Mason, OH

Mason Ohio 45040 Condominium Market Report February 2012

So how did the Mason Ohio real estate market perform in February? Stay with us and you'll have the full story for Mason condos. We covered Mason single family homes in another post. Click Mason Single Family Home Market Report for more information.

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any Mason condos traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. For instance, for sale by owner homes and new construction may not be listed. Some new construction is included, but homes custom built to buyer requests are NOT included. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

Mason offers a full range of price points, with some entry level condos below 100k and luxury/golf course community condos into the $300k price point. In general, you can expect to pay a premium for Mason condos when compared to communities further away from Cincinnati, although there is diminished opportunity for condos as you head away from Cincinnati.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of Mason condos sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:

Next is the Mason condo median price summary chart.

Mason Single Family Home Category Data Summary:

Condos Sold: 11 (4 Bank/Government Owned, 0 Short Sales)

Average Price: $144,445

Median Price: $164,000

Days on Market Average: 86

Homes Active 3/7/12: 88

Homes Pending 3/7/12: 20

Sales/List %: 94.6%

Most Expensive Home Sold: $242,500

Least Expensive Home Sold: $72,900

So what is the data telling us? Overall, Mason condo sales are performing VERY well for this time of year. The quantity of homes Sold in February (while down slightly from January) almost matched the combined 2010 & 2011 February sales. The 20 Pending condos is also a strong sign for the coming months. With 88 condos on the market, there's inventory for buyers to choose from, but perhaps not something for every buyer.

The proportion of distressed properties (bank/government owned and short sales) in the market is influencing but not dominating the Mason condo market.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason condo owner? If you've been waiting to sell, it might be time to get a For Sale sign posted! Prices are up, with the median price beating every month in 2011 and the fourth highest overall for 2010 & 2011. Mason is still in high demand. Our condo listings in Mason get plenty of activity, although it may take more than one offer to get an acceptable price. Buyers are still looking for the steal of a deal. Depending on whether dollars or speed is most important to you, we can set a pricing and marketing strategy to bring you success.

For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason home buyer? Our advice is the same as for Mason single family residences: THE DATA TELLS US THE BOTTOM HAS BEEN HIT AND PASSED. The longer you wait to purchase a Mason condo the more it's going to cost you. If you're interested in buying a Mason condo, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Mason community for you! Continuing to wait may force you to either buy less for your dollar, or shift your purchase to another area that gives you more home for your dollar.

Serving Mason's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

Mason Ohio 45040 Single Family Home Residential Market Report February 2012

So how did the Mason Ohio real estate market perform in February? Stay with us and you'll have the full story for single family homes. We'll cover Mason condos in another post.

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any Mason homes traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. For instance, for sale by owner homes and new construction may not be listed. Some new construction is included, but homes custom built to buyer requests are NOT included. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

Mason offers a full range of price points. There are a number of older developments featuring 1950s and 1960s vintage brick ranch homes to the other end of the spectrum with golf course community homes in excess of $1 million dollars! And of course, all the price points in between are covered too. In general, you can expect to pay a premium for Mason homes when compared to communities further away from Cincinnati.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of Mason single family homes sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:

Next is the Mason median price summary chart.

Mason Single Family Home Category Data Summary:

Homes Sold: 25 (3 Bank/Government Owned, 3 Short Sales)

Average Price: $319,294

Median Price: $328,000

Days on Market Average: 75

Homes Active 3/7/12: 213

Homes Pending 3/7/12: 78

Sales/List %: 92.9%

Most Expensive Home Sold: $775,000

Least Expensive Home Sold: $107,900

So what is the data telling us? Overall, Mason single family home sales are performing well for this time of year. While the quantity of homes Sold in February didn't beat 2010 & 2011, it's up from January 2012. The large portion of Pending homes is also a fantastic sign, making up approximately a quarter of all Mason homes with a sign in the yard. There's inventory for buyers to pick from, but not an overabundance either.

The proportion of distressed properties (bank/government owned and short sales) in the market is not significant enough to drive the Mason market. There's not a concentration of them in any specific Mason community to force everyone in that development down.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason single family home owner? If you've been waiting to sell, your wait might be over. Prices are trending up and February 2012 was the highest Median Sale price since June 2010. Mason is still in high demand. We love listing homes in Mason because with proper marketing and pricing, that home will get plenty of activity and should sell in a reasonable amount of time. Again, stressing PROPER MARKETING AND PRICING! If either element is missing, the home will sit. Despite the stats showing the Mason recovery, don't expect all buyers to be in that mindset. Most media outlets are still telling them how horrible the market is, which may be true in some places, but not in Mason.

For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason home buyer? Our advice is the same as prior: THE DATA TELLS US THE BOTTOM HAS BEEN HIT AND PASSED. The longer you wait to purchase a Mason home the more it's going to cost you. It really is that simple. If you're interested in buying a Mason home, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Mason community for you! Continuing to wait may force you to either buy less home for your dollar, or adjust to another area that gives you more home for your dollar.

Serving Mason's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

Build The Walls for Habitat for Humanity - Christ's Church at Mason April 27-28 2012

It's almost spring, so time to clear some time on your calendars for Christ's Church at Mason's annual Habitat for Humanity event, Build The Walls Friday April 27 & Saturday April 28, 2012! The goal is to build the walls for FIVE homes during the two day event. Fact of the matter, it's not just a goal, it's a mission! It's a phenomenal event and hundreds of people show up and get the job done in just a matter of hours!

The walls form the framework for homes for people in need and can go anywhere. Last year's five homes were distributed to three different states!

If you're familiar with the Habitat for Humanity concept, the recipients of the homes put a lot of sweat equity into completing their own homes. Our church has shown videos of the new homeowners after moving into their home, and when you compare their before and after situations it's a great feeling for all involved.

Now you say you can't swing a hammer without damaging your thumb? NO PROBLEM!!! We can still find a place for you to help!

Current schedule and needs:

• 60 volunteers as Crew Leaders. Training April 27th, 6 - 6:30 pm, Build 8 -12 April 28th
• 25 volunteers for Cut Session 2- 5 pm April 27
• 400+ volunteers for Build Session 8 -12 Saturday April 28 {8 - 8:30 Coffee/pastries, 8:30 - 9 Worship/Instructions, 9-12+ Build}
• 10-15 volunteers for Breakfast Team 6:30 - 9 April 28, setup and serving of coffee & pastries
• 15-20 volunteers for Refreshment Team, 9 - 12 April 28, serve coffee, water & snacks

Christ's Church at Mason is located on the southeast corner of Mason-Montgomery Rd & Western Row in Mason (5165 Western Row Rd, Mason OH 45040 513.229.3200 www.ccmason.org ).

Click the link for REGISTRATION for BUILD THE WALLS.

Bring your own hammer, all other equipment provided! You don't have to be a church member to participate, ALL are welcome of course!
Hope to see you there!

Let's go drive some nails :)
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. We won't be doing any real estate work other than helping build homes that morning, we're booked. But if after that you'd like to talk about buying or selling a Warren County area home, we're your real estate team!

Mason Ohio Real Estate Market Update Year to Date 2012

We had 1 additional day in the month of February and added 4 "sold" properties over the same time period last year. This number will certainly go up as more "Solds" trickle in. Very interesting to see the dramatic drop of 15 less Days On Market for the Sold properties. That is a HUGE drop and is a good sign for future sellers. Buyers might want to take notice and grab a piece of the pie before it becomes more expensive.

I will be updating this chart in the next week to see what the final tally is. Definitely a good sign.

Call Scott Baker REALTOR® at 513-403-5323. Visit www.eHomeReports.com

Mason Ohio 45040 Single Family Home Residential Market Report January 2012

Yesterday we provided a market report update on Mason Condos and the news was excellent! Did Mason Single Family Homes match their performance? Stay with us and we'll answer that question!

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any Mason homes traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. For instance, for sale by owner homes and new construction may not be listed. Some new construction is included, but homes custom built to buyer requests are NOT included. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

Mason offers a full range of price points. There are a number of older developments featuring 1950s and 1960s vintage brick ranch homes to the other end of the spectrum with golf course community homes in excess of $1 million dollars! And of course, all the price points in between are covered too. In general, you can expect to pay a premium for Mason homes when compared to communities further away from Cincinnati.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of Mason single family homes sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:

Next is the Mason median price summary chart.

So what is the data telling us? Overall, Mason single family home sales were down slightly when comparing Januarys to the last two years. 19 this year vs. 22 and 21 in 2010 & 2011. Now before thinking that this might be a significant decrease, keep in mind new construction is NOT reflected (and we're seeing an increase in the last year of new construction activity) and that January is typically a slow month. Considering low interest rates and stable prices, we would expect increases over the next few months.

Median price was $304,000 with an average price of $423,789. Now that's a pretty big disparity, but with a range of prices from $60,000 to $1,660,000 (yes, you read that last one right!), that high side sale is going to make a significant shift in average price.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason single family home owner? The median price is higher than most months in 2010 and 2011. It has been our view for several months that Mason has already reached the bottom of pricing and is on an upward trend. Buyers and their agents have not totally reconciled themselves to that thought and may be slow to react to the shift, clinging to "it's a buyer's market" while getting rejected on low offers by sellers who don't need to sell at depressed prices. We'll be tracking and reporting monthly to confirm the trend continues upward. If you've got an immediate need to sell, you can still sell. We always recommend beating your competition to the market if you're serious about selling your Mason home. For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason home buyer? Our advice is the same as last month: with the bottom of the Mason market reached, further waiting means you're likely to pay more to purchase a Mason home. DON'T WAIT! With extremely low interest rates and plenty of home inventory, it might be time for you to seriously pursue that Mason home you want. If you're interested in buying that home, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Mason community for you!

Serving Mason's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz