The Who Do You Know? Home Tour, Makes a Stop!

Hello Everyone:

Here is the second of the Who Do You Know? Home Tour. This is a very nice upper scale family home right in the Mecca for families...Shadow Mountain. the nuts and bolts are as follows: 5 Beds 3 Baths, den, two kitchens, out door barbeque and water feature, ample storage, huge game room in lower level, 4360 Square feet, priced at $429,900. So check out the video, and ask yourself...Who do you know that needs to make this home theirs?

Send me an email if you thought of the right "Who".

Status of The Southern Utah Real Estate Market for July 2009

Sorry I am a bit late. I guess the endless supply of summer obligations and frankly some fun; have kept me from posting until now. I had a great July, thanks to all of you for your help and efforts in keeping the Doors of ExSell Realty open and operating. I would especially like to thank the following for their closings this month:

1. Boyer Green Valley LC (Listing Sold)
2. Daniel and Karissa Holloway (Purchase)
3. Bart and Diane Imlay (Purchase)
4. Scott and Cathy Alexander (Listing Sold)
5. Mark Hammond GRC (Listing Sold)
6. Greg and Lona Clarke (Purchase)

Pat Moffat the project manager of The Overlook at Green Valley has been awesome to work with for the past year or so, Daniel and Karissa are wonderful people that were referred to me by Blake Bench of Bank of America, thanks Blake, Bart and Diane Imlay are long time family friends and neighbors, Scott and Cathy have two siblings that are both past clients of mine, Arica Demarcus-Dadjou and Dave and Trish DeMarcus and Mark Hammond is a REO asset manager that happened to put me to work on a project, and Greg and Lona Clarke are some wonderful people that I serendipitously bumped into in the middle of the woods one day, and they happen to buy the cabin I listed with Mark. Thank you all.

Look for the “Who Do You Know?” home tour. I am planning to start videoing each week for the last three weeks of each month and posting them on this blog so check it out. I am interested in your feedback.

Here is what is going on in the market, there is a bit of movement out there and total sales are up compared to a dismal first quarter. According to the Washington County Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, Homes closing escrow in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley increased from 218 in the month of June to 247 in the month of July, so the trend looks positive.

According to our friends at Southern Utah Title, if you add the MLS information to the by owner, and by builder and you add in the other areas on the MLS that I did not report on, such is the North West and North East corridors, they report a 363 sales in July, up from 304 in June. Either way you look at it, things are up.

Here are the numbers broken out in each category.

Total Market Activity on Homes in July
Active Listings: 1,572 (June 1,352)
New Listings: 408 (June 308)
Sold Listings: 242 (June 213)
Months of Inventory: 6.50 (June 6.35)

Homes priced up to $150,000
Active Listings: 285 (June 246)
New Listings: 106 (June 65)
Sold Listings: 56 (June 39)
Months of Inventory: 5.09 (June 6.31)

Homes priced from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 304 (June 258)
New Listings: 82 (June 80)
Sold Listings: 64 (June 56)
Months of Inventory: 4.75 (June 4.61)

Homes priced from $200,001 to $250,000
Active Listings: 253 (June 206)
New Listings: 63 (June 55)
Sold Listings: 41 (June 41)
Months of Inventory: 6.17 (June 5.02)

Homes priced from $250,001 to $300,000
Active Listings: 176 (June 151 )
New Listings: 43 (June 26)
Sold Listings: 22 (June 28)
Months of Inventory: 8.00 (June 5.39)

Homes priced from $300,001 to $350,000
Active Listings: 114 (June 98)
New Listings: 26 (June 20)
Sold Listings: 16 (June 12)
Months of Inventory: 7.12 (June 8.17)

Homes priced from $350,001 to $400,000
Active Listings: 89 (June 91)
New Listings: 24 (June 15)
Sold Listings: 16 (June 14)
Months of Inventory: 5.56 (June 5.79)

Homes priced from $400,001 to $450,000
Active Listings: 47 (June 42 )
New Listings: 15 (June 5)
Sold Listings: 5 (June 5)
Months of Inventory: 9.40 (June 8.40)

Homes priced from $450,001 to $500,000
Active Listings: 46 (June 45)
New Listings: 8 (June 6)
Sold Listings: 7 (June 2)
Months of Inventory: 6.57 (June 22.50)

Homes priced from $500,001 to $550,000
Active Listings: 30 (June 28)
New Listings: 8 (June 5)
Sold Listings: 3 (June 2)
Months of Inventory: 10.00 (June 14.00)

Homes priced from $550,001 to $600,000
Active Listings: 46 (June 42)
New Listings: 8 (June 4)
Sold Listings: 5 (June 3)
Months of Inventory: 9.20 (June 14.00)

Homes priced from $600,001 to $650,000
Active Listings: 21 (June 15)
New Listings: 3 (June 7)
Sold Listings: 1 (June 1)
Months of Inventory: 21.00 (June 15.00)

Homes priced from $650,001 to $700,000
Active Listings: 32 (June 25)
New Listings: 5 (June 5)
Sold Listings: 2 (June 1)
Months of Inventory: 16.00 (June 25.00)

Homes priced from $700,001 to $750,000
Active Listings: 7 (June 6)
New Listings: 2 (June 1)
Sold Listings: 1 (June 1)
Months of Inventory: 7.00 (June 6.00)

Homes priced from $750,001 to $1,000,000
Active Listings: 50 (June 45)
New Listings: 8 (June 4)
Sold Listings: 2 (June 4)
Months of Inventory: 25.00 (11.25)

Homes priced from $1,000,001 and Up
Active Listings: 72 (June 64)
New Listings: 7 (June 10)
Sold Listings: 1 (June 4)
Months of Inventory: 72.00 (June 16.00)

The following information is for building lots in the same general area as the housing data listed above. All Building Lots in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley

Active Listings: 1,114 (June 1,054)
New Listings: 103 (June 51)
Sold Listings: 13 (June 19 )
Months of Inventory: 85.69 (June 55.47)

Here are the data ranges:

Building lots up to $50,000
Active Listings: 63 (June 64)
New Listings: 6 (June 12)
Sold Listings: 5 (June 10)
Months of Inventory: 12.60 (June 6.40)

Building lots $50,001 to $100,000
Active Listings: 428 (June 401)
New Listings: 27 (June 18)
Sold Listings: 5 (June 5)
Months of Inventory: 85.60 (June 80.20)

Building lots from $100,001 to $150,000
Active Listings: 308 (June 307)
New Listings: 33 (June 3)
Sold Listings: 1 (June 1)
Months of Inventory: 308.00 (June 307.00)

Building lots from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 129 (June 121)
New Listings: 9 (June 10)
Sold Listings: 0 (June 2)
Months of Inventory: No sales in July (June 60.50)

Building lots from $200,001 and up
Active Listings: 186 (June 161)
New Listings: 28 (June 8)
Sold Listings: 2 (June 1)
Months of Inventory: 93.00 (June 161.00)

Short Sales:
It is estimated that about 65% of the current inventory on the MLS are short sales. I am not sure if that is true or not, but I do know there are a lot of them. I got digging around in my “year to date” sales stats and I found that over 20%, or seven of my closed transactions involved a short sale. They are going to be around for quite some time, and perhaps it would be wise to get used to it.

Foreclosures:
There are quite a few of these on the market too. I have been fortunate to have listed five so far this year, three of which have sold and closed and two that are currently under contract. I have already closed a total of six foreclosures this year, including buyers I have represented and have three more currently under contract, so needless to say, there are plenty of bank owned opportunities out there too.

I hope this information helps, Who Do You Know, that needs to buy or sale real estate? Now is the time, the market is great for those that wish to buy. Let me know how I can help. If you would like to contact me right now send me an email.

Status of the Southern Utah Real Estate Market for June 2009

Welcome to another exciting addition of the Southern Utah Real Estate Market. If you did not get a chance to check out my last post and the first “Who Do You Know” home tour, please check it out. I would like to get your feedback. I would like to personally thank my friend Brandon Ellett for his camera skills and his sense of humor, because as awkward as I look on camera, you should have seen the outtakes. My goodness, it is amazing I allowed it to happen. After you view the one from my last post if you have not already, will you please tell me what you think? By the way, if you need any videography or photography Brandon and his wife Malea do an excellent job. Brandon is very proficient in web, blog and other design. Just ask if you need his help, he can probably do it, here is the link to his site. Malea’s site is to the side below, Tickled Pink Photography

Thanks to the following for helping me keep the kids fed during the month of June:

1. Darryl and Joanne Layne (Purchase new home)
2. Boyer Green Valley LC (Sale of lot)
3. David and Meagan Lee (Purchase first time home)
4. Neville Structures (Dan and Janna Neville) (Sale of home)

Now for our market…There has been some serious movement lately, and the good deals are going fast. For example, I had a client bid $50k over the asking price on an under priced home in Entrada for a home in the $700k range and we got trumped by three other cash offers. Translation, if it is a great deal, on a foreclosure, you may have to pay well over price to get in some rare cases. Just because something is bank owned, does not always mean they are looking to dump it, nor does it mean that they are willing to negotiate a whole lot. In fact, in most cases, banks are not willing to negotiate much at all during at least the first thirty days.

Now for your market update…

Total Market Activity on Homes in June
Active Listings: 1,616 (May 1,440)
New Listings: 330 (May 263)
Sold Listings: 209 (May 214)
Months of Inventory: 7.73 (May 6.73)

Homes priced up to $150,000
Active Listings: 274 (May 232)
New Listings: 75 (May 46)
Sold Listings: 37 (May 44)
Months of Inventory: 7.41 (May 5.27)

Homes priced from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 304 (May 257)
New Listings: 84 (May 62)
Sold Listings: 56 (May 53)
Months of Inventory: 5.43 (May 4.85)

Homes priced from $200,001 to $250,000
Active Listings: 248 (May 220)
New Listings: 56 (May 41)
Sold Listings: 41 (May 38)
Months of Inventory: 6.05 (May 5.79)

Homes priced from $250,001 to $300,000
Active Listings: 201 (May 186 )
New Listings: 30 (May 31)
Sold Listings: 26 (May 24)
Months of Inventory: 7.73 (May 7.75)

Homes priced from $300,001 to $350,000
Active Listings: 115 (May 106)
New Listings: 19 (May 21)
Sold Listings: 12 (May 19)
Months of Inventory: 9.58 (May 5.58)

Homes priced from $350,001 to $400,000
Active Listings: 95 (May 89)
New Listings: 14 (May 15)
Sold Listings: 14 (May 13)
Months of Inventory: 6.79 (May 6.85)

Homes priced from $400,001 to $450,000
Active Listings: 56 (May 52 )
New Listings: 6 (May 9)
Sold Listings: 5 (May 6)
Months of Inventory: 11.20 (May 8.67)

Homes priced from $450,001 to $500,000
Active Listings: 55 (May 53)
New Listings: 6 (May 3)
Sold Listings: 2 (May 4)
Months of Inventory: 27.50 (May 13.25)

Homes priced from $500,001 to $550,000
Active Listings: 33 (May 31)
New Listings: 4 (May 3)
Sold Listings: 2 (May 3)
Months of Inventory: 16.50 (May 10.33)

Homes priced from $550,001 to $600,000
Active Listings: 43 (May 43)
New Listings: 7 (May 3)
Sold Listings: 3 (May 2)
Months of Inventory: 14.33 (May 21.50)

Homes priced from $600,001 to $650,000
Active Listings: 22 (May 18)
New Listings: 8 (May 2)
Sold Listings: 1 (May 2)
Months of Inventory: 22.00 (May 9.00)

Homes priced from $650,001 to $700,000
Active Listings: 29 (May 25)
New Listings: 5 (May 6)
Sold Listings: 1 (May 1)
Months of Inventory: 29.50 May 25.00)

Homes priced from $700,001 to $750,000
Active Listings: 12 (May 11)
New Listings: 0 (May 3)
Sold Listings: 1 (May 0)
Months of Inventory: 12.00 (No Sales in May)

Homes priced from $750,001 to $1,000,000
Active Listings: 53 (May 51)
New Listings: 5 (May 9)
Sold Listings: 4 (May 2)
Months of Inventory: 13.25 (May 25.50)

Homes priced from $1,000,001 and Up
Active Listings: 75 (May 65)
New Listings: 11 (May 9)
Sold Listings: 4 (May 3)
Months of Inventory: 18.75 (May 21.67)

The following information is for building lots in the same general area as the housing data listed above. All Building Lots in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley

Active Listings: 1,182 (May 1,146)
New Listings: 46 (May 71)
Sold Listings: 19 (May 15)
Months of Inventory: 62.21 (May 76.40)

Here are the data ranges:

Building lots up to $50,000
Active Listings: 83 (May 76)
New Listings: 9 (May 14)
Sold Listings: 10 (May 2)
Months of Inventory: 8.30 (May 38.00)

Building lots $50,001 to $100,000
Active Listings: 432 (May 427)
New Listings: 17 (May 8)
Sold Listings: 5 (May 10)
Months of Inventory: 86.40 (May 42.70)

Building lots from $100,001 to $150,000
Active Listings: 333 (May 326)
New Listings: 3 (May 21)
Sold Listings: 1 (May 0)
Months of Inventory: 333.00 (May 96)

Building lots from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 132 (May 124)
New Listings: 9 (May 14)
Sold Listings: 2 (May 2)
Months of Inventory: 66.00 (May 62.00)

Building lots from $200,001 and up
Active Listings: 202 (May 193)
New Listings: 8 (May 14)
Sold Listings: 1 (May 1)
Months of Inventory: 202.00 (Apr 193.00)

Short Sales
Right now it seems they can go either way. Many companies are starting to offer work out packages, and in some cases the bail out money that we have assigned to our children and their children is getting into the hands of the consumer. Well not really, they just get their mortgage adjusted, in terms of amount and rate, and are allowed to stay. This obviously affects the purchasing power of the buyer, but in the end, leaving out the whole conversation of the bailout, affords some of the folks with negative equity a fresh start. Some work out fine, others don’t. Same game, different day.

Foreclosures
The 10% that are well priced go quickly, and sometimes for extra cash. Then there are the vast 70% that are good deals that come and go within reason, and lastly the 20% that just don’t make sense.

Thanks for all you do for me. I am only a mouse click or phone call away…

Who Do You Know?

Welcome to the first stop on the ExSell Realty, "Who Do You Know?" Home tour. The first one on our list is the this phenomenal Black Rock condo, located at 225 N. Country Lane Drive # 63. This beautiful 1444 square foot unit has 3 beds 2 baths and 1444 square feet. Words do not do it justice, you have to see it. One of the awesome features about this is the developer is willing to subsidize the HOA fee so the new owner pays $100 for the next three years after closing, after which it will return to the current rate of the development at that time.

Who Do You Know that should make this their new home?

Southern Utah Real Estate Market, What happened in May

I hope everyone is kicking off a nice summer vacation. I am just getting ready for my annual Lake Powell Hurricane experience. I don't mean the Hurricane close to St. George, pronounced Hurricun, I mean the real windy storm that make you feel like everything you hold precious is going to be scooped up, and thrown for miles, never to be returned again. Last year I almost killed my older brother, which on second thought, he probably deserves, based on all of the dryer and toy box down the stair rides of my youth. If it isn’t too much trouble, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and if we have the 50-60 MPH micro-bursts again, I am selling my share, and that is a promise. I can’t wait to report the drama of the saga.

As always, I want to thank those that make my livelihood possible. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for all of you and your loyalty to me and my business. Thank you so much for hanging in there with us through the thick and thin. Some of you have been great friends for years, and others of you, we are just starting down that path. Here is what closed in May:

1. Aurora Servicing (Sold Listing) thanks to the bank.
2. Stan and Sylvia Prescott (Purchase)
3. Greg and Liza Smith (Sold Listing)
4. Boyer Green Valley LC (Sold Listing)
5. Darryl and Joanne Layne (Purchase)

Thank you so much. Stan and Sylvia are referrals from Amorie Eames a past client, Greg and I have played early morning ball for a few years, Green Valley LC is kind enough to have me help with a subdivision and Darryl and Joanne Layne, we just sold their house in April, so thanks for being repeat performers.

We have seen good activity; maybe we are shaking a few cob webs. This is the first time in about two and a half years that I think the trends are leveling. I can honestly say, with little hesitation, that I think we are skipping along the bottom of the pond right now. I am not sure we how long we are going to be there, it could be a while, but I think a great deal now is a great deal, and maybe even a good deal is a good deal right now. If you got the money, I say buy! We have low rates, good inventory, and low prices. What more do you want?

One more mention, if anyone wants to become a better photographer, one of my wife’s good friends is teaching classes on how to do so. They are locations shoots and it’s called a Hitch Hikers Guide to Lifestyle Fotography. She teaches about lighting, subject matter etc. Check out her site its http://mytickledpinkphoto.com/blog/. You can sign up to take the class for a nominal fee. I hear it is awesome!

Now for the numbers.

Total Market Activity on Homes in May

Active Listings: 1,677 (Apr 1,495
)New Listings: 269 (Apr 326)
Sold Listings: 209 (Apr 219)
Months of Inventory: 8.02 (Apr 6.83)

Homes priced up to $150,000
Active Listings: 252(Apr 223)
New Listings: 45 (Apr 57)
Sold Listings: 44 (Apr 46)
Months of Inventory: 5.73 (Apr 4.85)

Homes priced from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 300 (Apr 258)
New Listings: 63 (Apr 74)
Sold Listings: 50 (Apr 51)
Months of Inventory: 6.00 (Apr 5.06)

Homes priced from $200,001 to $250,000
Active Listings: 262 (Apr 239)
New Listings: 44 (Apr 48)
Sold Listings: 38 (Apr 40)
Months of Inventory: 6.89 (Apr 5.97)

Homes priced from $250,001 to $300,000
Active Listings: 217 (Apr 187)
New Listings: 32 (Apr 48)
Sold Listings: 23 (Apr 22)
Months of Inventory: 9.43 (Apr 8.50)

Homes priced from $300,001 to $350,000
Active Listings: 128 (Apr 119)
New Listings: 19 (Apr 18)
Sold Listings: 19 (Apr 28)
Months of Inventory: 6.74 (Apr 4.25)

Homes priced from $350,001 to $400,000
Active Listings: 114 (Apr 103)
New Listings: 18 (Apr 29)
Sold Listings: 13 (Apr 12)
Months of Inventory: 8.77 (Apr 8.58)

Homes priced from $400,001 to $450,000
Active Listings: 59 (Apr 54 )
New Listings: 9 (Apr 8)
Sold Listings: 6 (Apr 2)
Months of Inventory: 9.83 (Apr 27.00)

Homes priced from $450,001 to $500,000
Active Listings: 60 (Apr 59)
New Listings: 5 (Apr 7)
Sold Listings: 4 (Apr 3)
Months of Inventory: 15.00 (Apr 19.67)

Homes priced from $500,001 to $550,000
Active Listings: 32 (Apr 29)
New Listings: 3 (Apr 4)
Sold Listings: 3 (Apr 2)
Months of Inventory: 10.67 (Apr 14.50)

Homes priced from $550,001 to $600,000
Active Listings: 51 (Apr 48)
New Listings: 3 (Apr 6)
Sold Listings: 2 (Apr 6)
Months of Inventory: 25.50 (Apr 8.00)

Homes priced from $600,001 to $650,000
Active Listings: 25 (Apr 24)
New Listings: 2 (Apr 7)
Sold Listings: 2 (Apr 3)
Months of Inventory: 12.50 (Apr 8.00)

Homes priced from $650,001 to $700,000
Active Listings: 28 (Apr 24)
New Listings: 5 (Apr 5)
Sold Listings: 1 (Apr 0)
Months of Inventory: 28.00 No Sales in Apr

Homes priced from $700,001 to $750,000
Active Listings: 14 (Apr 13)
New Listings: 3 (Apr 0)
Sold Listings: 0 (Apr 1)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in May (Apr 13.00)

Homes priced from $750,001 to $1,000,000
Active Listings: 58 (Apr 48)
New Listings: 9 (Apr 5)
Sold Listings: 2 (Apr 3)
Months of Inventory: 29.00 (Apr 16.00)

Homes priced from $1,000,001 and Up
Active Listings: 76 (Apr 67)
New Listings: 9 (Apr 9)
Sold Listings: 2 (Apr 0)
Months of Inventory: 38.00 (No Sales in April)

The following information is for building lots in the same general area as the housing data listed above.

All Building Lots in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley
Active Listings: 1,257 (Apr 1,170)
New Listings: 68 (Apr 121)
Sold Listings: 13 (Apr 21 )
Months of Inventory: 96.69 (Apr 55.71)

Here are the data ranges:

Building lots up to $100,000
Active Listings: 558 (Apr 532)
New Listings: 22 (Apr 78)
Sold Listings: 10 (Apr 14)
Months of Inventory: 55.80 (Apr 38.00)

Building lots from $100,001 to $150,000
Active Listings: 347 (Apr 305)
New Listings: 20 (Apr 27)
Sold Listings: 0 (Apr 3)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in May (Apr 101.67)

Building lots from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 357 (Apr 333)
New Listings: 26 (Apr 16)
Sold Listings: 3 (Apr 4)
Months of Inventory: 119.00 (Apr 83.25)

Building lots from $200,001 and up
Active Listings: 232 (Apr 219)
New Listings: 13 (Apr 11)
Sold Listings: 1 (Apr 2)
Months of Inventory: 232.00 (Apr 109.50)

Short Sales:

Getting better, the banks are getting smarter, and realizing it may be a better alternative than foreclosure, however, do plan on some waiting time. Once again, if you can find an approved short sale, they may just be one of the better deals on the market.

Foreclosures:

I am actually working with a bank or two now, and they are a pain in the neck. That being said, they are going to sale, so I guess I cannot complain too much. Once again if you want the foreclosure list sent to you. www.southernutahforeclosure.com

Sign up, we will send them.

Lastly, thank you all. I can not do this without you! What can I do for you? Email me and let me know.

Southern Utah Real Estate Market, What happenend in April

A few of my Humpty Dumpty friends jumped off the wall. April was a good month for people who finally decided that the market is what it is and decided the time was right. Maybe everyone has settled down and decided that it is not about stimulus packages and big brother stepping in to make things all better, but we as the American people are actually going to have to get up and go to work! I can honestly say I think we have found the bottom. We may bump a long it for the next several months, but with the amount of activity out there right now, I cannot see our market dropping much more. In fact, well priced foreclosures are getting multiple offers. I want to thank those that made April a great month for us.

Mike Betts/DB Inc. (Purchase)
Ellis and Nina Rogers (Purchase)
Darryl and Joanne Layne (Sold Listing)
Brian Lowe and Ceciley Bachnik (Purchase)

Mike and I have been emailing each other back and forth for over a year and finally we found one that made sense for him. Ellis and Nina, this one is number two in as many months. Thanks! Darryl and Joanne Layne are friends I met a couple of years ago when they were driving around, and finally decided to sale their house. They should be here again next month when we close escrow on their new home about two blocks away from their last one. This is the only time I have ever put someone else’s client on the board. Brian and Ceciley are actually Netta’s clients, but I like to think I helped them close the deal. I want to thank them for being our highest dollar volume purchaser of my career!

The market is looking so much better and there is a lot of activity going on right now. We are starting to see a lot more FHA loans and the government is actually being pretty liberal with some of the grants available for first time home buyers and first time home buyers of new construction. In fact there is a “Home Run Grant” that would enable a first time home buyer to receive about $12,000 in tax credit combined with other incentives for buying a new construction home right now. There are also great tax incentives for purchasing homes that have already been lived in too. I am not going to suggest I know all of the details, but if you have questions, email me and I will get you to the right people.

All that being said, this is what happened over the past month.

Total Market Activity on Homes in April
Active Listings: 1,692 (Mar 1,517)
New Listings: 348 (Mar 326)
Sold Listings: 207 (Mar 164)
Months of Inventory: 8.17 (Mar 9.25)

Homes priced up to $150,000
Active Listings: 244 (Mar 213)
New Listings: 58 (Mar 69)
Sold Listings: 44 (Mar 35)
Months of Inventory: 5.50 (Mar 6.09)

Homes priced from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 311 (Mar 273)
New Listings: 77 (Mar 72)
Sold Listings: 48 (Mar 43)
Months of Inventory: 6.48 (Mar 6.35)

Homes priced from $200,001 to $250,000
Active Listings: 266 (Mar 241)
New Listings: 56 (Mar 40)
Sold Listings: 38 (Mar 23)
Months of Inventory: 7.00 (Mar 10.48)

Homes priced from $250,001 to $300,000
Active Listings: 220 (Mar 206)
New Listings: 47 (Mar 36)
Sold Listings: 27 (Mar 14)
Months of Inventory: 11.58 (Mar 9.81)

Homes priced from $300,001 to $350,000
Active Listings: 135 (Mae 136)
New Listings: 22 (Mar 18)
Sold Listings: 27 (Mar 14)
Months of Inventory: 5.00 (Mar 9.71)

Homes priced from $350,001 to $400,000
Active Listings: 105 (Mar 90)
New Listings: 27 (Mar 24)
Sold Listings: 11 (Mar 9)
Months of Inventory: 9.55 (Mar 10.00)

Homes priced from $400,001 to $450,000
Active Listings: 58 (Mar 49 )
New Listings: 10 (Mar 9)
Sold Listings: 2 (Mar 2)
Months of Inventory: 29.00 (Mar 24.00)

Homes priced from $450,001 to $500,000
Active Listings: 70 (Mar 54)
New Listings: 8 (Mar 17)
Sold Listings: 3 (Mar 5)
Months of Inventory: 23.33 (Mar 10.80)

Homes priced from $500,001 to $550,000
Active Listings: 33 (Mar 31)
New Listings: 4 (Mar 6)
Sold Listings: 2 (mar 2)
Months of Inventory: 16.50 (Mar 15.50)

Homes priced from $550,001 to $600,000
Active Listings: 55 (Mar 52)
New Listings: 8 (Mar 12)
Sold Listings: 6 (Mar 3)
Months of Inventory: 9.17 (Mar 16.67)

Homes priced from $600,001 to $650,000
Active Listings: 21 (Mar 19)
New Listings: 6 (Mar 2)
Sold Listings: 3 (Mar 2)
Months of Inventory: 7.00 (Mar 9.50)

Homes priced from $650,001 to $700,000
Active Listings: 30 (Mar 23)
New Listings: 7 (Mar 3)
Sold Listings: 0 (Mar 0)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in April No Sales in Mar

Homes priced from $700,001 to $750,000
Active Listings: 16 (Mar 14)
New Listings: 1 (Mar 2)
Sold Listings: 1 (Mar 0)
Months of Inventory: 16.00 (No Sales in March)

Homes priced from $750,001 to $1,000,000
Active Listings: 52 (Mar 47)
New Listings: 4 (Mar 10)
Sold Listings: 3 (Mar 1)
Months of Inventory: 17.33 (Mar 47.00)

Homes priced from $1,000,001 and Up
Active Listings: 76 (Mar 71)
New Listings: 10 (Mar 6)
Sold Listings: 0 (Mar 4)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in April (March 17.75)

The following information is for building lots in the same general area as the housing data listed above.

All Building Lots in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley
Active Listings: 1,230 (Mar 1,181)
New Listings: 82 (Mar 110)
Sold Listings: 21 (Mar 9)
Months of Inventory: 58.57 (Mar 131.22)

Here are the data ranges:

Building lots up to $100,000
Active Listings: 545 (Mar 516)
New Listings: 39 (Mar 57)
Sold Listings: 14 (Mar 7)
Months of Inventory: 38.93 (Mar 73.71)

Building lots from $100,001 to $150,000
Active Listings: 316 (Mar 308)
New Listings: 28 (Mar 28)
Sold Listings: 3 (Mar 0)
Months of Inventory: 105.33 (No Sales in Mar)

Building lots from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 136 (Mar 134)
New Listings: 5 (Mar 12)
Sold Listings: 2 (Mar 0)
Months of Inventory: 68.00 (No Sales in Mar)

Building lots from $200,001 and up
Active Listings: 136 (Mar 163)
New Listings: 8 (Mar 8)
Sold Listings: 2 (Mar 2)
Months of Inventory: 84.50 (Mar 81.50)

Short Sales:
They probably are the best deals on the market if you get the right one, are willing to wait an excruciating amount of time, and all the stars line up. We have closed a couple of them this last month, and I think they worked out well for the very most part. Look for one that is already price approved, it makes life a lot easier.

Foreclosures:
As always, 10% of them are excellent deals, 70% are pretty good, meaning you are going to be in a bit of an equity position once you put in the elbow grease, and get the landscaping back together, and 20% of them just don't make any sense at all. Just because it says bank owned, does not mean it is a deal. They have appraisers and they use them.

If you would like for me to send you listings of homes that are available in our area, just send me an email with your criteria.

If you want to be sent bank foreclosures that are ready to buy right now, go to www.southernutahforeclosure.com and register.

If you have any questions, or need to speak to me, send me an email, and I promise to get back to you.

Southern Utah Real Estate Market. What happened in March

Sorry I am a little late on this one, I was out of town last week and it kind of put me back a couple of days. Anyway, as always, I want to thank the following for making my March a nice month.

1. TA Quan Holdings (2) transactions {Sold Listings}
2. John and Peggy Andersen (Help from Spencer their son) {Sold Listings}
3. Nina and Ellis Rogers (Purchase)
4. Bill and Caryl Mantey (Purchase)

TA Quan, asked me to help them get some lots sold, which we were able to do; John and Peggy Andersen are currently serving a full-time LDS mission in Sofia, Bulgaria, so we want to thank Spencer, their son, for all he did to make this possible; Nina and Ellis, are purchasing a second home this month for family to live in; and Bill and Caryl got a smoking deal on a place out in Ivins.

I am starting to feel the nudge, I have been very busy since I have come back from my trip and we are currently working with several buyers and sellers right now. All of you that have been sitting on the fence, it is time to jump off. Interest rates are good, prices are low, and we really are starting to see some movement, so if you are waiting, it is time to get into the action. Believe me, this is the first time I have felt comfortable saying this for about two years.

There are some great tax incentives for first time home buyers and for those that are buying new construction that has never been lived in. If you have any questions send me an email and I can get you in touch with the right people.

So this is how it went in March, it went a bit better.

Total Market Activity on Homes in March

Active Listings: 1,773 (Feb 1,585)
New Listings: 334 (Feb 369)
Sold Listings: 154 (Feb 133)
Months of Inventory: 11.51 (11.92)

Homes priced up to $150,000
Active Listings: 232 (Feb 206)
New Listings: 62 (Feb 65)
Sold Listings: 32 (Feb 31)
Months of Inventory: 7.25 (6.65)

Homes priced from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 315 (Feb 281)
New Listings: 70 (Feb 64)
Sold Listings: 40 (Feb 40)
Months of Inventory: 7.88 (Feb 7.03)

Homes priced from $200,001 to $250,000
Active Listings: 281 (Feb 252)
New Listings: 46 (Feb 58)
Sold Listings: 23 (Feb 26)
Months of Inventory: 12.22 (Feb 9.69)

Homes priced from $250,001 to $300,000
Active Listings: 249 (Feb 223)
New Listings: 37 (Feb 43)
Sold Listings: 19 (Feb 12)
Months of Inventory: 13.11 (Feb 18.58)

Homes priced from $300,001 to $350,000
Active Listings: 159 (Feb 159)
New Listings: 26 (Feb 29)
Sold Listings: 14 (Feb 12)
Months of Inventory: 11.36 (Feb 13.25)

Homes priced from $350,001 to $400,000
Active Listings: 110 (Feb 91)
New Listings: 21 (Feb 25)
Sold Listings: 8 (Feb 4)
Months of Inventory: 13.75 (Feb 22.75)

Homes priced from $400,001 to $450,000
Active Listings: 62 (Feb 53 )
New Listings: 13 (Feb 18)
Sold Listings: 2 (Feb 1)
Months of Inventory: 31.00 (Feb 53.00)

Homes priced from $450,001 to $500,000
Active Listings: 61 (Feb 54)
New Listings: 17 (Feb 13)
old Listings: 5 (Feb 0)
Months of Inventory: 12.00 (No Sales in Feb)

Homes priced from $500,001 to $550,000
Active Listings: 42 (Feb 34)
New Listings: 8 (Feb 8)
Sold Listings: 2 (Feb 1)
Months of Inventory: 21.00 (Feb 34.00)

Homes priced from $550,001 to $600,000
Active Listings: 52 (Feb 47)
New Listings: 12 (Feb 10)
Sold Listings: 3 (Feb 0)
Months of Inventory: 17.33 (No Sales in Feb)

Homes priced from $600,001 to $650,000
Active Listings: 22 (Feb 21)
New Listings: 0 (Feb 6)
Sold Listings: 2 (Feb 1)
Months of Inventory: 11.00 (Feb 21.00)

Homes priced from $650,001 to $700,000
Active Listings: 25 (Feb 21)
New Listings: 5 (Feb 5)
Sold Listings: 0 (Feb 1)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in March (21.00)

Homes priced from $700,001 to $750,000
Active Listings: 17 (Feb 16)
New Listings: 3 (Feb 3)
Sold Listings: 0 (Feb 0)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in Feb (No Sales in March)

Homes priced from $750,001 to $1,000,000
Active Listings: 65 (Feb 59)
New Listings: 8 (Feb 13)
Sold Listings: 1 (Feb 1)
Months of Inventory: 65.00 (Feb 59.00)

Homes priced from $1,000,001 and Up
Active Listings: 84 (Feb 77)
New Listings: 6 (Feb 9)
Sold Listings: 3 (Feb 3)
Months of Inventory: 28.00 (Feb 25.67)

The following information is for building lots in the same general area as the housing data listed above. All Building Lots in the Greater St. George and Hurricane Valley

Active Listings: 1,264 (Feb 1,085)
New Listings: 108 (Feb 182)
Sold Listings: 8 (Feb 16)
Months of Inventory: 158.00 (Feb 67.81)

Here are the data ranges:

Building lots up to $100,000
Active Listings: 548 (Feb 463)
New Listings: 58 (Feb 97)
Sold Listings: 6 (Feb 12)
Months of Inventory: 91.33 (Feb 38.58)

Building lots from $100,001 to $150,000
Active Listings: 317 (Feb 248)
New Listings: 28 (Feb 50)
Sold Listings: 0 (Feb 2)
Months of Inventory: No Sales in March (Feb 124.00)

Building lots from $150,001 to $200,000
Active Listings: 146 (Feb 136)
New Listings: 12 (Feb 4)
Sold Listings: 0 (Feb 0)
Months of Inventory: No sales in March (No Sales in Feb)

Building lots from $200,001 and up
Active Listings: 253 (Feb 238)
New Listings: 10 (Feb 31)
Sold Listings: 2 (Feb 2)
Months of Inventory: 126.00 (Feb 119.00)

Short sales:
The banks are starting to be fairly decent with these again. They were a bit tight there for a month or two, my guess is thinking that our new commander in chief might have had a way to fix them up, but now that they are seeing that the trillions of dollars is not trickling down to them, they are starting to be reasonable. Though these are by far the most painful of all transactions in terms of the waiting game, my opinion is the ones that work end up in the best deals. So if you have the stomach for it, some of them are big winners.

Foreclosures:
Some good deals out there. A lot of these are just priced low enough for you to put in your sweat equity and money to bring them up to market standard. There are however a few that really are worth it, and can be bought for a significant discount, but I would say that is probably only about 15-25% of them. The banks have been pretty good about getting back, but expect a few days and maybe even a week’s wait, then their addendum that is much larger than the original contract you signed. All in all, not too bad, if you chase down the right one.

If you want access to real, ready to buy foreclosures, go to www.southernutahforeclosure.com and sign up. I will get them headed your way.

For any other questions, or just to send me a referral, please send me an email.