The lens we use to interpret data matters. I am not talking about heated agendas but about how closely we look at the info. The big picture or 30,000 foot view is very different from the more focused picture or 15,000 foot view which is very different from the detailed picture or 1,000 foot view. Each picture is important and together they illustrate a complete story. For example, remember when the subprime mortgage backed securities failed and took down the stock market and then you had to explain to your next-door neighbor the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale? Real estate is national and hyper-local at the same time. National influences what happens locally.