Posts in category 'Market Updates'

Kelly here with a quick update on the spring market & some important real estate news! As the longer days arrive and plants start to bloom, so marks the start of our highly anticipated Spring market. After a slower Fall and Winter, it appears we are off to a good start. It's refreshing to see an influx of new listings hitting the market to supply our still, very low inventory environment.

I have experienced a lot of interesting dynamics in my 9-year career as a REALTOR®, but what is happening nationally in our industry is surely the most interesting of them all! As news circulates around the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement, most of you are wondering how this will impact you as the consumer. New laws and rules are expected to go into effect this July, and we want you to be informed and up to date. So, what does this mean?

Greetings and welcome to 2024! We know that many of you have questions about what to expect from the real estate market this coming year, so we wanted to give you a brief overview of what we think you can expect. 

To start, interest rates have come back down considerably and are likely to come down a bit more. We are currently seeing 30-year mortgages in the range of 6.5% although this varies depending on credit scores, amount borrowed, and other factors. These rates should be considered normal and rates in the range of 3% are not likely to be seen again. More attractive interest rates will generally lead to more activity in the market for both buyers and sellers.

Many sellers have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for buying conditions to improve and are likely to see that opportunity th...

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Greetings and Happy 2023!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! It appeared as though we may get a bit of snow although that didn't seem to pan out. On the other hand, it certainly felt like winter, especially with the power out.

To be a bit more personal than usual, I will say that I'm very hopeful and optimistic for 2023. Last year wasn't the greatest, losing my Father in March and Mother-in-Law in October, 2 bouts of Covid, and assisting with 3 family moves. That in the wake of trying to help steer a real estate company, a local non-profit (ARC of the Piedmont), and navigate family issues through 2 years of Covid proved to be something (I honestly can't find the adjective that fits).  However, I also carry an abundance of joyful memories and for that I am eternally grateful.

We have also been living in interesting times (by some this is considered a curse) for the real estate business. Covid, RSV, the flu, inflation, talk of a recession, pi...

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Happy New Year and welcome to 2021. Much has been written about the last year by talented writers who possess great insight and an exceptional ability to express or persuade. This is not one of those letters. While I'm happy to have 2020 in the rearview mirror, nearly all of the issues that have created stress remain with us. We are still in a pandemic, the political arena is a mess, and divisiveness seems to be the order of the day (at least if you watch the news or follow social media). In reality, we are all in this together though so take the time to offer a kind word, hold the door for someone, and smile.

When the pandemic hit in March, I will confess that my stress levels went through the roof. The enormous uncertainty led me to have many nights of disrupted sleep and a constant high level of background anxiety. Yet despite my worrying, the real estate market was actually quite stron...

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A Note From Rives:

I hope you are all doing well and managing to stay healthy both physically and mentally during these trying times. We are grateful as a team to have managed to maintain our health in both areas and have had a strong year business wise as well. Every day seems to bring new information so finding solid footing in business recommendations has been challenging. Part of the conversation about real estate is often "typically we see…." or "usually this time of year….". This year has been and will continue to be anything but typical or usual.

As if the Pandemic weren't enough, we are also facing significant unrest due to racial inequality, tremendous economic uncertainty, and the fact that it's an election year. All of these contribute to a collective anxiety that is likely to remain for some...

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