Welcome to the ‘dog days’ of August! The temperature has finally reached what we expect during the summer and school is about back in session. Where did the summer go? We hope you were able to take some time away and enjoy a vacation or two to get a change in scenery. In my last newsletter, I mentioned we travelled to Jackson, WY to see Yellowstone National Park, which was gorgeous. Later this week, I travel to Cleveland to see my three college roommates from Xavier. Last summer was our 25-year college reunion, which was cancelled and we had all agreed to meet at Xavier to celebrate together. When that was cancelled, we agreed to meet in Cleveland this summer, which is where one of the roommates lives. It has been about 20-years since we have all been together. A LOT has changed since we graduated, but our friendship has remained strong…and we are grateful for that. Hope you are able to reconnect with some old friends, too this year!
Ana is going to be a junior at Guerin this year and is already back in summer soccer practice. She did very well at her first exhibition tournament this weekend not losing one game. Tali is still practicing cheer and moved up in teams so the practices and stunts are getting harder, but she loves it! Brigid is still working from home and will be for the rest of her Merck career. She is grateful for that.
Our team has had a lot of distractions this summer. Kylie’s babysitter has had a death in the family causing Kylie to have to work from home quite a bit lately. Thea had a death in the family that took her home to Cleveland for awhile along with many weddings this summer and fall. Patti was rear-ended in a car accident and has been going to the doctor and dealing with her car and insurance companies. All-in-all, we have had our challenges, to be sure. However, we work so well as a team and have been supporting and covering for each other. We are a strong work family.
We hope you were able to join us for our July Happy Hour. We had a great turnout again and really enjoyed being outside on the patio. Thank you, again for Keith Pemberton with Pemberton Insurance for being our gracious sponsor. He is outstanding if you are looking for a new insurance company. Our August Happy Hour is on Thursday, August 19th from 5-6:30pm at Matt The Miller’s again in Carmel. If the weather cooperates, we will be back outside on the patio as that is a crowd favorite. Bill Maki with The Kaveri Group is back to sponsor again this year-thank you, Bill!!! Bill is an IT and video expert. We have used Bill for our own team work as well as clients and he does an amazing job!! Give me a call if you would like to learn more about Bill and how you might be able to hire him.
Shred Day is back!! Mark your calendars now for Thursday, August 19th (same day as our Happy Hour) from 10AM-noon in our office parking lot. We will also take your recycling items. This is always popular…and it is absolutely FREE.
The real estate market is taking its usual July slow down. We don’t know if this is going to be long-term or short-term, but it is cooling off a bit. Houses are staying on the market longer, we are seeing price reductions for the first time in a LONG time and buyers are appearing more fickle. Check out the stats below from MIBOR. Bottom line, if you are still on the fence about selling, NOW is the time to talk to us. Interest rates have also dropped to below 3% again. Lumber prices, while still high are lowering. Change is coming. Talk with us today to see if the time is right for you to make a move.
Data from MIBOR comparing June 2021 to May 2021:
Median Sales Price-$250,000-DOWN 2% from $255,000
Closed Sales-3,897 units-UP 13.8%
New Listings-4,357 units-UP 11.1%
Pending Sales-4,130 units-UP 5.6%
Days on Market-14 days-DOWN 6.7%
Price per s.f.-$146-UP 0.7%
% of Ask Received-101.9%-UP 0.4% (this is an all-time record!)
Active Inventory-2,018 units-UP 17.3%
Absorption Rate-0.5-No change
This has been an absolutely BRUTAL market this past couple of years. Thank you for your continued trust and confidence in us to GUIDE, LEAD, and PROTECT you through this unprecedented time. Know we are always here for you and those you care about. Who is the next person you know who needs our help?
Enjoy this month’s newsletter! Some fun articles in there about a cool time capsule, employee safety, some great book suggestions, and great info on sunscreen. Let us know what you think!
Click here to read our August newsletter
Your friends in real estate,
Steve, Kylie, Thea, and Patti
The Zulu Group, P.C.
P.S. Please don’t keep us a secret!
