So, what’s happening in the real estate market and what factors are there that may have significant impact on it in the coming months or years? Well, Coldwell Banker’s mid-year Market Report is now out in hard copy and on our website. There is not room to reprint it here, but in summary the last six months have continued the downward trend of prices and sales volume. However, just in the last month or two we have seen a marked increase in activity. Why? Well, there are several possibilities.
The frustrating part is that sellers do not want to hear what we have to tell them, in other words, that their property is not worth what they think it is and that they have to list lower if they expect to get their property sold. This was an inevitable reaction to the worldwide economic crisis, which is heavily affecting the US. Real estate values had been inflated in the US for some time and it was only a question of when (not if) their market would turn. That, combined with the decline in the stock market and very tight credit, has made it difficult for many Americans to make discretionary purchases. As much of our buying pool is from within the US, the slowing of our real estate market should surprise no one.
As the Baby Boomers age, finding ways to earn passive income has become more important. Many of them are ready to retire from their regular jobs and have been looking to supplement pensions, retirement accounts and Social Security to enable them to retain their usual lifestyle.