Aug 31 2007
Scary News For Lake Mary Home Seller’s
TO:
Jerry Jackson
The Orlando Sentinel
Dear Jerry:
The blaring headlines of your front-page article this morning in the Orlando Sentinel about the housing market screamed:
THE BIG SLOWDOWN (actually in red letters) ‘SCARY’ HOUSING MARKET TUMBLES (larger black letters)
However, the text of the article shows that the growth rate in the metro Orlando market only decreased by 0.30%.
Did you not calculate that on a $300,000 home that is only $900?
Hardly a “big slowdown.” Hardly “scary.” Hardly a “tumble.”
Don’t you guys realize that your sensational and biased reporting is affecting the market, scaring the beejeebies out of potential buyers, most of whom just see the headlines? You constantly prophesy doom, then some decline happens, prompting you to prophesy more doom, and on and on, a continuous cycle. The Orlando Sentinel deserves a major part of the blame for whatever housing decline there is.
The news media doesn’t just report reality as you claim, you help create reality.
But buried in the article is the comment by economist Harry Fishkind that “Florida’s housing markets have bottomed out.”
So, why did you not headline your article with his comment to read something
like:
Expert:
“Florida’s housing markets bottomed out”
Is it because the quote had an unacceptable optimistic tone?
My house is on the market for sale. You are not helping the situation.
Your closing quote was from a realtor, who said, “The phone is just not ringing.”
Well, we took the initiative and on our own we had our own open house this past weekend, with just a sign out front and no advertising, and had ten visitors, plus spouses, several very interested. The phone was not ringing but they kept knocking on the door.
My house will sell soon, no thanks to The Orlando Sentinel.
God bless you,