Responsible Reporting....A thing of the Past?

I've thought that News Reporting has been less then responsible for quite some time now, but with this over reaction to the Flu is startling and even down right scary. Every network and most reporters are all out there looking for the next BIG story because they want BIG ratings.

Unfortunately, when these stories are only half told or slanted to a particular viewpoint it creates a false perception of realty...and guess what, perception IS reality.

This whole Swine Flu reaction is unbelievable to me. Here is Texas, schools are being closed for weeks, ALL athletic events for youth activities have been canceled, and the state is just in a tizzy. Seems every place I turn or each person I interact with has the Swine Flu on their mind.

The frightening part to me is not the flu or it's potential to end the human race like it is being reported, but it is how easily people get sucked into believing everything they hear. Nobody seems to be questioning any of this reporting or it's viability as a real threat to everyone.

Is it that simple to scare an entire country of people and force them into an abstract belief of reality?

What are the facts?

• Over 30,000 people die every single year due to the regular seasonal flu. Many of these are children under 5 years of age because they immune systems are not as strong as adults.


• There has been 1 death from the Swine Flu in the United States. This was a child under 2 years of age that is from Mexico visiting family. The child was not a U.S citizen and he suffered from another medical ailment already.

I just cannot wrap my arms around how this new strain of the common flu demands this kind of scrutiny. If it is this easy to scare a nation, what else is possible? How easily can a country be tricked into something?

All this fear mongering really has me worried that as a country we are not as independent in mind set as we should be. Has nothing been learned from tactics of "leadership by fear" in the past? Where will the fear tactics stop? More importantly when will the people stop following blindly the advice and thoughts of people that have ulterior motives?

• Be vigilant in learning about something for yourself.
• Do NOT take everything you hear as fact, even if is from an outlet that should be providing facts.
• If EVERYONE is being led down a particular uncertain path, it is a GOOD time to ask questions BEFORE following.
• Use your mind and create your thoughts. Opinions that are not the same as the majority are good. They create an educated dialogue.

The TRUTH about the Housing Market!

It seems day after day, I read story after story that promotes the downfall of the housing market. I see where homes are losing value and mortgages are more difficult to obtain.

There is only one problem with stories like these. They are NOT an actual representation of the housing market!!

For some reason it has become acceptable and almost expected to tell false blanket stories that project a very negative and false picture of the housing economy.

Is it true that housing has lost value in parts of California?....YES!
Is it true that home values have decreased over parts of the East and West Coast?....YES!
Is it true that the Economic conditions for job growth in Detroit are difficult?....YES!

As a Real Estate Expert in Texas I can tell you that these issues that are being faced in other parts of the country have little to no effect in the Texas market.

These are the FACTS!

• 262,000 NEW Jobs created from April of 07' to April of 08'!
• 11,000 NEW People move to the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex EVERY Month!
• Homes are NOT Losing Value on a wide scale.

So then why is it acceptable to issue Negative Blanket Statements for the Housing Industry to the Public?

In any other aspect of life, accepting blanket statements and stereotypes is considered the lowest form of journalism, is unethical, and is for the most part ignorant.

If Housing is down in Miami, does that mean it is also down in Dallas?.....NO! That makes NO sense!

If crime is high in Washington DC, does that mean crime is also high in Trophy Club, TX?....NO! That makes NO Sense!

The Media Needs to stop trying to Localize a National Issue. It is both inaccurate and Dangerous. The negative news flow is hindering the housing market across the nation by fear mongering and scaring the public.

THE TRUTH ABOUT what the media is doing is this:
In Texas and other very solid markets around the country, people are waiting to purchase homes because they HEAR the market is bad. They are waiting to purchase because the NEWS tells them prices will keep falling.

Only one problem....IT'S WRONG!

The TRUTH in TEXAS

• Prices WILL begin to rise very soon. With higher gas prices come higher building costs--just like anything else you purchase.
• Interest Rates will be going back UP to their normal range. 5% and 6% Mortgage Rates are NOT the norm.
• The LONGER you are told to wait...the HIGHER the cost to you.

The TRUTH about Interest Rates

• 20-Year Average is 7.3%
• 30-Year Average is 8.8%
• Pre 9/11 Average back to 1990 is 7.67%
• POST 9/11 Average is 6.23%
• *9/11 Shocked the world. Rates were lowered to stimulate buying to spur the economy and lower consumer fear.

The time has come to end the False Stories and the Negative Information Exchange. It is doing nothing except promote a poor economy, costing Americans more of their future money (the cost of waiting), and perpetuate a growing feeling of insecurity.