Property values in Davis Sq (and Somerville)

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I just saw in the Somerville News an estimate saying that property values in Somerville declined 2% this year:
http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=218. Somebody mentioned that Zillow actually reports a loss of about 8%. This is confusing. The Editor of the Somerville News pointed out that Zillow does not have accurate estimates. In my experience, Zillow is pretty on the mark when it comes to sale prices, they seem to be doing lots of good stats on their datasets. Any idea on how to gather additional information on this? I doubt one can trust the Somerville News, given that it was created by the owners of ERA, one of the Somerville Real Estate agencies (clearly, they would not want to advertise that property values are going down around here).

One funny tidbit. Have you received a pack of coupon last week? I received one, and one of the coupons was an ad for ERA, the Norton Group. It says: "Voted #1 Real Estate Company 2000 to 2007 By the readers of the Somerville News"! Now, when many of the readers are ERA employees or relatives of ERA employees, that is a bit of a conflict of interest, isn't it? :)

Comments

wow what a misinformed person

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

zillow is notoriously flawed in its data, i was absolutely correct in making that statement over at the somerville news website...

the somerville news wasnt created by the owners of era - it was created in 1969 - and not for nothing, but if property sales prices came down, that would eventually translate into more sales, actually, so it doesnt makes a lot of sense saying the real estate people wouldnt want to advertise lower prices

the somerville news best of series was around long before era was associated with the newspaper - check it out, its easy to find out the right information on that

wow it amazes me that people can be that misinformed, and then make snide commentary based on said misinformation...why dont you take the time to actually find out what you are making snide comments about before you make them? is it really that hard? do you really hate people for no particular reason? at least i have a valid reason when i say i cant stand snotty, arrogant asshats that don't have a clue.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

That's a really pleasant attitude to take over anyone that disagrees with you. You've cheered my morning.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm wondering if jamesnorton does, in fact, work for the News, or if he's with a rival paper. Because based on his attitude & comments here, I'm pretty much ready to avoid the paper entirely - which would be a bitchin' strategy for any competitor to take.


But perhaps I am overthinking things....

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I think I remember the last time he joined our discussion--I do believe he is in fact affiliated.

see: http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1490129.html

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

I am concerned that someone who has an editorial position does not know the difference between an implication and an inference.

I cry for the English language....

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[ron_newman]

The writer implies, the reader infers. I don't see a real problem here.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

exactly, ron - thank you.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

OK, I suppose ERA did not found the Somerville News. But that does not detract from the substance of my points: 1. That ERA has a financial interest in the Somerville News NOW, and 2. That when the Somerville News makes a statement about real estate in Somerville, a major conflict of interest is unavoidable (whether you like it or not).
Look, James, I don't even know you, how could I hate you? I just hate conflicts of interest and the BS people use to deny there is such conflict. That's one reason why we are in the current generalized mess.

I do.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

the more frightening aspect of the original post of this thread is the subtle inference

Could be read either way - that the original poster made an inference in their reading of the ERA coupons (which would be the correct usage of inference)

Or, that the original poster was trying to convey information not directly stated (which would be implication).

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

"why dont you take the time to actually find out what you are making snide comments about before you make them? is it really that hard? do you really hate people for no particular reason? at least i have a valid reason when i say i cant stand snotty, arrogant asshats that don't have a clue."

Right back atcha.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

You are ensuring that I will never even go near the Somerville News. Cheers!

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[kpht.livejournal.com]

Again, your classiness shines every time you end up posting here. Even a five year old learns to stop embarrassing himself the same way after the second or third time he does something.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

at least i have a valid reason when i say i cant stand snotty, arrogant asshats

As do we all, now.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

ditto...

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

ok, i can understand the feedback from my reactionary remarks at 315am - i get it and i am appreciative of all the comments, including the one that got me going early this morning.

one of the problems that i have had over the years is not taking certain things so personal. that being said, i do tend to let a lot of things go (you wouldn't believe the threats, insults and whatnot you get when you are running a newspaper and an elected official); however, on the rare occasion that i am having a spectacularly terrible day (like when i snapped at ron a while back) or i am sick and its 315am and i have been up all night being sick (well you get the picture), then yes, even the strongest willed people will have a lapse in judgement.

if i didn't apologize to nvidia99999 for the verbal assault, then i do so now.

thanks to everyone for helping me snap out of that nastiness (now can anyone help me feel less sickly please???)

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[ron_newman]

Jamie, you've done this several times -- posted something insulting, been called out for it, and then apologized. Sometimes here on DSLJ, sometimes on your own newspaper blog, occasionally elsewhere.

It's not good for you, for the people you insult, or for your newspaper. Please try not to keep doing this.

reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

the somerville news wasnt created by the owners of era

Not for nothing, no one said it was.

the somerville news best of series was around long before era was associated with the newspaper - check it out, its easy to find out the right information on that

Again, no one said the ERA link predated anything.

what was said was:

One funny tidbit. Have you received a pack of coupon last week? I received one, and one of the coupons was an ad for ERA, the Norton Group. It says: "Voted #1 Real Estate Company 2000 to 2007 By the readers of the Somerville News"! Now, when many of the readers are ERA employees or relatives of ERA employees, that is a bit of a conflict of interest, isn't it? :)

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[laryu.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure of your point. The OP said: "I doubt one can trust the Somerville News, given that it was created by the owners of ERA, one of the Somerville Real Estate agencies (clearly, they would not want to advertise that property values are going down around here)."

Can you clarify?

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

My point is that james norton was responding to statements that weren't made.

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[laryu.livejournal.com]

But they the statements were made, in the original post, just above where you quoted...

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[ron_newman]

James Norton is correct, actually. The Somerville News long predates the Norton family's partial ownership of it. Some of the years in the cited range, 2000-2007, were years when the Norton family didn't partially own the newspaper.

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Whether he is correct or not is not the point, Ron.
He's responding to claims that aren't made.

And, just like pointing out a spelling error means it's likely you'll have one in your comment, I missed one key line in the original post.

Apologies to jamesnorton

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[ron_newman]

The OP says "I doubt one can trust the Somerville News, given that it was created by the owners of ERA". The phrase after the comma is false, and Jamie is correct to object to it. (The way he objected to it, that's a different issue.)

Re: reading comprehension doesn't seem to be your strong point

[jamesnorton.livejournal.com]

no need to apologize - i was an asshat for being so reactionary, regardless of the time of day/night or me being sick.

Re: wow what a misinformed person

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I'd delete my comments, but I know the mods disapprove of that, so, my apologies for calling you on reading comprehension, when I clearly didn't see something that was clearly there.