Seems like we are all just inundated with headlines screaming bad news from all over the country.  But sometimes it pays to look at where the headlines come from, and why they were picked for publishing.  Here’s an example: if over a year or so the number of sales of high-priced homes drops a lot, and the number of sales of low-priced homes doesn’t drop as much, then both the median and the average prices are affected dramatically - even though the value of individual comparable homes has only dropped a little over that timeframe.  We all know the old saying “Bad news sells newspapers” – So why don’t you take a turn as editor, and decide which screaming headline you’d pick to try to sell more newspapers. 

The chart below offers you a set of headlines to pick from – all are based on exactly the same set of data, using a home sales scenario which is pretty similar to what we have been experiencing here in Seattle.                Which Headline Would You Choose?  

The key to that great range of headline choices is the mix – how many sales of homes and in what price-ranges, and how the mix has changed.  If you are a numbers junkie, here is the case data.  Watch the mix as well as the sales!

Chuck Reiling

www.reilingteam.com