This is a copy of the listing update letter that we send to our Sellers on a monthly basis.


Greetings!

I hope that this letter finds you well and warm! I feel like we’re watching the last few grains of sand disappear (QUICKLY) through the hourglass of 2007, especially since a few of our numbered days have been pretty much wiped away by our early winter snow days!

In our market, 2007 is not going to be a record setter, but it is so much better than so many other areas, we are grateful and not going to complain! This month’s included pending charts are also case-study-perfect for illustrating some market points. In the areas studied (Horseheads, Elmira and Corning and surrounding areas), we have 581 homes on the market; we’ve sold 1056 so far this year, just a few shy of DOUBLE the number that are on the market. According to the National Association of Realtors, a six month supply represents a perfectly balanced market – we’re awfully close to that!
And this holds true for each submarket –Horseheads, Elmira and Corning! The 100 new pendings is indicative of a continuation of the figures, as are the number of solds.

While some areas are seeing massive job layoffs, we remain in good stead there, too, and interest rates of course, have remained unbelievably low as well. Some of the recent talks by local governments about shared services and the like even encourage us to think that there will someday be respite for our New York State tax rates! Plans to minimize foreclosures due to sub-prime adjustable rate mortgage increases appear to be ready to roll out, so hopefully the hard-hit areas of the country will have the ability to stand still versus drop – all of this is good news for the housing market and the economy.

At CB Horizons, we are pleased to continue to benefit from the national think-tank and marketing of Coldwell Banker. The new Home Tracker service – kind of an online scrapbook and bookkeeping tool - is revolutionary and wonderful and FREE… all I could think, when we were learning about it, was how wonderful it would have been for the California wildfire victims to know that their documents regarding their home were safe and accessible, on-line! Our e-marketing capabilities continue to expand, making it easier for us to reach larger target markets of buyers for your home, and understanding of our full time, local Concierge service has grown – buyers and sellers who have used it are amazed at the ease and stress relief it offers during the house buying/selling process!
We are happy in our Market St. and Arnot Mall locations, and while all around us, real estate agents seem to be moving from one company to another, our agents remain productive, happy, and true to the core values of Coldwell Banker: integrity, leadership, professionalism, vision, and performance. We feel blessed, and hope that this holiday season has you feeling similarly smiled upon!