This post is an “I couldn’t have said it better myself” post…
For the most part real estate is a planning activity. It’s not like buying a candy bar or a magazine while you’re waiting in the check-out line at Copps.
And because you have to go through a process to get to the point when you’re ready to buy or sell a home you’re also very curious about what will be happening next, or a few months from now, or next year.
Will it be better or worse? Will mortgage rates continue to remain this low? How much will my credit score go up in 4 months? Will this cause my interest rate to be lower?
Ken Haedrich, a Realtor in Annapolis, Maryland recently wrote a post hypothesizing what the real estate market will do in the upcoming year. Click here to read his Trends and Predictions article.
Two thumbs up for numbers 2 and 3 in his list.
Regarding his point that there will be fewer Realtors in the upcoming year… Yes there is. Our database of area Realtors took a huge hit when the new list came out a month or so ago. One area company seemed to lose 2/3 of their staff. On the other hand the Wisconsin Rapids First Weber office has gained 2 new Realtors in the past couple months. These agents transferred from other area agencies.
Why? I believe it’s because in their effort to create a real estate career they knew they needed to align themselves with a forward thinking real estate company. As Ken states in his article, real estate is “technology driven,” and Realtors who can best handle this new technology will steam-roll agents who can’t or won’t embrace it.
Sidenote–Last year I was going to email a listing sheet (probably something else, but it doesn’t matter what) to another area agent. I had his email from their website. He said I shouldn’t because he “doesn’t do email.” I didn’t know what to say. How can you not “do email?”
Anyway, have you checked out Ken’s super-interesting article yet?
This is the best advice I’ve heard in awhile:
“Update your home every 5 years.”
I hear ya’–
“It’s expensive.”But if your refrigerator is 15 years old, now might be a good time. Or in my case, a hot water heater that rusted out while we were at my in-laws Labor Day weekend… Thank god for insurance, but we still had the deductible to worry about.
“It’s annoying.” Yes, moving furniture, toys, lamps and clothes out of a bedroom is a process I’ll never look forward to either. We’ve redone all 3 bedrooms in my home the past 1+ years. But it’s now over.
“It’s time consuming.” If installing laminate floors only took as long as a 30 minute television show on HGTV… I have to thank my parents for their help the 2 different times I’ve done it… But they were all-day projects, and the first was an entire weekend.
But here’s the good thing: Everything we’ve done would have needed to be done when we sell our home in the next 2 years. Purple paint. Stained off-white carpet. A green refrigerator. None of it could have stayed. Or, shouldn’t have stayed.
Everything that buyers in today’s market are not interested in.
By slowly, meticulously updating my home I’m saving myself from having to make NUMEROUS EXPENSIVE repairs in the near future.
Plus, by making these upgrades I’m also increasing my home’s value at the same time. And because they’ve been done early, I get to reap the benefits of adding a patio door and deck off my dining room when I’m grilling (OK, when my wife is grilling) in the summer.
And hopefully eliminating some stress when it comes time for the for sale sign to go in the ground too.
In the end by being proactive while I’m living here it will make it easier when the pull of a new home becomes too much.
A couple weeks ago I presented to you the absorption rates for homes listed in Wisconsin Rapids. I’d like to go one step further and discuss with you the number of homes that sold during each month in 2009.
The following chart includes all single-family homes and condos sold in the tri-city area.
Realtors talk about the ‘buying season’ and the ’slow season’ in pretty much the same way you’d use ‘dry season’ and ‘wet season’ if you were talking about the African plains.
Each bringing their own set of problems and solutions. Summer *can* be the better time for sellers. More buyers means more opportunities to sell. Of course it also means more competition… Accurate pricing, a well-written listing description, and high-quality photographs generally do an excellent job tipping the scales in your favor though.
Winter means fewer buyers. And more time between meaningful showings and offers. But buyers that are out there are definitely serious. We’re now finishing the ’slow season’ and heading quickly to the ‘buying season.’ Note: the average home that sells is on the market for 200+ days. That puts the average home that goes on the market today getting a sold sign in August, right in the middle of the ‘buying season.’
At least that’s what the chart and data are telling us.
As you can see January and February were the 2 slowest months. Which is expected. But we’re off to the races once the calendar gets flipped to March. Remember a home that sells in June received it’s accepted offer in May.
Yes October had the most sales, but what it’s really saying is that September had the most accepted offers.
Now the tax credits are quickly coming to an end. You have less than 3 months to get your home ready for sale, on the market, advertised, shown, receive an offer, negotiate and finally accept the offer. That’s a lot that has to happen. I’ve had numerous sellers contact me in the past month, 3 new listings plus one more in a couple weeks. There’s still time, but now is the time to be proactive.
First, the home owners and I thank you for taking the time to stop by. My name is Adam Holberg and I’ll be your guide today. Sit back, relax and enjoy the tour…
You’ll quickly notice that you’ll see and read much more information here than you’d receive on the MLS. Which is exactly what you wanted? Right? So without further ado, on with the show…
How should I begin to describe this home, besides saying that this home IS Wisconsin Rapids history.
This home was built around the turn of the century and has proudly stood the test of time. As we head into a new decade, you’ll be only the third owner of this beautiful Colonial Revival style home.
The current homeowners have called this home for the past 48 years and you’ll have the opportunity to call this home for the majority of the 21st century.
New construction obviously appeals to many buyers in 2010. But what do you do if you prefer character and charm to cookie-cutter? It’s becoming more and more difficult to find a home that sticks to its heritage, while still possessing the comforts that you come to expect.
Here are a few ways that this home can offer you character and charm:
- original hardwood floors
- original woodwork
- original french doors (3)
- 9 1/2 foot tall ceilings
- formal dining room
- large foyer
- professionally landscaped yard
- two walkout landings on the second floor
- deck off master bedroom
- deck off kitchen
- leaded glass windows
The list goes on. It would be easier if you saw it for yourself…
By now you’re asking yourself, “So, how much is this home listed for?” Your 
price is $249,900.
If you peruse the links below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this home. Or, better yet, see it for yourself. Call Adam Holberg at 715.572.8372 to set up a showing. Or if you’d like, email me at holberga [at] firstweber [dot] com to get started.
I’m going to give you more information than you thought possible. Below are links where you can better get to know this home.
Other links worth taking a look at:
Where the heart is…
A home is so much more than just a house. It’s not just a place to live… a place to come to after work… It’s love and family and marriage and roots. It becomes a part of us.
I believe a home is a book, composed of many chapters. The current homeowners are putting the finishing touches on their chapters… But, this home has much more to say…
Are you ready? Get in touch today!
Have a home to sell before you could purchase this one? Not a problem… We understand that you may currently own a home and be looking for a home that better meets your current needs. You should still get in touch… We’ll get started making your dreams a reality! And much sooner than later…
…the I can’t believe it’s the start of a new decade already… and to think the apocalypse was supposed to start over a decade ago…
You can read previous market reports to see for yourself what our real estate market has been doing.
Thirty-nine homes were added to our MLS this month. Including 25 homes in Wisconsin Rapids. New listings are starting to climb after a slow December.
If you’re ready to start formally searching for homes, you know, moving from just online to getting in touch with an agent… Let me know and we can get you started. Plus I’ve recently changed my contact page, so you know, why don’t you check it out?
Happy house hunting!
First time here? This is a monthly post designed to shed light on our real estate market. I publish this report because now is an excellent time to learn about the Wisconsin Rapids real estate market. By arming yourself with a little real estate education you’re setting yourself up for success when you decide to buy or sell your next home. Want to stay up to date? Click here and articles will be delivered directly to your inbox. As always, it’s free. Plus you can always unsubscribe at any time. Every month more and more people are signing up. It makes me feel like you like my writing…
The data was gathered through the MLS, so the data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. You know the drill…
Single Family Wisconsin Rapids Homes:
- Active Homes for Sale: 222 ( including 25 new listings in January)
- Average List Price: $125,125
- Homes Sold in January 2010: 8
- Average Sale Price: $143,112
- Median Sale Price: $134,250
- Average Days on the Market: Active: 218 Sold: 219
- Average Sale Price/List Price: 93%
- Expired Listings: 10
Single Family Nekoosa Homes:
- Active Homes for Sale: 108 (including 10 new listings in January)
- Average List Price: $177,836
- Homes Sold in January 2010: 0
- Average Sale Price: $–
- Median Sale Price: $–
- Average Days on the Market: Active: 248 Sold: –
- Average Sale Price/List Price: –
- Expired Listings: 4
Single Family Port Edwards Homes:
- Active Homes for Sale: 17 (1 new listing in January)
- Average List Price: $109,135
- Homes Sold in January 2010: 1
- Average Sale Price: $108,000
- Median Sale Price: $108,000
- Average Days on the Market: Active: 248 Sold: 872
- Average Sale Price/List Price: 94%
- Expired Listings: 2
Trends I’m Seeing
- Congrats to the Port Edwards home owner. On the market for 2.5 years…
- The number of homes sold is way down from a couple months ago. But remember my last market report coincided with the last month of the First-time home buyers tax credit causing an increase in the number of homes sold.
- Homes for sale in our area have been for sale an average of almost 7 months. Which means…
- I feel agents need to re-prioritize pricing a home at a number that can be backed up by data.
What next?
As always, my goal is provide not only valuable but also useful information that you can put into action. If you like what you’re reading and want a little help remembering to come back, why not click here and have all upcoming posts sent directly to your email inbox? You can read a description on how this works here if your unfamiliar with the process. I promise it’s not scary, nor will your email be given to anyone.
For More Info:
- Thinking about selling? Quickly see what your home’s worth in our market.
- Have you thought about getting in contact? Why Not? Click here to get in touch with Adam. I’m a peach… Really…
PHONE: (715) 572-8372
My name is Adam Holberg and I’m a Realtor with First Weber of Wisconsin Rapids. This website is designed to inform and help bring conversation to a topic I love, real estate.