One of the most frustrating things a REALTOR has to put up with in the current market is all of the whining, complaining, and smear campaigns preaching the end of the housing market as we know it. Right now, the media is dead set on the idea that our strong real estate market is crashing down around us. As home buyers and sellers are inundated with this negative publicity, they are slowly beginning to believe real estate is in a downhill spiral. The reality is… well, perception is reality, and whatever consumers believe about real estate is likely to have consequences.Currently, the real estate market is an example of how “perception as reality” drives the real estate market. What is specifically frustrating as a REALTOR is that numbers can be made to say anything – while nationally overall sales are down when compared to the past few years, the local real estate market is still going strong. In fact, if you were to leave out the past 4-5 years (which saw increasing gains in real estate sales) and compare 2007 to every prior year, you would see that homeowners are still receiving a pretty high rate or return on their investments. Unfortunately, no one wants to talk about this fact, since the overwhelming amount of negative publicity has convinced people that there’s nothing good about real estate right now. However, in smaller market (Rolla, Missouri for instance), a shift in market conditions is much more gradual, so the highs and lows of real estate are much less extreme.The concept of “curb appeal” also demonstrates how real estate personifies perception as reality. Multiple times, I have been preparing to show a client a house when they were turned off by the outward appearance. Before we even pulled into the driveway, the client told me not to bother stopping. Despite the many hours and countless dollars the homeowner may have spent remodeling the home, the outdated siding or unkempt shrubbery meant the buyer would never see more than the less-than-perfect exterior. If people are unhappy with a home’s curb appeal, their assumption is that the inside of the house must not be to their liking either.Similarly, buyers perceive a home’s cleanliness as vitally important. If clothes and toys litter the floor and dirty dishes are piled in the sink, the potential buyer is likely to assume there are other “hidden” issues with the home. The assumption is that a homeowner who doesn’t take pride in the daily tasks of keeping a house clean, they are probably neglecting the larger issues as well. Buyers aren’t interested in whether or not you were on vacation until late last night or that your 4-year-old has been sick for a week. Instead, buyers believe that the condition of the home is a reflection of the homeowner. Whether or not that is true, in real estate, perception is reality.Now, you’re likely to continue to hear gloom and doom media coverage regarding the national real estate market, but remember that perception is reality. In the Midwest, the sky is not falling; believe it or not, people are still regularly buying and selling homes. Whether the “state of the economy” is on a downswing or an upswing, there will always be plenty of buyers out looking for their dream home – and willing to purchase one! Yes, there will be ups and downs, but it is never as good or as bad as it seems at any given point. While perception may seem like reality in real estate, your perception is not always fact.

Every year different investment trends are noted but since the most recent financial crisis, things have really changed. Because of the consequences of the crisis, investors, as well as financial advisors have had to look at the world of investing in a much different way. In fact, in looking at financial portfolios from 10 years ago to today it is easy to see they are being created differently. We wanted to offer information about some of the unique opportunities that investing offers today.However, before making the decision to invest, an individual needs to learn the best approach. More and more investors are now taking a tactical approach to processes such as asset allocation and fund selection. In addition to this, many of the older metrics and tools used have now been replaced with modern solutions. Again, someone who wants to become a successful trader needs to have insight into the types of strategies currently used.Remember, the key to success in today’s investing market is to understand changes that have occurred over the years and the different opportunities available. For this reason, anyone interested in investing needs to make every effort to learn as much as possible. This is a very serious career but with the right knowledge and skill, it is an exciting and lucrative choice. However, all investments come with risk but there are ways to reduce them, which is part of the learning process.Tips for Good InvestingIt is imperative for investors to have some level of protection from adverse movements associated with different markets. While there are different options, one of the most One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is by creating an investment portfolio, one that is both strong and diverse. However, the portfolio must also be based on some of the new trends seen with investments. Any of the following are good options:ETFs
Funds
Managed Accounts
Keep in mind that for each of the items listed above, individual products would be chosen. Depending on the type of investment chosen, someone new to investing might do quite well but for more complex investments or even if someone needs assistance, a professional advisor or broker could assist.Generational InvestingDifferent generations should also be considered when an individual chooses a type of investment but also as the portfolio building process. Over the past 10 years, the stock market has experienced major changes. For instance, this market has attracted an entirely new kind of investor, primarily people from Generation Y, which consists of people born during the 1970s. Interestingly, people in this generation are more cautious about investing options than earlier generations were.Another comparison of other generations to Generation Y is that most people are actually more financially stable. As a result, they are in a better position to invest even though more cautious. Additionally, people from Generation Y have different types of financial obligations. For instance, many people are still paying off college loans. The point is that investing has changed significantly from one generation to another.While people from Generation Y are in good financial standing overall, the group most interested in building a strong investment portfolio includes people from the Baby Boomer generation. People within this age group recognize the benefits of being prepared for retirement, which is why the good investing has become so critical. This group consists of people who are divorced, currently have children in college, have not made appropriate plans for retirement, and those far in debt. For these people, a strong investment portfolio is invaluable.There is a third generation of people that need to be mentioned. Individuals who lived during the Great Depression have personally experienced major economic changes but when compared to the other two generations, savings is vital. Many of these people lived on little food during a very dark period of history so putting money aside, whether in a standard savings account or through investments is a top priority. The biggest challenge is that these people do not usually like change but as mentioned, with so many trends in the world of investing, there has to be some degree of flexibility.ConclusionThese are just a few examples of things that have prompted investors and investment advisors to approach the market with a unique strategy and different attitude. For the person interested in investing, it is more important than ever to understand all the different investment opportunities and to make sound decisions.