Home : Bad Press - Bad Influence

Bad Press - Bad Influence

Posted by Brett Carman on 12/4/2008 at 6:16 PM
Posted in Real Estate

As I go about my day, I find myself hearing the gloom-and-doom media using scare tactics when it comes to addressing the real estate market. The truth is the media is not just in the business of reporting, they are in the business of selling ad time to advertisers. It’s no surprise that the worse the news, the more our sick little minds want to know about it. It’s how we’re wired and THEY know it.

Let’s start with a positive...I am positive that there is no such thing as “a” real estate market bust or even “a” mortgage crisis”. It’s true that some areas of the country experienced tremendous and illogical growth in their respective market, so it’s no surprise that the high-flying east and west coasts had to come back to reality. The media, however, has been pounding our perked ears with a real estate smear campaign akin to a Biden-Palin grudge-match. They are relentless in their pursuit of our audio exploitation and have begun self-fulfilling their prophecies in many areas.

The media should have some sense of responsibility when it comes to reporting and at least give equal time to the positive stories which are being enjoyed by those participating in the industries they are all too happy to blast. If I just listened to them all the time, I would have ended up in a cave during Y2k, wearing shorts when it snows, buying high in the stock market and then selling low, and scariest of all, voting for Obama. Thank goodness we all were given brains of our own to think with, right?

Let’s use common sense to drive our decision making when it comes to real estate investing because after all, there’s plenty of money to lend so it’s not a crisis. There’s plenty of housing and office space to buy or lease, so it’s not a crisis. Interest rates are near their all time lows so how the heck is this a crisis?

Are you guilty of the media putting on their Halloween masks and scaring you? If so, wake up and smell the candy-corn. The market is actually perfect for you to enter so don’t sit there and wait for it to go up. Find your bargains now!

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Brett Carman is a seasoned veteran in the real estate industry for over 17 years. He holds active licenses in real estate, mortgage finance, and property & casualty insurance. Offering a one-stop shop for his residential and commercial clients, he strives to not only educate, but streamline the real estate acquisition process. With a long and proven track record of success, he is uniquely qualified and has a passion for helping people achieve their goals in real estate.

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18 Comments

Posted by Business 2000 Foundation.com on 12/04/2008 8:33 PM

Can the media over-exploit things?

Yes and no. The recession was just kicking in, when the real-estate markets crashed. The over exploited inflated real-estate value and over-appraised property values, bad strucre, and it's high interest lending rates were the down-side for property owners. Not too mention real-estate speculation in the market-place, and to gain a future bail-out. Media exploits these factors. But, are they the cause. In our view, No. Use the knowledge and due-dilgence with structure. It is a huge problem. Not the media fault.

There are some great real-estate deals out there, if you have the cash. Not sure on the lenders. Nobody is lending much these days. It will take a long time, before they lend to real-estate speculation.
A huge difference in lending for home buyer. Eithier way, we dont see lending by many banks at all nation-wide.

Posted by Rachael Sutton #1253595 on 12/04/2008 9:18 PM

Candy Corn? Thats creative. I embrace the concept of thinking for myself Mr. Carmen. The media does usually seek the story or the spin on the story that will draw the most attention and sell the most copy or gain the largest viewing - and if we believe the prediction and follow the advice, it becomes self-fulfilling.

Posted by Dan Auito on 12/04/2008 11:46 PM

Mr.Trump, you are absolutely right and more people need to hear these words of wisdom, hopefully you would write similar comments in a forward to a book in which 50 top authors are contributing to help everyone to better understand our current market forces in play.

I have written several books (Dan Auito) in real estate, and am now in the process of assembling contributions from 50 fairly well known real estate authors from around the country.

You will recognize there names here at my site: http://www.magicbullets.com/forum/showthread.php?p=58702#post58702

This is the largest compendium of real estate advice ever assembled and we intend to reach 1,000,000 unique E-Mail inboxes from the J/V partners efforts and using the lists of all the contributing Authors to do this.

I have always looked up to you Mr.Trump and hope that you will write the forward for this project, of course you can say whatever you want and it will be printed.

You would preside over this 1800 page document. I would ask you a little bit about where you feel these real estate markets are headed and what you feel are the solutions if you so desire to go into detail.

Otherwise I would hope that you would relay to people the value of various points of view gained from the insights of 50 of the top real estate trainers in the country.

My purpose is to help people to become better educated in understanding the present real estate situation and be able to contact the best for further support.

Thank you so much Mr.Trump, your words have the power to relieve peoples fear..

Sincerely:

Dan Auito
www.MagicBullets.com

A copy of my last book for your perusal, you are free to give it away, my goal is to try to help people use real estate to their best advantage: http://www.thecitruscountyclassifieds.com/downloads/2/fsbo-ebook.pdf

Posted by dleavitt on 12/05/2008 10:10 AM

The media is the driving force behind the recent agressive downtown. It appears the majority of readers for this blog are intelligent and affluent enough to make their own decisions outside of media influence. However, the majority of the population lives off the doom and gloom the media highlights. The average American that recently lost 20-30% of his/her retirement wants to see there are other people in the same boat. They don't want to hear about the real estate investor that is reaping 20-30% returns off foreclosure investing. People want to know they're not in this alone.

The media has a huge influence on the desperate minds of those suffering through these tough economic times. People want to be able to turn on the tv and say "Well at least things aren't as bad for me as they are for that person". The media knows this, which is why they continue to bring these negative stories to the forefront.

As a mortgage broker, we've several blows from the media punishing us for the fallout from mortgage-related problems. Howeve, I must agree, there is no crisis. Banks ARE still lending money. A crisis would erupt if there was no money left to lend. Borrowers can still qualify for a mortgage with as little as 3% down, so on and so on.

People need to be intelligent enough to sort through the media biases and understand the media is a business. They care about profits. They will publish what sells and what people want to hear. Learn to sort through this, make your own educated decisions, and there are several opportunities to prosper in these "tough" economic times. Have a great day!

Posted by member1898415 on 12/05/2008 4:43 PM

Do I think the media has had undue influence in all of this? Absolutely! There was a time when the media was responsible for reporting the news. Now, with an omnipotent attitude, they want to create it. You'd have to be comatose to not see it in the election so why would any one think they couldn't influence perception in other areas. I am a Realtor working in western North Carolina and it took about year for us to start feeling the impact from the melt down in Florida. This past year, I can't begin to tell you how many buyers we've lost because they want to sit on the sidelines and wait this out. Why? Because of all the doom and gloom coming out of the media. But I got so sick and tired of the media stories about money not being available that I called all our area banks and talked to the people who make the loans. Without exception, their answer was YES...we have money and we're lending it. Is it more difficult to get a loan, sure. But in my mind, it's gone back to the way it was before subprime loans. Bottom line in our market? If you have 20% down, a verifiable income, and a good credit score, you will probably qualify for a good, low interest loan. I wish people would realize that real estate is regional...and I wish the media would start reporting with the skill of surgeon, not the broad brush of painter.

Posted by member1897932 on 12/06/2008 11:59 AM

I am so glad to see this article. We just had this discussion at my leads group and roundtable here in Tallahassee. I know that banks ARE lending money.. I know that the statistics on foreclosures although more than in years past, are less than 2% nationwide. I know that less than 5% of the loans currently held are sub-prime loans. I have personally written more contracts wtih conventional financing than FHA, and although I have customers worthy of downpayment assistance for afordable housing, those are screened very well for their willingness and ability to sustain their mortgages.
I am not alone in my area in working towards stabilization of the market and subsequntly feel people like myself are the ones who are indeed stabilizing the economy, struggling in the trenches to help rebuild confidence and provide security for our nation, even the world for that matter.

I am sick of watching the news, sick of the media portraying our country as weak and troubled. There is more good here than in any other place on earth.

I joined this blog just 2 days ago, and I have seen more positive here than in any other site on the net. I intend on sharing it daily as this is a site where there are educated professionals and useful information that will help me grow my business. Keep it up!

Posted by member1898592 on 12/06/2008 5:09 PM

Mr Trump, What a fit The Don writing the forward for what should be one of the most informative REI guides of this era. Would you please consider writing the forward for Dan Auito's new book. www.magicbullets.com Respectfully Thomas Homan

Posted by member1898596 on 12/06/2008 5:30 PM

Unfortunately bad press is the only thing the press thinks will sell.

Stupid of them but true.

We currently have some of the best opportunities that we may
ever see in our careers as investors.

By the time they (the idiotic press) get it right in the mainstream
media circus it will be too late to jump in and snatch up any real deals.

The Don is right let's go shopping !

Hey Mr Trump, I sure hope to see you on board with a forward for
Dan Auito's new project it totally rocks!

Posted by Dan Auito on 12/06/2008 10:30 PM

It's amazing how sound reasoning from someone people trust can inspire confidence in people who are privileged to read it. The media is and always will be left leaning sky is falling pessimists because it sells and it's their business.

This is why I ask the "Don" of real estate to write the Forward to this compendium of current insights and knowledge from some of the best minds in the business.

Mr.Trump, 1 page, 3 pages or 20, whatever you would like the country of real estate investors and Joe "The" Plumbers to know. I will spend one of my wishes on the hopes that you will be that voice of reason that sets the tone for this special book.

Thank you for your consideration Sir, you are the best person for this mission Mr.Trump.

Dan Auito

Posted by Business 2000 Foundation.com on 12/07/2008 9:52 AM

We read a lot of great responses. However, we wanted to add people in lending will not lend their under the old lending terms. They will have new lending critera.

How many will qualify? In a very tough economic recession with tough job markets, along with mortgage bail-outs certainley it will effect the new lending guidelines . Much , much tougher to qualify for lending.

Did the press do that? Yes and No.

Posted by Cheryle on 12/08/2008 6:33 AM

I feel fortunate to live in a country that values "freedom of the press." The media you refer to as television news, newspaper articles, magazines and radio have a direct impact on those who choose to watch, read or listen to what they have to say. It's your choice to be engaged or not. You choose the source. If you don't like what they have to say, you can write or tell your opinion with a letter, a telephone call, a blog or word of mouth. You or your family will not be executed, or your business get destroyed because you disagree with their opinion. This is a freedom that I cherish. There are countries that are not so fortunate. People live with a political domination that dictates the news, represses disclosure and instills fear for those who disagree.

There is no question that our country is in turmoil. Financial concerns, education, infrastructure problems and many other subjects are all part of the news. If you overlook these concerns in favor of what interests you personally, then you are missing the value of what the media is doing.

The media informs, educates, questions and entertains.

I hardly think the economy is a joke, yet I've heard a lot of good jokes about our educators.

The only bad press is the press that fails to communicate with it's audience. In our country, they would be out of business if they didn't have an audience that is willing to pay to hear what they have to say.

You wouldn't complain if they reported that your business is booming and you're the leading industry in a competitive global market. Now would you?

A bad influence is someone or something that deliberately takes you down the wrong path with no regard for your well-being. Drug dealers can be put into this category as well as terrorists. They probably think the media is being unfair when they expose their dirty business. But how many lives are saved because they do?

Posted by Brett Carman

on 12/08/2008 11:18 AM

@ Cheryle,

I usually agree with your comments to my blog but feel like I may have missed the mark with you on this one. I am referring to the masses whose buying (or not buying) habits are swayed by the 15 minutes of local news they watch each evening. They do not take enough time to educate themselves by reading and exploring other forms of media.

Posted by Brett Carman

on 12/08/2008 11:22 AM

@ Dan Auito

I am not "The Don" as you put it and furthermore think there are better ways to contact Mr. Trump to solicit him for your book than smooching up to him on this blog ;0)

Contact his office and make a formal request and I think you might have more success.

Thanks for reading my blogs and commenting. Set your goals and make them happen!

Posted by Sam B on 12/08/2008 9:18 PM

It's good to know that someone is letting us know that media hype is crap and to Stay Away from Fox News.

I would love to read more success stories to prove the media wrong.

Posted by member1900175 on 12/12/2008 10:27 PM

Bad Press can be good influence!

Well, most of the time, people struggle with advertising and thinking how do I get my name out there.

Face it. Most people live shallow lives and cant really be bothered about the good news that they hear. They rather hear of people that are down, or going to fall, or lottery winners who have lost their entire lives because of winning the lottery.

People cant be bothered with good press. They want to hear bad news. Bad news makes you feel better about your lives. So why not use bad press as good publicity. After all, if you prevail, the bad news becomes good and in the process, you get press as well.

So better SOME press then no press. After all, we are advertising for a reason!

Matthew Mathan
spirokinetic.com

Posted by TERESA SKINNER VA BCH member1784598 on 12/19/2008 2:33 PM

DEAR BRETT:
HAVE RESEARCHED EDWARD BERNAY IN DEPTH, HIS MANTRA IS THE MEDIA IS THE INVISABLE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE MEDIA HAS MORE INFLUENCE ON THE MASSES. WARREN BUFFET IS CORRECT WHEN HE PROCLAIMS, AMERICAS MAKE SIMPLE THINGS HARD. EDWARD BERNAY KEPT HIS PROPAGANDA SIMPLE AND IN DOING SO HE WAS ABLE TO SWAY 90% OF THE POPULATION TO BUY THINGS THEY DID NOT NEED. MORE IMPORTANT HE WAS ABLE TO SELL THE SAME 90% THINGS THAT WERE UNHEALTHY.
HE HAD A FORMULA, USE PSYCHOLOGY AND TIE IT IN WITH THE PRODUCT.
WELL IM WAY AHEAD OF HIM, I CAME UP WITH A VERY PROFITABLE IDEA USING HIS FORMULA. I TIED IT IN WITH A PRODUCT I INVENTED AND USED PSYCHOLOGY TO MAKE IT MARKETABLE. I NAMED IT, TRUMP MY ACE PLEASE. BRETT IF YOU CAN FIND IT WITHIN THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, I THINK YOU WOULD BE VERY IMPRESSED. I TURNED THE TABLES ON BERNAY, AND USED HIS FORMULA FOR GOOD CAUSES THAT THE MASSES WILL GRAVITATE TORWARDS JUST LIKE THE BUY WHATS BAD FOR THEM. IF MANIPULATION IS USED TO SELL A HEALTHIER AMERICA SO BE IT. HE ALSO SPEAKS OF THE 10% BRILLIANT PEOPLE THAT SWAY THE REST OF THE MASSES. IM IN THAT 10% BUT I USE MY INTELLIGENCE TO HELP PEOPLE. WILL YOU HELP ME HELP OTHERS?

Posted by Brett Carman

on 12/27/2008 8:37 AM

@TERESA SKINNER VA BCH
Thanks for your post but I don't think I understand your concept of "Trump your Ace, please". I may not be brilliant enough to understand what you are asking me to do so could you please elaborate? Maybe I am in the 90%!

Posted by Bill from Tampa on 05/19/2009 9:21 PM

So I take it that, according to you, voting for Bush and McCain was a good idea? Talk about scaring people...

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