Comments on: If it’s on the Internet, it MUST Be True… Right?

By: Kathleen A. Scanlon, Esq.

Kathleen A. Scanlon, Esq. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:24:56 +0000

This is something I have been saying to clients, colleagues etc for a while now – you have to take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt. Some sources are more reliable than others. I find it especially frustrating when lay people interpret the law and post their interpretations as fact. We must all realize that we bear a heavy burden of responsibility to be accurate in what we post and to provide the necessary proofs for such interpretations. “They said” is not sufficient proof.

By: Portland Condo Auctions

Portland Condo Auctions — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:46:05 +0000

The problem is that the mainstream media sources mislead people without actually lying. Often they will just write a headline like “8000 dollar tax credit passes”. If you read the article, it had passed, but only by a committee and has not hit the senate floor yet. While technically correct, it is misleading and most people dont read more than the headline and maybe the first paragraph. People are just mis-informed and they don’t mind being that way.

-Tyler

By: Benn Rosales

Benn Rosales — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:40:10 +0000

For anyone in the world to believe they’ll be the ones to ‘break the story’ on the tax credit, they’d have more luck keeping ice from melting in the phoenix sun. Every agent in the country is tuned into this story, and the interest is just that high- but hey, at least they’re actually paying attention to something.

By: Jay Thompson

Jay Thompson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:11:53 +0000

This just came across Twitter as I got to the bottom of the comments:

“Tax credit extended to April!!!”

And it had a link to an article titled: Senate Approves Extended U.S. Homebuyer Tax Credit

Someone needs to read the Constitution. Or retake high school civics.

Got an email this morning from a local lender saying the credit extension and expansion was approved and to call him.

Why would I send my clients to a lender that can’t A) read; B) comprehend; and/or C) gives a damn about being accurate?

I’ve almost given up trying to help people understand how all this misinformation is a bad thing. It frustrates the hell out of me.

By: Jon Karlen

Jon Karlen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:32:50 +0000

Great message, Matt. Goes to show that you really need to be sure of what you put out there as being accurate to the best of your ability. One question though: you listed the various responses that you received – but, I’m curious, did you & Jay ever actually get anyone to admit they were wrong?

By: Scott Hack

Scott Hack — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:32:15 +0000

It is amazing what people will retweet, or pass along without verifying. Most of the info I got yesterday was accurate. No one was spouting that it was a done deal — just that they were going to vote on it and it looked like it would pass and that the house shouldn’t have any objections, etc.

By: Matt Stigliano

Matt Stigliano — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:30:07 +0000

Kim – I don’t know why, but I’ve made all versions of the tax credit a bit of a mission for myself. There has been so much misinformation about it since its inception and I have tried to always know as much as I could about it. My old broker made some comments about it in a meeting that were wrong, I’ve had lenders tell me point blank it could be claimed before buying a home (needless to say, I don’t use those lenders), and just generally fought some of the misconceptions about it.

Fred – I think it will political suicide for anyone to stand in its way. Sad to say it, but I do believe it. I myself wish it was not extended. What message are we sending by continuously extending it? The people that didn’t jump on it this year…will they still be waiting for bigger and better come April 2010?

Mark – I wonder if some of those same people who I watched sending out that info were serious about their social media and blogging efforts or just doing it because they wanted to feel like the mouthpiece for the news (so that clients would “flock” to them)…much like Jim said. I didn’t spend time researching how each person was utilizing their blogs or Twitter accounts, but I kind of wish I had, it might have been an interesting look at two different belief systems when it comes to real estate blogging/tweeting.

Jim – Thanks for stopping by. I loved your tweet and it stuck with me as I continued to think about the issue. I had some thoughts about the idea of the Code Of Ethics and I would think that in the future, NAR will have to look at the issue a little closer and perhaps refine some more of the language in the Code Of Ethics. Then again, what would I know…I’m “just a blogger.”