I do not have a degree in macro-economics, trigonometry, accounting, investment, banking, financial prowess,  matrix algebra, or computational data analysis.  I am not an economist.  I am an outsider looking in at the massive amount of statistics that determine the national housing index. 

What I do know is that my cell phone has begun ringing again.  I’m getting calls from both people I know and those I’ve never met asking about buying property.  Several months ago, my calls were from sellers who were nervous and scared about the value of their homes going down the tubes.  Today my calls are from buyers who have figured out that yes, the percentage rates on loans are incredibly low and yes, home prices may have hit bottom.

This renewed interest in home buying seems to be playing out on the national real estate market, as well.  Real estate guru and senior editor of Realty Times Blanche Evans is reporting that the falling prices of homes are leveling according to the real-time housing index.

Days on market have gone down from 122 in February, to 119 in March to 111 in April, which is also a positive trend. Miami and Detroit experienced the longest days on market.  Austin, Texas, sold homes the fastest at 67 days on market.

That means it’s time to carefully watch inventory build-up. It’s spring so it’s natural for more homes to come on the market, but it’s begining to look like some markets may have bottomed in February.

When we see the market hit bottom, it has but one direction to go… back up.

The best part is that the buyers who are now calling are smarter.  They are talking to lenders before asking me to drive them around exploring neighborhoods and walking through houses.  Their agents are performing the neighborhood comparables to be sure the sales price is fair market - today’s market not last year’s.  This puts buyers in a really good position to negotiate for a great price and it’s a relief for homeowners to be finally able to sell and move forward with their lives.

Here’s an overview wherein some agents agree the market has hit bottom, while others are not so Mary Sunshine about real estate.

Naples Real Estate Blog: Market Hits Bottom!

(Wisconsin) Real Estate Market Hits Bottom: See the Numbers!

The Housing Crisis is Over? Not in Phoenix

The Gory Details of Real Estate: A Bell Will Not Ring When the Market Hits Bottom

It reminds us that all real estate is local.  Just because one area of the country may flourish, another may still be facing hardship (but it will get better!).

There was an incident in my neighborhood yesterday evening.  A neighbor telephoned because two enormous pigs showed up in her backyard and she was trying to find the owner.  After much ado about the future pork chops, the owner was located and the pigs made it home without being barbequed.

Whether your neighbors drive you crazy because their roosters crow in the wee hours of the morning before daylight, their cats leave muddy footprints all over your car, mean dogs roaming in a pack, or their dog barks all night every night, that’s still not as bad as other neighbors.

After more than 10 years of complaining to the police, members of the city council, and the actual noise-maker, neighbors finally called the local television station’s “That’s Messed Up” segment to see if anything could be done.  The reporter said on his site, 

Almost on cue, through jittery camera work, pointing toward the source of his consternation, you hear the cacophonous thunder of a high octane engine. At first it roars, then it consumes more fuel and the accelerator forces open the hungry carburetor. The thunder intensifies into rapid pulses, shrieking sonic booms, like an platoon of M-16’s firing indiscriminately. If there was a DB meter pointed at the tree line, it would have burst.

The neighbor would not back down in order to restore the peace, however the news finally got the attention of the Metro Codes office which issued him a citation for having an unlicensed car in the driveway.

I’m so lucky that our neighbors have been mostly decent, hard-working, respectful people, but if they were bad I’d probably just go talk to them first before doing something more drastic.  How do you handle bad neighbors? 

I love my daughters.  They’ve provided me with years of laughter, tears, headaches, gray hairs, wrinkles, joy, worry, and pride.  They’ve also provided me with years of earrings, shirts that don’t quite fit, perfume, and *mixed-CDs (which I quite enjoy except when the volume of one song is so loud it blasts me out of the car).  All that said, Mother’s Day is Sunday and I’m sharing some ideas early so you’ll have time to make them happen! 

KT1 suggests a compost heap and a goat.  I’m not too keen on that, but this idea would be terrific:

Plant a tree near the house. A tree that produces pretty flowers during the spring will be an added bonus. This way the house gets some shade during warmer months and serves as a windbreak during colder windier months.

My Design Secrets suggest that a digital photo frame would be nice.  I have one already for my office and LOVE it.  Unfortunately I learned from U.S. News and World Report that they add about $9 p/year to the electric bill, so I can be happy instead with the idea of a memory foam mattress topper.  Digging it!!

What Mommy Meryl Is Chatting About Today just wants to be appreciated.  I too want to be appreciated, but a clean house would be nice too!  Please kids, clean the house for me.  And remember it’s like when you do dishes.  If you don’t wipe off the counters, the dishes aren’t done!  Pay attention to the details like dusting the mantle and emptying the trash baskets!

If you don’t want to go to the effort to clean the house because you’re oh-so-outdoorsy, then go to your neighborhood garden shop and buy some pansies or petunias.  If you’re Ms. Sue’s child, plant some flowers around her house to help give Coming Home’s 200-year old neighbor better curb appeal (she’ll get rid of the plastic flowers planted in her yard).

Happy (early) Mother’s Day!

*All music from mixed CDs were legally downloaded!