patrick.net

Much has been written regarding the origins of the bubble. One of the major contributing factors keeps getting overlooked. The simple ability to negotiate. After a lifetime of standing in line and paying whay we are told to pay we have lost the will to negotiate, the ability to negotiate or both. This is perhaps as primal as fight or flight and equally important to self preservation. Yet we've managed to shuffle this important skill off to the back burner to die on the vine as we "hone" our SHOPPING skills. As evidenced by the bubble we are all now confronting "shopping" is not getting it done. You've found a place that's perfect for you (but we all know it should be priced lower in the future) so how do we bring the future closer? How do we bring sellers closer to our reality? What skills need to be dusted off and brought back to the forefront as bidding wars subside and the new reality finally gains traction?