About Saint Clair County, IL

October was wet, really wet. Muddy yards, wet basements, cloudy skies and one of the hottest months for Real Estate this year!

October saw 43 homes close in O'Fallon... this number is closer to June, July, August activity. Actually you have to go back to 2005 to find an October with those kinds of numbers. Much of this can be attributed to the first time home buyer tax credit. Set to expire in late November this is most likely a surge of folks rushing to take advantage before the expiration. Good news is that there is a VERY good chance it will be extended and expanded.

As has been the case most of the year the $300,000 mark remains the high end of where things are selling. For example of the 43 homes that closed in O'Fallon IL 40 were below $300,000.

As mentioned above this has been the best October for homes closed in recent history.

While this is all good news we are still down about 11% from 2008 and down about 27% from 2007.

Currently there are 53 homes under contract in O'Fallon IL, this is a good sign for November numbers. The effect of extending the tax credit remains to be seen as we are entering the slower months. If past performance is any indicator then we can/should expect a brisk 4th quarter of 2009. Details on the extension to follow!

Have you seen the Bud Light commercials? They are all along the theme of not too heavy/ not too light, which, of course, the taste that beer is supposed to embody. Realtors should take heed of the message.

Scenario One: Girl breaking up with her boyfriend

Too light: She tries to sugar coat the break, he misses the point

Too heavy: She tells him the news and then pushes him out of her speeding car. He stil doesn't get it and hopes they'll still be Facebook friends

Scenario Two: Man is trying to show off his amazing wonder dog

Too light: The dog barks, after some prodding

Too heavy: The man lets the dog drive a few blocks, with a few lawns fortunately the only casualties

Scenario Three: Woman tries to get waiter's attention in a restaurant

Too light: "Excuse me, when you get a minute," politely uttered

Too heavy: "Excuse me, when you get a minute," woman trips the waiter who flies through a plate glass window

Scenario Four: Woman tries to pin a boutonniere on her husband

Too light: She sticks it trough the buttonhole; it falls out

Too heavy: Woman attaches boutonniere to husband's chest with a nail gun, then offers to fix his zipper. He passes.

Real estate agents have to pay close attention to their client's needs and wants when responding to Internet marketing forms. A lead may sign up to receive information about a listing. We may get a phone number as well as an email address, so we may make a phone call and certainly will put the lead on a drip mail campaign.

Our quick response may impress the lead, but if he says he does not want to buy for six months or he's just looking, we want to find that happy medium between stalking him and ignoring him during that time. If you don't call him for six months, that response is too light. Frequent calls and daily emails would definitely be a response that is too heavy.

If he says "just looking, you don't need to call me," anything more than an occasional call and monthly emails are responses that are too heavy. If he says "DO NOT CALL me, I am on the DO NOT CALL list," we'd better listen as our zeal could get us into trouble.

If's he interested, a whole new set of rules about what's too heavy/what's too light come into play. By listening to the client, we will know how to find the balance.

Paul Walker, Broker Associate since 1997

Realty Executives of Metro East, Shiloh, IL 62221

October 2009 Metro East Housing Statistics

October 2009 vs. October 2008

# OF SOLD HOMES AVG DAYS ON MARKET

COUNTY Oct 09 Oct 08 Oct 09 Oct 08

ST CLAIR 233 204 128 114
MADISON 289 209 119 122
CLINTON 22 20 105 102

TOAL MLS AREAS 683 564 128 118

MEDIAN HOME PRICES

Oct 09 Oct 08

ST CLAIR $128,840 $133,777
MADISON $134,350 $127.187
CLINTON $168.205 $117.873

TOTAL MLS AREAS $131.803 $123.864

YTD MLS TOTALS 2009 VS 2008

DATES AVG DAYS ON MARKET MED SALE PRICE # OF SOLDS

JAN-OCT 08 128 $131.331 6180

JAN-OCT 09 140 $125,728 5744

Hurry, It's a Great Time to Buy a Home!

It's Tax Credit Season for First-Time Buyers and Step-up Buyers

Belleville Real Estate

If you're a New Yorker, there's joy in Mudville, so to speak, as the Yankees win another World Series. If you're a Realtor, you are rejoicing that the home buyer's credit was extended and expanded. Now, even current homeowners have incentives to buy up or buy elsewhere. This should help move housing stock not only at the lower end of the spectrum but higher price ranges as well.

If you follow me, you know that I maintain that good Realtors always find ways to sell houses even without a credit. However, if NAR statistics are correct, 2 million people were helped by the current credit, while the economy has been stimulated to the tune of $22 million. Extending the credit can only continue to help general economic recovery, as well as that in housing.

There is definitely joy in Mudville for Americans on the move and those who'd like to be.

There are a lot of sayings that come to mind when thinking about the people around us.

A man is known by the company he keeps...

Birds of a feather flock together...

One bad apple spoils the bunch...

We are not bound in our life by proverbs, but it is easy to pick up the attitudes od those around you.

Take a look at who is around you in your daily life. Are they positive or negative? Helpful or hurtful? Toxic or healthy? It's been said - via another proverb - that you should fear an evil friend more than a beast because a beast can wound your body, but an evil friend can wound your mind. Keep positive people near you at all times and purge the rest.

This does not mean that all your friends are Pollyannas or that you block out the bad news. There is a lot of bad news in real estate today; if you don't see if, you will miss the opportunity to react and respond to it. What you must to be successful in this market is turn any challenges you see in the news and turn them into opportunities and surround yourself with people willing to do the same.

Imagine the impact of a group of positive people collectively working together. The synergy that comes from that group can change the world - or a least the real estate market in your neck of the woods.

Make A Commitment: I will stay positive and choose to be happy!

Deadline: _________