Mixed Messages:

Well, I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday--lots of friends and family from everywhere. We pared our table from last year's record 30 guests to a mere 23 this year and still had a wonderful time!

Now for housing: The latest stats seem to be throwing mixed messages at us. Nationally, prices dropped, although here in Marin, they showed increases in the under $1 million market and some reductions above that, on average. However, many statistics showed increases in numbers sold over the like period from a year ago.

What does this mean for you? Well, it shows a couple of things. First, many folks are still concerned about the market, and yet are willing, for the right price, to jump in and buy. It also seems to be occurring during the long-traditional holiday slowdown that occurs almost every year at this time, and continues until a couple of weeks past New Year's Day. So, while people are buying, seeing prices flat, or in some cases down, isn't entirely unusual at the present time.

Should you place your home on the market now? That depends on whether you have to sell, or are willing to wait for the start of the 2011 market. Analysts are predicting a slow and very gradual rise in prices overall beginning next year. Does a month really make that much difference? It can definitely have an effect. How much depends on how people feel at that time, and we'll have to wait to see just how things look then to be certain.

Buyers:

still a great time to jump in and grab a home, whether it's a normal sale, a short sale or taking a foreclosed home off a bank's hands. Either way, give us a call--we'd be happy to help!