Archive for June 2016
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Home Sales Preview, June 2016 |
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 Are home sales slowing down a smidge in June 2016? The graph above shows the number of contracts ratified in the first 27 days of June this year as compared to last year. As you can see, buyers have not quite been keeping up with the pace of contracts seen last year. Stay tuned for a full analysis of the most recent market data in the first week or two of July. And if you're a buyer -- go buy a house, and help out those 2016 numbers. ;-) | |
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Construction is booming, and limited building lots remain at Heritage Estates |
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 view a larger image Two homes sold this Spring in Heritage Estates -- two homes are under construction (and under contract) and two more deals are being finalized now. All that to say, there are only a limited number of building lots remaining at Heritage Estates, an active adult community on the West side of Harrisonburg. Find out more about Heritage Estates by visiting HeritageEstates.us. | |
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Mortgage interest rates continue to fall, now almost to 3.5% |
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 Well -- there has never been a better time to lock in an interest rate this year than RIGHT NOW! The average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate has continued to drop over the past month, to the current average rate of 3.54%. Perhaps it's silly, but I don't even have "rates will be going up soon" as a part of my vocabulary anymore. I said that for years (because that is what everyone assumed) and I was wrong, year after year. Sure, rates would go up a bit, but they'd then come right back down a few months later. So -- buyers, rejoice! If you are buying now/soon, you can lock in a super low mortgage interest rate on your mortgage! | |
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Construction continuing at a steady pace at The Glen at Cross Keys |
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 view a larger image As shown above, construction is moving along steadily at The Glen at Cross Keys -- with 58 out of 78 homes now under roof. Most of the recent builds have been the Sycamore and Paired Sycamore model that feature an open first floor plan with a two story great room. Click on the image below to view a photo set from a recent Sycamore home at The Glen at Cross Keys.  Click here to view available homes at The Glen at Cross Keys. | |
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The Reserve at Stoneport (high end rentals in Rockingham County) |
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 view a larger image  view a larger image These upscale apartments at The Reserve at Stoneport were built over the past year or two and many seem to be renting quickly. There are floor plans with anywhere from one to three bedrooms, with rental rates starting at $985/month for a one bedroom apartment -- and going up to $1500-$1700 or a three bedroom apartment. These apartments are certainly a unique addition to our local rental market and I have been pleasantly surprised that they have leased as quickly as they do. Larger metro areas certainly seem to have lots of these types of rental communities, but this was a first for Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. | |
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More on Stoneport, the mixed use development on Port Republic Road |
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 view larger image  view larger image In addition to Walmart opening at Stoneport, Bellaire at Stoneport is up and running as a new Assisted Living and Memory Care facility. The location of the new(ish) Sentara RMH Medical Center continues to draw plenty of new commercial development to the Port Republic Road and Stone Spring Road corridors. | |
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Dirt is moving to build new elementary school (Bluestone Elementary) in Harrisonburg |
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 view a larger image Dirt is moving on Garbers Church Road as the City of Harrisonburg works to construct a new elementary school -- next to Heritage Oaks Golf Course and across the street from Harrisonburg High School. Read all about the plans for this school in this Daily News Record article from April. | |
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Home Sales on the Rise in Local Market in May 2016 |
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 Learn more about this month's Featured Property: 1831 Manor Drive I just published my monthly report on the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County real estate market. Jump to the full online market report, watch the video overview below, or download the PDF, or read on for highlights.... First, a video overview....  Now, let's take a look at the overall market performance in May....  The local housing market is, again, showing signs of strength....
As shown above, there have been several months in particular -- January, March, May -- that have catapulted us to our current 15% improvement in home sales this year as compared to last year.
We have seen buyers signing contracts in record numbers over the past three months -- which bodes well for strong sales in June as well as (likely) July.
Buyers are buying faster than sellers are ready to sell. Inventory levels, as shown above, have declined 12% over the past year. Buyers are seeing fewer and fewer choices of homes to purchase.
Finally, the market graph we've all been waiting for -- as shown above, we are finally (!) approaching a perfect balance between buyers and sellers in our local market -- with almost exactly six months of supply available. This is a result of a slowly increasing pace of buying activity over the past few years -- and a slowly declining inventory level during the same timeframe. BUT WAIT -- remember -- all real estate is local, and sometimes that means down to the city, town or even neighborhood. If you are getting ready to sell your home, we should start by looking at these overall trends -- but then we'll need to dive much deeper into the analysis of your price range, neighborhood. property type, etc. There is more, oh so much more, in my full real estate market report. I have even made it very easily accessible for you to read online....
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SHARP DECLINE.... in local area unemployment rate!?! |
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 The local unemployment rate dropped quickly, drastically, sharply in April 2016. Waaaaay down to 3.2% -- which is the lowest rate on record in the past six years -- by far. Read some commentary on this news via last week's Daily News Record article, excerpted below. Unemployment in the Harrisonburg metropolitan area hit an eight year low in April, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. | |
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Walmart Neighborhood Market (on Port Republic Road) set to open June 15, 2016 |
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 (larger image) The new Walmart Neighborhood Market on Port Republic Road (in Stoneport) is scheduled to open on June 15, 2016.  (larger image) The front edge of Stoneport is now filled in with Bojangles, Wendy's and now this Walmart Neighborhood Market (and gas station). Also shown above (upper right quadrant) is nearby Sentara RMH Medical Center. | |
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Consider purchasing a Home Warranty for your home |
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 Click here to download the full information packet on home warranties from American Home Shield -- or read on for more details.... What is a Home Warranty? It's a one-year service agreement that covers the repair or replacement of many major home system components and appliances that typically breakdown over time due to normal wear and tear. Homeowners Insurance and a Home Warranty - What's the Difference? You sensibly protect your house with homeowners insurance. While homeowners insurance covers many appliances and system components in the event of a disaster (such as a fire), having an AHS® Home Warranty will cover those items against the high costs of repair or replacement in the event a breakdown occurs. Who is AHS? The leader in home warranties, AHS was founded in 1971 to help homeowners across the country protect their hard-earned investments. Recognized with the 2013 Best in Service Award from HomeWarrantyReviews.com and the 2014 Women's Choice Award, our customer service is well-respected, with professional agents ready 24/7 to accept your service requests.  AHS Home Warranty Packages There are three AHS Home Warranty packages available during the real estate transaction, making it easy for you to get exactly the coverage you need, at a price you can afford. ShieldEssentialSMAHS offers the same high level of coverage across all three packages, such as repairs and replacements for mismatched systems, undetectable pre-existing conditions, improper installations, lack of maintenance, rust and corrosion, and more.  Click here to download the full information packet on home warranties from American Home Shield. | |
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The BRICK vs VINYL showdown |
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How do homes with brick exteriors sell as compared to vinyl-sided homes? Let's take a look to see what the data shows us. To somewhat narrow the scope, this analysis only considers single family homes in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, sold for more than $300K, with at least 3000 SF, on less than an acre, that have sold in the past year.... More brick homes sell....  Brick homes tend to be larger....  Brick homes sell at higher prices....  Brick homes sell at a higher price per square foot....  | |
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Yes, location (location, location) but what else? |
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 What will it take to sell your house in today's real estate market? The age-old adage of "Location, Location, Location" still rings true – but since it is not cost effective to move your house, it may be helpful to focus on three areas that are under your control. These three areas are all essential to successfully selling your home. Price: Find Your Place In The Market. Before listing your home for sale it is essential to understand the dynamics of the current housing market – but don't stop there. Not only do you need to understand the general trends (sales pace, sales price, inventory, etc.) you also must dig deep to explore the specifics of the market that pertain to your particular home. How many houses have sold in your neighborhood in the past six months, and at what prices? What other neighborhoods will buyers be exploring? Are there 10 other houses on the market just like your house, or just two? For a thorough understanding of the local housing market, please refer to HarrisonburgHousingMarket.com. Condition: There's Old, Then There's Dilapidated. Even if your house is priced well compared to recently sold properties and currently available properties, we still need to position it to sell by optimizing its condition. Sometimes this is de-cluttering or simplifying. Sometimes a staging consultation will be helpful. Quite frequently, some minor repairs or cosmetic updates will help your property to sell. As we work to prepare your house to go on the market we will be focusing on improving the overall impression that buyers have of your house (old and dilapidated versus old but meticulously maintained) as well as eliminating potential objections that buyers might have that can easily be remedied before listing your home. Marketing: Put The Storyline On Display For Buyers. A well-priced home in excellent condition must be marketed well to attract potential buyers to come and view the property. These days, real estate marketing should start with excellent photography, and with special attention to lighting – a few photos from a smartphone aren't going to cut it. Beyond photography, it is important to focus on the storyline of the home – what are the selling points and the most attractive features? With photos and storyline in hand, we must then focus on widely exposing your home both online and in the real world. This likely means a brochure box next to your yard sign with color brochures, as well as an individual property web site, and broad syndication to a variety of online real estate web sites, and much more. Let's discuss how to best position YOUR home through the lenses of price, condition and marketing. | |
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Does a seller have to make all repairs discovered via a home inspection? |
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The short (and vague) answer is -- well, it depends on the terms of your contract. But, overall, here is how the inspection process typically flows....  As you can see above, after a buyer requests repairs (based on the home inspection) the seller can choose to make some, all or none of the requested repairs. The transaction (and negotiations) can then go in a few different directions based on that response. Learn more about the home buying process at....  | |
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Scott Rogers
Funkhouser Real
Estate Group
540-578-0102
scott@funkhousergroup.com
Licensed in the
Commonwealth of Virginia
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