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Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Opening of Maple and Main Realty!
I am so excited to announce the opening of my new company! My two business partners (Julie Held and Julie Starr) and I are thrilled to be creating the agency that we always dreamed of working in! We aim to create a collaborative environment amongst successful, established agents in which we can all learn from one another ways to provide the best service to our clients. Check out the attached Daily Hampshire Gazette article.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Pioneer Valley Market Update
Interesting figures have just been released from the Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley. October was the fourth most active month this year for single family property; following behind August, July and June. This indicates a normal market rhythm.
While the median price continues to adjust downward compared to the prior year October's median price was one of the higher for this year.
The most important indicator in the real estate market is the absorption rate which is simply the number of active listings divided by the sales. For October the rate was 8.9; lower than the February high of 12.5. Most analyst's agree that the market is balanced between 7.5 and 8.5. These October figures suggest that locally we are close to a balanced market.
Patience of course is important as the average days on market has increased from 149 days in October of 2007 to 177 days for October of 2008. So the bottom line is..... keep the faith! Here in the Valley we are fortunate to not have the high inventories that a lot of the nation is experiencing. Once we have buyer confidence our market should recover swiftly.
While the median price continues to adjust downward compared to the prior year October's median price was one of the higher for this year.
The most important indicator in the real estate market is the absorption rate which is simply the number of active listings divided by the sales. For October the rate was 8.9; lower than the February high of 12.5. Most analyst's agree that the market is balanced between 7.5 and 8.5. These October figures suggest that locally we are close to a balanced market.
Patience of course is important as the average days on market has increased from 149 days in October of 2007 to 177 days for October of 2008. So the bottom line is..... keep the faith! Here in the Valley we are fortunate to not have the high inventories that a lot of the nation is experiencing. Once we have buyer confidence our market should recover swiftly.
Monday, October 27, 2008
GET OUT THE VOTE!!
Just a reminder to all to make your way to the polls on November 4th! Don't miss the opportunity to have your say. It should prove to be a very interesting election so make sure you are a part of history!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Scary Economic Times!
Sure there is plenty of negative economic news lately to digest, and a lot of it is tied to the real estate market, but there is also a lot of misleading information floating around. The media tends to focus on "the worst cases" and often the declining property values and the foreclosure statistics they use are from the areas that have been hit the hardest. They tend to ignore the housing markets that have remained relatively strong. For this reason it is important for us to stay informed about the economic reality in our geographic area.
Key to our area here in the Pioneer Valley is job stability. We here in the Five College area are fortunate enough to have good economic vitality because of the job security enjoyed by the education industry.
In addition, short sales and foreclosure rates have been accounting for one third of the sales in many parts of the country creating a downward pull on property values. Here in the Valley we have been fortunate enough to have a very low rate of foreclosures thus keeping our median sales price from dropping sharply.
The bottom line is that certainly we are in a challenging market and experiencing tough economic times but we have to keep focused on the positive elements that exist in our area. Hopefully our ride will not be as rough as many others in our country!
Key to our area here in the Pioneer Valley is job stability. We here in the Five College area are fortunate enough to have good economic vitality because of the job security enjoyed by the education industry.
In addition, short sales and foreclosure rates have been accounting for one third of the sales in many parts of the country creating a downward pull on property values. Here in the Valley we have been fortunate enough to have a very low rate of foreclosures thus keeping our median sales price from dropping sharply.
The bottom line is that certainly we are in a challenging market and experiencing tough economic times but we have to keep focused on the positive elements that exist in our area. Hopefully our ride will not be as rough as many others in our country!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Five Key Factors in Selling Your Home
There are five key factors to successfully selling your home. These items are pivotal in guaranteeing a successful sale at the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time.
1) Location - Sure everyone knows this one "location, location, location". That being said, there is really nothing you can do about the location of your property.......it is where it is. So let's move on to factors that you can control.
2) Price - Pricing your property properly is key in making sure that your property is exposed to the appropriate buyers. It is important to look at current sales in your area as well as properties that are actively on the market. Properties currently under deposit are another important consideration. It is extremely important not to overprice your property as you will most certainly lengthen the marketing time which often results in selling below value. In other words; if you price your home over the target market you will not expose the proper buyers to your home.
3) Condition - I can't emphasize this enough. The properties that are selling in our current market are homes that have been well maintained. Updated services and mechanicals as well as a fresh clean look are extremely important. If that is more than the budget allows a thorough cleaning and fresh paint will go along way. Eliminate clutter!!
4) Market conditions - Understand your current local market. Markets vary greatly in our area from one town to another so it is key to involve a specialist who can help you to assess your local market.
5) Realtor - Of course this one is my favorite! Find out what they bring to the table for experience. In todays market it is essential that the agent or agency have a good Internet presence. A great website and a blog are a must! Your agent should have a clear marketing plan for your property and should provide you with their references. Remember you will be spending a significant amount of time working with your agent so be sure you are comfortable and have a good rapport.
1) Location - Sure everyone knows this one "location, location, location". That being said, there is really nothing you can do about the location of your property.......it is where it is. So let's move on to factors that you can control.
2) Price - Pricing your property properly is key in making sure that your property is exposed to the appropriate buyers. It is important to look at current sales in your area as well as properties that are actively on the market. Properties currently under deposit are another important consideration. It is extremely important not to overprice your property as you will most certainly lengthen the marketing time which often results in selling below value. In other words; if you price your home over the target market you will not expose the proper buyers to your home.
3) Condition - I can't emphasize this enough. The properties that are selling in our current market are homes that have been well maintained. Updated services and mechanicals as well as a fresh clean look are extremely important. If that is more than the budget allows a thorough cleaning and fresh paint will go along way. Eliminate clutter!!
4) Market conditions - Understand your current local market. Markets vary greatly in our area from one town to another so it is key to involve a specialist who can help you to assess your local market.
5) Realtor - Of course this one is my favorite! Find out what they bring to the table for experience. In todays market it is essential that the agent or agency have a good Internet presence. A great website and a blog are a must! Your agent should have a clear marketing plan for your property and should provide you with their references. Remember you will be spending a significant amount of time working with your agent so be sure you are comfortable and have a good rapport.
Friday, July 18, 2008
There Is Some Positive News!
After reading the latest news from the Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley I was happy to see that there is some good news for our local market. Hampshire county sales fell 29.3% in the 2nd quarter of 2008 as compared with the second quarter of 2007 but the median average price went up in several towns within the county; Amherst, Easthampton and Northampton. Franklin county sales fell 27% and Hampden County sales fell 17.9% yet once again several communities experienced gains in the median average price including Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Westfield and Deerfield.
What this says to me is that a big factor in our local market has been a lack of good inventory. Statistics aside, I know I have personally experienced buyers who are frustrated with the lack of options in the market in some price ranges. I have had a few buyer/clients this spring and summer who have put buying a home on hold and have moved into the rental market. This is such a shame with the great interest rates that are currently available. The problem is that many sellers are holding back listing their properties because of the fear that their home is worth less today. As these statistics suggest that is simply not true in many local towns. What our local real estate market needs is some fresh saleable listings.....trust me the buyers are out there let's give them something to get excited about!
What this says to me is that a big factor in our local market has been a lack of good inventory. Statistics aside, I know I have personally experienced buyers who are frustrated with the lack of options in the market in some price ranges. I have had a few buyer/clients this spring and summer who have put buying a home on hold and have moved into the rental market. This is such a shame with the great interest rates that are currently available. The problem is that many sellers are holding back listing their properties because of the fear that their home is worth less today. As these statistics suggest that is simply not true in many local towns. What our local real estate market needs is some fresh saleable listings.....trust me the buyers are out there let's give them something to get excited about!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
My New Blog
WELCOME!Welcome everyone to my new Blog. Well as you can see I am new to blogging so my blog isn't very exciting yet but stay tuned I am working on it! My plan is to develop a site where people can get up to date information on the real estate market in the Pioneer Valley. I hope to be able to keep people informed as well as to provide some very helpful real estate links. I look forward to learning as I go with this since I am a real estate expert and not a tech genius!
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