“This is the golden age of capitalism. The wealth is more expansive and deeper than in the past — not four hundred or a thousand rich, but tens of thousands.”

I’ll bet that first line caught you off guard. According to the most recent polls, more than 75 percent of the American public believes the economy is in bad shape.

Now do you feel better?

The mortgage meltdown has impacted just about every strata of society. People are walking away from their homes and everyday there is another news article reminding us of how bad things are.

For all of you eternal optimists out there who don’t need facts to support your good mood, this article won’t make a difference. But for those of you who are influenced by the bad news, the media’s constant pounding of our economic woes and the use of partial truths for primary sources of media headlines, here’s a different way to view our current situation.

First of all, this is a great time to invest in Real Estate. There is no supporting data to back up this claim. It is my opinion and I stand by it. I’m emotional about my statement and I won’t hear any counter arguments.

Although many of you may find agreement with my opinion on Real Estate, the sentences following may have not set as well. Why? Probably because I was making a financial claim with my heart and not my mind. I wasn’t using any logic or thought process to determine my opinion.

Sadly, this is how the majority of Americans go about their investing and retirement preparation.

It is true; our economy is suffering, but allow me to put a few things into perspective. Our unemployment rate today is 5 percent. In 1933 unemployment was 24.9 percent. Seven years later, after the intensive efforts of the New Deal, the rate stood at 14.6 percent. It was almost 10 percent in 1982.

The collapse of Bear Stearns, the meltdown of Countrywide and other mortgage lenders is shocking. But in 1933 alone, 4,000 banks failed, and millions lost their homes and were rendered homeless.

The extreme volatility of the markets is concerning, but in 1973 the economy expanded 10 percent in the first quarter, declined 2.1 percent in the third quarter, up 3.9 percent in the 4th quarter, down 3.4 percent in the 1st quarter of 1974, and finally up 1.2 percent in the 2nd quarter.

The stock market dropped 89 percent from 1929 to 1932 and we get worked into a frenzy today if we have a 20 percent decline in the major indices

And finally, we’re distressed because there are parts of the country that have lost more than 25 percent of their home values, neglecting to mention that their home increased 85 percent the previous four years. In other words, over a five-year period their homes increased an average of 12 percent per year.

Huh, maybe it is a good time to invest in Real Estate and this time, it’s my mind doing the talking!!!