Summer is more than half over, and we’ve made it this far without any major fires nearer than Durango. The monsoon season is in full swing, bringing regular afternoon showers, which is helping to green things up a little bit. These showers usually persists for another three or four weeks. The town is very busy with tourists enjoying our local hospitality. Most of them are here to escape the extreme heat in states surrounding us. Texans in particular seem to be showing up in droves.
The 67th Annual Archuleta County Fair begins this week and runs through the weekend. This is great fun for the whole family. If you have not been to our fair before, you are really missing out. Some of the activities includes the rodeo, live music, dancing, lots of exhibits, a carnival, a chuckwagon dinner, and of course, the livestock that the kids have been raising for the past year.
One of my favorite activities is going to the 4-H auction. This is an opportunity for both locals and tourists to support the 4-H kids who have been working so hard to raise their prize-winning animals. There are several ways to help out. I have bought several animals at auction in the past. I often see families go in together to share an animal. You can also contribute by doing what’s called an “add-on.” This is an additional donation that you can make to an individual outside of their auction transaction. It’s another way to reward the kids for their hard work all year. I hope to see you there!
And now, for the latest real estate news. Sales continue to lag behind last year. Currently, overall sales are down 11%, compared to 10% last month. Closed sales in July were 73 compared to 94 last July. These numbers parallel what I’m hearing on the national scene. The culprit seems to be lack of either affordable or desirable inventory. The buyers are there, waiting to pounce on their dream home, but they don’t like what is currently available.
The one bright spot is that pending sales are back up. For the first time in 2018, pending sales are above the level they were at a year ago. Currently we have 147 pending sales compared to 145 last year. This could be good news for next month’s forecast.
So long for now, and see you at the fair!
GRI, CRS
2011 & 2014 Realtor of the Year
Phone (970) 731-4065
Fax (970) 731-4068
Cell (970) 946-3856
Email: [email protected]
