Well, it seems that either no one has any money to spend these days....or else they don't want to spend what they have. But how tough are these times that we are in right now? If you listen to the media, the sky is falling again. But with the media, the sky is always falling!
It just seems that those of us with gainful employment are simply spending our dollars more carefully these days. Not a bad habit to get into. Isn't it possible that we were all just spending too much and not being careful enough with our precious resources?
I am blessed to live in this area. And although retail tax dollars are down, the tax dollars from hotels (the tourism business) are up alot! They are currently almost balancing each other out, at least in the City of Paso Robles. And there are still people who want to live here and are actively looking at homes.
In prior "down" markets, we didn't see any buyers at all! Even in todays market, we are all showing homes and our listings are being looked at by serious buyers. The media says that 2009 will be an even tougher year. But I see great prices for homes, great interest rates, great inventory to choose from and one of the nicest places in the country to live. We'll do all right here. We just need to spend carefully, tighten our belts, and we'll get through this....no matter WHO wins in November!
By the way, if you're thinking of buying a home, NOW is a great time! :)