Just finished doing a monthly MLS report for the office and I can tell you that the local selling activity is pretty abysmal. In the Washington and Peters Township areas combined we have about 827 homes listed throughout the area. For the month of February we had 57 closings take place in those same areas. That’s about a 7% closing ratio. At this rate a lot of agents are going to starve to death! When you consider that this area really has not been hit as hard as many other markets it makes you realize just how dramatic the situation is all across the country. It is bad. For those of you who would like to see the actual figures for February I have them in pdf format here: Peters Twp areas Washington areas.

The Spring selling season is fast approaching and it is anticipated that many more home may come on the market as is usual for the time of the year. Pricing these homes correctly for this market will be a challenge to even the very experienced agents. If you are planning on selling a home, please interview several agents first. Your best choices will be agents who have at a minimum 10 years experience in your local market. Don’t even mess around with the newbie’s and the inexperienced agents. Ask questions about their marketing capabilities and their negotiating experiences. Make sure that they are Internet savvy because that is where the marketing counts. Printed media is all but dead. Sellers and agents who rely on advertising in local newspapers will be wasting their money.

Buyers who engage an agent to represent them should choose only an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR). An ABR has the training and the credentials to ensure that the buyer gets the best deal for them. Visit my website for more detailed information on ABR.

Visit my website for daily updates of new listings in the local Washington County area and signup for your own personal web page on the West Penn Multi List system that will keep you up to speed in real time with all the local listings you may be interested in.

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