You’ll have to look deep into the belly of the Wall Street Journal’s online archive to find this article but this might be the start of the press believing the housing crisis is over. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121003604494869449.html

Market trends are driven partially by psychology, and when we think the crisis is over, it will be. This article cites some interesting statistics that are hard to argue with. Written in early May it didn’t take into account the trickle down effect of high oil prices. When the fear leaves the market, the buyers will return.

“Hi, I’m a reporter from The Washington Post” was the beginning of the voice mail. My heart rate rose as I thought about all the negative articles that seem to appear week after week in its Real Estate Section. The sky is not falling down and homes are selling. This is a normal market and I thought perhaps I’d have an opportunity to explain that.

I called the reporter, Nancy Trejos, back and we met for coffee recently on a cold windy afternoon. I feel I have an obligation to voice my observations and knew this would be a good opportunity to do so. I enjoyed our conversation and she did quote me.

Hopefully I’ll have more opportunities to voice the sound of reason in what seems like a chorus of pessimistic news.

As seen in the Washington Business Journal: “Area Home Prices Down More Than 4%.”

There is no doubt that the market has declined and that we have returned to a much more normal market.

But what’s with the talk of doom and gloom? Are prices falling monthly? The answer depends on where you are—and by where I don’t just mean DC, Maryland, or Virginia. Trends vary by neighborhood, block, or even building.

Blanket statistics—the kind that appear in the media—rarely speak to how the real estate market affects the individual. Don’t get caught up in market stats (good or bad), but focus your motivation to buy or sell.

Most buyers are looking for homes to live in. It is always a good time to buy a roof over your head. If you’re buying only for appreciation gain, you need to be careful in this market.

Sellers selling today are doing so because they need to—not to be misinterpreted to say they are desperate. (If you want a big foreclosure market, you’re not going to find it in the DC area.) It is always the right time to sell if you need to do so. If you just took a job in Phoenix and want to buy a house there, but can’t afford the down payment unless you sell your townhouse in Georgetown, now is the perfect time to sell.

Remember, 80 percent of the marketing happens when you set the price. It is time to start talking about how normal the market is and how buyers and sellers every day enter into agreements that satisfy everyone’s goals.

A good deal, and a good market, is only a state of mind.