Wasilla Real Estate News, Valley Market Real Estate

Market Memo for Jan 20-26, 2009 January 27th, 2009

Categories: Wasilla Real Estate News

Wasilla Real Estate News presents the market statistics for the week of Jan 20-26, 2009.

The market noticably improved this week. There were more closings, more pendings and more new listings any of the past few weeks.

This last weekend was especially busy with many more showings and buyer calls than we have seen in the last few months. This seems to go against the negative news that we hear both in Alaska and the lower 48. I don’t have a good explanation for it and it may be a flash in the pan.

I wrote an offer on a house this past week in which we were competing with two other buyers. We still don’t know if we got it or not. This was a foreclosure that was in good shape and priced to sell immediately.

Speaking of foreclosures. There are currently 28 foreclosures on the market in the valley. If you would like to see any of them, just give Jay or I a call at 373-0999. Here is the list.

If you would like to be on my motivated seller list where you receive updates of new foreclosure listings as soon as they come on the market, just drop me an email and I will put you on it.

Written by Marty Van Diest Please leave a comment.

Monday Market Memo for Jan 6-12 and Jan 13-19, 2009 January 19th, 2009

Categories: Wasilla Real Estate News

These are the statistics for the last two weeks in two separate charts. I have been having some problems with my website which I hope will be fixed soon. It has kept me from posting any new information for more than a week.

This first chart is for the week of Jan 6-12.



The chart below is for the past week of Jan 13-19, 2009



I note that 4 of the 16 pendings this week are new construction. All the new homes are less than $200,000. They are all small ranches with small two car garages.

The excellent interest rates are spurring buyers to lock on their loans. I am working with one buyer who just locked in for 4.5%. That is an excellent fixed rate for a 30 year loan.

Written by Marty Van Diest Please leave a comment.

Monday Market Memo for Dec 30, 2008 through Jan 5, 2009 January 5th, 2009

Categories: Monday Market Memo

These statistics are for residential single family homes in the whole Matansuska-Susitna Borough.  These include cabins in remote areas of the borough all the way up to million dollar homes.  The vast majority of the real estate activity takes place in the Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, and Houston areas.  More than 80% of the action is in those areas.

As expected, our inventory dropped significantly over the end of the year.  I predicted a drop of 50 and was off by only 5, there are 45 fewer listings this week than last.

There were only 3 pendings again this week.  We had only 3 pendings the second week in December as well.  That is an amazingly low number considering the fact that there are 236 real estate licensees in the Mat-Su Borough.

I do expect things to pick up over the next couple months.  That is the normal way of things.  The record-breaking low interest rates will help.  People that have been considering a house purchase should look into locking in these low rates.  Most people are locking in 30 year fixed rates in the mid 4% range. 

If you have a higher interest rate, now is a good time to consider re-financing. 

Better go now, the winds blowing again and I have to batten down the hatches.

Written by Marty Van Diest Please leave a comment.

Happy New Year, Jan 1, 2009 January 1st, 2009

Categories: Alaskana

Happy New Year! Wishing you a warm and joyous New Year.

If we have much more of this global warming we are going to freeze to death.

Hopefully this will be the coldest day of the year.  At least we know that every day is getting lighter between now and June 21.

Written by Marty Van Diest 1 Comment »