Happy American Canyon Buyers and Los Altos Sellers!
The last day of 2011 and what a year it has been. When January 2011 came around, I had no idea where I was going or what the year was going to bring. My first post was about the increased and difficult business of real estate. Thankfully the volume continued and I am pleased to report that I closed more transactions than I have in any other year of my real estate career. The year finished as it had begun with a flurry of activity. Alas, the difficultly continues as sales are plagued with late appraisals, slow loan approvals and the hurry-up-and-wait process of short sales and bank-owned properties. Home values have continued to decline except in those few areas where the prices fell so precipitously that there is nowhere to go but up – specifically Rohnert Park has seen some price increases in single family homes. This December was a very busy month. Not only was I working on Sonoma County real estate but I closed transactions in American Canyon (Napa County), Los Altos (Santa Clara County) and Lakehead (Shasta County). These put a few miles on my car but I love working with great folks and these buyers and sellers were top-notch in my book. I would go anywhere in the State of California for people like them. And speaking of going – I only attended 8 parties in 14 days during this frenzy of work. I needed a rest week after Christmas.
View from a Bedroom Window - No difference which one - they are all fantastic!
I am starting 2012 with a listing that I expect to be of great interest to anyone looking for a luxury weekend getaway. Privacy, space and up-to-the-minute elegance is the best description. This modern tree house is in a wonderfully sunny spot on Green Valley Road. It will hit the market late January and you can be certain that you will see it on this blog. There are many people looking for bargains in real estate and I am working to serve them. But enough about 2012. This post is about 2011!
The statistics for this blog were sent to me today. Around 5,300 hits in 2011 with 35 posts. I have made a New Year’s resolution that you will get a weekly update on Sonoma real estate. This is something I follow and I should be sharing the information. I was surprised to learn that my most read post in 2011 was the one I wrote in May of 2009 on our Redwood Empire Rose Show. I guess that tells me that I should be more diligent about reporting on the Rose Society. And, of course, I will continue sharing events around Sonoma County and my travels. I don’t expect much traveling this year but then, one never knows.
Just a quick report on the Sonoma County real estate numbers. Here are some numbers comparing November 2010 to November 2011. The months of inventory (meaning – at the rate houses are selling, how many months would it take to sell all the houses on the market if no new ones were added for sale) has dropped significantly from 5.9 months to 3.3 months. This is an indicator that buyers are taking advantage of these great prices and low interest rates. Another interesting fact is that while the average list price has increased from $616,000 to $773,000 (about a 25% increase), the averages sales price has only increased from $374,000 to $386,000 (only a 3% increase). This tells us that more expensive houses are coming onto the market as owners realize that holding out for better prices may not be a good idea. The lower priced homes are not getting any lower and the higher priced homes are seeing a price compression.
Maike in Kauai
This last week I have spent on Kauai with my granddaughter – oh, and her parents and my friend, Katy. What a great way to spend Christmas – no hassle, no clean up, no expectations. We have had a wonderful time and I may get to reporting on our activities here. But now it is New Year’s Eve and I wish the very best of 2012 to all my readers, colleagues and friends.
View of Bali Hai from the St. Regis Beach
We had a wonderful time with you! I need a bigger version of that picture of Maike…