Ready, Set-- Obama!

I notice a refreshing enthusiasm in the crisp Tucson morning air today. January has always been the start of a new year, and the motto, "Out with the old, in with the new," has been the mindset (at least for the first couple weeks of the year), until new year's resolutions vaporize like money invested in the stock market did in 2008.

But this January is markedly different. The excitement is palpable. As he said so eloquently in November, "Even if you didn't vote for me, I am still your president." Tomorrow is an important day, as is today, Martin Luther King Jr. day, for all Americans-- no matter the color of their skin. Being an American is about freedom, and idealism, and always believing that we have what it takes to pave the way for our children to have a better tomorrow. Qualities that I believe our new president will bring back to us in dramatic ways. It will be emotional, as is any big change. I am hopeful that Obama will rally Americans to find new hopes and ideals in themselves. He will indeed be a president of change, a desperately needed positive force for this ailing nation.

Housing is at the forefront of critical issues that Obama will need to confront head-on in the early days of his presidency. It is believed that Obama's policies (even though we don't fully know what they are just yet), will have a positive affect on the housing market. If anything, what people need right now is hope. Hope is what we've lost with all of the retirement accounts that vaporized in 2008, with all of the jobs that were lost, with all of the people who lost their homes. Simply stated, the American people need someone who will breathe new hope back into this nation, and I think the right man is in the driver's seat.

It's all about perception... Perception is reality. If that is true, consider this. The housing boom of the last few years was brought about by a huge availability of credit. It was fueled by credit, and now it is frozen by the same demon that fueled it. The lack of available credit, and the fact that more and more Americans have lost fortunes and jobs, is causing a 'withdrawal affect,' which means that people are doing things that pull money out of the economy, instead of putting money into the economy- which is what is needed to revive it. I remember learning about this phenomena in Economics 101 at the University of Arizona. My professor said that when people stop spending money, jobs are lost (unemployment goes up), stores and restaurants go out of business (demand for goods and services declines), and credit dries up (banks have less money to lend). If it gets bad enough-- which is debatable that it may be 'bad enough' right now, a deep recession is going to be the result. This link is a very interesting power point presentation that details what caused the recession, and what we need to do to end it.

It's funny how perception works though. If people perceive that things are better-- or that they are getting better, then they will change their patterns. They will go out to dinner again. They will buy that lottery ticket. They will take that weekend trip to the White Mountains. They will go to the Wildcats game. This is what we need right now (the restoration of consumer confidence). Once consumer confidence is restored, the economy as a whole will begin to recover. We desperately need to ensure the general public that the economy will be restored, so their confidence is restored.

Being that Tucson has taken a hard hit with foreclosures, business closures, and job losses, I have auspicious aspirations that 2009 will have good things in store for us. But then, I am an optimist. I'm glad that our new leader is too. If you have any questions about buying a home in Tucson, or possibly selling your Tucson home in a down market, please give me a call. I am a qualified and professional Tucson Realtor who has been successfully assisting clients in the Tucson real estate market since 1999. As Obama says, "Yes we can!"

Written by Sarah Ley,
BSBA, ABR, CRS, CNHSA
Realtor with Long Realty Company
Direct: (520) 404-0544
http://www.sarahley.longrealty.com/
sley@longrealty.com