Frantic Friday

Friday is typically the last day of the work week for the majority of American workers, but not so for Realtors! Saturday and Sunday are prime time for real estate agents who are assisting buyers in their home search, and alternatively working for a seller client to get a home SOLD by holding an open house (sometimes 2 in one afternoon!).

Friday is my day to catch up on statistics for my area, prepare for my weekend client activity, and to do a bit of marketing work. Yes, as a real estate agent for Baird & Warner, I am considered an independent contractor, and nobody takes care of my business growth except me. So I spent lots of time today copying material to send to my real estate circle of friends, stuffing envelopes, licking the glue strip (ugh), and posting this blog for today.

This blog is a natural way to share some stats with you readers, so let's have at it. I am going to give you the latest mortgage rates for the best risk customers, and average market times for multiple communities where I frequently have transactions.

Mortgage rates: 30 year fixed - 6.125%
5/1 ARM - 6.0%
3/1 ARM - 6.125%
30 year FHA - 6.0%

Average market time for houses and condos combined:

Evanston active properties: 153
Evanston sold properties: 94 (6 months back)

Wilmette active properties: 104
Wilmette sold properties: 90 (6 months back)

Winnetka active properties: 184
Winnetka sold properties: 142 (6 months back)

Glencoe active properties: 217
Glencoe sold properties: 162 (6 months back)

Skokie active properties: 111
Skokie sold properties: 66 (6 months back)

Lincoln Square in Chicago active properties: 125
Lincoln Square in Chicago sold properties: 93 (6 months back)

East Rogers Park in Chicago active properties: 151
East Rogers Park in Chicago sold properties: 119 (6 months back)

btw, this is a terrific time to be a buyer; look at those market times above!! There is sooooo much on the market to choose from, and many sellers are getting anxious to find a buyer for their properties. If you have been hesitating about making a purchase in real estate, I urge you to wait no loner. Sure, the weather is getting cold and nasty, and who wants to move in the winter months? But this is a wonderful time to choose the perfect place, get a GREAT rate on mortgage money, and find the moving companies with lots of open slots on their calendars.

Have a great weekend, everyone. And drop me a note if you have any questions or comments on what you read here.

Susan