It's hard to believe it, but February is almost here. That means it's almost time for the next issue of my monthly e-newsletter.
If you're interested in staying up-to-date on the Rochester real estate market and receiving some of my favorite tips about home improvements, buying and selling, staying healthy, and more, just e-mail me with the word "Newsletter" in the subject line! You'll receive it via e-mail on the first of every month, and I promise to keep your information confidential.
Enjoy the rest of January, and stay warm!
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!
When you work with me... 
Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Finally! The Greater Rochester Association of Realtors posted their County Home Sales Statistics for December, 2008. I know this isn't the most interesting post in the world, but I want to keep my readers up to date. Let's take a look at each section individually and examine exactly what the numbers are telling us about our local market.
This section looks at how our sales compare to last month AND to this time last year.
Our inventory has come down significantly since November, with under 1,000 homes listed in December. That's a good sign that we're heading toward a seller's market! The median sale price did go down by $5,000 in that month's time, but that's not unusual at this time of year.
Compared to December, 2007, the market was not as vibrant this past December. More homes were on the market, the sale prices were lower, and fewer purchase offers were accepted. C'est la vie. At least we're on to 2009.
Above are the numbers for all of last year, as compared to the year before. The top number is down by 6%, showing that our inventory is on its way down. Granted, there were fewer closings and the sale price went down, but not by much. We had it good compared to most of the country!
This section breaks the data down by county. As you can see, all of the counties in our market area had fewer closings this year, except for Yates.
Was December, 2008 a banner month? No. But it could have been worse. I'm very interested to see how the data for January, 2009 looks when it comes out. The housing market has really started hopping around here lately.
I also received a piece of good news from an agent in my office recently. Whether we are in a seller's market or a buyer's market is determined by how many months of inventory we have. More than 6 months means we're in a buyer's market, exactly 6 months means the market is balanced, and less than 6 months means we're in a seller's market. My colleague did some analyzing for GRAR and discovered that we are currently just below 6 months. In other words, we're passing into a seller's market! For anyone who has been holding off on putting their home on the market, this is fantastic news!
It's official. 2008 wasn't the greatest... but I have high hopes for 2009!
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!
When you work with me...
Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
If you watch the news, you know most of the country is in the midst of a buyer's market. Inventories are high, homes are staying on the market longer, and sellers are becoming more and more willing to negotiate in order to get their homes sold and move on. Things have been no different in Rochester, although we have experienced it to a lesser degree.
What you may not know is how this affects the rental market. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article describing how an increasing number of renters are seeking price reductions when looking into new rentals. Rather than simply accepting the monthly rent as advertised, they are negotiating much more than they did in past years. Many landlords are choosing to accept a lesser rent to avoid being stuck with vacancies in this weak economy,
The timing for this article couldn't have coincided with my own experiences any better. This past week, two interested parties came through one of my rentals. Both ended up offering $75-100 under the monthly rent. After negotiating on behalf of my client, it appears we are going to be able to make it work with one of them.
Personally, this came as a surprise to me. The two rentals I have listed now are my first two, so this is a new professional arena for me. However, from my personal experience, I didn't even consider haggling when I rented an apartment about four years ago. Maybe I was naive, but I thought monthly rent was set in stone. Obviously it isn't now, if it ever was.
Does this put more pressure on landlords? Sure. But if their rents are reasonable, they shouldn't have any trouble getting tenants. I guess it's just another example of our free market economy at work.
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!
When you work with me...
Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
I have a confession to make... I'm vain. And recently, my vanity has been resulting in my having soggy, frozen feet. But not anymore.
Lately, we've been having unseasonably cold weather in the Rochester area. It hasn't gotten out of the teens in longer than I'd like to think about. As if that isn't bad enough, it's also snowed 59 out of the past 66 days. That's all but 7 days in the past 2 months. Crazy.
Until yesterday, the only boots I owned were huge, clunky, ugly black monstrosities. I've been resisting wearing them to anything "professional" out of a sense of embarrassment. But I finally reached my breaking point.
On Sunday, I listed a great house in Irondequoit. But, for those of you who know the Rochester area, Irondequoit is up near the lake and gets tons of snow. And, silly me, I was in my dress shoes. Even so, I had to trudge through about 2 feet of snow to get into the back yard to take pictures. Then, I had to climb over a waist-high snow drift, lugging my mallet, and pound in the yard sign. By the time I got to my next appointment, my feet were so frozen they were nearly numb.
Then, the following day, I had to show a vacant, unheated rental, also near the lake. Neither the driveway nor the walkway had been shoveled, so I once again trudged through the snow in my dress shoes. Then, I waited around in the sub-freezing home for my renter to arrive, my feet becoming more frozen by the minute.
That was it for me. On my way home, I stopped by the shoe store and purchased a pair of cute knockoff designer boots. I felt somewhat silly, with a perfectly functional pair of boots sitting in my foyer, but what he heck. I'm a woman. I'm allowed to be vain.
At least now I'll be vain AND have dry feet!
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!
When you work with me...
Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
Recently, Forbes magazine published an article entitled, "America's 25 Strongest Housing Markets". Knowing the steadiness of our local market, I was not surprised to find that Rochester was included. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see that the upstate New York cities of Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany were, too! That's 4 out of 25 spots taken by upstate New York!
So, what sets us apart from so many of the nation's cities?
The article focused on the fact that Rochester avoided the "boom and bust" experienced by much of the nation, as did the other 24 cities. Our prices never soared, so we never had to take the plunge. That's great for local homeowners who haven't had to face the constant worry about their homes losing value.
Speaking of which, the article also highlighted our strong sale prices. Real estate values in Rochester have climbed at a steady 3% rate for the last five years. That's why investors have been coming to Rochester in swarms. They know a good deal when they see one.
Am I glad to be where I am right now? You bet. I've always thought upstate New York was the place to be. I'm just glad to see Forbes magazine agrees!
So, what do you love about Rochester??
I am proud to help buyers and sellers in the Greater Rochester, New York area find the homes of their dreams. If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Rochester area, don't hesitate to contact me. I pride myself in providing the best possible service for my clients!
When you work with me...
Visit my website at www.YourNYDreamHome.com to learn more about the services I offer!
Contact:
Kristen Wahl
Realtor
(585) 455-5524
KWahl@RealtyUSA.com
A full-time, full-service Realtor serving the Greater Rochester Area. Kristen strives to guide buyers and sellers through every step of the process.
When you work with me...
I specialize in the eastern suburbs of Rochester, consisting of Monroe, Wayne, and Ontario counties. As a native of this area, I feel very strongly about the value of its communities.
I have experience working with first-time homebuyers. I enjoy the hands-on nature of teaching them about the home buying and selling process.
Kristen Wahl was an amazing Realtor! I would recommend her to anyone trying to buy or sell a home! She sold our home in 7 days and assisted us in finding our new dream home!" -Dale and Gina Fair, Hilton
"Very honest agent and was available to us day or night. She's also great with our kids!" -Stacy and Frank Gulick, Penn Yan
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