[firemed]

Maybe it’s because most of the realtors in Florida have skin in the game, i.e., “investment properties” they can’t flip. looking for the greater fool !

[josephhawkinson]

I could not agree more but you know that's what best for them and as long as they are not MISLEADING I think there is no problem.

The only issue is it is hard to find those who dont spin the truth about what's REALLY going on with real estate, that is it has become a "falling knife"

[shannon94]

And it's just as bad on the California thread! Can anyone tell me what California and Florida have in common? lol

[pslOldTimer]

During the short period I was a moderator, a new Realtor joined the forum, saw the number of folks wanting help, and posted her real estate information as an obvious (to her) solution. From her point of view, she had the information that folks wanted about a certain area and was willing to share it. Of course, there was always the possibility that she could make a buck out of it. That's the American way.

Of course, this forum has rules against that, because there are plenty of places where folks can go to get inundated with real estate ads -- and if the forum allowed one, we would soon be inumdated. As a moderator, I deleted her posts (there were several, all in the space of a couple of minutes), and sent her a warning.

I got back a lovely note apologizing, with a promise to read the rules, and expressing a desire to share the information whether it was as a Realtor or not. I struck up a Private Message dialogue with this person, and soon became impressed with her sincerity and willingness to answer questions. Her attitude was that if she was sincerely helpful, it would rub off on her business, even if she did not let anyone know she was a Realtor. By the way, she was -- and is -- very successful regardless of the ups and downs of the market.

For the next few weeks, several folks asked questions about her part of the state, and she answered them completely and sincerely, without a hint that she was a Realtor. She posted several helpful links to local sources of information that do not conflict with the information available on this forum.

However, possibily because of all the complaining and moaning about Realtors on this site, even the ones who are helping, the moderators have become super sensitive. My "new friend" apparently posted a link that was misinterpreted by a moderator, and she was banned -- with absolutely no warning -- from this forum.

I was on vacation at the time and when I learned of it, I questioned the moderator and received no answer. So, I resigned as a moderator.

This moaning about Realtors is unjustified. When they are "trolling", they are moderated. When they are helpful, they should be thanked, because few other people has as much accurate information as they do.

And, no, I am not a real estate agent.

[firemed]

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against real estate agents, but the information should be accurate and not sugar coated to close the deal. My wife and I are both natives and wev'e seen our share of scams and con men making a quick buck at the expense of the unfortunate people who have been told they are moving to paradise! Every new developement or subdivision that goes in utilizes the name "Paradise" in some way. Scams are not new to Florida. The Marx brothers had a movie called "Coconuts" based on these scams. Southwest Florida looks good right now for employment due to the construction boom, but we've seen this many times before. When the construction stalls the unemployment becomes rampant. This area depends mainly on construction, medical, and tourism, which this year are showing signs of steady declines that are only going to get worse. Retirees are moving away, cashing out, and leaving inflated prices and outragious insurance behind. Migrating to other southern states where they can retire on a fixed income. This is affecting our medical industry, without the retirees medical will suffer. Tourism is being affected tremendously by the price of fuel and the fear of terrorism. Construction which created the majority of the jobs and caused migration is coming to a screeching halt. So before you decide to move to this area, be sure to consider the economic and financial situation you will encounter. Like I said I have nothing against real estate agents, but the information should be accurate and not sugar coated to close the deal

[pslOldTimer]

Everything you said is true, shows good analysis and insight, and provides some good advice. Except, you've somehow turned it into the opposite of sugar coating -- maybe sour ball? Certainly not "every" development has Paradise in the name, nor do agents "sugar coat" all of their remarks. It looks like you are so bitter towards Realtors for some reason that you are using the same type of inaccuracy to protest against them.

Did it ever occur to you that they may have gotten into real estate in the first place because they were so enthused about their area they wanted to share it with others? Do you blame them if they emphaize the positive aspects of their community? Are they any worse for doing that than you are for emphasizing the negative?

Once they become real estate agents, if they are any good they learn everything there is to know about their community. They often learn about aspects that even natives have never learned or may have forgotten. What's wrong with them telling us about them?

I chose my community 34 years ago and have lived here longer than I've lived anywhere else; even though I'm not a native, this is my home. When I talk about it, I reinforce the good points. I don't try to hide the bad, but from my point of view, there is little that is bad. For that, I've been accused on this forum of being a real estate agent who is sugarcoating the facts. My response? I'm just sorry they are burdened to go through life with such a pessimistic viewpoint.

[scamutz]

From Wikipedia, In Internet terminology, a troll is usually someone who enters an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive, offensive, off-topic or otherwise disruptive messages designed intentionally to annoy, stimulate or antagonize the existing members or alter the flow of discussion, including the personal attack of calling others trolls.

Are Realtors not welcome here? Is there a profession more equipped to know the area and inform people about the tax rates, school ratings, market conditions etc? What is the preferred profession to be an active participant in a Florida City-Data forum?

I am a Realtor...but I now sell for a new home builder, therefore my license is inactive.

I moved here 8 years ago and absolutely love it. I have lived in NJ, PA, MA, CA, GU, SC, VA, and NC and have chosen to make this my permanent home.

In my community I have witnessed that things have improved in the past 8 years. New/better schools, more shopping/dining. Improved Roads, etc. etc.

I loved Florida the first time I came and I have only grown to like it more...for that I'm a Troll? That's sugar-coating? I think that most readers would like to read a bit of levity amongst all of the naysayers and doom-and-gloomers.

[Muggy]

My guess is that realtors "caught wind" of this "bubble nonsense" and starting clicking away to investigate.

That is how I found this site.

I went to a few open houses in the Tampa Bay area and was appalled by the conditions, size, location and cost, so I started researching by typing in various search phrases in google and I eventually ended up here among a few other places.

What's interesting is that most realtors that post here don't trust readers to use their own filters. They have to bash "doom -and-gloomers" because they don't believe that the readers of this forum are capable of forming their own opinions. Previous posts in this very thread evidence my observation; that realtors believe they are the only ones "in the know."

Anyway, I think most realtors get upset when they read posts on this board and try to attack the poster and not the post. I can here it now, "there is some jerk named 'Muggy' that never shuts up about the bubble, what does he know!?"

So firemed, that's my answer: the realtors are here out of desperation and frustration. If the market wasn't in the doldrums, they'd be out selling houses instead of arguing with me, right?

[MrTudo]

I'm not a realtor I'm a coin dealer. I take issue with the thread starters comment about realtors owning investment properties.

You say there is something wrong with a professional taking a financial position in an area he/she believes in and trying to make a profit.

This is "bad" to you?

[pslOldTimer]

Muggy, the problem with your presentations of doom and gloom and bubble nonsense (and I've not seen any of it, I'm just using your message as a guide), is that some readers are not in a position to "apply their own filters". If someone from another section of the country reads this stuff, they have no reference to disbelieve it. It's almost as if you expect readers to know that the negative stuff is junk and they should ignore it. If that's the case, what's the point of posting the negative stuff in the first place? Just to be a rabble rouser? By the way, that's the true definition of a Troll, someone who posts stuff just to disrupt.

It doesn't take much reading to find dozens of examples of folks who think that Florida is nothing but hurricanes, alligators, spiders, sink holes, crime, high taxes, and whatever flavor of the day people are grousing about -- there were even a few days when people were frightened of earthquakes in Florida because of something that happened hundreds of miles away in the Gulf. People are so jaded by the failed politics of this country that they expect to find something wrong, and they believe it when people say it.

In the face of that are a few people who are willing to spend the time and do the research and present the facts that counter all the negativitiy. You can call it arguing, I call it refutation.