In this doom & gloom real estate era, it's easy for buyers & sellers to find reasons to complain ... not as easy is finding positive aspects of this soft market.

A co-worker of mine recently sent me the following tid-bits, providing a positive spin on the current state of the residential real estate market:

For Buyers:

• Right now, you have an unusually wide selection of properties to choose from, including those owned by people highly motivated to sell immediately.
• With so many potential buyers holding off, you have a much smaller number of people competing with you for the available properties. When the turnaround comes, those "waiters" will be your competitors, making your offer less attractive to those selling their homes.
• Financing is still available at historically low interest rates, but are sure to escalate when activity resumes at more normal levels.

For Sellers:

• If you sell for present market value, even though the price is less than it would have been in the past, you can reinvest at the same relatively lower range ... the home you buy with the proceeds will have gone down in price as well.
• If your present property has appreciated in value over the years, a reduced price affects only "paper" value, which you never actually realized.
• If you genuinely want to sell and have a good reason for doing so, there is little to be gained by waiting for "things to get better," especially if you'll be reinvesting in the same market.

I was sent this forward from a friend today, and while it has nothing to do with real estate, it was so powerful that I decided to post it here anyway. I have no desire to see this blog become a political forum, but regardless of party lines, this piece should make you think.

It's from Jay Leno ... that's right, Jay Leno ...

"'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year? Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Oceanwithout having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs , a burglar or prowler intrudes , an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it...are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans?

Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about 'how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way'...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. 'With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' Jay Leno, 2007

At some point, almost everyone will rent ... college? internship in new town? retirement community? ... these are some common scenarios when renting is the easy choice. But, even after the booming real estate years when everyone was encouraged to be a home, there are more times than you may think when renting would be more beneficial than owning.

The first thing you need to consider when making this rent vs. buy decision is "how long will I be living in this location". If you're going to stay less than 2 years, renting is probably a good idea. By the time you pay closing costs to buy and brokers fees to sell, you'll lose 5-10% of your homes value. Make sure the appreciation rate, when multiplied by the length of time you're staying, will make up that 5-10% loss, or you'll be upside down.

If you're staying longer than 2 years, the math isn't quite as easy. With rates as low as they are now, you can probably get a mortgage with a monthly payment at or below the rent rate on a similar property. However, you must also take into account utilities, taxes and insurance, which often times are covered by the landlord in a landlord-tenant relationship.

As a Realtor whose income is 100% dependant on people buying houses, it's sometimes difficult to tell people to rent ... but, having to explain to them that they're upside down on a house they need to sell after a couple of years is an even more difficult conversation.

If you think buying is for you, please CLICK HERE to learn more about the advantages of home ownership.

A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for the occasion. They arrived at the home and the owner read the card; it said "Rest in Peace". The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new home".

You'll probably be surprised to know that I often times encourage people NOT to buy investment property. You see, even for the most savvy investors, there are times when it's best to show some restraint, even when there's a "must-have" deal staring them in the face. My goal as a Realtor is to make clients-for-life, and if I give poor advice, those clients will not be around for the long-haul.

Here's a few examples of when NOT to buy:

• if you're low on cash - it's alot harder to get cash out of a house than a money market or stock account. If you dont' have 3-6 months reserves in savings for the unexpected, you're asking for trouble by having all your liquidity tied up in real estate.
• if you have no handyman skills - if you have to call an electrician everytime a light bulb blows, your income will be offset by your repair/maintenance costs. This is especially true for landlords and fixer-upper buyers.
• if you're in a peak market - real estate is very cyclical, and if you're buying during a hot market, you need to understand that the market will not be hot forever. If you can't afford to wait out the down-time, you'd be better off in some other investment type.

Now, given the soft real estate market, is a good time if you've got extra cash to invest. Opposite from the point above, those who seek deals to invest in during "down" markets usually see sizable appreciation and return when the market rebounds.

For more info, please visit www.AthensInvestmentProperty.com, where I provide info on all available investment property in the Athens, GA area.

Quote of the Week : "The pessimist may be right in the long run, but the optimist has a better time during the trip"

Joke of the Week : "The Best Boss in the World" .... Smith goes to see his supervisor in the front office."Boss," he says, "we're doing some heavy house-cleaning at home tomorrow, and my wife needs me to help with the attic and the garage, moving and hauling stuff.""We're short-handed, Smith," the boss replies. "I can't give you the day off.""Thanks, boss," says Smith, "I knew I could count on you!"