So what exactly is the great American housing crisis?
America doesn’t have a national housing market. It has a series of regional housing markets with their distinct characteristics. So the claims you hear from Wichita Realtors and builders are true: There is no housing crisis in Wichita, and it’s a good time to buy a house here – if your credit rating is good. And the locals are correct when they blame the national media for a badly miscast context on a regional problem.
Our no-spin real estate zone doesn’t extend everywhere, though, as this story from Bend, Ore., illustrates. Despite the obviously childish response from the reporter, our business is about an unfettered presentation of the truth, not the truth as purchased by an advertiser. Others don’t see it that way.
Do you want the straight scoop on Wichita’s housing market, or do you think the media has a responsibility to help create a favorable housing market?