Arizona Real Estate Notebook

I make enough mistakes of my own on this website that I’m chagrined when commenters attack things I didn’t even say.

All my posts are still here. You can see my track record, such as it is.

Nevertheless, there is some weird psychology going on when commenters repeatedly disagree with what I did NOT say.

1. If I say the median price may be bottoming out, they say I must be crazy if I think that home prices are going to take off any time soon. Huh? I didn’t say anything about home prices increasing. I just said the median home price in metro Phoenix may stop falling soon.
2. If I say home prices may have bottomed out in El Mirage, they say I must be crazy if I think that home prices have stopped falling in Scottsdale. Huh? I didn’t say anything about home prices in Scottsdale. I just said they may have stopped falling in El Mirage.

Come on, I often include disclaimers like, “Be aware that the supply situation varies tremendously within metro Phoenix depending on the geographic location and the price range of the homes you are looking at” but, really, I’m not going to write that after every post and, anyway, it doesn’t stop some from mischaracterizing what I said.

I know, I know, you’ve got a super dooper clever comeback that cuts a particular point of view to shreds but it’s a lot more effective if you save the comeback for someone who actually makes that point.

To be honest, I don’t mind the mischaracterizations that much, that’s the internet. Most people understand that, I hope.

I just wanted to “name the game” and to point out this debating technique that I see a lot here.