Lies, damned lies and statistics in Cambridge
Frustrated by the inaccuracies of so many real estate “statistics”, the first article I wrote for the Marblehead Reporter in 2008 was Lies, damned lies and statistics. My goal in Oliver Reports is both to report on numbers in real estate and explain their significance – or not. There is nothing I find more frustrating than seeing a number reported without context and without understanding from the writer. Which takes me to Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics in Cambridge. (more…)
78% jump in Oliver Reports page views in 2015
When I started writing Oliver Reports in late 2012 I had two questions: could I maintain my promised goal of publishing at least every week on Saturday at 8 a.m. and would anybody want to read my articles?
Well, 570 posts later I can say that I have not yet failed to publish early on Saturday, as well as at various other times, while I am delighted to report that 2015 saw a 78% increase in the number of posts viewed by my readers, to whom I say a big thank you.
In this instant internet age, we are all inundated by an avalanche of “information”, but very often we have no way of knowing how reliable that information is. If, of course, it comes from a trusted source – say the New York Times or Wall Street Journal – then we can assume that the reporter has researched thoroughly. But those sources are not free, and many, if not most, people expect to be able to gain access to information today without paying.
I first started writing for the Marblehead Reporter because I was frustrated by the many inaccuracies, inconsistencies and misunderstandings I noticed when reading about real estate. I started writing to try to help people understand what was really happening in real estate markets. I wrote first about Marblehead and have gradually extended to covering the whole of Essex County, as well as commenting on State wide and national trends. I try to write about whatever is relevant, from home sales to property taxes to mortgage rates. And I also write more generally about real estate, whether it is who will be John Kerry’s new neighbor or details of one of Elvis’s houses.
Thanks for reading. Over the next few weeks, starting tomorrow, I shall be publishing my 2015 reviews. Feedback is always welcome. (more…)
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