Monthly Newsletter from Galand Haas

Lane County Real Estate

RMLS Most Available Data For This 2009 Reporting Period

DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Sales activity this December in Greater Lane County continued to grow when compared to last December. Closed sales rose 38.4% and pending sales were up 24%. New listings also increased 26.9%.

Comparing December 2009 with November 2009, closed sales dropped 3.5% (245 v. 254) and pending sales fell 7.7% (181 v. 196). New listings declined 14.9% (302 v. 355).

At the month’s rate of sales, the 1,738 active residential listings would last approximately 7.1 months.

2009 SUMMARY

Comparing market activity for 2009 with 2008, pending sales increased 3.3%. Closed sales were off last year’s pace by 1.3%. New listings fell 12.4%. Total sales volume for 2009 was $669 million, down from $740 million in 2008 (see graph on page 5).

SALES PRICES

The average sale price for December 2009 was down 5.6% compared to December 2008, while the median sale price dropped 2.6%. For the year, the average sale price was down 8.5% compared to the 2008 level. The median sale price fell 9.1%.

Feature Article

THINK BIG!

google map to real pro systems

You might think this article is about Mr. Donald Trump, well-known for his words of advice to "Think Big", but it's not. 

Last weekend I watched a movie called "Gifted Hands" about Dr. Benjamin Carson, one of the world's most renowned neurosurgeons. I was absolutely enthralled. Here was a guy who was once at the bottom of his class as a child yet eventually became Johns Hopkins Hospital's professor and director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the fresh age of 33. Of course my first question is "How'd he do it?"

I have since read more about Dr. Carson, and what I've found is so exciting, so inspiring, that I just have to share this with you. You're going to love Dr. Carson's new spin on "Think Big". Here it is...

TALANT: We are all endowed not just with the ability to sing, dance or throw a ball, but with intellectual talent. Start getting in touch with that part of you that is intellectual and develop that, and think of careers that will allow you to use that.

HONESTY: If you lead a clean and honest life, you don't put skeletons in the closet. If you put skeletons in the closet, they definitely will come back just when you don't want to see them and ruin your life. 

INSIGHT: It comes from people who have already gone where you're trying to go. Learn from their triumphs and their mistakes.

NICE: If you're nice to people, then once they get over the suspicion of why you're being nice, they will be nice to you.

KNOWLEDGE: It makes you into a more valuable person. The more knowledge you have, the more people need you. It's an interesting phenomenon, but when people need you, they pay you, so you'll be okay in life. 

BOOKS: They are the mechanism for obtaining knowledge, as opposed to television.

IN-DEPTH LEARNING: Learn for the sake of knowledge and understanding, rather than for the sake of impressing people or taking a test.

GOD: Never get too big for Him.

And that's it! No, I'm not headed for the medical field anytime soon, but I sure am headed for a better me. It's time to think big.

Lifestyles

What's Eating You?

So here we are, we've tried on the new year and now the question may be, how does it fit? For some of us, we may be happily making our way through 2010 without a second thought, without a second doubt. However, there are a lot of us out here also that are still in shock. Here we are -- already 27 days into the new year -- and we're trying to figure out why we don't feel like we're making progress in our lives. Things may not quite "fit" no matter how we try on the year. Here are some ways to get back on track!

  • Get your priorities straight
  • Put yourself at the top of the list
  • Consider what's draining you
  • Invest in your financial health
  • Find out what's fueling you
  • Build a "soulful" community: surround yourself with a community of high-quality relationships that will support, challenge, and encourage you to be your best
  • Honor your spiritual well-being

 You are great and we can't wait to see what you'll do next!

- Here's to you!

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