January Listing Activity

Well that stunk. January is in the books and it seemed really slow. It takes a couple days for agents to get all their negotiated contracts into the MLS, so we still don’t know just how much slower it was than recent years. Hopefully we can get that data up by the end of the week. In the meantime, here’s a snapshot of the listings for the first month of the year. Overall, the number

Radon, Radon Everywhere

Radon is a naturally occurring gas, and is part of the normal mix of elements that make up the air we breathe. However, the concentration varies greatly throughout the country, within individual towns, and even within neighborhoods. If the concentration is too high, then radon can be a health hazard. We always recommend that our buyers test for radon as part of their home inspection. If elevated levels are found, then our buyers have an

Will You Take Advantage of the $8,000 First Time Buyer Credit?

I’ve been working with a lot of first time buyers this year. Many of them have been motivated by the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit that the government is offering. A good number of them have already closed on a property and are set to receive their refund next year when they submit their Federal Income Taxes. Some of my buyers are still looking though. They are waiting for the right house. Or they

Inspector Shortage?

When a buyer purchases a home, they have the right to have certain inspections performed within a specified timeframe after the contract is signed. In our market, the window to have inspections conducted is typically anywhere from 7-14 days. Buyers want their right to understand any issues with the house and sellers want the review conducted as soon as possible so that they know the contract is continuing forward towards closing. Often my buyers look

Pretty Houses Still Need Home Inspections

This morning I went to preview a house for a client. It was a “pretty house” that had recently been flipped. Just about everything had been redone; new kitchen, baths, paint, windows, everything. It was even staged very nicely, straight out of Better Homes and Gardens. I can see a buyer walking into this house and being very impressed. It would be easy for a person to envision themselves living there, and not having to