Hello From Pagosa Country! …by way of London and Paris, where Laurie and I are currently on vacation. Last time I was here was over 50 years ago. My dad was in the Air Force and was stationed at RAF Wethersfield about 50 miles north of London. I graduated from Lakenheath High School in 1966. The one sport I was relatively decent in was wrestling. Our wrestling team also went to France on several occasions, so I’ve seen Paris a couple of times. My wife is experiencing London and Paris for the first time. Yesterday we went to the Windsor Castle and had a great time. Today we are going to the Globe Theatre to see Othello. Tomorrow we jump on a train and go under the English Channel, and after a 2.5 hour ride, we arrive in Paris for a few days.
Now for the latest real estate news. September was a strong month for real estate closings, especially compared to last September which was a down month. The bulk of the gain came in home sales, which caused the cumulative home sale number to rise from -12% last month to -6% this month. Even though the other categories remained relatively flat, the overall sales number rose from -9% last month to -6% this month. Pending sales remain strong as we ease toward the slower winter selling season. There are currently 129 deals in the hopper, compared to 124 at this time last year.
I find that fall is the best time of year to go real estate shopping if you’re in the market for a good deal. Although the inventory is highest during the late spring and early summer, optimism is also at a peak during that time of year. Sellers are not generally looking to take a price cut when the flowers are blooming and the temperatures are in the 80s. But now the first snow flurries are (hopefully) just a few weeks away, and many sellers will not be feeling so optimistic. Winter is a slower time in Pagosa real estate, and sellers know that if they can’t make a deal this fall, they will likely have to hold on to their property until the spring. On top of that, sellers are faced with practical concerns like snow-covered driveways and heating bills to pay. Unoccupied homes run the risk of faulty heating and frozen pipes if the property is not closely monitored through the winter. All of this can add up to sellers who are more willing to cut a deal than they were back in the spring. If you’d like to go hunting for a bargain, give my office a call! I may be in Europe at the moment, but I’ll be back very soon and together we can find you a great deal.
GRI, CRS
2011 & 2014 Realtor of the Year
Phone (970) 731-4065
Fax (970) 731-4068
Cell (970) 946-3856
Email: [email protected]
