Thursday, May 23, 2013

Understanding Real Estate - Art or Science?

Written By:
Ingo Winzer, President

Local Market Monitor


It's not science, although the vast amounts of calculation and statistics make it seem that it should be. Wall Street is brimming with math PhDs and how well did that work out?

 A science gives the same boring answer every time. Water always boils at 212 degrees F, and it doesn't matter if it's today or tomorrow.

 If the value of properties or mortgages could be calculated scientifically, there would never be any buying or selling because everybody would arrive at the same correct answer.

 It's precisely because real estate analysis is not a science that large amounts of money exchange hands. Opinions differ about current and future values, and we have recently seen how large the differences can be, trillions of dollars worth.

 To avoid the next debacle - or to capitalize on todays opportunities - don't look for evermore intricate calculations, look for some better art.

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