Dog days of Summer
If you are wondering where summer was in July, it waited to arrive in Wisconsin until September! We have been experiencing some absolutely beautiful, summer-like days over the last two weeks! My 7th grade son reminded me that in fact, summer doesn’t officially end until September 23rd. So thank you “Mother Nature” for serving up summer until the last possible second!
Summer is my favorite season. I’m a lake gal, always have been, and always will be. While at one of my listings, on Golden Lake this weekend, it looked and felt like summer, not the middle of September. Conversely, in spite of the balmy temps, the changing colors on the trees, the fog on the lake in the morning, and the ducks flying in their precise V formations, all point to the inevitable end of summer.
In my home, fall always marks the beginning of the New Year. I think the calendar year should be September to August. September is when I organize our household for the new school year; we start putting away the lake gear to prepare for winter; there is a renewal of schedules and activities; real estate is always rocking and I attempt to start a semblance of a fitness program. My “new year resolutions” are considered in the fall, not in the middle of winter. I take stock of my personal and professional goals.
With regards to real estate, sellers often wonder if they should wait until spring to hit the market. I am here to say, “Don’t wait!” If you need to sell, now is the time. Our market is no longer a fall/spring market place. The days of putting on a property in the spring, and pulling it in the fall, are over. Signs of price stabilization and improvement in the market are starting to be noticed, however, the big market picture predicts that overall market appreciation will not start in Wisconsin until 2012. This means that the pricing games of a few years ago will not be effective now. Sellers need an aggressive, accurately staged marketing and pricing program to achieve a successful sale.
The good news, and there is ALWAYS good news, is that sales are starting to creep up, buyers are actively looking, and agents in our Lake Country office are busier than ever! As reported in the Biztimes…
Shorewest sales up for third straight month
Brookfield-based Shorewest Realtors says its booked sales are up for the third month in a row. Shorewest said its booked units are up 26.7 percent, volume is up 11.5 percent and listings are up 6 percent.
“We’re excited to see our business increase over last year,” said Shorewest vice president of sales Ted Dentice. “Our sales associates are working extra hard to put sales together and with the help of our mortgage company - Wisconsin Mortgage Corporation - close them.”
“Our offices are busy,” said Joseph A. Horning, president of Shorewest. “Plus, we’re seeing more people in our open houses. I think people are realizing that now is a great time to buy whether it’s their first home or they’re moving up in home value. Prices are good and mortgage rates are still low. Plus, the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer’s Credit is also still available through November 30. We’ve also just launched a new Job Loss Protection Program that gives buyers added confidence when purchasing a home.”
If you are considering a sale, call me. I’d love to show you how Shorewest and I can help you realize your new year’s resolution of a home sale, a reality.
Posted by:
Karen Trepton
Comments Off
·
">
|
Tagged with home selling |
Are you considering a home purchase, but can’t seem to pull the trigger, due to anxiety over the general job climate? Understandably, in today’s economy, consumers are becoming more and more conservative. However, home prices from a buyer’s perspective, are the best they’ve been in years, rates are at all time lows, and the housing selection is fabulous. And conversely, if you are a home seller, and are committed to selling, Shorewest and I can offer you many innovative tools, to insure that you are receiving the biggest “piece of the home buying pie”, and that your home receives a satisfactory offer and makes it to the closing table.
