Spring has sprung here in Washington, DC. Of course you'd never know it by the temperature today, though we should not complain about waking to temps in the 30s; family and friends in Wisconsin are being treated to snow today, tomorrow and Monday!
I mean the spring real estate market of course. Contract activity has picked up; multiple offers are part of the story in some neighborhoods and price ranges. Supply is lagging behind though! Inventory in Montgomery County, Maryland, is so low that over 60% of properties going under contract in February 2013 were on the market for less than 30 days. The total number of active listings decreased 37.1% compared to February 2012, with only a 1.5 month supply of homes in the county overall.
In our area, homeowners often want their beautiful dogwood trees and daffodils to be blooming before they try to sell their house, so it looks its best. This year, perhaps more than the last few years at least, getting a jump on the spring market may prove to be a successful strategy. Note that price and preparation, plus expert marketing, advertising and promotion to your targeted buyers are still critical. I can help with all of those factors if you are considering selling soon. I am ready for your call, even if the branches on your trees are still bare.
What's with all these sports posts and sports-related analogies? This is supposed to be a blog about house and home (and occasionally gardening). Well, I love sports. And other topics.
And so sometimes I might just be inspired to write about the Washington Nationals who won game 4 of the NLDS last night with a walk-off home run crushed by Jayson Werth into the left field visitors' bullpen at the end of a stubborn 13-pitch at-bat. I only heard it live on the radio as I was driving my older daughter and two of her teammates home from softball practice last night. I believe one of her friends had a brief heart palpitation because of my cheering in the car.
Wish I had been there. Happy for all my friends and other loyal Nats' fans who were actually there (especially those who came back after the tough loss the previous night). It is cool to witness the excitement that sports teams can bring to our whole metropolitan DC region.
Another shout-out to the Os who won in 13 innings in NY. My nephew loves the Baltimore Orioles so I'm sure he was happy when he woke up for school this morning. Local sports teams can bring people together and as I've said before, they help create that sense of place, of home. I will be cheering for the home team tonight. Go Nats!
Teddy wins! This only means something to you if you, A) live in the DC area; or B) follow the Washington Nationals, which for the most part you'd only do if A) also applies. The Nats have been bad, really really bad, from their first season in DC in 2005 until 2011. This 2012 season is another story of course. Today is the last day of the regular season and the Nats recently clinched their NL East division title and are playing today for the top seed in the entire National League.
So why am I writing about a baseball team in a blog about real estate? Well, following a sports team, and I think in particular a baseball team given the lengthy MLB season and all the little details in this game that only a local newspaper bothers to cover, is a uniquely local occurrence. This is not to say that someone can't live in Maryland and be a dedicated fan of the Green Bay Packers, for example, but many people follow sports teams that they either grew up with or adopted in their adult homeland.
Characteristics of a place, such as sports teams (whether long-suffering or dominant for a decade), local cuisine, weather patterns, and hobbies and other interests based on proximity to attractions and outdoor features, factor into decisions about where people choose to live. They also draw us together to create a broader sense of community and home. Home is your residence and it is your home town. Let me know how I can help you find your next home.
And go Nats!
