Thanksgiving

It seems with all that is happening in our real estate market - there is still much to be thankful for and that includes right now the ability to even complain about it.

Can I just start charging people $1.00 every time I'm asked - "How's the market?" I think it would help offset my bus fare. My favorite response has always been - "which market are you asking about?" Because we certainly have a commercial; residential; rental; sales; uptown; downtown; midtown; etc. set of markets all of which have been performing differently at different times. But we can be really safe saying now -- every one of these markets is essentially just WAITING. But -- the big one here -- if people felt edged out over the past year by prices, please start looking because there are possibilities out there now. For instance, co-op studios have dropped under 300K - and there is more to follow. Of course, many properties were just simply over-priced to begin with but there's no question that prices have dropped from 2007 - to the tune of 30%.

Traditionally everyone waits about 60 days after a Presidential election (Yea Obama!) to make any major decision, and this year is no different.

I'm longing for January 2009.

I loved receiving from Rick Gregory, my main man at Weichert Financial, the first news of the drop in rates today - followed up by his remarks that he will do whatever it takes to get the deal done for us. Now that's a CAN DO type of attitude I love. He's also a rarity in this business.

What is it about most Manhattanites that everyone has to be so cranky, all of the time? Is it because no matter how much money you make, it's never enough? No matter how many sit-ups you do, it's never enough? No matter how many friends you make - or for that matter, enemies, it's never enough? And on that note - it seems I have no end of either friends or enemies. I've been told it's because I speak my opinion -- classic Sagittarius trait I reckon. But for better and often for worse, I have unfortunately spoken my opinion.

So leading with "crankiness" -- we are smack up against Thanksgiving - a time of reflection, draggin' out the old speeches that other people wrote and said. And I'm feeling a wee bit cranky myself.