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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
STILL STABLE IN BROOKS ALBERTA for Third Quarter
Time for the 3rd quarter real estate statistics for Brooks, Alberta and the County of Newell. Time and time again there is proof that real estate sells in both good and bad economies.
There were 66 properties that changed hands in Brooks, Alberta and the County of Newell in the last 3 months (July 1, 2009-September 30, 2009). The bad news is that for the same quarter last year there were 94 properties changing hands. That says the market is down 30% in comparison. On a good note, though, the average sale price of these homes remained stable ($199,527(3rd - 2008) & $198271(3rd - 2009).
Currently, there are 130 listings in Brooks, Alberta.
As the Broker and Owner of RE/MAX Main Street Realty, I still have to take the opportunity to “toot my own horn”.
- We own 49% of the market compared to 43% same quarter last year
- Our transactional volume has only dropped 20% compared to our main competitor at over 30%!
- We also maintain 64 listings (50%) of the Brooks, Alberta active listings.
RE/MAX Main Street Realty adopted the philosophy that we are the steakhouse of real estate in Brooks and not just another fast food joint. That means quality and professional service, before, during and after the real estate transaction. We believe that because of this philosophy we have remained stable through these more trying real estate times.
There were 66 properties that changed hands in Brooks, Alberta and the County of Newell in the last 3 months (July 1, 2009-September 30, 2009). The bad news is that for the same quarter last year there were 94 properties changing hands. That says the market is down 30% in comparison. On a good note, though, the average sale price of these homes remained stable ($199,527(3rd - 2008) & $198271(3rd - 2009).
Currently, there are 130 listings in Brooks, Alberta.
As the Broker and Owner of RE/MAX Main Street Realty, I still have to take the opportunity to “toot my own horn”.
- We own 49% of the market compared to 43% same quarter last year
- Our transactional volume has only dropped 20% compared to our main competitor at over 30%!
- We also maintain 64 listings (50%) of the Brooks, Alberta active listings.
RE/MAX Main Street Realty adopted the philosophy that we are the steakhouse of real estate in Brooks and not just another fast food joint. That means quality and professional service, before, during and after the real estate transaction. We believe that because of this philosophy we have remained stable through these more trying real estate times.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Summer is Over!!
Summer is Over and the Market is Heating Up!!
It has been a busy few weeks this last couple of months, but the kids are going back to school and the regular routines we all have are starting to normalize.
The real estate market has been notably quieter in recent weeks but it appears things are once again heating up. In real estate here in Brooks, Alberta we historically have two surges of activity - Spring and Fall.
Some numbers to note in some areas of Brooks, Alberta. Uplands (28 Listings), the WestEnd (36), Meadowbrook (21) and Ingram Park (20) appear to provide us with the most listings over the course of a year, however, each of these areas has shown a decline in the amount of listings. Each of these areas have also shown a decline in percentage of listings SOLD.
-UPLANDS (39% SOLD), WESTEND (42%), MEADOWBROOK (43%) and INGRAM PARK (20%).
The largest percentage of SOLD vs listed is Lakewood (80% Sold), Parkland (80%) and Greenbrook (70%). These areas also had the largest percentage of SOLDs vs listed in 2008 as well.
Duchess and Bassano has held the same percentages of SOLD vs Listings to date this year compared to 2008.
To date in 2009 overall for the Brooks Real Estate Board there is a 44% SOLD vs Listings ratio compared to 54% in 2008. Also of note is the average price in 2008 compared to YTD in 2009 fell about $10,000. ($213,384 fell from $225,319)
Since July 1, 2009 there have been 42 homes in Brooks/County of Newell that have sold. For the same period last year (July 1, 2008-Sept 1, 2008) there was 67 properties that changed ownership. RE/MAX Main Street Realty is responsible for almost 35% of these transactions.
As always any information you would like regarding real estate I would be glad to help.
Brad Stolson, Broker/Owner
RE/MAX Main Street Realty
Brooks, Alberta
It has been a busy few weeks this last couple of months, but the kids are going back to school and the regular routines we all have are starting to normalize.
The real estate market has been notably quieter in recent weeks but it appears things are once again heating up. In real estate here in Brooks, Alberta we historically have two surges of activity - Spring and Fall.
Some numbers to note in some areas of Brooks, Alberta. Uplands (28 Listings), the WestEnd (36), Meadowbrook (21) and Ingram Park (20) appear to provide us with the most listings over the course of a year, however, each of these areas has shown a decline in the amount of listings. Each of these areas have also shown a decline in percentage of listings SOLD.
-UPLANDS (39% SOLD), WESTEND (42%), MEADOWBROOK (43%) and INGRAM PARK (20%).
The largest percentage of SOLD vs listed is Lakewood (80% Sold), Parkland (80%) and Greenbrook (70%). These areas also had the largest percentage of SOLDs vs listed in 2008 as well.
Duchess and Bassano has held the same percentages of SOLD vs Listings to date this year compared to 2008.
To date in 2009 overall for the Brooks Real Estate Board there is a 44% SOLD vs Listings ratio compared to 54% in 2008. Also of note is the average price in 2008 compared to YTD in 2009 fell about $10,000. ($213,384 fell from $225,319)
Since July 1, 2009 there have been 42 homes in Brooks/County of Newell that have sold. For the same period last year (July 1, 2008-Sept 1, 2008) there was 67 properties that changed ownership. RE/MAX Main Street Realty is responsible for almost 35% of these transactions.
As always any information you would like regarding real estate I would be glad to help.
Brad Stolson, Broker/Owner
RE/MAX Main Street Realty
Brooks, Alberta
Friday, June 26, 2009
June, June OH June!!
June is always a crazy month for REALTORS and also for anyone with school kids or just basically for most people. I've slacked on my committment of keeping my blogs updated every 2 weeks simply due to June. (It's more of an event than a month in my life).
RE/MAX Main Street Realty participated in the annual event The RELAY for LIFE again this year - last year we raised just about $1000 and this year we raised almost $1300!!
The annual Lawyer/Banker/Accountant/REALTOR golf tournament also took place in the last couple of weeks. I am the proud 2009 winner of the mens shortest drive (6'6").
As for the real estate market it keeps ticking - with or without an economy. RE/MAX Main Street Realty participated in over 68% of the sales from May 20, 2009 to June 26, 2009. In this time frame there were 34 homes that sold in Brooks/County of Newell. (same time period in 2008 there were 36 homes sold).
The average price seems to have dropped to $222,312, which represents a -3% change from the same period last year.
An interesting statistic that I found is the drop in higher priced sales ($300,000+). Since January 1, 2009 there have only been 15 sales of over $300. For the first half of last year in comparison there were 26 sales of over $300. Over 30% of the listings in Brooks are over $300,000 (34 listings). The average list price of the homes over $300,000 this year is $370,000 compared to $358,000 last year. The interesting thing is the average sale price for homes over $300,000 remains the same at $354,000.
What this all means is that people are negotiated a lot more than they used to!! (over 3% more!!)
As usual I just wanted to throw out some statistics and make sure everyone has the opportunity to see what is happening in the Brooks real estate market.
As always if you have any questions, comments, remarks or would like further information please do not ever hesitate to contact me.
RE/MAX Main Street Realty participated in the annual event The RELAY for LIFE again this year - last year we raised just about $1000 and this year we raised almost $1300!!
The annual Lawyer/Banker/Accountant/REALTOR golf tournament also took place in the last couple of weeks. I am the proud 2009 winner of the mens shortest drive (6'6").
As for the real estate market it keeps ticking - with or without an economy. RE/MAX Main Street Realty participated in over 68% of the sales from May 20, 2009 to June 26, 2009. In this time frame there were 34 homes that sold in Brooks/County of Newell. (same time period in 2008 there were 36 homes sold).
The average price seems to have dropped to $222,312, which represents a -3% change from the same period last year.
An interesting statistic that I found is the drop in higher priced sales ($300,000+). Since January 1, 2009 there have only been 15 sales of over $300. For the first half of last year in comparison there were 26 sales of over $300. Over 30% of the listings in Brooks are over $300,000 (34 listings). The average list price of the homes over $300,000 this year is $370,000 compared to $358,000 last year. The interesting thing is the average sale price for homes over $300,000 remains the same at $354,000.
What this all means is that people are negotiated a lot more than they used to!! (over 3% more!!)
As usual I just wanted to throw out some statistics and make sure everyone has the opportunity to see what is happening in the Brooks real estate market.
As always if you have any questions, comments, remarks or would like further information please do not ever hesitate to contact me.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
IS IT BETTER YET?
Since my last blog – April 29, 2008 there have been 36 transactions (18 Properties Sold) in Brooks and County of Newell. For the same time period (April 29-May 20) last year we had 22 properties sell. Seems we are right on track for reproducing our transaction results from last year.
I’m very proud to say that RE/MAX Main Street Realty continues to lead the way with almost 60% involvement in the total transactions in this period. (Since the beginning 2009 to date RE/MAX Main Street has been involved in 47% of the transactions.)
The level of activity in the last few weeks has been noticeably busier. I’ve barely had time to update my blog – I have been striving for every two weeks and here we are at almost 3!!! I promise I will try better next time.
A discouraging fact amongst these statistics is the negotiated prices and average sale price – in the previous 3 week period the average sale price was $193,420 and the negotiated amount was 6% - in the last 3 week period the average sale price was $162,697 and the negotiated amounts was 7%. The other discouraging fact amongst these statistics is the days on market – this number increased from 82 days to 111 days.
I cannot emphasise enough that the numbers above represent an “average” sale price and an “average” negotiated price. Obviously this does not mean your home is worth any less or any more than it was last week... or month...or year!! – To determine what the value of your home is, a comparative market value would be completed based on homes that are similar to yours.
Ultimately all of this tells me that an adjustment period is and has been taking place – and quite frankly, statistics should be compared on a quarterly basis to get “real” numbers before any conclusion is drawn.
When it’s all said and done – these are just numbers. I want to bring you the numbers for awareness and education on the Brooks real estate market. To answer the question – “Is it better yet?” – no...But it’s getting there.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
WHERE DID APRIL GO?
It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Brooks Real Estate market is going to suffer like the rest of the Province – unfortunately for Brooks it appears while the rest of the province’s real estate markets are showing signs of recovery, Brooks is faltering. My opinion is that the Brooks real estate market tried to ignore the flailing economy and all we did was put it off to a later date.
Of course the lack of work for the oil & gas community in Brooks isn’t helping either. The new owners of Lakeside also appears to be restructuring and the effects are evident in the rental community (my vacancy rate has been under 5% for several years – the last few months it has jumped to 12%!!)
I guess the point of writing these blogs is two-fold – 1. No one in Brooks is reporting anything to do with the real estate market and 2. Show all the positive things that are happening in the Brooks real estate market that no one is reporting.
With that in mind there is good news – Lakeside is in the process of bringing in 300 more employees very soon (great news for the struggling vacancy rate) and it appears the oil & gas guys are slowly starting to go back to work.
To the numbers!! :
-There has been 66 transactions (that’s 33 homes sold) in Brooks, Alberta and County of Newell since March 1, 2009.
-RE/MAX Main Street Realty has been involved in over 36% of those transactions!! (a good number by the way – we have 9 associates in our office which represents about 15% of the Brooks Real Estate Board)
-The average sale price of these homes was $209,000 (for the same period last year the average sale price was $206,000)
Looking at the above – the market sounds good – unfortunately – last year, in the same period there were 65 homes sold. In review, the average prices of homes went up a little bit and the amount of sales went down a lot.
Brad Stolson has been licensed in real estate since 2000. He is the top producing REALTOR at RE/MAX Main Street Realty since January 1, 2002. Check out his listings and other great information at his websites www.stolsonsells.com and www.bradstolson.com
Of course the lack of work for the oil & gas community in Brooks isn’t helping either. The new owners of Lakeside also appears to be restructuring and the effects are evident in the rental community (my vacancy rate has been under 5% for several years – the last few months it has jumped to 12%!!)
I guess the point of writing these blogs is two-fold – 1. No one in Brooks is reporting anything to do with the real estate market and 2. Show all the positive things that are happening in the Brooks real estate market that no one is reporting.
With that in mind there is good news – Lakeside is in the process of bringing in 300 more employees very soon (great news for the struggling vacancy rate) and it appears the oil & gas guys are slowly starting to go back to work.
To the numbers!! :
-There has been 66 transactions (that’s 33 homes sold) in Brooks, Alberta and County of Newell since March 1, 2009.
-RE/MAX Main Street Realty has been involved in over 36% of those transactions!! (a good number by the way – we have 9 associates in our office which represents about 15% of the Brooks Real Estate Board)
-The average sale price of these homes was $209,000 (for the same period last year the average sale price was $206,000)
Looking at the above – the market sounds good – unfortunately – last year, in the same period there were 65 homes sold. In review, the average prices of homes went up a little bit and the amount of sales went down a lot.
Brad Stolson has been licensed in real estate since 2000. He is the top producing REALTOR at RE/MAX Main Street Realty since January 1, 2002. Check out his listings and other great information at his websites www.stolsonsells.com and www.bradstolson.com
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Infamous “They”...and....What’s Really Happening in the Brooks Real Estate Market
Growing up my mother always had interesting statistics and facts concerning childhood and other various life skills. When I challenged her words of wisdom and demanded the disclosure of where she got this information from my answer would be...”well...that’s what ‘they’ say...”
To present day, as a real estate professional, I continually have the general public asking me about the real estate market in Brooks and quoting facts and statistics that have been heard from this mystical group ‘they’.
As a teaser – here is some statistics. (Statistical data collected from the Brooks real estate board (RASCA)
-In the recent "good" years of real estate (2006-Sept 1, 2008) in the Brooks and County of Newell region - 65% of properties that have been put up for sale have sold. Since September 2008 only 40% of the homes listed have sold. This means that our market in the last 7 months has experienced a drop of 25%! However, this number reflects a drop in the number of sales not the sales price.
-The average sales price has increased by 6% when comparing the year 2008 and the first 3 months of 2009.
So what does it all mean? It means these are statistics. There is no such thing as a national market, there really isn’t such thing as a localized market (but is much more relavent), your house is worth what other similar properties have sold for and ultimately....as ‘they’ say... “..your house is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.”
The real estate market in Brooks will be a trying year. Home sales will happen and statistics are showing that sellers are negotiating more (down 3% from 97% (5 year average) to 94%) now than in recent history. There is also significant competition which helps in stabilizing the prices and helps prevent bidding wars. My final thought is that the “good” houses are still selling quickly – a “good” house is defined as a saleable home at a saleable price. The right real estate associate will help you in establishing that saleable price.
To present day, as a real estate professional, I continually have the general public asking me about the real estate market in Brooks and quoting facts and statistics that have been heard from this mystical group ‘they’.
As a teaser – here is some statistics. (Statistical data collected from the Brooks real estate board (RASCA)
-In the recent "good" years of real estate (2006-Sept 1, 2008) in the Brooks and County of Newell region - 65% of properties that have been put up for sale have sold. Since September 2008 only 40% of the homes listed have sold. This means that our market in the last 7 months has experienced a drop of 25%! However, this number reflects a drop in the number of sales not the sales price.
-The average sales price has increased by 6% when comparing the year 2008 and the first 3 months of 2009.
So what does it all mean? It means these are statistics. There is no such thing as a national market, there really isn’t such thing as a localized market (but is much more relavent), your house is worth what other similar properties have sold for and ultimately....as ‘they’ say... “..your house is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.”
The real estate market in Brooks will be a trying year. Home sales will happen and statistics are showing that sellers are negotiating more (down 3% from 97% (5 year average) to 94%) now than in recent history. There is also significant competition which helps in stabilizing the prices and helps prevent bidding wars. My final thought is that the “good” houses are still selling quickly – a “good” house is defined as a saleable home at a saleable price. The right real estate associate will help you in establishing that saleable price.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
What's Happening So Far in Real Estate for Brooks, Alberta
My first time blogging!! This was a memo I posted to my associates at RE/MAX Main Street Realty in Brooks, Alberta. Our goal is to be educated on the market and therefore we can educate the public to always ensure our clients are making good decisions. After reading it I thought what a perfect way to start blogging to the public. (btw BREC is the Brooks Real Estate Co-operative)
"Well the year definitely has not started off to a great big bang, but the numbers are showing stability and slight growth. Growth at a slow pace and showing stability will have to be a dominating characteristic in our “new economy”. Of course, what goes up must come down – hence the “bubble” popping process. Real Estate grew too fast in too short of a time in the last 5 years. I’m sure everyone has learned their lesson (this is sarcasm at its best – it has happened before and it will happen again!!). Hopefully this time around – “...we won’t piss it all away”.
*Heres some useful information – the average price of a home sold in Brooks/County of Newell rose over 18% from the last 3 months of 2008 compared to the 1st 3 months of 2009 (maybe we haven’t learned our lesson at all).
RE/MAX MSR continues its dominance in certain aspects of the sales – we continue to lead the negotiating power – up 1% compared to BREC (Brooks/County of Newell) and our average sales price is 2.5% higher than BREC... Lastly, our average shows we sell our listings up to 2 weeks quicker than BREC.
We also have continued our dominance in amount of overall sales (who wants the big chunk of the pie?) (Jan-Mar 2008 – 55% and Jan-Mar 2009 – 49%)."
Brad Stolson
"Well the year definitely has not started off to a great big bang, but the numbers are showing stability and slight growth. Growth at a slow pace and showing stability will have to be a dominating characteristic in our “new economy”. Of course, what goes up must come down – hence the “bubble” popping process. Real Estate grew too fast in too short of a time in the last 5 years. I’m sure everyone has learned their lesson (this is sarcasm at its best – it has happened before and it will happen again!!). Hopefully this time around – “...we won’t piss it all away”.
*Heres some useful information – the average price of a home sold in Brooks/County of Newell rose over 18% from the last 3 months of 2008 compared to the 1st 3 months of 2009 (maybe we haven’t learned our lesson at all).
RE/MAX MSR continues its dominance in certain aspects of the sales – we continue to lead the negotiating power – up 1% compared to BREC (Brooks/County of Newell) and our average sales price is 2.5% higher than BREC... Lastly, our average shows we sell our listings up to 2 weeks quicker than BREC.
We also have continued our dominance in amount of overall sales (who wants the big chunk of the pie?) (Jan-Mar 2008 – 55% and Jan-Mar 2009 – 49%)."
Brad Stolson
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