It was a Tuesday Morning in April 1990 when the phones stopped ringing. I had entered the industry on the tail end of the super-fast, frenzied Seller's market which, by all accounts, was driven by California buyers. I had enjoyed the bustle for all of two weeks before the phones quit ringing. Literally. I was walking across our work room, glancing at the up-desk and realized the phone has not rung all morning. It was the beginning of the slowdown in the early nineties but it felt as if someone had thrown the proverbial OFF switch.

 Fortunately, market changes are rarely that dramatic or abrupt. In my area, July marked a turning point in the market when the phone calls slowed and showings became farther and farther apart as we headed towards the holidays.

Ahhhh, but that's the beauty of a fluid market. Things never stay the same.  

Yesterday, while showing in the icy rain (fun!) I noticed a definite increase in buyer activity; more business cards at listings, traffic at new construction sites, empty flyer boxes. In fact, three of the homes I had intended to show on Saturday had sold the day before. I was showing again today and for the first time in a long time, there were multiple agents showing the same property back to back. Sign calls have picked up as have internet inquiries........all indicators pointing towards good news!

Do I think the market is going to suddenly turn H-O-T? Of course not. But I do think the economic stimulus package and talk of loan limit increases will cause positive ripples in our local markets. The news has given buyers the reassurance they've been looking for and the confidence in the economy to make a move. (Pun intended)