Local Real Estate Market

I was curious today about the general movement of the market.  I know what it seems to be - great houses priced well are getting multiple offers and selling for full asking price. I wanted to know more than just my current snapshot based on my own clients...so I ran the numbers.

I work and live on the border between 2 counties so I ran the numbers for both.  The past three days the market for Weber/Davis Counties in northern Utah looks like this

112 new listings ( I didn't break these down to relisted expired listings so days on market may be more)

83 Under Contract 

43 Sold

As you can see the number of homes that went OFF the market in the past three days was well more than the new homes on the market.  Given that some of the new listings have already been on the market for 3 months or more it's even more, and these numbers don't count the listings that expired and are no longer on the market.  The expired number 38, but I didn't sort those and either add or remove from the 112.

I backed up the numbers to 30 days

762 new listings

616 are under contract

551 sold

Keep in mind those that are market under contract are not yet marked sold...meaning in the past 30 days 1167 homes left the market and only 762 new homes were listed.  

For your sellers wondering if it's a good time to sell the answer is yes, and now.  I haven't, to this point, been tracking the total active listings.  I will begin to track that - that number is 3,063 (Sept 26) today for all of Weber and Davis Counties.  That means if that current trend continues we'll be out of homes to sell in less than 8 months.  Now - I'm neither an economics major, nor a math major so if my numbers don't add up let me know.  Either way, the numbers seems pretty clear that today we're selling more homes than we're listing. Seems like good news for sellers - not so much for  buyers.  I think I'm going to go make a few listing appointments today.

Fair Housing - Lost in Translation

I have what I continue to believe is a fair housing concern.

There is a HUD act called HOPA - it's for housing for older persons. This is NOT in reference to a community designated at 55 and over. Under HOPA there is an 80/20 residency requirement stating at least 80 percent of the residences in a community must have at least 1 family member over the age of 55.  The other 20 percent of the community may be comprised of folks of any age.  There seems to be a flaw in the act as one housing protected class is actually not protected by this act.

There is a community in Roy, Utah which deems itself as being an "adult" community.  When you call and ask if they are a 55 and over community their answer is that no they are an adults only community. They claim to have 80% of their residences occupied by at least one resident over the age of 55, and openly market the other 20% of their community to people of any age, with one stipulation. The stipulation is they do not allow residents under the age of 18. This means while a person under 55 would be allowed to move into the community they would be prohibited if they had children under the age of 18.

The community is not marketed as a senior community, and 20% is openly marketed to persons of any age.  Familial status is a protected class left unprotected by this act (verified by Utah's fair housing office).

Not only problems, but solutions.

I would suggest if a community were to market strictly to the 55 and over community and end up with some residents slightly younger than that it would be no problem. The purpose of the act as I understand it was to ensure a surviving spouse not meeting the age criteria was not forced to move out upon the death of an older spouse.

If the community chooses to market to other than seniors they must then be forbidden from discriminating based on familial status - if a 20 year old is allowed to live there then in the spirit of the fair housing laws it should also be suitable housing for a 30 year old single mother with a 10 year old child.

UtahHassleFree.com

Tragedy Strikes....again

What a terrible tragedy there was last night in Colorado.  A gunman in a crowded movie theater - great!! Just what I need, metal dectors and the price of extra security just going to the movies.  Not great that it happened, not great for anybody or anything.

What's this world coming to?  Go ahead and blame the guns if you want.  Guns kill people right? Guns are the enemy. They're deadly and should be banned!!  Horse shit!! 

Seriously people who want to do this sort of thing find something to use.  Guns are plentiful no doubt, but they're not the enemy.  If you blame the gun then you must blame the gas in the subway station in Japan, the bombs the IRA used in the Underground Stations in London, the fertilizer Timothy McVeigh used in Oklahoma City, etc...people will find a way...imagine Tim McVeigh attacking that theater - would a mixture of dead and wounded.

So why?  Didn't someone see it coming? Was the kid picked on, bullied and feeling abandoned and hopeless? A seemingly normal guy on the road to being successful as the world defines successful.  He was enrolled in a PhD program for crying out loud.  He's not a loser sitting in his parent's basement playing video games all day smoking his week hoping his mom doesn't recognize the smell.

What causes this sort of thing?  Is there any relationship between him and anti-authority type groups such as Occupy Wall Street?  Is he crying out against a system that some would say no longer works in a modern world?

Here's my thougths on what's going wrong here. 

It's not lack of government involvement for sure. There are entitlement programs supporting entitlement programs.  Say what you like about the big government bailouts, but regular people are taking nearly as much.  Question it? Check out HAFA - Making Housing Affordable Again - allowing folks who have quit making their house payments to live in a house until it's sold (short sale or foreclosure) and them giving them a cash payout to move.  Like I said - there are entitlement programs supporting entitlement programs.

Go back to image from the Superdome followinghurricane Katrina.  I was saddened to see the lack of American ingenuity and can-do attitude.  I didn't realize there was such a lack of hopelessness in this country.  So many people believe they can't do it, and therefore they never even try.  They say whether you believe you can, or you believe you can't, you're right.  This doesn't mean you'll be successful every time you set out - but at least you will have tried!! 

American business imports from China, open offices "offshore" and does busines we all cry about as unethical, immoral and down right unAmerican all while we're so busy watching reality television and can't be bothered to be the one to go out and do it different. 

Who does this country belong to anyway?  If business buys politicians then by God start a business and buy a better politician.  Don't believe it can be done?  Our state has a Realtor's Political Action Committe - they fight local ordinances and work with state governments on issues beneficial to not only realtors, but to home owners. They also support candiates friendly to issues concerning home ownership.  Oregon has a "view tax" - thanks to RPAC something like this would NEVER happen in Utah. 

Things aren't hopeless.  I understand a feeling of hopelessness and can relate.  Just the same I get myself out of bed in the morning and work to create MY world.  I don't work by myself.  I haven't been very faithful lately in following God's lead, and I'm sure that reflects in what's happening in my world.  Just the same I see a sunrise in the distance and not a sun setting forever - and this type of thing in Colorado smells of someone who sees only a sunset and darkness without any hope of a better tomorrow.

Been a while

Wow I can't believe how long it's been since I read these old posts, let alone posted a new one. 
For now I'm back.  I'll write when I feel like it I guess. After all, it's my blog right?

So anyway there's not much point in writing once every 2 years.  I have a lot to say and sometimes forget the sound of my own voice simply because I never say all those things.  Maybe it's high time to get rolling on not only finding my voice again, but also saying all the things I have to say.

So much has happened. It's amazing it's been 2 years and with as much as has happened so many things have stayed the same.  Victoria has graduated from high school, Sam is 16 and only 2 years away.  I'm still single and while I'm as ok with it as ever I feel the time creeping up on me when I'll be more alone than ever before...I guess there's a plan for that right?  There's a reason for everything and nothing happens by accident. 

That single part.  I've met women. I've dated women. I just for some reason don't seem to get along with too many of them for more than a few minutes.  Ok that's probably not true.  I just don't play the game very well - yeah still 2 years later.  I'm 42 now and I still don't know the game.  Is the game important?  Seems like it really must be. Something about that games makes you more interesting, or at least makes you seem more interesting.  Maybe that's not it at all and maybe I'm just too concerned about it no matter how often I say I'm not.  Really I feel ok with being alone and on my own, and at the same time I do hope I don't spend the rest of my life waking up to an otherwise empty bed...never will I want it so bad that I'm willing to fill that other place in the bed with just anybody to make sure it's full.  Gosh - I write a lot about being single....next post - NOTHING about it.

This and that

So did you ever have one of those days where you just had enough? Did that day last for weeks? You know sometimes it feels like everything goes your way and then there are those times where it feels like nothing goes your way....when those times stretch into weeks it's frustrating.

The good thing about it? I know I'm good enough - I know I'm smart enough - I know I'm strong enough that no matter how many things seem to be working against me it won't last forever, and none of them will beat me.

So - I get up in the morning and plug away through the day knowing that another day is going to come whether I stand strong or if I give up and quit....so why be the one giving up?

The best move

So spent an evening with the guys. Of course it was UFC night at the club so a few of us gathered at the club to watch the fights. I ate a burger that wasn't great - if I'm going to consume calories in those quantities it should at least be for great food, right? But the night wasn't about the burger or the calories I guess so it's all good.

After the fights we left the base and went to club Fahrenheit. It's a pretty nice little club for a hotel/conference center club. It was packed too. Not sure what takes people there, but it seems to be mostly locals looking for a place to hook up. Maybe that's really what the whole club thing is all about anyway - it's a boat I missed a long time ago that hook-up thing. Guess I'm just not a one-night stand sort of guy...Yes - I think there is value in your name, but it's more than that...more than knowing I've never woken up next to a girl whose name I didn't even know...Knowing that I never once have met a girl and "hooked-up" for just one night...and never hooked up on the first night at that.

It's interesting to watch those dynamics though. Watching the girls fiddling with their hair and the guys putting on their best face - certainly not their best clothes. It's interesting watching girls watching a guy just waiting for him to come talk to them. Funny when it's you they're watching and you never make the move they're waiting for - not because you're not into them but more because you're simply not playing the same game.

I've said before to those who know me I just don't get the game. I don't know the rules. I don't know the strategy and I'm really ok with that. I know that to meet someone you've got to eventually talk to them, but I just don't see myself ever actually meeting someone in those circumstances - not someone of value...and I like to value people even when 99% of the people I value put no value back in me....it's ok - I don't need to change for them.

Many guys, when they leave a club and head home alone feel rejected or at least like somehow they failed the game - at least this time. I'm ok heading home alone. I don't expect that I will always be heading home alone, or that I'll always be walking into a dark empty house...but I guess if I always do I'll be ok with that too. For now though I'm ok with me and the decisions I make. I think the best move is the one that doesn't make you compromise your values or prevent you from thinking good positive thoughts when you look into the mirror first thing in the morning. I value the guy in the mirror - even when it feels like only a handful of other people in the world value him. I'm gonna keep on being me - cause I think I'm ok.

Coffee

So I ran out of coffee at home so this morning I ran to Maverick to buy a cup. While I was there I did a very bad thing ... guess sometimes the impulsive side of me wins, so I went ahead and did it and figured I'd just have to make up for it later....forgiveness is easier than permission right? Anyway - I got the coffee and two krispy kreme donuts too...if I were on weight watchers that's nearly a day of eating with just those two donuts....

Anyway I got the coffee and put a lid on it. I noticed the hot coffee made the cup soft - softer than I have noticed before. I got to the truck and as I was getting in the cup collapsed just enough for the lid to pop off...all over my hand and my leg. Now - I have two issues. First I have coffee all over me and second the cup really wasn't strong enough to keep the lid secure once the hot coffee was in it.

Ok so I have three issues with it - I have coffee all over me and it's supposed to be hot coffee since I only just put it in the cup two minutes before....and the coffee DID NOT burn me at all....don't they make hot coffee anymore? I don't care what happened with McDonald's cause I like my coffee hot...and even though I spilled that coffee all over me it wouldn't have been a temperature problem I would have had, but rather a problem with a cup that got significantly softer with "hot" coffee in it...still if you spill coffee on yourself you had enough to do with it that you shouldn't be suing someone for the world to know you did it - just blog about it instead LOL...