An Interest Rate Drop, A Can Of Paint And A Must See Video

First the interest rate drop.  Interest rates have dropped considerably in the last week and a half with the 30 year fixed rate mortgage falling from 6.20% to just 5.60%.  A more than welcome decrease.  Interest rates do continue to be very volitale.  This article on the CNBC website provides more details on the volitility.  FHA financing is the new trend in home mortages.  I will provide an update and more information on this in the next few days.

And what a little bit of paint can do for the appearance of a home listed for sale.  Especially in today’s real estate market, anything that can be done to make your home show better an dbe more appealing should be done. The freshness of a new coat of paint both visually and in the fresh smell when you walk in the door are hard to deny.  This is a great home in West Chester, Ohio, listed for $165,000 and is now freshly painted throughout most of the interior.  Click here to checkit out.

Living Room before:

 9287 Haden Lane, West Chester, Ohio 45069

 

Living Room after:

 9287 Haden Lane, West Chester, Ohio 45069

 

Lower Level Family Room before:

 9287 Haden Lane, West Chester, Ohio 45069

 

Lower Level Family Room after:

 9287 Haden Lane, West Chester, Ohio 45069

 

And finally… I saw this video on Seth Godin’s blog this week and had to pass it on:

 


Your comments and questions are always welcome!

posted by Eric Lowry
Email Me | Search For Homes
www.LowryTeam.com | P: (513) 874-1830

Real Estate Market Update For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio – February 2008

February 2008 Home Sales For West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

 

 

February 2007

February 2008

+ / -

Closed Units

82

79

-3.66%

Average Sale Price

$235,031

$228,849

-2.63%

Average Days On Market

82

84

+2.44%

Average List to Sale Price %

96.88%

95.19%

-1.69%

 

When is a decrease in home sales good news??

When the decrease in the number of closed units is the lowest percentage decrease in quite some time.

Home sales in West Chester and Liberty Township fell by 3.66% in February 2008 when compared to February 2007.  This is remarkable when you consider that the last couple of months decreases were 29.27% In January and 21.00% in December.  We are seeing sporadic increases of showing activity by buyers, however these showings are not resulting in an increase in sales as of yet, however this is clearly an improvement over the steep declines that we were seeing. 

The average sale price in West Chester and Liberty Township was $228,849 in February.   This is a lower average sale price than what was seen in February of 2007.  It is 2.63% lower than 2007.  This is certainly not surprising and continues to re-inforce the need to price your home aggressively to get it sold. 

Wondering what your home is worth??

Click here to find the current market value of your home

The average days on market rose to an average of 84 days on the market,  which is a 14 day increase over homes that closed in January and it is just a 2 day increase over February 2007.  Keep in mind, the "days on market" statistic is based on homes that have sold and closed, and is not impacted by homes that are still for sale.  So that home that you drive by everyday, that you know has been for sale for months and months, is not factored into this statistic.

The list price to sale price ratio was considerably lower again in February 2008 as compared to February 2007.  It fell 1.69 basis points from the prior year and was .09 basis points higher than January 2008.  This list to sale price ratio of 95.19% is one of the strongest indicators of jus how much of a buyer’s market this really is.

Mortgage rates have climbed considerably.   Mortgage rates which were hovering around 5.49% for a thirty year fixed rate mortgage just weeks ago, are now  at 6.05% for the same thirty year fixed rate mortgage.  I had many people tell me that they were waiting for rates to go even lower when they were at 5.49%.  These people waited to buy or refinance and missed out on a great rate.  Will the rates return to these lower levels??  Only time will tell.  My guess is they may not get below 5.50%  again for quite some time.  If they do, I sure wouldn’t wait again!

As always I will continue to monitor these market numbers  for West Chester and Liberty Township Ohio and will share them as they become available.  Should you have particular questions about these numbers please let me know!

If you would like to learn the current market value of your home I would be happy to provide you with it.

Moving to West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason Or Cincinnati, Ohio?  Click here to receive our Relocation Packet, full of information and completely free, with no obligation!

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

posted by Eric Lowry
Email Me | Search For Homes
www.LowryTeam.com | P: (513) 874-1830

Development/New Business Information In West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

There are so many new businesses and developments happening in our area at any one time that it is difficult to keep track of all of them. 

Here are links to a couple of them that caught my eye as being interesting and/or good additions to our area.  (It should be noted that there are many more than the couple noted here).

The first is a very interesting article in the Sunday Cincinnati Enquirer on the development of the Union Centre Blvd area.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/BIZ01/803090329

Of course the article is very timely due to the opening of the Ikea store this week.

Also opening a new store this week in Liberty Township, Ohio is Play It Again Sports, again in the Enquirer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/BIZ01/803090335/1076/BIZ

Your comments and questions are always welcome!

 

posted by Eric Lowry
Email Me | Search For Homes
www.LowryTeam.com | P: (513) 874-1830

New Listing In West Chester, Ohio 45069 – Saratoga Farms

My Newest Listing…

 8894 Steeplechase Way, West Chester, Ohio 45069

8894 Steeplechase Way

West Chester, Ohio 45069

Lakota Schools

$200,000  - Four Bedrooms – Two Full Baths, One Half Bath

This is a beautiful, move in ready home in Saratoga Farms:

  • Bright, Open Floor Plan
  • Warm,Inviting Family Room w/ Fireplace
  • Formal Living and Dining Rooms
  • Large Kitchen Features New Hardwood Floors, Breakfast Nook & Island
  • Terrific Luxury Master Suite w/ Adjoining Garden Bath & Huge Walk-In Closet
  • Many Updates Including New Exterior Doors (08) & Windows (07)
  • One Year Home Warranty
  • Close To Schools, Shopping, Dining & Expressways!

To see more information on this home including many more photos and a virtual tour click here

Moving to West Chester or Liberty Township, Ohio?  Request our Relocation Packet  It’s full of information about our area!

Election Day In West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio

Tuesday, March 4th is of course election day in Ohio.   There is no way that you could not know this, from the yard signs to the phone calls to the television and radio ads and everything else. 

Just a reminder though, that you do need your photo id to be able to vote.  This is a relatively new requirement and unless you voted in November you may not be aware of it.

If you need further election information click here for the Butler County Board of Elections website.