Buy Now? Or Gamble On A Price Drop?

In a slowing real estate market, many home buyers struggle with the decision whether to buy now while interest rates are low or sit tight and wait for a possible drop in prices. This may come down to the old saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

It is always a good time to buy when interest rates are low. Could they go lower? Maybe. But, they could also go higher. Rates in the last year have been fairly stable, inching up or down only slightly. There is no reason right now to expect that this will change dramatically anytime soon.

You can drive yourself crazy waiting for rates to drop another quarter of a point. I know I have done this myself while refinancing a loan. I watched rates daily and never was able to lock in the lowest rate. I was too afraid something better would come along and it never did.

Should you wait for prices to drop? While I can't predict what Knox County home prices will do, I can tell you the the National Association of Realtors is predicting an increasingly stronger market throughout 2007 and into 2008. And spring is coming. Spring is the busiest time for real estate and prices historically increase in the spring. You may not being seeing increasing prices in the coming months.

Have questions about rising interest rates or the Knox County real estate market. Give me a call, 740-397-7800, or visit my website. I'm here to help.

Housing Starts Plummet To Lowest Point In Ten Years

The National Association of Home Builders reports a 14.3% plummet in new housing starts in January, bringing construction of new homes to the lowest point in 10 years.

Construction slowed to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.408 million units, which is 34.8% behind January 2006. These figures were unexpectedly low and account for builders selling built-up inventories of unsold homes.

Regionally, housing starts last month decreased by 28.5% to 301,000 units in the West, 15.2% to 195,000 units in the Midwest, and 11.8% to 716,000 units in the South. Starts rose 8.9% to 196,000 units in the Northeast.

Builders are more negotiable when sitting on unsold inventory. It costs money to carry vacant houses each month. Now is a great time to think about buying a new home in Knox County. If you are in the market for a new home. Give me a call, 740-397-7800. I can help!

Sam Miller Is Featured Speaker at Realtor Conference

I was a featured speaker at the 19th annual CRS Sell-a-bration® held last week in Las Vegas, NV. The Certified Residential Specialist designation is held by the top 4 percent of Realtors around the world. Sell-a-bration®, held annually, was attended by 1,000 of these top producing agents.

My topic, Taking Your Business To The Next Level, included effective real estate marketing, how to make the real estate process easier for buyers and sellers and new Internet technologies that benefit everyone involved in real estate. I shared useful methods of getting more out of your day by using my time management techniques, home pricing concepts that work in any real estate market to generate serious interest and get homes sold.

It was an honor to be invited to address one of the industry’s most exclusive gatherings. The annual Sell-a-bration® provides a forum for top agents and brokers in residential real estate to interact with and learn from one another. Sell-a-bration® features unparalleled education sessions, top keynote speakers, and social and networking opportunities, which provide attendees with ideas and techniques that will have an immediate impact on their businesses.

Sam Miller am committed to providing outstanding service to his customers and clients. My use of technology for effective communication and service has made added to my unique success.

My clients are continually complimenting me on the service, tools and technology I use to meet their needs. I owe that to my association with the CRS members and to the fact that we share among ourselves so freely. In short, as s Certified Residential Specialist, I am surrounded by the best agents in real estate. I share with them, they share with me, and we all translate our newfound knowledge into increased services for our clients.”

Click here to visit my website, your source for Knox County real estate or give me a call, 740-397-7800. I will help you anyway I can.

Tips To Sell Your Knox County Home In February

Spring is the prime selling season, but buyers who are house hunting in the middle of winter are serious buyers. They may be transferring from out of the area and have a deadline to get settled and on the job or their lease is up and they need to move.

Whatever the reason, there are things sellers can do to make their home more attractive to this group of serious buyers.

1. Keep walks and driveways free of ice and snow. Buyers don't want to navigate treacherous terrain getting to your front door.

2. Don't skimp on the heat. Buyers like a warm and comfortable atmosphere. If your home is cold they will think the heat doesn't work properly.

3. Make your home as light as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open. Use the highest watt age bulbs and have all the lights on during showings. Hose off the outside of your windows to show your house is well cared for.

4. Set the mood. Play soft music and have a plate of fresh baked cookies out for the buyers. There is nothing like the smell of newly baked cookies and buyers get hungry looking at houses.

5. Ask buyers to remove their shoes. This conveys a pride of ownership and keeps the house ready for the next buyer going through.