With the unprecedented growth experienced by JMU and the Shenandoah Valley the time is now for a facility to showcase and build upon the economic vibrancy of the region. The 8,500-seat structure will play host to a myriad of events annually, including basketball games, public speakers, university convocation and graduation, high school graduation ceremonies, concerts, conventions, trade shows and family entertainment options.

• my website or mobile app
   
  
• other company or agent websites
   
  
• Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Zillow.com
   
  
• etc., etc., etc.

Well, after many years of using a system called "Navica" to power our local MLS, our local Realtor association changed over to a new MLS technology provider this week, called "Paragon".

Here's what that means for you....

• When viewing properties online, you may notice some discrepancies or issues on various websites over the next few weeks as the data is cleaned up, converted, etc. 
   
  
• When viewing properties in person, the print out of property information about the house will now look different.
   
• Depending on how you were receiving notifications of new listings, price changes, etc., those alerts may or may not still come to your inbox.  Most particularly, if you were receiving them directly from Navica, they will assuredly be stopping very soon.
  

We are a community of entrepreneurs, creators, innovators, designers, writers, digital nomads, remote workers, and  freelancers. We welcome anyone who seeks an inspiring downtown location to work that exudes a spirit of collaboration and keeps an eye on the greater good.

• Free Wi-Fi
  
• Free Coffee
  
• Phone Booth
  
• Storage
  
• Kitchen & Shower
  
• Event Space
  
• Conference Rooms
  
• Key Fobs
  

We are strategically located across from the Ice House, home to the Small Business Development Center, JMU's Center for Entrepreneurship, Shenandoah Valley Partnership, and Shenandoah Valley Technology Council. This corner of downtown has ample parking and is booming with new businesses including yoga & pilates, restaurants, coffee shops and Pale Fire Brewery.

   

A contest among local entrepreneurs with ideas for foodrelated businesses comes to a close Monday night.

The public is encouraged to attend the finale of the What's Cooking concept competition, set for 6 to 9 p. m. at Court Square Theater and Capital Ale House.

The contest began in the fall and was open to any entrepreneur operating or looking to operate a food- related business in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County. The two governments are major sponsors of the event.

Joyce Krech, director of the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center, said that 11 conceptual plans related to food businesses have been submitted for judging by a panel of experts, as well as the public.

Attendees of the final pitches Monday are invited to vote for the People's Choice award.

Those turning out for the presentations, she said, will get to hear about concepts that could turn into viable businesses and perhaps even realize ways to be part of the process.

1. Obtain a pre-approval letter from a lender.
    
2. View the property.
    
   
3. Ask follow up questions of seller.  (utility costs, age of house components, reasons for selling, motivation level, timing logistics)
    
   
4. Research comparable sales to determine market value.
    
5. Research restrictive covenants, deed restrictions, septic system details, survey, etc.
    
6. Discuss negotiation strategies.
    
7. Determine main terms of offer.  (price, timing, contingencies)
    
8. Draft and review offer documents.
    
9. Sign (in person or electronically) offer documents.
    
10. Submit offer documents to the seller and (patiently?) wait.
    

Saturday, April 18th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm

Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday:  12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

• Most housing market analysts consider six months of inventory (active listings) to be an indicator of a balanced market (between buyers and sellers).
   
  
• The "BUYERS" trend line above is illustrating how many buyers are buying in a six month period - though I have normalized this trend line for market seasonality by looking at it over a twelve month period.  Thus, every data point is the sum of the previous twelve months of sales, divided by two.
   
• The "SELLERS" trend line above is illustrating how many sellers are in the market (active listings) at any given time - though I have normalized this trend line for market seasonality by averaging the previous 12 months of inventory levels to arrive at each data point.
  

1. The pace of home sales has increased 18% in 2015-Q1.
    
2. The median sales price has increased by 3% year-over-year to $177,125.
    
   
3. The time it takes to sell a home (days on market) has decreased by 12% year-over-year.

• There are 12% fewer single family homes on the market today as compared to one year ago.
   
• There are 16% more townhouses, duplexes and condos on the market today as compared to one year ago.

For regular readers of my market report, you'll find everything a bit mixed up this month -- but hopefully the new organization will be more helpful for you as you study the market.  My monthly report is now organized into the following categories.....

OK, that's it for the summary -- read the rest of my market report online or by downloading the full PDF. 

And above all, if you will be buying or selling a home in the near future, become a student of the housing market!  Learn what has been happening recently, what is happening now, and what is likely to happen next.  Being informed will allow you to make better real estate decisions. 

If you are ready to buy or sell a property in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County, contact me at 540-578-0102 or scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com to get the process started.

• 115 buyers signed contracts to buy homes
• 105 sellers signed listing agreements to list their homes