According to an article in BusinessWeek and Yahoo! Finance from November 6th, 2009, our great little town of Mount Vernon Washington is expected to top the Nation's job growth in the first three months of 2010.
Wow!
The article says that our "tourism, retail and hospitality will make a comeback as the economy improves." I think that is outstanding and likely to become the reality.
In Real Estate, we're already seeing the recovery. In the latest monthly recap published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, Pending Sales in the month of October 2009 were up an amazing 94.44% from the October 2008 Sales in Skagit County.
Simply amazing! The recovery is here and it is real.
Add this to the near historic low interest rates and the $8,000 First Time Buyer Tax Credit, or the $6,500 Tax Credit to people that have owned their home for at least 5 years and you have a fantastic opportunity for buying real estate! If you've been waiting for the right time to buy, wait no longer!
I hate to borrow a line from Bill Clinton, but it just seems too appropriate not to.
The DOW has had an average monthly gain of 636 points for the last 4 months. (3/2/09 it closed at 6,626.94 and 8/1/09 it closed at 9,171.61). During trading today, I saw the DOW at 9,490 as the momentum keeps marching on.
Residential Home Sales in Skagit County with transactions "Pending" gained 37.93% comparing June 2008 with June 2009, according the Northwest Multiple Listing Service's Monthly Recap for June 2009. June 2008 had 116 residential homes with transactions "Pending", June 2009 had 160 residential homes with transactions "Pending") The same report shows a 22.77% gain in Pending Sales across the whole NW Multiple Listing Service, which represents the bulk of the State. Way to go Washington State!
The Federal Government's "Cash for Clunkers" program is so wildly successful that they nearly used up the One Billion Dollars in the first week of the program. At the $4,500 maximum per car, this represents over 220,000 "clunkers" traded in on more efficient cars. Wow!
Positive momentum is here! There can be no doubting it anymore!
The economists always say "Buy Low, Sell High." Well, it seems that we have reached the low and are starting to go up again. The "Time to buy" is here. Whether you're looking to buy a house, a car, or some stock; do it soon.
The DOW just closed today's trading at 8,750 (up about 75 points). A good day on Wall Street.
It got me thinking though.... 9,000 is in sight. How high was it before the big market crash? I looked up the 52 week range and found a high of 12,610.96 and a low of 6,469.95.
The mid-point is 9,540.45. When the DOW reaches this, it will have re-gained half of what was lost. Considering that the DOW has averaged more than 700 points gained per month for the last 3 months, we may well have regained half of what was lost before the end of June if the current trends continue.
The Nation's economic recovery is well underway! Believe it! Talk about it! Live it!
For those that follow me around they find out I get a lot done in a day. Some will ask, what is your secret? So
A Secret To Productivity.
Before I give MY answer it is also important to get the RIGHT things done not just getting things done in general.
My secret? "Do, Don't Plan!!!"
I am not discounting to do lists, and the importance of short term or strategic planning. But coming from someone who burned too much daylight in analysis paralysis and fence sitting in an earlier stage of my life I don't do that anymore. Time is a wasting. The key to being highly productive is one word: ACTION. You have to do. You have to delegate. You have to leverage all your resources time, energy, and money.
Clean your house? Do it. Get your website polished? Do it. Check in on family or friends? Pick up the phone. Do it. Take a class? Look at the calendar and register. Do it?
Am I starting to sound like a slogan from a famous shoe brand you know?
I cannot underemphasize the power in your life to get things done by just applying energy to something. Do, don't plan in the execution step of something. I agree sometimes that first step of getting the motor started in cleaning that desk or writing that thank you or love letter is the toughest. But if you will just do, not plan or think so much, you will be amazed what you accomplish in a day. Oh look there I just did another do it with writing a blog. But I have to go now. More, many more things left to do today. Be the Energizer Bunny when it comes to accomplishing things. Start today, don't plan for it tomorrow. By doing it today you get one more day in your life of things done. Trust me, people will notice this NEW difference in you. A very positive one. Someone who doesn't just talk or think. Get out of your head, and
It has been a long hard fight, but the REALTORs have come out on top!! If the banks had won, real estate agents may have become as scarce as travel agents within a few years.
On Wednesday, March 11th, 2009, President Obama signed HR 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. Among the bill's many provisions, is one that affects us all. Banks are now permanently prohibited from getting involved in real estate brokerage and property management.
This obviously benefits us in that banks won't be able to squeeze us out, but it also benefits our clients. As agents, we work for them and watch out for their interests, instead of the banks' bottom line.
Make no mistake! The economic recovery is well underway in this country!
From March 2nd, 2009 through April 22nd, 2009 the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the DOW) has gained a whopping 1,395 points. Not bad for less than 8 weeks!
It certainly has been a rough 12 months that has affected the entire nation. Just a year ago, the DOW was around 13,000 points. An incredible amount of wealth in this country has been lost over the last year. I'm not losing sight of that. However; a recovery or rebound is clearly visible.
On March 2nd, 2009 the DOW was at 6,626 points compared with the 8,021 points during today's trading just a few minutes ago.
It is time to get going with the American Dream again! Invest in a house, buy some stock, get yourself or your family a nice car or something. The bargains out there are amazing.
The news reports are still mixed. There are still many good signs as well as bad, but like all of the other recessions America has ever faced, this recession will end.
This is America! It is time for our people to remember that!
Jim Marks wrote a really good list of things needed to have a real estate web-site that works. I'm going to be reviewing my web-site tonight with his list in hand to see what should be done for my site...
Whether you are building a standalone website or an Active Rain outside blog, here are 11 things you MUST consider when creating an effective Real Estate Website...
1) Properties for sale, Properties for sale, Properties for sale
A quick trip to adwords will prove to you that searchers are NOT searching for Realtors on the web, they are looking for property. So if we KNOW that searchers are searching for property, why would be host a REALTOR web site, instead of a Real Estate Website… Answer? We Wouldn’t… would we.
2) Not a good IDX, but a Great IDX
Your IDX is the most useful tool on your site. This tool allows your reader to search every property on the MLS, and then contact YOU to learn about it… Great IDXs have super easy to use interfaces, with cool ways to sort porperties and terrain style maps… My fave? Diverse Solutions Why settle for a poor IDX, when the price difference between a poor IDX and a best of breed IDX is $20/month…
3) Up to date VALUABLE market info
As a Realtor that most common question you get asked is most likely “Hows the Market Doing?” How do you answer? Here’s the proper answer..” Well currently it is ….., but this is a unique and exciting market and it turns on a dime. Tell you what, if you want weekly, up-to-date market information emailed right to you, here’s my card, go to my website and subscribe. I send valuable info, weekly for no cost and no obligation…” Need the info to provide? There is NO ONE better than Altos Research.
4) Custom Neighborhood Content
No, not cut and pasted, regurgitated drip. Your personal opinions, and impressions describing what YOU love about each neighborhood. If you give YOUR honest opinions of a neighborhood, and one of your readers feels a bond with your opinion, could they really NOT choose you as their Realtor?
5) Micro Searches
Why would a Real Estate searcher use YOUR site to search, instead of a National site, like Zillow, or Trulia. Once they know which neighborhood they would like to buy in, give them a link to only search and receive updates on that neighborhood, then you have offered a service that very few, if any, other web sites will offer them… this is your compeitive advantage.
6) Interesting Dynamic Lists
Your readers love lists. Create a list for the 5 least expensive properties in your area,5 most expensive, 5 best values, (you can actually blog by phone from your weekly caravan and update a “This weeks breaking values” list.) Give your readers a reason to come back and check these lists, over, and over.
7) Your Voice As a Realtor
Your most important value is KNOWLEDGE. Use your website as a tool to show your Realtors that you are the Defacto authority regarding Real Estate in your market. Take quick notes of daily questions your clients are asking you, and post them to your web, with the answers you gave. You own the knowledge your prospects need. Give it away.
8 ) Subscription Button (RSS)
Give your readers the ability to subscribe to your pearls of wisdom. Once they subscribe, they will get all your updated info, when you update it.
9) Video… Add video to your website
Tips for first time homebuyers, Neighborhood walk arounds, Community events, etc. Video give your readers a chance to see your personality.
10) Contact Info, Contact Info, Contact Info…
Make your contact info SUPER Visable on your HOMEPAGE, (not a contact page) Make sure you list multiple ways to contact you. Phone, email, chat,etc. When web readers want to speak to you, don’t make them wait. Make sure they can fine the info easily, and make your self available by THEIR favorite method of Communication.
11) Call to Action
Tell you reader what YOU expect their next action to be. Sunscribe here!, For more detail call (XXX) XXX-XXXX, To receive weekly market reports, enter your email HERE!! Tell them specifically what you want them to do and give them the opportunity to do it easily, and immediatly!!
Today, the Commerce Department announced that U.S. housing starts jumped a staggering 22.2 percent to an annual rate of 583,000 units last month. That is the biggest percentage rise since 1990.
Housing (banking) led us into this economic mess and it will be housing that leads us out of this mess...
Last week, CitiBank shocked everyone by turning a profit.
This week, home builders shocked everyone by actually building homes again. This announcement comes as the first gain in housing starts since April of last year.
Wall street understood the meaning of this announcement and posted a 178.73 point (2.48%) gain for the Dow, NASDAQ posted a 58.09 point (4.14%) gain, and the S&P 500 gained 24.23 points (3.13%) on the Commerce Department's great announcement.
All last week, I was reading stories by the various so called experts saying that this month's housing news from the Commerce Department will be more bad news... In reality, this day or this week may well mark the turning point in the market. 5 out of the last 6 Wall Street sessions ended the day in the green... The economic recovery has begun!
My Son, Steven Michael Sauneuf, was born at 8:24pm on February 10th, 2009.
He weighed 8 Pounds, 15.1 Ounces and Measured 22 Inches Long.
Maggie and the Baby are both doing great!
Steve is about six weeks old now. How fast he's growing/developing is shocking! He's already outgrowing all of the 0 to 3 month clothes. He can roll over from his belly to his back on his own and in the last couple days he has learned how to smile.... Wow, can he melt your heart with that one...
I've been away from BLOGging for a while... Make that a long while...
My Wife Maggie and I had a baby on February 10th. With all the lead-up of her being pregnant and childbirth classes to take, and simply having to do more of the chores around the house there simply wasn't time for BLOGging.... Certainly at least there was not time to do it right.
Steve, our new baby is starting to get used to being in the world and Maggie and I are getting used to having him in our lives. Finally, a somewhat regular routine has developed and life is getting back to our version of normal - or something like that... ;-)
In short, I think I've got the time to BLOG again. I'm even getting enough sleep to be able to write something coherantly. So, like I said in the title.... "I'm Baaaacccck!"
If you're curious about Steve, look for my next BLOG, where the new and proud Dad will brag on his Son....
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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