Comments on: Where do homebuyers REALLY find the homes that they buy?

By: Ellie Kravets

Ellie Kravets — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:42:33 +0000

Thank you Jerry!

By: Jerry Kidd

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:49:00 +0000

I wish it was otherwise because I DO like the Open Home Guides. I also NEVER use the advertisers who buy those paste on stickers the CCTimes is fond of, nor do I use the advertisers who buy those foldover ads that appear around the front page from time to time. Gotta vote with my $$$

By: Brenda Andry Zwahlen

Brenda Andry Zwahlen — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:44:00 +0000

I'm laughing out loud! I do the same thing to phone solicitors: I make it a point to NEVER use their services! You have some excellent points…….I, too, am shocked at the unfair pricing practices!

By: Jerry Kidd

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:40:00 +0000

I tried that approach back in 1991 when the CCTimes asked me to be on their advisory board. I went to one one meeting and suggested that they not print editorials on the front page disguised as news…I was not invited any future meetings.I read the newspapers too. But, I don't read the ads. If I accidentally read an ad, I make it a point to not shop with the advertiser. Usually what I read in the paper has been covered in more detail and more objectively by an online source.My news these days actually comes quicker via twitter. And it is much more balanced because it is written by the man and woman on the street who is actually living it. They are good for obits though! Nice pictures…oh, that's right, they over charge for those too. Nope, sorry, I'll be happy when they are gone!By the way, did you know that they charge real estate companies MORE for ads than they do the auto dealers? I didn't know that until Saturday night when I was told that by a highly place state government official. That really frosted me.

By: Brenda Andry Zwahlen

Brenda Andry Zwahlen — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:33:00 +0000

I agree with your observation that they thrive on printing negative news…but since people DO read them, maybe we should figure out a way to help them be more "fair and balanced" as well? I'm a great devil's advocate, by the way….

By: Jerry Kidd

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Sandra, you are welcome!Brenda, I do not want a world of techies. I just want the newspapers to play fair. They print editorials on the front page that "report" negative "news" about real estate. They then raise the ad rates on us AFTER they do their best to kill our business. And they have done it for years. And we continue to play along with them even after it has been proven by 10 years of studies that newspaper advertising does not produce buyers for listings at any where near the rate that other less costly methods do. What the heck is wrong with us? The only way our industry will stop feeding that monster is when the monster is dead. I, for one, would like to be the one to drive the wooden stake through the vampire's heart!

By: Sandra Shaw

Sandra Shaw — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:25:00 +0000

Thanks for the great information.

By: Brenda Andry Zwahlen

Brenda Andry Zwahlen — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:22:00 +0000

You just want a world of "techys!!" I don't that is too far off!

By: Jerry Kidd

Jerry Kidd — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Jane, Fred, Brenda and Carla- Thanks for all of your kind words! I live for the day when the newspapers go the way of the dodo!

By: Carla Weston

Carla Weston — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:13:00 +0000

Great words of wisdom, Jerry. We all need to be reminded from time to time of what we have available.