Angie Shirk
Hunziker & Associates
105 S.16th Street, Ames, IA, 50010
515-450-8118
ashirk1@hotmail.com
The Number of Ames Homes for Sale
The graph to the immediate right shows that the number of homes listed for sale right now is at a record low (see the green square at the bottom left). So if you are thinking about putting your home on the market, now would be an ideal time!
January contracts accepted - Sale Pendings
The number of contracts this January was at a normal level (24). You would think the tax credit would increase the buyer traffic, but I think the bad weather is keeping the buyers in hibernation. There is a fair amount of traffic, but most buyers right now are tire kicking and will not make a decision for a few more months.
Sale Pendings for 2009
The graph to the right shows that the most popular months for our local real estate are March through August. In 2009, we experienced record high numbers of sale pendings, and record lows. The winter months are particularly difficult during recessions. If you listed your home for sale last fall, most likely it will still be for sale in March the following Spring.
Number of Showings - It's really quiet
Most homeowners that have their home on the market are getting, on average, one showing per week. This should increase by March.
Micro Markets
Though not shown here, the real estate market within Ames itself is comprised of several smaller micro-markets. I can demonstrate the very real differences as we make marketing and price-point recommendations for a $130,000 home, a $260,000 home, and a $520,000 home. For one to simply state that the market forces apply equally to these three Ames homes would be a mistake.
