MARKET REALITIES

Baris is fully aware of the state of the economy and that people have lost equity and are losing their jobs, and for them buying right now is simply not an option.

" But there are still a vast number of people who can buy' he emphasizes. "Every Realtor should be out there appealing to first-time home buyers.

"We should be talking to renters. We shouId be telling them that for the price of renting, often times they can own and that doesn't even count the tax advantages of ownership. Many renters who can come up with a 3 to 5% down payment can qualify for FHA financing.

'This is a conversation that needs to be going on right now but it's not a message that we're hearing out there. We (Realtors) need to be doing that all over the country’