After All These Years, My Favorite Section of the Newspaper is Still the Real Estate Section
My husband and I have simple a routine on Sunday mornings. We make coffee, bake something yummy like chocolate chip biscuits or sweet rolls, and read the Sunday paper together. (Yes, we still have the newspaper delivered to our home on Sundays, although the electronics are close by if we need more info on a topic.)
It occurred to me today that the section of the paper that I still most look forward to reading is the real estate section. It certainly has evolved over time. In the early 1990's, the real estate section of the paper had many more listings in it. By the late 1990's, the online listing platforms were becoming popular and so that was where I went to look at homes.
But even still, when the newspaper comes, I enjoy reading the do-it-yourself advice column and the gardening advice column. They help me keep in touch with current trends and seasonal topics. I always check the real estate transfer section to see if any people I know have bought or sold homes in towns outside my territory.
And one of my favorite parts of the real estate section is the home plan that is published each week. After years of selling a variety of homes, I still enjoy "walking through" a house plan and looking for interesting ideas in layouts.
Someday my news-reading will, I expect, become all electronic. But for now I am happy to have this quiet routine etched into my hectic schedule.
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Text and photos copyright Kathryn J. Acciari unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved.
Kathryn Acciari, RSPS, SRS, RESE, CFA
Century 21 MetroWest
45 Lyman Street Suite 14
Westborough MA 01581
Serving the Route 9/20 Corridors of Central Massachusetts
Sturbridge to Westborough
Cell: (508) 982-0686
Email: kasellshomes@gmail.com
Web site: kathrynacciari.com
Blog: Real Estate Blog
Twitter: @kacciari
Kathryn - we always look at the Real Estate Section on Sunday morning. But my husband says I only look to check out what the competition is doing :) LOL. I think most true buyers use the internet first, but hey! everyone loves Sunday morning coffee and the newspaper! Season's Greetings!
Kathryn, I have noticed our Rela Estate Section is getting smaller and smaller, there are still sellers who expect us to advertise in it ..... in addition to all the internet marketing
Kathryn, it sounds like your paper is much more extensive then ours. The only Real Estate section we have is the open house page (2 pages actually).
Kathy: Some of the competition still advertises in the paper, but here it is mostly open houses.
Endre: The newspaper does reach a small segment of the buyer population; however, if those buyers have agents then they have access to online resources.
Bob: Wow - that is quite small. Well, our paper includes a large city plus surrounding towns throughout the county.
You've obviously lost the joy of the Sunday Comics.
Erby: The comics are still a favorite - in the top three for sure! And you can't beat having that colored ink all over your fingers.
Sunday sports are the best. The real estate section used to take 20 minutes to read. The foreclosure section is much larger than the for sales:) Thank God for Henri De Marne
With just 36 days left in 2010, Zoey the Cool Cat and I just wanted to stop by and wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Hope it’s a great one, with lots of fun and food with family and friends!
Kathryn You can join the club of old fashioned real estate brokers like myself who find gems in the real estate section
Conrad: Thanks for chiming in. All in all, the paper is getting thinner - except for the ads this week.
Russel: Hi! Thanks for your well wishes - great to see you!
Karen: While the same information may well be available online, it's nice to read it in hard copy sometimes.