This week I had the opportunity to share trends, statistics and thoughts about the homebuilding industry with the Oklahoma Mortgage Bankers Association at their annual conference in Tulsa. I was on a panel with Roger Beverage of the Oklahoma Bankers Association and Mike Cotrill of the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors. (By the way, I really like the acronym GTAR - makes me think of Van Halen!)
We all shared how the housing industry is growing in Oklahoma over the last couple of years. Who would have guessed that inventories would be extremely low right now? However, we all see clouds on the horizon and hope they aren't storm clouds.
The uncertainty caused by our national leaders is palpable. Anyone who thinks that government can run an economy is only fooling themselves. They really don't know where they are going. And unfortunately they bring the rest of us along with them.
Dodd-Frank, Obamacare, increasing interest rates, and overregulation by "well-meaning" folks are detriments to economic growth. It is also increasingly clear that very few ever consider the cumulative effect.
Optimism reigns in Oklahoma though. That is what I love about this state. If all segments of the housing industry pull together, we will weather whatever storms come our way. That was the prevailing thought that came from our panel. It was a privilege to share that with the fine folks of the OMBA.
