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GOOD NEWS! Pending Home Sales UP 49%
“The price of new homes is fixin’ to RISE…
In other words, Beat the Crowd!”
Hello, Friends!
When was the last time you heard THAT???
Today, we thought we’d pass along this VERY GOOD NEWS to give your spirits a better-than-average lift. Reading graphs like this is such a pleasure…
Pending Home Sales are UP 49% over last year!
Great news – statisically speaking. Market stats (as provided by the CDA Multiple Listing Service) shows that PENDING HOME SALES ARE UP 49% when comparing May and June of 2010 to May and June of June 2011. Right now a very hot segment of the market are those homes selling for less than $200k. If you are thinking of selling…there are plenty of investors in the market.
Call us for more info if you’re interested in Buying or Selling!
We’d love to help you find the perfect property under (or over!) $200K.
208-660-0506
AND THERE’S MORE!
We thought you would like the article we posted a few weeks ago, originally posted in Fortune Magazine, by Shawn Tully, senior editor-at-large.
Real Estate: It’s Time to Buy Again
Forget stocks. Don’t bet on gold. After four years of plunging home prices, the most attractive asset class in America is housing.…(click on this link to read the entire article)
Enjoy!
US News: Post Falls Named one of 10 Best Affordable Mountain Towns for Retirement
There you have it! USNews.com has discovered what the rest of us have known all along. This time, Post Falls has been recognized in the Top 10 Most Affordable Mountain Towns for Retirement. Below are excerpts from the full article:
10 Best Affordable Mountain Towns for Retirement
These places offer scenic views and groomed slopes at economical prices.
Posted: July 12, 2010
…To find this and other low-cost mountain towns, U.S. News fired up our Best Places to Retire search tool. We looked for places that offer access to plenty of skiing, trails, and wildlife, while still providing affordable housing and a reasonable cost of living. We also used the Onboard Informatics data to screen for other retiree-friendly characteristics, such as access to healthcare and a low crime rate…
Few aspiring retirees have enough saved to buy a retirement home in Aspen or Lake Tahoe. But if you’re willing to look beyond the most well-known ski resorts there are mountain towns that offer scenic views and well-groomed slopes at far more affordable prices. In Salt Lake City, the host city for the 2002 winter Olympics, the average home sale price has dropped by 11.92 percent since last year. And in Bend, Ore., average housing prices decreased by a whopping 17.62 percent since 2009. Redding, Calif. and Post Falls, Idaho have also experienced recent drops in average housing prices, which could mean bargains for newcomers. …
Check out these 10 affordable places to retire in the mountains:
Blacksburg, Va.
Bend, Ore.
Boone, N.C.
Bozeman, Mont.
Burlington, Vt.
Fayetteville, Ark.
Post Falls, Idaho
Redding, Ca.
Salt Lake City, Utah
We have POST FALLS Listings!
HIGHLANDS GOLF COURSE AREA
Priced to SELL FAST!
Gas Fireplace & 3 Car Garage
LARGE HOME & HUGE SHOP
on 4.5 Acres
4 Beds, 3 Baths
3240 Sq Ft
LEATHERWOOD LOT 1 & LOT 2
Build your Custom Estate
Two 10 Acre Parcels available
Lake Newman, Mountain & Valley Views
GREAT INVESTMENT PROPERTY
1800 sq ft Duplex
2BR/1BA Units
Great Rental History
Visit Our website,
www.RealEstate-Browser.com
Our Listings
as well as
ALL of the listings on the Coeur d’Alene Multiple Listing Service
plus our
Hot Sheet
(brand new listings on the market)
and
Market News
2011 Windermere Market Review
Our Annual Windermere Report (see link below) is an overview of last year’s real estate market and a forecast of the trends, opportunities, and challenges we can expect in the coming months.
Forecasting the future is always a risky business. However, we continue to remain optimistic about the future of our local real estate market. Why? Because families and retiring baby boomers will continue to seek out healthy communities that offer recreational opportunities, excellent schools and quality health care. And here in Kootenai County, we have these in abundance!
Are you interested in learning how all of this relates to the value of your property in today’s market? Whether you are evaluating investment strategies, tax or estate planning, or perhaps considering a change of address, we are here to help you! We would be happy to prepare a market value report for you, compiled on activity in your local neighborhood and specific to your property.
If you would like a custom market value report, or if you know of someone who needs professional advice regarding real estate, please don’t hesitate to call us.
In the meantime, we hope you find the “Windermere Report” informative. We look forward to talking to you soon.
Sincerely,
2011 Windermere Market Review
Good News: Existing Home Sales Jump
As you wander through life,
whatever be your goal,
keep your eye on the donut
and not on the hole!
-Sign in the Mayflower Coffee Shop, Chicago
This quote came to us through our Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty newsletter this week, and we thought you would appreciate it.
It’s also a great introduction to the Market News that we want to pass along to you today. It’s GOOD NEWS, especially in the context of the news of recent years.
Daily Real Estate News | January 20, 2011
REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-December Existing-Home Sales JumpExisting-home sales rose sharply in December, when sales increased for the fifth time in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 12.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million in December from an upwardly revised 4.70 million in November, but remain 2.9 percent below the 5.44 million pace in December 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said sales are on an uptrend. “December was a good finish to 2010, when sales fluctuate more than normal. The pattern over the past six months is clearly showing a recovery,” he said. “The December pace is near the volume we’re expecting for 2011, so the market is getting much closer to an adequate, sustainable level. The recovery will likely continue as job growth gains momentum and rising rents encourage more renters into ownership while exceptional affordability conditions remain.”
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $168,800 in December, which is 1.0 percent below December 2009. Distressed homes rose to a 36 percent market share in December from 33 percent in November, and 32 percent in December 2009.
“The modest rise in distressed sales, which typically are discounted 10 to 15 percent relative to traditional homes, dampened the median price in December, but the flat price trend continues,” Yun explained.
We’ve been focusing on the donut instead of the hole – and we’ve already closed several transactions in 2011!
We have strategies that WORK! We can help you buy or sell real estate this year. Call us Today!
Randy or Christy Oetken
208-660-0506
Browser’s Friends in Cougar Gulch
Browser wants to give a “Howl-Out” to our new friends in Cougar Gulch area. We sold them this property last year, and we were so pleased to receive their Christmas Card last month. Here are the pictures of their beautiful family enjoying Christmas in their new home!
We would LOVE to help you find your dream home! With low interest rates, abundant choices, and low prices, now is a great time to buy.
Let us help you Own The Lifestyle.
Visit Browser’s Photo Gallery of all his Friends on his Facebook Fan Page “Browser’s BFF’s“
Market News: 2011 Real Estate Market Forecast
We’re giving away FREE TURKEYS: Do you know someone in need?
Turkeys to Give Away
A recent Windermere food drive produced such overwhelming community response that the Food Bank has approximately 100 turkeys that need to be given away as soon as possible.
If you know of someone who might need a free turkey, please call like a turkey:
- Please respond by 4pm TODAY (Tuesday)
- Pick it up from the CDA Windermere office, (TOMORROW) Wednesday the 22nd by 10AM
· Please remember to come pick it up on Wednesday morning because we do not have a space to store the turkey for you.
Please call or e-mail us by 4PM Today!
208-660-0506
Browser Says: Don’t Forget the Pup This Christmas!
“Browser” is howling to all his Peeps: Don’t forget the Doggie this year!
And just ’cause he’s such a great guy, he’s found a great recipe site for you to sniff out. Lots of really yummy “looking” things for your favorite four-legged friend. They’d probably smell great, too!
He’d also like to do a little growling. His life has been “no treat” for the past year. Literally. A year ago, he was hospitalized for pancreatitis. (We were really concerned about him for a couple of weeks, but he pulled through.) Poor boy! Now his diet is very restricted. No more puppy treats for him…
Sometimes it just puts him in a “down-tail” mood. If it weren’t for his Friends …and Going Outside…and Snow-Mobiling…his life would be so dull!
So bake up a batch of one of these Doggie Treats for someone you love. (We’ve included a recipe below.)
And, some time soon, will you stop by our office to cheer up our old boy?
Cluck-A-Doodle-Doggie Treats
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
1 cup cooked chicken livers, chopped
Instructions
Combine flour and cornmeal in a bowl. In a large bowl add the egg, oil and broth and mix. Add the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time and mix well between additions. Add chopped chicken livers until well incorporated into a stiff dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and kneed for about 1 minute. Roll out to a thickness of about 1/2″. Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake treats for about 15 minutes or until firm.
Storing Dog Treats
In general you should store dog treats the same way you would homemade people cookies. That being said, there are two main variables that determine storage time – the amount and type of fat in the recipe and your local weather conditions. If your recipe uses fats such as butter, or meat bits or juices then it will be more prone to rancidity than a recipe that uses some vegetable oil or shortening. Your treats may mold or spoil much faster in humid or very hot climates.
Refrigeration and Freezing – Refrigeration will prolong the life of more fragile dog treats. Make sure to store in a tightly sealed container or zip lock bag. You can also freeze most treats in zip lock freezer bags. Allow to thaw completely before use.
Welcome to our Home…at Christmas
Especially during Christmas, our hearts long for the simpler days when a holiday was antipated not so highly for the piles of gifts, but simply for the chance to spend time with friends and loved ones.
Historians often tell of a bygone era, when Christmas was a day to receive visitors into our homes. Hosts would “lay out” an abundance of sweets and savories, ready to welcome their guests, and Townsfolk would promenade from house to house, greeting one and all, enjoying the food and the companionship of their friends and neighbors.
We’ve come a long way since those days. And while we’re a bit sad about the passing of such a warm tradition, we wondered if you might enjoy a tour of our home at Christmas?
We would offer you a cookie or a warm cup of Christmas Cheer if we could, but we do hope you’ll find yourself “at home” in our photo tour – as well as in our hearts – this holiday season.
Welcome to our home. May the blessings of this Christmas Season be yours!
Free Carriage Rides in Downtown Coeur d’Alene!
“Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, Hey!”
Here’s a FREE activity for the whole family to enjoy this holiday season in beautiful Downtown Coeur d’Alene!
Ride the horse-drawn carriage through downtown
[November 3, 2010]
Take a break from your busy holiday shopping and enjoy the slower pace of a free horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
Downtown Spokane
- November 26 through December 24
- 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. Fridays
- 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
- Special Christmas Eve rides from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
- Meet at Wall Street and Main Avenue
- All rides are FREE!
- Presented in partnership by STCU and Downtown Spokane
Downtown Coeur d’Alene
- December 4 through December 24
- 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays
- Special Christmas Eve rides from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
- All rides are FREE!
- Presented in partnership by STCU and the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association
You and your family, friends, and other romantics are sure to enjoy this enchanting holiday tradition provided by Spencer’s Carriages and Rocking K Ranch.
Reservations are not necessary. Bring a friend!
We discovered this at www.STCU.org
