JOB CREATION, MR. PRESIDENT’S VISIT & RECORD LOW RATES

By John Mangas, Broker, RE/MAX Preferred Toledo, Ohio

It’s the first week of July, 2012.

And what a week it has been in the Toledo & Northwest Ohio area.

• The Independence Day Celebrations
• President Obama visits Toledo
• Severe storms strike the area leaving death & destruction
• Interest rates again find a NEW RECORD LOW
• June housing numbers for RE/MAX Preferred were great
• The U.S. jobs report is released showing lower than anticipated level of job creation

I could go on, but it’s only Friday July 6^th and that seems like more than enough for a month, let alone a 4 day work week!

So, what does all this mean collectively or individually? In my humble opinion it is a great overview of the times we live in. We are all proud to be Americans and live in the USA. As such, we recognize that this continues to be the land of opportunity and the American Dream of homeownership.

When any President visits our community it’s an honor, regardless of your party or politics. We honor the office of President and are pleased to have the President see our community and hear about the challenges that we face locally. That may include lack of good jobs, foreclosure problems or even catastrophic storms.

When I recorded our weekly video yesterday, I stated that our agency was up 21% for the first half of 2012 vs the first half 2011. That’s huge for us and is encouraging for our clients and marketplace. Unfortunately, the jobs numbers that were released this morning were disappointing. Europe’s layers of problems are affecting our economy here and that of course translates to consumer confidence. Manufacturing was one segment of the jobs report that showed growth in the second quarter compared to the first. That is very good news for the Toledo area to be sure!

It’s been a very full week. As it winds down and I reflect, I recognize that while there are always things around us that may be unsettling, keeping it in perspective is what really matters. Rates are great. Jobs are being created. More people are buying and selling homes than were 12 months ago, and well…I’m glad the President didn’t stay too long; I hated the traffic snarls that he created.