Chris Hayes

Just want to keep you posted on the March 2010 residential real estate market... please take note of a few key numbers which may be to your benefit as a homeseller:

• "Explosive Number of Closings in March '10" - MORE HOMES SOLD IN MARCH 2010 THAN WELL OVER A YEAR!!! Expectations are that April will have huge numbers to report as well;
• Notice - Only 4.3 months of inventory of homes on the market for sale - by textbook definition, March 2010 was a "sellers market";
• Interest Rates are a little more volatile right now - Still awesome rates - 5% (+/- ½%) - great time for buyers to borrow money & more purchasing power;
• Income tax credit - Deadline is April 30^th, 2010 for your transaction to be negotiated - Will the President extend the tax credit again???

Give me a call at 318 564-5295... want to know how to sell your home 33% faster & for over $2,000 more money net to you? Let me share with you how ChrisHayesTeam.com outsells the average agent almost 15 homes to their 1 home sold!

Numbers are based upon information from MLXchange which is believed to be accurate but not guaranteed.

Savannah Place is a master planned community located off Panther Drive in fashionable South Bossier City, LA. With Barksdale Air Force Base located just one mile north, this is a popular community for those men and women who proudly serve our country. It's proximity to fantastic shopping, schools and medical centers also make this established neighborhood a top pick for homebuyers. Since Savannah Place was established in 2003, there have been over 200 homes built in this beautiful neighborhood.

One of the more striking elements of Savannah Place is the beautiful "greenbelt" as you enter. This large park area features a gazebo and is flanked by mature Crepe Myrtles and lush landscaping. Adding to the charm of the community are the whimsical lamp posts that light the way along the streets and sidewalks. Savannah Place is served by the highly regarded Sun City Elementary, Elm Grove Middle and Parkway High schools*.

Homes in Savannah Place range from around 1,100 square feet to 2,300 square feet. Southern Home Builders (the exclusive builder for this community) has 32 unique home designs to choose from featuring spacious open floor plans, high ceiling and unique architectural details. New construction home prices range from $138,000 to $250,000. For resale homes, the average days on market is around 64 and the list price to sale price ratio is 98.42%.**

If you are interested in viewing homes for sale in Savannah Place or homes for sale in Shreveport or Bossier, please give us a call at 318-207-7653 or email us at info@chrishayesteam.com.

Please visit our website: www.chrishayesteam.com

Information believed to be accurate but not guaranteed 3/22/2010*Always confirm with Bossier Parish School Board prior to making an offer**Based on MLS data between 3/22/2008 and 3/22/2010. For a current market analysis, give us a call at 318-207-7653.

Shreve Island is a small neighborhood that sits right on the outskirts of the larger and often more familiar Broadmoor Neighborhood. It is generally thought to be the area bordered by E. Kings Highway, Shreveport-Barksdale Highway, Clyde Fant Parkway and Dixie Garden Drive. It is a lovely neighborhood consisting mostly of homes built between the 1950's and 1970's. The architecture is generally Ranch, but there are a few more Modern style homes scattered through out. One of the more appealing aspects of Shreve Island is that the neighborhood elementary school is Shreve Island Elementary, the first elementary school in Caddo Parish to receive the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon School Award. It is also Shreveport's only year round school. Broadmoor Middle School and Byrd High School also serve this neighborhood.*

Shreve Island also boasts a beautiful library at its center as well as The Duck Pond, one of the city's favorite parks. The Duck Pond runs between E. Kings Hwy and Old River Bayou and has lots of new playground equipment, covered picnic areas, public restrooms and of course, lots of ducks!

Home prices in Shreve Island can vary anywhere from $92,000 to $250,000 depending on the size and condition of the home. The average home price is around $148,000 or a little over $80/sf. The average number of days a home stays on the market for sale is 62 and the average list price to sale price ratio is 96.63% which is consistent with the city average.** Since the neighborhood consists almost entirely of older homes, finding a bargain that you can build "sweat equity" in is a possibility.

If you are interested in viewing homes for sale in Shreve Island or homes for sale in Shreveport or Bossier, please give us a call at 318-207-7653 or email us at info@chrishayesteam.com.

Information believed to be accurate but not guaranteed 3/17/2010 *Always confirm with Caddo Parish School Board prior to making an offer **Based on MLS data between 3/17/2008 and 3/17/2010. For a current market analysis, give us a call at 318-207-7653.

Just want to keep you posted on the February 2010 residential real estate market Market Statistics - February 2010.pdf ... please take note of a couple of key numbers which may be to your benefit as a homeseller:

• Real Estate Inventory is down - the lowest it's been down in the last 13 months - good for sellers;
• "Sold" residential properties in Feb. ‘10 are slightly higher than the number of homes sold in Feb. '09 - expectations are that sales will gradually continue increasing as the spring season approaches - great news to Sellers!
• Big Note: fewer properties came on the market for sale this year vs Feb. '09.
• Also notice: Expired listings decreased from last month thus a greater number of homes are selling right now.
• Interest rates for buyers are at an awesome 5% (+/- ½%) - great time for buyers to borrow money & more purchasing power;
• Great News: The inventory of homes available for sale is 6.5 months end Feb. '10 versus 7.6 months in Feb. '09.
• Income tax credit - extended for both 1^st time home buyers AND existing home buyers deadline is April 30^th, 2010 to be under contract & must close by June 30^th, 2010.

Give me a call at 318 564-5295 for information on what homes in your neighborhood are selling for, I look forward to hearing from you.

Continuing education is something many of us dread - it's the "same old, same old" stuff we already know, we've already heard, yada yada yada. Let's face it, real estate is not a profession with constantly evolving theories and philosophies. However, every now and then someone comes along and presents information we might already know in such a way that we feel a spark, we have an "ah ha!" moment, or suddenly look at a problem with fresh insight. Such was the presentation by Debora Murray, Keller Williams regional director, on October 31.

The current economic climate has us all a little apprehensive, right? So how do we succeed when agents and agencies are failing all around us? How do we stay motivated? Debora's class, "An Agent's Guide to Seller Pricing Strategies" is based on information from Gary Keller's new book "Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times" and the information couldn't have been more timely.

It is crucial in these shifting times that we agents understand the costs of carrying over priced listings and listings that simply aren't going to sell except at bargain basement prices. We must learn to educate clients about the market in this area, stripping away their misconceptions and unrealistic expectations about their home's value and presenting them with up-to-date statistics about home sales in our area.

One of the important points Debora made was about semantics: standard real estate lingo is that a home is "on the market." Debora suggests we use the term "in the market" suggesting if a home isn't "in the market" then it's "out of the market." A subtle point, but a powerful one. And she had much more pertinent information to share, as well.

One of the things I like so much about the Keller Williams philosophy is the willingness to provide information to any agents and agencies who are interested in attending our trainings. For Debora's training, we had representatives from six other agencies.

One of the ways we prosper in difficult times is by helping each other. I would love to sit down with all of you and talk about how we can do this.

Have a great day!