Joan Snodgrass Tri-Lakes Realtors, Shell Knob, MO

How do you counsel sellers in today's stagnant market? They've done everything HGTV suggests to make their home appealing to the drive-bys. They have cleaned or replaced worn carpeting, painted purple walls shades, put cookies in the oven, turned on the lights and disappeared for showings. Yet still no offers in Shell Knob, MO.

Worse yet, after 6 or 7 months on the market, and all the big ads in Homes Magazines, personal web pages, etc

..ZERO SHOWINGS!..........ZERO SHOWINGS!

In our SW Missouri area our MLS has 1,712 single family homes for sale. Of that number, there are 457 properties priced over $300,000.

I have shown a few homes this Fall over $300,000, but my buyers stayed under that number when they purchased.

What do you say to the $598,000 seller? Cut the price in half to get into the current market? Dropping the price by $50 or $100,000, still won't make it that much more appealing to the budget minded.

This may not sound like a serious problem to individuals facing loss of their home, or bankruptcy, but to the elder seller with health problems, it is every bit as serious.

Should we keep it on the market over the winter, or wait and renew the listing in the spring? We currently have 10 beautiful waterfront homes available in Shell Knob, MO for sale and priced $500,000+.

Call Joan for all your real estate needs in Shell Knob or Table Rock Lake area. 417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors 417-846-3344

The Housing Market continues to inch along in our portion of the Ozarks - Shell Knob, MO - leaving many real estate agents looking for supplemental income.

Here in Shell Knob, MO, we repeated our previous month's sales, for a total of 3 homes sold each month. The average sales price was down to $75,633 in October.

There were also 6 pieces of land sold for an average sale price of $23,500.

Shell Knob is a recreational or lake oriented community, attracting many second home clients and retirement or families looking to retire. It is known as the quiet end of the lake. This is our normal start of 'Off' Season, but not normally 34% off.

My broker, Tri-Lakes Realtors, has four offices surrounding Table Rock Lake, and we continue to hold our position of Number One company in our MLS Board with 14.49% of board sales last month.

Call Joan for all your real estate needs in Shell Knob or around Table Rock Lake. 417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors 417-858-3344

This week I came across a term that was new to me -'Women Centric' - this was in an article about New Homes, and New Home construction.

Had to wonder just what this was about. It had been my experience selling properties in Shell Knob, MO, and statistics confirm, that more than 90% of home sales decisions were made by women. Wouldn't that make it a woman centered sale?

When showing a property in Shell Knob, don't I always point out the benefits of a great kitchen, convenient utility room, sunny breakfast nook? Aren't these areas women centered?

Turns out I was only partially right.

About 10 years ago a woman in Hartland, WI, Terri Goetz, tried to buy a house. She found only model homes that had been designed by men and were cookie cutters None met her requirements. After surveying a few women, asking what they desired to see in a home, Ms Goetz formed her own company. Her designs incorporated the suggestions she received, as well as her own preferences. This resulted in the Women Centric term.

Call Joan For All your Shell Knob or Table Rock Lake Real Estate Needs 417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors 417-858-2209

We turned another page over on the calendar. It's time to check our sales numbers for September 2009.

September was down to minus 62% from this same time last year. There were 3 sales closed this year in Shell Knob, versus the 8 sales closed in September 2008.

Average sale price for those 3 sales was $174,000. It took about 245 days on the market to sell those homes.

But.... the evening news reported an increase in housing sales nationally.

Year- to- date, we have 37 properties closed. 2008 for the first 9 months reported 56 sales. That makes Shell Knob down by -33.93%.

These continued low numbers do not reflect reports being given on the major communication outlets, because we are a retirement and second home market. We rarely get the First Time Home Buyers, where incentives are being given to stimulate the market.

Due to our retirement community, we also do not have many foreclosures or short sales, which are also stimulating house sales in large cities.

2006 was a high point sales-wise in the Tri-Lakes area. September of '06 135 homes were closed. That dropped to 199 in 9/07; then 96 last year.

Call Joan for Shell Knob/Table Rock Lake Real Estate Information - 417-846-7128

Tri-Lakes Realtors 417-858-3344