The Dam broke this weekend

Where were you the day the market came back?  Were you still waiting for prices to come down some more?  Waiting for a better interest rate?  Waiting for a change in Congress?

Well, I hate to say it, but you really don’t know where you will be once things turn around.  But I am sure you will kick yourself in the rear when realize you missed it.  We always have 20/20 vision after the fact.  A few things I do have to say about the current market.

• Changes in Congress – Check
• Low home prices – Check
• Low interest rates – Check (5.29% today according to my mortgage widget on the right)
• Showings scheduled like crazy – Check

Yep, the showings on my listings were going crazy this weekend.   Our Spring Market started last year around February and it looks like it is following suit this year.  All I am saying is get yourself in order.  If you plan on buying a home, it is time to get your finances in order and contact your local lender and start house shopping.  If you plan on selling, you need to be aggresive if you are serious.  Buyers don’t want to play games and definitely don’t want to waste time.  Make sure your home is ready to show and your price is at least competitive with your neighborhood.  Buyers know if you overpriced and it shows when you don’t get any showings on your home.  There is no marketing plan out there that can sell a $100 bill for $125.

Ready to buy, call me for a list of homes.  Ready to sell, call me for a list of competitive homes in your area to help price yours.

Have a great day

Bob

240-285-4918

Happy Inauguration Day

I struggled over the thought of heading down to take part in this historic event.  I just really couldn’t muster up enough energy to stand around in this weather without any comforts.  My camera, of course would of made the trip, but I am sure I could not of carried anything else around at the National Mall.  After seeing the coverage of all the lines at all the metros and the traffic around the DC area, I am sure this was a much wiser choice for me.  I am very patient person but not tolerant of the inconsideration of others.  I am sure everyone knows that person in the crowd who is so much more important than everyone around him/her that they have to push and shove their way through the crowd. It will be multiplied into the hundreds today…Not for me.

My friend Sarah, who is so creative, put together a slide show using Real Estate Shows (it is so much more than just for Virtual Tours.)  Today’s event is about HOPE and I am sure as all the media covers the faces in the crowd today, you will see it.  We are hopeful for a different nation and hopeful for a new direction, one that it is better than we have already traveled.   The origin of the quotes are unknown, but the message is clear…and Sarah puts it together so magically.  This is why today is so memorable.

Have a great day as history unfolds in front of you.

2008 in a handbag – Where has the year gone?

Some of the year end numbers have finally posted and what a year it has been.  The actual totals will be all available next month for close out purposes, but I have pulled some of the statistics from MLS myself.  The December Housing report for Frederick is done and you can see it here.  We finished on a positive note with a 32% increase in Contracts over last year.  Inventory levels are promising as well by show less than last years trends.  Sales were only off by 6.5% from last year.  Will this carry over into 2009?  Sure it will.  I am sure we will see some flashes of hope with some discouragement, but we will make it through the end of the housing bust.

This wasn’t a bad year for me nor has it been a great year.  There were approximately 1300 REALTORS® in Frederick County (not counting the agents from adjoining counties that do business here) prying for almost 2100 sales in 2008.  (I must remind you, these are not official only very close approximates.)  I was fortunate to eight sales of my own.  Majority of this year’s business for me had been below $300,000 in within walking distance to downtown Frederick.  It seemed to me the upgrade from the town house to a larger single family was very scarce.  Condo prices just weren’t low enough for sales.    But again it was the overall inventory that hampers the sales along with the large amount of short sales and foreclosures.  The tightening of the purse strings by the fearful banks didn’t help either.  But as a local appraiser has said before, it is all about the inventory levels.   We need to get below 1100 to be healthy.

This market has had it’s toll on local real estate companies as well as agents.  Plenty of local offices shut their doors or consolidated in other locations.   I have seen remodeling companies increase thier business as people are staying put in their current digs.  This market has had it’s challenges for the builders as well.  They don’t have any traffic in their developments and have had to lay off many workers.  In years past, it would take more than six months to build a house.  Now they are able to build it much quicker due to the amount of available workforce.  It is only the permitting process that slows them up.  Another reason to buy if you can do it.

Friday Foto is Freezing

The area was coated in a small layer of ice this week.  It was wonderful to see such a magnificent site of trees and shrubs covered by a crystal clear coat of ice.  The ice was a little bit more prominent in the mountains that border Frederick.  On the way home from work, I took a detour through Gambrill State Park.  It was like a whole new world.  The ice was thicker and covered everything from top to bottom.   The wind was blowing and breaking chunks of ice and branches off of the trees.  It sounded like rocks hitting the car.  I tried to get back to the Tea Room for some pictures from the Middletown and Frederick Overlook but there was a tree down at the entrance (and the gate was closed.)  So I made it over to the other overlook.  It was locked as well but it close to the road.  I managed to skate over and take some photos without sliding over the hill.

The low lying clouds covered all of Frederick like a blanket. While all you could see were tree tops covered in ice. The picture truly doesn’t do the view any justice. (click here to see the next day)

If you are looking for something to do around Frederick, consider Gambrill State Park. It is located just off of Route 40 past the Golden Mile. It has hiking and biking paths for the adventurous and picnic areas for the not so adventurous.

Have a great weekend.