Eagle River, WI

December 2011 results for the Northern WI counties of Vilas and Oneida!

After a better than expected October and November, December was slightly disappointing. Home sales dropped to 78 units in Vilas and Oneida Counties for the last month of the 2011 year. That compares with 92 units in December of 2010. However, we only sold 67 units in December of 2009. I can offer little in the way of an explanation for the lackluster results as December sales represent the lowest volume since May’s volume of 74 units. My thoughts are that it could be a reflection of the current economic environment BUT - again - if you look at the last quarter OVERALL we ended up in numbers and this, to me, is a far better indicator and shows a better reflection of the year overall. Sales units in my market segment are up!!

There is one very interesting point to be made. I cannot recall a point where we had more homes being listed than sold. In December, only 85 homes were listed. We almost had more homes sell than were listed! The chart above shows this and you can see where those lines almost overlap in December.... Sellers obviously do not have a great deal of confidence in the market. I have first-hand experience with this as I have had to tell many sellers that I cannot sell their homes for what they believe to be a fair value. The market appears to be working as the reduced number of sellers entering the market will reduce supply and in theory, will put upward pressure on prices. Less Supply EQUALS greater demand!!! I will watch this trend as we head into the New Year. For more information or to watch my video blog check out my website www.EagleRiverHomeFinder.com.

We have good snow cover and plenty of ice. The trails are marked and in good shape. We hope that you have the opportunity to come up and see our winter wonderland! Best wishes for the New Year!

Copyright©by Julie Paez, All Rights Reserved, "Market statistics for December of 2011 in Vilas and Oneida Counties."

Real Estate Foreclosure Activity for Eagle River, Wisconsin from April until October.

What does this mean?

Not much. Foreclosure activity is up over 50% from April. Sounds like a great headline, right? I think going from 2 to 3 is really meaningless.

What I will say is what I see in the market. If you're looking for a single-family home on the water that is going into foreclosure. You'd better be armed and ready to pull the trigger the second it is listed. The last on-water foreclosure had multiple offers. If you're able to enjoy the condo-lifestyle (being able to come up and enjoy yourself rather than keeping your place up) and are willing to sacrafice having your mortgage, taxes, HOA dues and utilities paid for you with rental income and still have some left - well, there are 3 condo's that will cash-flow positively left in the market place for absolute steals. Those, though, I suspect will be gone by Christmas.

Perform Your Own Energy Audit

Conducting your own energy audit can teach you how to be more energy efficient and make you more educate should you have to hire an expert.

How Much Can I save?

By taking the initiative to fix the leaks around your home, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s. With annual energy bills averaging $2,200, making these fixes or using energy-efficient products could save you nearly $660 a year.

Self-audits are free and only require a flashlight, ladder, candle, some sort of measuring device, a screwdriver and a dust mask.

How Much Can I really Do?

This question boils down to your tolerance for the tasks involved.

Some require you to climb into attics, crawlspaces and delve into portions of your home to look at duct work. Other question-based audits rely on you to answer questions such as the R-value of your insulation or how many gallons of water your toilet holds.

If you don't have time, are squeamish in dirty places, or are planning a remodel, then you may be best suited to hire a pro.

Even those who are competent to do this work themselves will often hire a pro to confirm their suspicions. A DIY audit may reveal drafts but not the exact source. Because the costs associated to a draft can range from small to high, hiring a pro may prove to be worth it.

Where should I look?

According to Energy Star, this is the breakdown of a typical homes energy expenses

• Heating (29%)
• Cooling (17%)
• Water heating (14%)
• Appliances (13%)
• Lighting (12%)
• Computers and electronics (4%)
• Other (11%)

On the flip-side, Self-audits might find details pros may not

While pros use special heat-seeking equipment to find hard-to-see aspects of a homes energy losses, your self-audit can teach you to identify and address the small ways a home wastes energy.

Since lighting, electronics, and appliances use nearly 30% of the your home’s energy costs, you can make an extraordinary dent in your bills by replacing old appliances with energy-efficient replacements, LED bulbs versus conventional, plugging "standby" appliances into power strips versus wall outlets, sealing those refrigerator doors, and programming your thermostat.

Spotting common energy leaks

1. Check the homes exterior. Check the windows, doors, walls, and roof that is exposed to outdoor air. Hold a incense stick near windows, doors, electrical outlets, range hoods, plumbing and ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and ceiling fans in bathrooms. When the smoke moves, you've found a draft from a source that may need caulking, sealant, weather stripping, or insulation.

2. Check your insulation, it's R-value and thickness. Where insulation is exposed (in an attic, unfinished basement, or around ducts, water heaters, and appliances), use a ruler to measure. Compare the depth or thickness to what the Department of Energy requires in your area.

Although examining in-wall insulation is difficult only a professional’s thermographic scan can reveal if insulation coverage is consistent within a wall. Insulation does settle or may not have been properly installed.

3. Are There Stains on Your Insulation? These often indicate air and or water leaks from a hole behind the insulation.

4. Look at Exposed Air Ducts. If your ducts are dirty, have small holes, aren't properly insulated or pass through unfinished portions of your home, you can lose 10 to 30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home. Look for obvious signs, holes and uninsulated sections and make the repairs necessary.

When Should I Hire A Professional to Make Repairs?

The DOE recommends calling a contractor before insulating ducts in basements or crawlspaces, as doing can impact other home systems, such as water pipes. Furthermore, these ducts could release polluted air.

If you suspect you might have asbestos material used in insulation around your home, this could pose a serious health hazard. Hiring a prowill be a necessity as there are numerous laws in regards to remediating this health hazard.

If you're having to replace insulation around electrical systems it also might be necessary to hire a pro to make sure you keep those systems up to code.

Air Leaks in Your Basement? How to Find and Seal Them

Many overlook their basement as a source of heat loss. Cold air enters your basement just as it does the rest of the house through air leaks that are both above and below ground. Air filtering into your home can be sucked into your furnace causing it to work harder and longer.

Plug large gaps in basement walls

Polyurethane foam in a can is ideal for plugging openings 1/4-inch to 2 inches wide, check for them around pipes and vents that pass through basement walls to the outside.

A standard 12-ounce can sprayed in place will slowly expand to about twice its size, making it a good choice for large cracks. After it dries, cut off excess foam with a utility knife or putty knife.

Plug small gaps in basement walls

Caulk is generally best for the smaller gaps, such as those cut around electrical boxes. Silicone costs the most and works well when sealing nonporous materials, such as metal flashing. Acrylic is less messy to work with and cleans up with water. Use high-temperature caulk around vent pipes that get hot, such as those for the furnace or water heater.

Seal air leaks where foundation meets the wall

In most older houses with basements, air seeps in where the house framing sits on its foundation. Spread a bead of caulk between the foundation and the sill plate (the wood immediately above the foundation), and along the top and bottom edges of the rim joist—the outermost piece of framing material that runs along the top of the sill plate.

Seems the President's rant this morning was nothing more than a campaign speech as I don't think anyone in Congress is ignorant enough to allow the damage of this plan to go forward. The President is back to his class-baiting division techniques in an effort to conquer the election. Pitting opposing groups against each other so he may rise above. It's a technique that worked well in the last election and seems he's back to his modus operandi.

Sadly, for his own political gain, this does nothing to get the country back on track. We have millions hurting in economic turmoil and a 1.5 trillion dollar tax hike does nothing to help. It merely increases the size of government and lines the pockets of the people who support him while hurting, or even devastating, those that don't.

When you look at our country and it's realized tax rate of approximately 51% you clearly see that they are more than halfway towards their goal.

If anyone in Washington was serious about this fiscal problem, they'd cut corporate welfare, foreign welfare and end the trillions of dollars going overseas. These would be sound policies that would bring about prosperity and engender greater freedoms.

Sadly, the likelihood of this ever happening is next to nil as big government must continue to grow to fund the status quo. In that respect we already know, from experience, the ends will almost always justify the means.