Take a Look at The Real Numbers

Everyone has an opinion about the real estate market. The media, neighbors and family all sound off with voices that are often compelling, especially if you are considering making a move by either a purchase or sale of real estate.

Turn off the voices inside your head. When you are in the housing market everyone wants to give you advice, including the media, neighbors, and family. You would do best to listen to a trusted professional's advice, rather than the voices of these others. Frankly, the decision to buy or sell a home is huge, and listening to these other sources may not be in your best interests. The media reports gross numbers usually on a national basis, which has only limited utility for an individual. Polling the neighbors is never a great idea when you are making a large purchase or sale. And family. Uncle Ernie and sister Sue have been butting into your business for years, whether it is a control issue or they just have an opinion about everything. While we love our relatives, their advice is sometimes just plain wrong.

Where can you turn to for sound advice? First, insist on a look at the real numbers... the numbers in your local market or the area where you want to buy or sell. My website at www.SCVhometeam.com keeps active links to the most recent data in our local market area. The data has been formatted to be fairly easily understood, and we keep them posted here because the numbers form the foundation for our services to our clients, whether they are buyers or sellers.

What do the numbers say? It appears to us that this is a remarkably stable market, albeit there is a reduced sales volume in both numbers of homes sold and in total dollar volume. However, the prices show great stability for both single family detached homes and for attached homes such as condos and townhouses. Home ownership is not a month-to-month investment, but something that you both live in and leverage for long-term wealth creation.

Just as you wouldn't turn to the media or relatives for legal representation or medical treatment, why should it be any different when it comes to real estate counsel? That is where I come in. I'll give it to you straight. Sometimes folks would be better off staying right where they are. If so, I tell them that. Usually, however, people delay a decision to make a move well beyond the time that they should, either living in a home that no longer suits their lifestyle or delaying a purchase and long-term, hurting their opportunities. While I only get paid after an escrow closes, if a move doesn't work for my clients I'll tell them and they can make up their own minds. When it makes sense to make a move, I'll work with you from beginning to end, and beyond.

But the place to start is with your needs and goals. Give me a call and let's get started.