S Oregon Market Talk, for December 19, 2018
I hope you’re having a wonderful Holiday Season. It sure seems busy everywhere I go in the Rogue Valley. The economy is doing well and its wonderful to see fellow Realtors and thousands of others helping our fellow citizens during this time of year.
Southern Oregon’s Real Estate market shows a slowdown as the Holiday’s approach, but none-the-less as you can see in the latest info below activity is taking place. Last week’s stats show pretty consistent activity among closed sales, pending sales and new listings. See below.
On last week’s Real Estate Show, we had the opportunity to meet with Kelley Skudstad, owner of the local House Masters franchise of home inspections. We’ve been on a winter kick to encourage you to get your home ready for the cold, wet weather of winter. Kelley share his experiences and explains how the franchising inspection business works. This show is presented by the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors.
Above: Kelley Skudstad and Pete Belcastro at KCMX Radio Studio.
On this week’s show we’ll get the latest mortgage information from Guy Giles of Bank 34 Mortgage. As the stock market has declined over the last few weeks, so have interest rates. Right now they’re hovering at below 5% for most conventional and government assisted loans. Also the FHA loan limits for 2019 were announced and our region will see an increase. See the amounts below.
Remember, FHA allows purchases of multi units as well as single family homes. The limits rose slightly from 2018. Finally this week, have you ever wondered about staging a home for sale. There is lots of discussion about does the expense of staging make a difference int he sale of a home? According to the latest stats, 68% of staged homes sold for more than those that did not stage. See below.
If you’re still not convinced, the above chart shows the impact on buyers of staged vs non-staged homes. Staging is noticed by potential buyers. Don’t over spend for staging either as it can be costly. Check with your real estate agent about potential stagers and various ways staging can be done if the home is vacant. If not vacant, a stager can still make your home look good to buyers by decluttering.
Have a wonderful Christmas Week. If you have any questions or comments please send them along. I am here through the New Year and can meet up anytime to discuss your options.
Email: petebelcastro@johnlscott.com
Phone or Text 541 621 7036
Happy Holidays to you all.