Location, Location, Location

When it comes to real estate one of the most important things you look for is a good location. As I sit down and talk with clients they are always looking for the best location for their families. I have not always lived in this great state of Utah but I am starting to enjoy what Utah has to offer. I grew up in the busy state of California where I would have to travel long distances to get to the great outdoors, but here in Utah its right in your backyard. Being in Real Estate we have the opportunity to travel from city to city and see what each city has to offer. Each city has something a little different than the other, if it is farm land, mountain trails, ski resorts, city life, or a subdivision it is all great here in Utah.

One of the best opportunities we have to check out other locations and properties is on a day we call Halloween. Going from house to house and from one neighborhood to the next you have the chance to see what is out there. Even though candy is involved I always like to evaluate a home and see what styles I like and dislike so when it comes time for me to look for a new house for my family I know what I am looking for. It does not matter if you are not in a position to make that next step and move into your dream home yet - it doesnt hurt to start looking. As the famous Boy Scouts motto goes always be prepared, so it is always good to prepare for the future.

Utah is a wonderful place and has great locations where you can find happiness in raising a family. I always thought growing up that I would never move out of California and leave the beach but now that I see what Utah has to offer, I am proud to say Utah is a beautiful place to live.

Posted By: Justin Stevenson

Home Prices Again Show Appreciation in South Ogden and Riverdale!

While most of us prepare to head to the polls to vote today, there is some good news for residents living in South Ogden, Riverdale, and some Ogden areas. Single family homes in zip codes 84405 and 84403 show home prices appreciating at 3.3% and 3.8% respectively. South Ogden has shown appreciation in each quarter this year while the Riverdale areas appreciation rate started in the second quarter of this year.

In other areas of Weber County, prices this year have declined from 1.9% in North Ogden to as much as 23.4% in the Marriott/Slaterville area. There are still negative pressures for South Ogden and Riverdale due to unemployment concerns and an economic recovery for the private sector but these areas at least may be showing price appreciation and may have reached their low point in value last year.

To track home values since 2003 for any Zip code in Northern Utah just click here. This is a great day to exercise our rights as citizens to choose our elected officials. Enjoy that right by voting and go to the polls knowing that recovery has started in some areas of Northern Utah. For market information about your specific neighborhood or your home please send me an e-mail.

Posted By: Steve Randall

High-end luxury sales growing in Dallas

This past week I closed almost $24 million in luxury home sales.Included in this number was the sale of a 19,000-square-foot Italian-style mansion in Highland Park, a 13,000-square-foot Santa Barbara-style home in the gated Creeks of Preston Hollow neighborhood, and a Bluffview estate property totaling almost 6 acres with an exquisite Antebellum-style home and an exceptional Modern residence that at one time served as the guest house for the larger Southern mansion. It was a week to remember!
Looking at the broader picture, my experience in June points to the significant positive momentum in the upper-end of the luxury housing market in Dallas. While home sales in the $1- to $2 million range have remained strong in Dallas (relative to much of the remainder of the country), home sales above $4 million had seen a decline in 2009. The below numbers from North Texas Real Estate Information Systems paint an improving picture of the luxury market in Dallas and North Texas as a whole:
Year-to-date sales of homes priced from $1 million to $3,999,999 have increased from 246 in 2009 to 312 in 2010. That’s a 21% YTD increase in this critical luxury price point. Illustrating the growing strength of the higher-end luxury housing market is the jump in sales above $4 million in 2010. This year, so far, 11 homes in that lofty price point have sold in North Texas. During the same period last year, that number was 5. Remarkably, we had five such sales in June alone.

Posted by:Dave Perry-Miller

Lake Washington’s Luxury Waterfront Market

The luxury waterfront season on Lake Washington has begun! There have been nine sales above $3,500,000 in the last 90 days. The Seattle area has had four sales above $9,000,000 since November 16, 2009. The exclusive community of Hunts Point, Washington (a neighbor of Bellevue, Washington) has two new pending sales: an older home at $8,800,000 will be torn down and a new luxury estate will be built on this generous acre lot with 86 feet of lakefront. The other pending sale is listed at $15,800,000, offering 1.2 acres and 8,300 square feet of luxury and an expansive 157 feet of shoreline on the lake. It is not known how the new buyer will improve the property. This sales activity shows real energy among buyers looking for a great opportunity to make the jump to waterfront living. Luxury real estate in the Seattle and Bellevue areas is off to a wonderful start for 2010.

Posted by:Tere Foster

Seattle and Bellevue Luxury Real Estate Sales Activity

The luxury real estate market in the Seattle and Bellevue area has seen great sales activity in recent weeks. There have been 36 closed sales in the last 180 days priced above $2.5 million. These luxury properties range in type from waterfront to lake and city view to acreage estates. The average of the closed sale price is $4,847,661. During the six month period the market has been experiencing 6 closed luxury sales a month.

Currently there are 21 pending sales (properties under contract but not closed) above $2.5 million. These sales have all occurred within the last 60 days. This is truly great news for the luxury market. The market has seen an increased in sales activity with 10.5 sales per month above $2.5 million in the last 60 days.

   

There are several exceptional pending sales: A new construction estate with built green/energy star rating at 373 Highland Drive in Seattle priced at $3,595,000; an estate featured in Architectural Design at 210 Maiden Lane in Seattle priced at $9,500,000; a gated country estate at 7350 259th Place NE in Redmond priced at $2,600,000; and a custom waterfront home at 94 Cascade Key in Bellevue priced at $7,500,000.

The market is demonstrating great signs of recovery in the luxury market. Our waterfront properties are experiencing a major increase in activity and interest. The Puget Sound Region has become a very attractive place to live and invest.

Posted by:  Tere Foster

State of the Union: Luxury Market Recovery?

The luxury market in the Northwest is showing signs of recovery. In the last six months of 2009 there were 21 sales above $3 million. And, more importantly, 48% of those sales happened in the 4th quarter. We hope having these sales in the 4th quarter show positive signs for 2010 and that we are heading towards recovery. There seems to be a real energy in the luxury marketplace on behalf of buyers that we did not see at all in the first two quarters of 2009.

In looking at 21 sales that closed in the last 6 months, all of them sold within 15% of the listed price. Remarkably there were two sales above $10 million … Continued
on the blog.

Superb Home, Superb Staging

Den Before Staging

To effectively market luxury homes in a competitive housing market it is imperative real estate agents think creatively about how to best present the properties to prospective buyers.

I am proud to represent the ultra-luxury residence at 10005 Meadowbrook in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood. To highlight the home’s uniqueness, I selected Dallas-based interior designer Barry Williams of Barry Williams Inc. to stage the almost 12,000-square-foot residence, which features a treasure trove of inl … Continued
on the blog.

Park Cities – A Local Luxury Real Estate Market Snapshot

It’s always informative to step back and take a quick “snapshot” of a specific niche of the local luxury residential real estate market. In Dallas, a good barometer of how things are fairing is the $2- to $3 million price band in the highly sought-after Highland Park Independent School District. The district is widely known for the quality education it offers, and the towns it serves, Highland Park and University Park, are known for the quality of housing they offer the district’s families.

So … just what will $2- to $3 million buy in the way of luxury housing in the Park Cities? http://www.luxur … Continued
on the blog.

Bellevue has arrived!

It is no longer the little town that started in 1953. Now we can all experience the luxury of shopping at our very own Neiman Marcus. Bellevue has officially grown up into a sophisticated city with luxury shopping in addition to the luxury homes. It is no longer a sleepy bedroom community of Seattle. Sip champagne while shopping at Jimmy Choo or stop for lunch at the Wild Ginger. The shopper girls and trend setters will have their own little bit of heaven right here in Bellevue, Washington.

Th … Continued
on the blog.

Proper pricing key to luxury buyers

One of the best ways to judge the strength of the luxury housing market is to simply count the number of serious buyers at a weekend open house event.

Recently, I held an open house at my newest listing: 4329 McFarlin in Highland Park. This immaculate home completed in 2002 offers more than 6,200 square feet of living space, a downstairs master suite, a corner lot with 90-foot frontage in the well-respected Highland Park school district and a lagoon-style pool. on … Continued
on the blog.

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