Friday, April 27, 2018

Your April 2018 Market Update




What is going on in the market today? Here is an update for Lane County.

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Today I have your monthly market update for Lane County. In terms of home activity for the month of April, there is actually some good news: the number of listings is up 42% from the month before.

The bad news is that we’ve had an upswing in pendings, as well. As a matter of fact, those have wiped out all our inventory gains. We’re down to 1.4 months’ worth of inventory. That means if we have no additional listings come on to the market, we will sell all of what we have in about 42 days. 

Of course, this makes purchasing a home quite a bit more difficult for buyers, especially because there are a lot of multiple offers going on at the moment. What does that mean for all of us?

Recently we’ve seen a small increase in the number of homes people are putting on the market. The reason they’re doing that is simple: they know that at this time there’s a shortage of listings, making it a good time to sell.


Don’t let the market situation scare you one way or the other.


We also know that interest rates are starting to creep up. If you’re thinking about selling a home but aren’t sure if you should list now or wait until, say, the fall, the interest rates will be higher then. That won’t work to the advantage of the buyer or seller. Now is certainly the better time to put your home on the market.

You also need to remember that, yes, our inventory is lacking, but it’s going to improve. The average amount of inventory is six months’ worth, and the average interest rate is about 6%. We are well below both of those numbers.

If you have any questions or need help buying or selling a home, please feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to sit down and discuss your situation.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A Springtime Outdoor Home Maintenance Checklist




I have some spring maintenance tips for your the outside of your home that will have your yard looking its best.

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I dressed up just for springtime today to give you a quick spring outdoor maintenance checklist. These tips will have your home looking its best in no time:

  • Clear your lawn of debris such as sticks and branches
  • Rake the leaves in the garden beds and the corners of the yard
  • Replace your old mulch with fresh new mulch
  • Divide and take care of your perennials
  • Wash off the outdoor furniture
  • Take care of and clean your bbq
  • Reattach your hoses to your faucets
  • Apply weed killer and fertilizer to your lawn and overseed bare spots
  • Power-wash, sand, and stain your deck if needed
  • Clean the siding and touch up the paint
  • Wash your outdoor wood furniture
  • Check the propane tank on your grill
  • Repair any broken screens
  • Clean your gutters and exterior windows
  • Fix and seal any cracks in your driveway
  • Plant your summer flowers and bulbs and cut down any woody stems from your plants
Lastly, a quick note on power-washing. It’s easy to select the wrong setting on a power washer and make divots in the wood siding of your house, so double-check that you have it on the “spray” cycle when you use your power washer. I know from experience!


These tips will get you ready to enjoy your first week of great springtime weather.



If you have any more questions about outdoor home maintenance items or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in our market, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.