GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS RARELY MAKES HEADLINES...so in addition to reminding you that new home sales across the US were up in September, I also wanted to copy the AP story about worker productivity and wage expectations. The U. S. is still going strong economically and is still the best place to pursue your dreams in the world. On a more local note, through October 2007, in my Flower Mound RE/MAX office, 25% of closings are showing the internet as their business source, which is an astonishing jump from one year ago at only 7%. The Anne Lakusta Team is working with a search engine optimization firm, subscribes to all of the enhanced features on realtor.com, creates single property websites where warranted and utilizes every feature of remax.com in order to assure that our listings are getting full and complete internet exposure. We're always looking for ways to reach the home shopping public!

Remember, interest rates are low, inventory is high, economy is strong - it's a great time to buy a home!


AP Wire Story from 11/07/07: "Worker productivity surged in the summer at the fastest pace in four years while wage pressures eased.

The Labor Department reported that productivity - the amount of output per hour of work - jumped at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the July-September quarter. That was double the 2.2 percent rise in the second quarter and represented the fastest surge in worker efficiency since 2003.

At the same time, wage pressures eased with unit labor costs dropping at an annual rate of 0.2 percent, the best showing in more than a year.

Both outcomes were far better than had been expected and should relieve some of the concerns that a remarkable surge in productivity that began in the mid-1990s was in danger of being reversed."