It has been a bit since I really sat down and expressed what in happening in regards to Real Estate in Haywood County North Carolina. I would like to say that we are taking it all in stride, but I will not lie. It has been a challenge. All year we have been looking towards the next “busy time” that will bring an influx of customers into the mountains to buy that special get-a-way. It started in the Spring, the flowers and trees started to bloom and we said “ok, it is coming. The visitors will be back and the sales will increase, but the market did  not pick up.  So , we said school is not out…When it gets out “they will be back” . Well this went on all Spring, Summer, and now fall. Unfortunately, we never had that “rush” of customers.

I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that the market continued even though it was slow. I know there are agents out there that are having a very tough time. Our company has maintained a steady flow of sales. We are ranked #3 in our county and have had over 80 transactions to date (typically we do 150 or so in a year).  We have about 15 transactions in the pipleline so we are better off than most. That said, it has still been a challenge to get from month to month. When your company is set up with an overhead based on a average of 150 transactions and you only do half of that, it creates a problem. I believe we have been proactive for months and knew that the market would be slow, but nobody knew that the global economy would crumble around us.  

All parts of the economy have been affected, but is there a profession hit harder by this than the 1.2 million Realtors in the US? We hear daily of bailouts for the banks, for other financial sectors, for the automakers, soon the airlines, and on and on. It has been the housing downturn that has caused all this so who do you think is affected the most? Yes, anyone associated with real estate especially the Realtors. Are we asking for a bailout? No way! I do not think it is the way our professionals operate. In good times we are accused of making to much money for doing very little work and well folks it is just not true. This is my “second” profession and I can tell you the professionals in this business work as hard or harder than any. Throw in a housing crisis and we have had to work even harder for little or no pay. We come to work each day and try to find answers to a general lack of buyers. How do we get people off the fence, what incentives do we offer, and how do we reach more potential buyers are just some of the questions that we face.

I hope that the bailout monies make it into the system, the financial markets rebound, and the housing industry rebounds. If it does not the unemployment numbers will go up and there will be many that are not accounted for such as Realtors who are independent contractors and many times are not see as having “real jobs”. Call your local Realtor today and tell them you appreciate them and send them a lead! Their families are depending on it!

Prices continue to decline in Haywood County which again is good news for buyers wanting to buy in the mountains. Below are some comparative statistics for January 1, 2007 through April 30, 2007 and the same period this year. These statistics are for residential sales including condos and townhomes.

1/1/07-4/30/07

Here is a comparison of market activity for January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2008 and the same period during 2007. The stats are for residential purchases only so land, commercial, and multifamily is not included.

2007/2008

Average Selling Price: $238,199/$228,087

Average Listing Price: $250,974/$243,578

List/Sell Ratio: 95%/94%

Units Sold: 195/129

Like much of the country, real estate sales in Haywood County NC has seen a slow start to the year. The following stats are for 1/1/08- 2/29/08 and are for residential, condo, and townhouses.

Total listings on the market: 1,066

Listing Price Average: $370,800

Average Days on the market: 191

Closed Residential Listings during the time period: 74

Listing Price Average: $252,000 (notice the price range that is selling)

Selling Price Average: $232,113

List to Sell %: 92.1

Average Days on the market: 165

Listings that have expired: 181

Listings that have been withdrawn:127

Listings that are pending:49

For comparison to all of 07 look at the earlier blog post with the final 2007 Haywood County Stats.

A great time to buy? YES We have a large inventory of homes for better selection, intrest rates continue to be low and we hope will dip lower in the coming weeks, and prices are down!

Our office has a client that is interested in a lease purchase in the Maggie Valley/Haywood County area. The home must be a newer home and have some acreage. The buyer would also like a basement. The buyer is willing to pay up to $1,300/month. If you have a home in the area and you have not been able to sell or you are thinking of selling and would consider a lease purchase please contact us at wncinfo@realtyworldheritage.com Maybe we can match your home with this buyer.

LEVEL! High elevation homesite in gated, deed restricted subdivision with potential for INCREDIBLE long range mountain views! The lot offers almost 5 acres of LEVEL land comprising of open and wooded areas that gives plenty of area to build your dream home. Build a house and a barn for the horses! Lot has been recently cleared and drive and housepad have been cut in. Small stream on property! Email wncinfo@realtyworldheritage.com for more information. Click play below to see a short video on the property.

There has been a request for market statistics for higher end homes sold in 2007, Haywood County. Stats have been pulled from the Western NC Regional MLS for 2007 in the price range of 1,500,000 and above. During 2007 there were 11 homes on the market in this price range. Currently, there are 13 homes on the market in this price range. In 2007, (1) home sold above 1.5 million dollars. The home was listed for $1,650,000 and sold for $1,600,000. It was on the market for 245 days and was located in the exclusive subdivision; The Smoky Mountain Retreat.

What does this mean for the price range? If you have one home sell a year in a price range and there are currently 13 homes on the market the math is simple! There is currently a 13 YEAR inventory of homes in this price range in Haywood County. That is a great example of a absorption rate for a specific market. Of course the absorption rate can change at anytime, but the current market is not in favor of the higher end homes in our area. If you are looking to sell in this price range you must have the home priced properly, staged properly, and marketed properly so those few buyers that will come through to see your home will remember it. If one home is going to sell per year you want it to be yours! Please let us know if there are additional specific statitistics that you would like. We are happy to provide them!

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