What is normal for 2012 Real Estate?

 Today I am sitting, working again in my home office. Since Christmas I have been displaced/banished to working on two card tables set up in my bedroom as we hosted different family members for visits. (It is amazing how the birth of a grandchild can bring relatives from far and near).  While I accomplished an amazing amount of work (I don’t think my clients noticed), it was not ideal.  Trying to drift off to slumber in the same room as your desk with its myriad of to-do lists is an accomplishment in itself.  And so after we said a sad goodbye to the last relative yesterday, my wonderful husband helped me move back to the land of desks, pull out keyboards, file drawers and shelving.  Today I am beginning to feel back to normal.

What is normal?  I have often thought that question when asked by a doctor if there was anything unusual I’ve noticed. What if I always had a pain in my head? Wouldn’t that be normal?  Who defines normal anyways?

Since I am a Realtor, I guess the question would be “what is normal in the Real Estate market?”.  In the past few years, the normal has been a sense of everyone holding their breath waiting for the woes of the California and Florida to hit Houston.  Well I think it is time to exhale.  If the past few weeks are any indication, I would said that 2012 looks to be a much better year than 2011.  I have had a number of inquiries from buyers who are moving to Houston from other areas of the country and state for jobs. I see this as good news for not only the Real Estate market but for the job market as well. 

But don’t just take my word. There was also an excellent segment about the current market on the Today show “How to cope with current real estate market” –

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

or follow this link http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46203461#46203461 for some interesting insights on a national level – you can watch the video or read the transcript.  While I’m not sure the word “cope” emits feelings of encouragement, it is worth a listen.

So what will “normal” be in 2012? We can only wait and see.