Polar Plunge for Housing
January brought more than North Pole temperatures to the nation - it also brought freezing home sales.
Brokers and real estate analysts are predicting that the glut of real estate agents on the market will greatly diminish in the next couple of years as the market kicks people out. And given the news from
CNN and
MSNBC, it may take less than two years.
According to both news venues, sales fell over 16 percent from the previous month. From MSNBC:
The monthly decline was the sharpest in 13 years, since a 23.8 percent drop-off in January 1994.
Ouch.
Labels: home sales
Sales Down?
Today, the Tennessean reported that home sales fell for the fifth time in six months when January numbers came in low. This, of course, is a reflection of the Nashville market rather than some of the surrounding counties. The report issued by the
Greater Nashville Association of Realtors also said there are more homes on the market.
In my own experiences, I am currently working with two buyers who are ready, willing and able to purchase except there are no NICE homes in their price ranges. One buyer has narrowed it to a nice neighborhood that charges a $15 per month association fee so all the lawns are mowed. We've been watching homes to hit the market and are looking at one today. The other also has a specific neighborhood with a specific price, but sellers are inflating their home prices so it's making it difficult for this single mother to find one that she considers safe, sound, and affordable.
I currently have a listing in Antioch - a 3 bedroom, 1 bath all-brick clean gem. We have received three offers on the property and I have a waiting list of two in case this buyer falls through. It is listed at $114,950 which is very affordable. So if you're thinking about selling your home, analyze the market carefully, look and see what you're competition is, and try to come in just under if you need to move your house quickly.
Here's the link to the article in today's Tennessean.
Labels: buyers, home sales
Home Buying Made Easy
I'm one of five agents in my office offering a seminar on "Home Buying Made Easy." There is no admission charged and free parking! We will cover:
- Renting v. buying
- The Truth about Zero Down
- Home Safety Issues
- Your Credit Score
- Why Title Insurance
- Buying a HUD Home
- Home Warranties
- Home Inspections
The seminar will be held Monday, February 12th at the Smyrna Public Library, 400 Enon Springs Rd., beginning at 6:30 p.m.
It will also be held on Saturday, February 17th at the LaVergne Public Library, 5063 Murfreesboro Rd., beginning at 10:30 a.m.
There will be NO SALES PITCHES given at this meeting, as requested by and promised to the library, but plenty of helpful info to take home. Please let me know if you're interested in coming or if you know anyone who might benefit from it.
Labels: seminar
Starbucks v. McDonald's Coffee
I saw on Good Morning America this morning that McDonald's won over Starbucks in the taste war of coffee. I do like Mickey D's except it's usually too hot and I burn my mouth. At least Starbucks is at drinking temperature.
What do you like? Comment below and enter to win a $5 gift card to your choice of Starbucks or McDonald's... Drawing to be held on February 28th!
Labels: coffee, drawing
Forget Waterfront, Let's Go Underwater
Remember the old movies that showed people living underwater? Or the Abyss which scared the bejeezus out of me when the platform was falling into the abyss? Or how about that Jaws movie that was underwater when the shark rammed into it?
It appears that underwater living is right around the corner, starting with hotel getaways.
According to MSNBC.com, one vacation spot is called Hydropolis and will feature 220 rooms for $1500 p/night. It's being built near Dubai in the Persian Gulf and will feature a missile defense system to protect it against terrorists. Another is the Poseidon Mystery Island off the Fiji coast set to open in mid-2008.
Wow. Maybe this is an investment to consider. Hopefully your money won't end up washed up. Here's a photo of the Poseidon Mystery Island pod
from MSNBC.com (and it looks like the photo credit on the bottom goes to
Poseidon Resorts). A cool web site to visit.
Labels: waterfront
