Stop hyping my market

Charlotte real estate not as rosy as media reports Realtor magazine senior editor Wendy Cole was recently surprised by the reaction of real estate agents in Charlotte, N.C., when she traveled there with the intention of reporting on the "upbeat news out of ... a major financial hub committed to smart growth." The Charlotte market has "stayed strong and steady" through the downturn, Cole said, but the media has made such a big deal about it that agents "say they feel enormous stress about meeting the expectations of sellers who have also read those same cheery headlines. It seems all the positive buzz is making it harder for practitioners there who say the market really isn't as rosy as it seems." Veteran Chicago Tribune real estate reporter Mary Umberger took note of irony of the situation. "More than once, I have conversed with frustrated members of the National Association of Realtors who genuinely seem to believe that there's a medi...