For almost a decade now, every time we talked about real estate we immediately discussed money.

This is Steve Albin in honor of Presidents Day "For almost a decade now, every time we talked about real estate we immediately discussed money. We didn’t talk about the value of a home but instead about the price of the house. We didn’t worry about a roof over our heads but instead the ceiling on our interest rate. We didn’t care as much about where we raised our family as we cared about how much we increased our family’s net worth.

That will change in 2012. The JustListedKnoxville.com real estate group believes very strongly that real estate will return to what it has been for the 200+ year history of this country: a place for us and our families to live comfortably. It will also prove to be a great long term investment as it always has been.

Our parents and our grandparents didn’t buy their homes as a short term financial investment. They bought it so they had a place of their own to come home to at the end of the day; a place to raise their family; a place they could feel safe.

Sure they dreamed of a ‘mortgage-burning’ party.

They realized it was a form of forced savings. They were taught that, if they paid their mortgage every month, they would wind up with a little retirement account decades later.

And, they realized that wouldn’t happen if they rented.

However, in the last decade, we somehow forgot that the financial aspect was the serendipity not the major reason to buy.

We believe that 2012 will be the year that people return to the historic reasons families purchased a home. This is the year when we again remember that homeownership is a major part of the American Dream.

Bottom Line: This is the year that normalcy returns to real estate. People will buy and sell based on the desire for a better life for themselves and their families. They will realize that is the true value of homeownership and they will be willing to pay for that value.

A free brochure published by the CFA and the American Association of Retired Persons advises consumers how to handle the representation issue, among o

It is important for you as a home buyer or home seller to know who, if anyone, is legally representing you. When an agent or broker is representing you, they by law owe you “loyalty, obedience, care, accounting, disclosure, and confidentiality. Once you have selected an agent, make certain that there is a written agreement that spells out everything that he/she has promised. The more knowledgeable you are, the better value you will receive from an agent. Being knowledgeable can save you money on the price of a home and can make the home buying or home selling process more pleasant.

A free brochure published by the CFA and the American Association of Retired Persons advises consumers how to handle the representation issue, among others, in the home buying and selling process. For a copy of ''What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know About Real Estate Agents,'' Click HERE

Sellers should ask brokers who are fiduciary agents to reduce the standard 6-7% commission by one percentage point and brokers who are facilitators to knock off at least two percentage points since they are usually “double-dipping.” SELLING Click HERE

MLS Listings Direct From Every REALTOR From Every Real Estate Company From Every Listing Site all the area MLS LISTINGS in one location. Click HERE Realty Investors LLC Regional Office 507 N Cedar Bluff Rd Knoxville, Tennessee 37923 Tennessee Real Estate License 261417 865-691-5348