Roseville real estate review

As a follow-up to my monthly real estate review, “Sacramento Real Estate: As well as can be expected,” I have prepared an overview of how the Roseville real estate market performed during the first month of 2007.  You can read it on my website or in my Rocklin & Roseville Today column.

 Update on My For Sale Sign

Today I published the second of a series of articles on my new website feature, My For Sale Sign.  The initial series of “reality real estate” follows a Yuba City couple, Randi and Tony as they make decision to sell their condo/townhouse and find a larger home to start a family in.  Today’s edition is “One Step at a Time” and gives the readers an update on where we are a week after listing the condo and holding our first open house.

 Did spring arrive early?

If yesterday’s weather didn’t give you thinking about spring you must have stayed in all day.  All of sudden our yard demanded attention and the bikes with dust on them came out of the garage.  Today, looks like more of the same and I hope it holds at least through tomorrow so we can spend the day outside with Mikie.

 Did I lose a day?

With three listings in contract I have been on the run the past few days but did have time to take a quick look at the growing inventory in the Greater Sacramento area.  According to HousingTracker the inventory has grown 4.4 percent in the past month to 13,013.  The good news for sellers is the median price has been holding steady at about $400,000 for the same period.

 Updates and more Zillow

Now that I have started the “My For Sale Sign” series I have had a number of questions about some of my past entries, the family from Washington and the clients from Canada that I mentioned in my Rocklin & Roseville Today column, “Surprised Realtor.”  First, it makes me feel pretty good to know that a few people take time out of their day to read my blog, thank you very much, I appreciate it and value your email comments. 

BTW, there was a very good post the other day over at Sacramento Land(ing) referring to the Zillow Blog where they have just posted their Q4 Real Estate Performance: The Medium is the Message.  I think they are both worth reading if you follow the market.  Depending on how you feel about Zillow’s zestimates they make some interesting points about using median price as a measuring tool.

 My For Sale Sign

Today I have started what I plan to be series of articles and blog posts focused on real time experiences of selling and buying a home.   We have all the right ingredients; a pretty heroine, romance, dreams and the reality of the current real estate market.  Check out my first article, “The Journey Begins” and let me know what you think.  I promise to have at least weekly updates and if you have some good ideas or just want to kibitz we will include that too.  Send your ideas and comments to ForSale@jalone.com.

 Ready to Sell

My listing in the Diamond Woods development of West Roseville is a great house but has not sold yet.  The owners of Greywood Circle want to complete their move and are ready to sell.  Today we have made a significant price reduction to make that happen.  I don't normally use my blog to advertise (well not too often!) but wanted to alert any potential buyers that we have a great house that is very aggressively priced at $550,000.  If you want to see it or know someone who is, let me know and I will personally pay $500 of your closing costs or provide you with a gift certificate to Lowes or another store of your choice.  Call me or email me today and let me know you read this offer on my blog.

 Inventory and Listings

This week, HousingTracker, is reporting inventory of available homes in the greater Sacramento area is down 38 to 12,747 as of the past week ending February 5.  The median price has been holding steady at about $400,000.  The one month changes they reported are a decline of 1.2 percent in median price and a 4.3 percent growth in inventory.  Seeing inventory holding and not growing fast is a good sign the spring selling season has not started.  Another sign is the weather which is grey and wet today.

 Super Bowl Sunday

I was going to hold an open house at my Alcantar Circle listing in Natomas today until I realized it was the big day for parties and we were invited to one.  I am not much of a football fan but do enjoy the overall spectacle and the people we will be seeing.  They are not calling it a Super Bowl party, it is a “crawl” because we are going to move back and forth between a two houses.  I suspect the Sacramento real estate market is going to have a slow day and there will not  be a lot of people out looking at houses so we are going to go, relax and have some fun. 

I am not sure who to root for but did hear the game may be played in the rain.  That will be the first time that has ever happened.  I do hope the game is at least as interesting as the commercials.  I know Michael is waiting for the 49’ers to get back in it!

 Saturday

I had not expected January to have been as busy as it was and now as we move into February, if anything, the level of real estate activity seems to be increasing.  My listings are getting a fair number of showings per week and we have fielded several offers from interested buyers.  For those of you who follow some of my story lines, we have just received another offer on the property I wrote about on January 24, “Why waste the paper?”  It appears to be a solid offer from a buyer whose agent was not afraid to pick-up the phone and talk to me.  We have not reached the agreement stage but I have a good feeling about it. 

Finally, an early start on Valentine’s Day, here is a buy one – get one free coupon from Cold Stone Creamery.