Merry Christmas! Today has been a wonderful time spent with my wife’s parents and family in Nashville. As we were sampling a table-full of holiday treats, my father-in-law posed this question: should he build a family room addition onto the rear of his home? If so, should he add a laundry room? A screened porch? Admittedly, a nice family room complete with fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and open to the kitchen would be a fantastic addition and a very desirable selling point for today’s buyer. He was also considering enclosing a small side porch to create a home office. There are countless changes, additions, and remodeling projects that he could undertake that would really make his home stand out in the neighborhood….but that’s the big question. What’s happening in this neighborhood? Are other homeowners adding on? Does a buyer looking in this neighborhood expect these features in a potential new home? And most importantly….will the money spent on these projects give a good return when the time comes to sell the house? The answers to those questions will vary from city to city, from neighborhood to neighborhood, and from street to street. I encourage him, as I do any homeowner, to do their “homework” before embarking on a major home remodel. Consult your trusted real estate professional to track the trends in your area. You want to make a wise investment in your largest investment…your home!

Well, time is running out on the first time homebuyer tax credit.  If you aren’t locked in to a contract by October 15th, chances are you’ll not make it! 

In my opinion, I’m seeing a change in the market.  I’ve been very fortunate this year to have kept a steady group of buyers and sellers.  The problem that I am having is finding suitable houses for my buyers.  Lots of the houses on the market are “fixer uppers” or need some updating like kitchens, baths, etc.  Buyers are getting pickier about what they want.  They don’t want to do repairs or updates.  They want a house to move in to.  In the past month, I have repeatedly brainstormed to call people that I know that may be interested in selling.  In real estate we call that a “one time show”.   I have set up between 5-6 one time shows on homes for myself and other agents in my office.  This tells me that we are in a sellers market again.  That is just my opinion and it is based on my customer base, but that is the way I feel the market is heading.  When I pull up listings for a client and the majority of them don’t suit their needs, then at that time I pull out my trusty “friend” list and go to calling all the people that I know that might sell their houses.  I’m lucky that I usually find a few that pull through for me.  I guess what I’m saying is that prices have adjusted, we are where we need to be on houses but we need some  listings to sell!  Give us a call if you’d like to sell your house!  And thanks to all my friends that have allowed me to show their houses during this time!