5, 4, 3, 2-na, 1. Happy New Year

The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have -- Leonard Nimoy

It's 2009. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I'm excited about this year. As a Wilmington real estate agent, people ask me about the local real estate market, usually with the same downward tone in their voice that they use when inquiring about a sick elderly relative -- "How's your aunt Lucy?" The expectation is that Lucy (my real estate career) is not long for this world. So there's a certain disbelief when I say my business is doing well, thank you. My closed sales for 2008 slightly exceeded my production for 2007. Then, there's the look of skeptism. Poor man, is he trying to put a brave face on a dire situation?

Well, no. The real estate biz is tough, but, hey, I'm a tough guy. It's hard work and I work hard. It requires brains, creativity and fortitude . . . check, check and check, I've got 'em. I've been doing this for over 23 years, so I am used to seeing ups and downs.

Home values are down and everyone is pummeled daily with bad news -- newspaper, bad news; TV -- bad news; internet -- bad news. But, here's the deal. Real estate is local. The Detroit real estate market sucks. The same goes for a number of areas throughout the nation. Wilmington real estate is not nearly that grim. As a matter of fact, if you're a buyer, it's pretty good. There is plenty of inventory from which to choose and interest rates are hovering around 5%. If you're a seller and you've had your home for four or five years or longer, it's worth more than you paid. You can't say that about your Hummer. You've had shelter, you've had tax deductions and your home is worth more than you paid. What's the problem? If you purchased or re-financed in 2005, that's another story.

As the real estate market has changed over the years, I've adapted. The changes over the last couple of years have been more severe, but again, I've adapted. In doing so, I've been able to help my seller clients achieve what sellers have always wanted -- selling their homes at the highest price, in the shortest amount of time, and with the least amount of hassle. And, I continue to help my buyer clients find their best deals. I represent my clients well.

I'm not a miracle worker. I'll tell you what you need to know although it's not necessarily what you want to hear, but in the words of Larry, the cable guy, we'll get 'er done.

OK, so here's the first photo tip of the new year. Make sure you remove the lens cap.

Scoot on.