One problem that we now have in the post meltdown world is the banks desire to "cherrypick" loans. The banking industry was giving away money to anyone and apparently everyone 12 months ago. Now the pendulum has swung over to the other side and they are unwilling to lend to even qualified candi
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01/13/2009
Not a lot of "news" with this Northwoods News. December results were on the lackluster side. Our best month was January with sales of 158 units followed by May with sales of 128 units. The slowest month was February with sales of 53 units. 2008 was a slow year in terms of sales volume.
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01/06/2009
Like we need more hurdles? Secondary home sales are a different breed to begin with. It is a very emotional experience. After all, who really "needs" a lake home. With the highs of great economic environments you also get lows like 40% drop offs in volume like we are presently seeing here in
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12/30/2008
Not a significant change from last month's numbers. What we look at is the average home sale price year to date versus previous years' average home sale price. It is a running average and changes monthly. Thus far, prices are holding reasonably steady. Volume is significantly off; particu
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12/19/2008
Winters are long here in the Northwoods. That is not a bad thing. Few things are more exhilirating than snow shoeing or skiing and coming in to a warm fire! One of my personal joys is listening to the lake. In the summer, I never tire of hearing the waves lapping at the shoreline. In the wint
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12/09/2008
Joe Spake and Marketing Sherpa are dead on with this blog.Noticed how the local newspaper looks a little thinner lately? It is especially obvious to me in Sunday Real Estate supplement. It's not just the current economic situation that is causing the decreased amount of print advertising, it is m
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12/06/2008
It's getting more difficult to put a positive spin on things. The pink curve says a lot of things about the market. Our typical hot season is now passed and the mountain of sales units that we usually build in July through October is decidedly clipped this year. The positive spin I will poin
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12/04/2008
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on
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11/25/2008
The story behind the story. The Wisconsin REALTORS Association just published their monthly numbers showing the number of sales and average sales price by county. It does not look very good for the Northwoods. Vilas County sales are off by 47%. Oneida County is not far behind -39%. The ave
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11/19/2008
The majority of Americans went to the polls voting for change last Tuesday. President-Elect Obama is busy getting his cabinet together. I was hopeful that we would get more "Mr. Smith's" and less "Washington Insiders". I think Mr. Smith's bring a sense of optimism. They also leave the politic
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11/13/2008
