When Will Home Buying Activity Start in Earnest?
It is no surprise that buying activity (signing contracts, not closings) slows down over the Winter. As shown above -- an average of 72 buyers sign contracts in January…
Which price range of homes have been hit the hardest with reduced inventory levels?
Clearly, the under $200K market is extremely tight right now -- with a sharp (65%) decline over the past two years. Some of this is the lack of availability of this…
January Inventory vs. Past Year of Home Sales
In 2014, 2015 and 2016 we started off the year with enough homes actively listed for sale to last us for right around six months -- or a bit longer. This balance (a six…
Conjecture vs Analysis in Home Pricing
Sometimes, determining the market value of a home is quite straightforward, such as in this recent example.... Buyer A paid $250K for a 3 BR, 2 BA, 1800 SF, circa 2000…
How does a Kickout Clause work in real estate?
Buying and selling at the same time can be tricky -- and a common question is whether you should go ahead and make an offer on a house if you do not yet have your house…
The Two Phases of Looking For a Home
Looking and waiting. Exciting and frustrating. Fun and boring. Whatever we call them, there are usually two phases of looking for a home to purchase once you have…
Determining An Offering Price on a Property in a Neighborhood
How does one determine an offering price in a neighborhood? Start 5% below asking price? Start at the tax assessed value? Start at the price the seller paid, adjusted per…
Local Home Values Rise in 2017
Find out more about this stellar home just outside Bridgewater at 1215MtCrawfordAvenue.com. I just published my most recent monthly market report, and as usual, you can…
My Predictions for the 2018 Real Estate Market
As is my annual tradition, I am making some predictions about what we'll see in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County real estate market in 2018. As you'll note below, I…
Comparing My 2017 Housing Market Predictions To Reality
As shown above, I was horribly inaccurate with my prediction of how many home sales we would see in 2017. After a 16% increase in the pace of sales between 2015 and 2016…
Home Sales Slow By (perhaps as much as) 5% in 2017
All home sales have not yet been reported but it is now clear that we did not clear the 1300 sales/year mark in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County last year. With 1,249…
Introducing HarrisonburgNeighborhoods.com
Happy New Year! On this absurdly chilly morning, I'm excited to announce a brand new website that I hope you will find to be a helpful resource for you as you buy real…