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What a weekend for the Valley. We have great weather, the Final Four is here with all it’s affiliated concerts and events, the Coyotes are hosting the Capitals, and opening day for the Diamondbacks is Sunday. Jeesh! If you can’t have fun in this town, you’re just not trying!

Terravita had a good month with 13 homes going under contract in the month of March. Historically, that number is actually a bit low. The five year average for March is 16 homes under contract, but I think in our new normal, with lots of new home competition, 13 is a good number. That should keep Terravita on track for a year much like last year with just about one hundred sales for the year. So things are looking good locally.

Nationally, there is also much to be optimistic about. The economy looks strong as March saw consumer confidence surge to a 16+ year high, and the GDP grew over 2% in the first quarter. The housing market saw pending sales up well over last year’s numbers, and home prices jumped to their highest levels in 3 years.

When you consider all the info above, if you own real estate in Terravita, there is a lot to feel great about. Now if you can avoid any April Fool’s Jokes today . . .

By the way, for all of you pet lovers, Trulia has recently launched listings for your pets! Your pets will now have access to an online directory of “Rental Pawperties” for dog houses! Check out the full story here: Trulia Pets

Here are the March 2017 Terravita Real Estate Market Statistics:

The Farmer’s Almanac says that “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.” March isn’t coming in like a lamb this year, it is more like a duck! Is anyone else sick of the rain here? I know we need the water, and I’m happy California is out of their drought, but c’mon. Enough is enough!

The weather certainly didn’t help Terravita sales in February. Seven homes under contract is lower than the historical averages for this month, and that could be due to the poor weather. It is more likely that sales are coming later into the season again this year as they did in 2016. We will keep our eye on it for you. Not to worry.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Scott Gaertner Group is excited to announce its newest family member, and in this case it really is a family member! Scott’s oldest son, Ryan, will focus primarily as a buyer’s agent for our team. A graduate of Arizona State University, he has worked in business to business sales for the past four years and is excited to join our team.

Ryan and his wife Morgan just had their first child, Madilynn Shea Gaertner, in December. That being said, he is motivated to work harder than anyone to help you or someone you know looking to buy a home! He will be doing a lot of open houses in the upcoming months. So if you see one of our signs, pop in! He would love to meet you!

Here are the February 2017 Terravita Real Estate Market Statistics:

Given the crazy, cold, wet weather we had in January, Terravita had a decent sales month. The 7 homes that went under contract was just about normal. And the average price per foot was above the 12 month running average, so I think we should call January a win and hope it is a trend. Speaking of trends . . .

Some of you may have already seen my Terravita Year In Review mailer, but I thought I might share a portion of that here for those who have not. It describes what might be an interesting trend in the Terravita market:

Averages can be deceiving. Our team studies much more than averages so that we can accurately counsel our clients. When you look beyond averages, you see that there are important trends which can dramatically impact both our marketing and your pricing. A good example would be the size of homes sold. When you look at the average size of Terravita homes sold in recent years, you don’t see much of a difference. But let’s take a look at what happens when you chart the median size of homes sold over the last few years:

See the trend line there? Think that might be important to know? It certainly could be. And that is just one example.

Studies show that consumers value “local knowledge” and “trust” as the two highest qualities for their real estate agent. For the past 24 years, and for over 500 home sales, I have done all I can to protect Terravita values and ensure my clients get the absolute best deal possible.

The final whistle of the Super Bowl marks the beginning of Terravita’s best selling season or what we call the “Terravita Super Season.” If you are considering selling your home this year, call me first and let me show you why I can confidently say that I will sell your home for more than it is worth, and I can do it for as little as a $990 full commission!

Wishing you a year filled with peace and prosperity!

 

Terravita had a slightly below average month with just 8 homes going under contract. As I ran the numbers, my initial reaction was dissapointment but then I remembered the election! More so than I can remember, people felt the consequenses were dire no matter which way the election went. Given the discomfort in the country, it was probably a good sales month. And no matter how you feel about the election, those interested in real estate should probably feel optimistic. After all the new president is a real estate broker!

Speaking of optimism . . . I am just going to throw this out there as food for thought. Most of my readers are smarter than I am anyway, so I figure my job is to give you the information and let you do with it what you will. So here you go: Over the last couple of months, I have heard rumblings of a real estate bubble popping again. Nothing big, and nobody sticking their necks out very far, but who knows. Here are a couple of related pieces for your inspection.

What’s behind a sudden foreclosure spike

Podcast: A 2017 housing crash? (Don’t say we didn’t warn you) If you knew in 2006 that the housing crash was coming, what would you have spent your time doing?