of me understand why she should be happy to deliver scary ‘news’.  Well that’s not entirely true.  I know exactly why she was so hyped up.  She was hyped up because she had a ‘better’ opinion of the economy than someone else she either knew or followed and she wanted to win.  That’s what you have to know.  She did a lot of digging to prove HER point that we are crashing.  I don’t think she wants the economy to crash; I just think she wants to win.  Simple.

Everyone has an opinion, most will be different than yours.  And you can pick the population of stats you want to use to prove your point.  Read that sentence again, will you?  Before you just outright believe what you are told, you MUST know where they got their data!  If they want to prove poverty, you’d better believe the wealthy parts of the country will not be included, for example.  Dig a little bit.  If you look at these people with the side-eye, news won’t get in your head so much.  Look for the agenda. There is always an agenda.  If you watch the political pundits, you know by now that they play to their audience.  Half of the actual data is left out so that either the conservative or the liberal opinion wins.  It’s all about WINNING.  Get the rest of the data, will you?  Or spend your days in fear and stress.

I’ve lived a while, and I know things go in cycles. And I know that two things always grow and get worse: Greed and Lust for Power.  Okay, so it stands to reason that prices are going to go up.  The rich WILL get richer, and many of them will dip into my wallet, and yours, to make that happen.  So I adjust my sails and so should you, because there is nothing we can do about it, other than be smarter than they are.  It feels like nothing surprises me anymore.  I see every election cycle wreak havoc on the working people, and I see politicians and would-be politicians, pushing fear and stress out so they can PRETEND to offer relief, which of course they never do.  Why?  They are greedy and lusting for power.  I won’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed this.  The days of any politician caring how you live and what you need are over.

I’m watching a talking head…about 12 years old…not really.  He’s in his 20’s with no real life experience.  He’s preaching gloom and doom about real estate, which he is NOT involved in, recommending renting.  Renting!  Well have you thought about how rent goes up 10% a year?  Okay, you can move to a different rental.  How about moving cost?  Then that place is going to be raising rent on you as soon as they can.  Gonna move again?  No sir.  Buying is still the best idea, but yes, a good real estate agent is critical.  Real estate agents know where the good areas are, they know where the bad ones are too.  They also know which builders build a good product and which ones do not, and they know which ones make you put up BIG money to write a contract.  Why?  If the builder depends on your money to buy materials….run.

Economy.  Yep, it’s crap.  Going to be that way for a while until the bad programs get unravelled and the bleeding stops.  Every once in a while you get people running things who cannot do math.  When that happens, gird your loins and hang on.  Things always get better.  The ‘universe will balance’ is what I say.  And watch what his happening around you.  Remember when the car lots were bare?  Now they’re filling up? Why?  Well, people can’t afford to pay for cars anymore, folks.  So let’s see how this goes. Prices of cars will go down.  To a point people CAN afford.  Nobody’s going to die.  Cars are not going to burst into flames.  Things will balance.  Just have a little patience and learn to do math.

See, the thing is, if the math doesn’t work, if everyone is getting something for nothing, the economy is going to tank.  You should vote for people who can add and subtract; that’s all I’m saying.  Or, just step outside and give your money to a passer-by, ’cause it’s going away from you in any case.  Meanwhile, don’t listen to these pundits with any kind of trust in what they say.  THINK about their motivation first, and then find out where their data is coming from.  I know I can make statistics say anything I want them to, and if you can’t do math, I own you.  But I happen to be honest.  Lucky for you.

Best thing you can do is just don’t watch these knuckleheads.  Take your debit card and go to the store.  Buy what you can afford.  Adjust your sails and be patient.

And about the housing market?  Any time you need a home is a good time to buy.  You just have to operate within the current economic situation.  If the interest rate is 6%, that’s what you pay.  Real estate agents, contrary to popular belief, cannot control the economy, and we can’t produce buyers for your home.  But we’re a valuable source of critical information about your market.  We are the boots on the ground and we have mud on those boots and scars from actually being out there working.  Most of us actually do care how you live and what you want.  Can’t afford the home you dream of?  Adjust the dream.  Simple.  Sometimes the adjusted dream is even better anyway.

Remember the sun is alway shining above the clouds.  It might be yucky for a while, but it’ll get better.r