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Michael Norton's avatar

Started reading your reports during the Great Recession era. Soon learned that you were almost always weeks ahead of the rest of the analysts - and rarely wrong despite calling your shot first. Over the decade or so you've published, you've never once lost my confidence in you. Best thing about your reports - - you challenge your readers to find any explanation for any trend identified. Late Sunday morning coffee and a John Wake report - great stuff. Now . . . my thought . . . frequently stone cold nuts. When we finally get decent population data I bet we learn that Phoenix area population swings and tsunamis have a lot in common. COVID pushed a massive flood of people into the County. After hanging out here for a year or two, many remembered why they vacation in Arizona but don't live here. Now . . . . what to do about that emotional 2020/21 decision to buy a house?

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John Wake's avatar

THANKS, Michael! Thanks for telling me. Sometimes I think I'm crazy for spending so much time on this.

And I just saw an article about some New Yorkers returning to New York after moving to Florida during the pandemic, https://therealdeal.com/2022/09/02/miami-ed-out-these-new-yorkers-have-had-enough-of-south-florida/.

That was what really killed the Phoenix market in the GFC, metro Phoenix population growth hit a brick wall for while.

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Michael Norton's avatar

Don't ever stop. I laugh now when I read people call Pollack the expert on AZ real estate issues

He's living on his legacy.

My family is stuffed with economists. We all love your work.

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