Our manager will be away for a few days, and she sent this story to all of us before she left on her trip. It is an old tale, but a good reminder that a depressed market...in real estate, or any other field...is often created, or at least expanded...by our attitude and actions.

The Parable of the Hot Dog

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and he sold Hot Dogs. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers, nor did he watch television. But he sold good Hot Dogs.
He put no signs on the highway telling how good they were. He stood on the side of the road and cried “Buy a Hot Dog, Mister?” And people bought. He increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. He finally got his son home from college to help him.
But then something happened…..
His son said, “Father, haven’t you been reading the newspapers? There is big depression on. The European situation is terrible, the domestic situation is worse. Everything is going to pot.”
There upon the father thought, “Well, my son’s been to college, he read the newspapers, he listens to the radio, he watches the television and he ought to know.” So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his Hot Dogs.
And his Hot Dog sales fell almost overnight.
“You’re right son,” the father said to the boy. We certainly are in the middle of a great depression.”