The Times proves that the dog days have arrived

Welcoming me back from my week in Provincetown,

Malcolm and friends. That's Malcolm on the right.

the Sunday edition of the New York Times suddenly discovers that many buyers and sellers are on the fence:

“A few years ago, buying real estate was that simple. If you loved the place, you could buy it. If you were ambivalent, you could buy it anyway, because if you changed your mind later, you could always sell it at a profit.

“But these days, buying a home is more psychologically demanding, fraught with conflict and confusion. Buyers and sellers need to know what they want to own, and commit to it–a challenging task for even the steeliest New Yorkers. Nothing is ever perfect, even when you have a big budget.

“Confounding the emotional calculus is the fact that home prices could drop in the autumn–or not. It’s anybody’s guess.”

That’s news?