Actually both of you hit a nerve with me, and I see you get my point with the music. I tend to be like you Steve, in that I can read, the numbers are straightforward, and they speak for themselves. While I think graphs can sometimes enlighten, particularly with respect to locations, they don’t illuminate much when it comes to raw data……..unless you’re trying to highlight a specific thought. I don’t think graphs tell much of a story unless accompanied by some good commentary. Graphs “add to” the data we read, but fall a distant 2nd by themselves.

So, as we while away the hours weaving some respite in between all our work, let your musical sides unleash their enormous potential, and perhaps we’ll have the genesis of the next, best, greatest informational platform to hit the world of real estate! We could call it the RSI (Russell Shaw Index), or the Berg Index, and it would replace all the mortgage and sales data we currently read. Ah, utopia is upon us………….and so is my first appointment. Guess I’ll turn my music down now.

Take a picture of Jimmy Buffett. Look at it until it moves you.

Next, take the words from “Coconut Eelegraph” or any other Buffett song you like. Look at them until they move you.

Finally, fire up the CD or iPod, and ….”hear it on the Coconut Telegraph…..”. Listen and let me know how you are moved.

Only the music does it, doesn’t it?

So, what I want you two creative geniuses to do is take the “good” graphs, and the “good” lists, join with Russell Shaw, and write us some music that makes all this data ‘move’ us!!

Kookie idea??

Take a picture of Jimmy Buffett. Look at it until it moves you.

Next, take the words from “Coconut Eelegraph” or any other Buffett song you like. Look at them until they move you.

Finally, fire up the CD or iPod, and ….”hear it on the Coconut Telegraph…..”. Listen and let me know how you are moved.

Only the music does it, doesn’t it?

So, what I want you two creative geniuses to do is take the “good” graphs, and the “good” lists, join with Russell Shaw, and write us some music that makes all this data ‘move’ us!!

Cookie idea??

Standing on your head and assuming you don’t have a thing for columns and such.

Detached Home Sales For 92131 (2006 vs. 2007, January thru August)-
# of Sales Avg. Price Avg. $ per foot
2006 – 222 $802,004 $347
2007 – 209 $801,285 $327
Difference -6% (push) -6%

Commentary: Not as Draconian as many people thought it would be. However, look to the last Quarter of this year to see if a bottom is forming or if there is more pain in store for the market next year.

Detached Home Sales for 92131 (8/06 vs. 8/07) -
# of Sales Avg. Price Avg $ per foot
8/06 25 $792,780 $339
8/07 26 $788,605 $324
Difference +4% -0.5% -5%

Commentary: Wow!! Who would have guessed that sales would increase this August from last year?? However, we will see more of the impact of the mortgage mess showing up in the September and October numbers. Year-over-year decline for the average sale price per foot is right where we predicted it to be earlier this year.

So far, it continues to look like a soft landing, in general. However, if you purchased a home over the past 2-3 years and overleveraged and/or bought into an interest only, negative amortization loan, this may be a very painful time.

I know, I know. Not very fancy, but pretty easy to read and understand.