5 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

4834 Elkhorn Hill Drive

Suwanee, GA 30024

$3950000
Welcome Home to your Elegant Rustic Style Lodge with unique custom finishes and high quality Craftsmanship throughout the home. A splendid setting where elegance meets nature. This 5BD/6.3 BA home (2 of the BD's are master Suites)has private view of the Greg Norman Golf Course, a pond and mature woods. Backyard features pool w/hot tub,waterfall and Firepit for your everyday enjoyment. 2 Cooks kitchens, 6 FP's,Spa area on terrace level w/Sauna,Steam shower,massage room, work out room & Aerobic room.3 Laundry rooms, Elevator, Wide plank hand scraped walnut floors.

Summary

MLS #5650314
Price3950000
Bedrooms5
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage10185
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

7 Bed / 7 Bath Home in THE RIVER CLUB

4745 Cuyahoga Cove

Suwanee, GA 30024

$3790000
ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE FRENCH PROVINCIAL ESTATES TO REACH MARKET IN N. ATLANTA, BOASTING UNPRECEDENTED DETAIL & ARCHITECTURAL CUSTOM CRAFTSMANSHIP.... SITTING ON A LEVEL CUL-DE-SAC LOT YET PERCHED TALL ABOVE THE GREG NORMAL GOLF COURSE, WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS AND 380 FT OF LAKE FRONTAGE, THIS HOME TOOK ALMOST $1 MILLION IN HAND-CUT TENNESSEE STONEWORK ALONE. ENJOY WIDE-PLANK HEART OF PINE FLOORING, LARGE AND ENTERTAINING OPEN FLOOR PLAN. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING GOURMET CHEF'S KITCHEN WITH DOUBLE SUB ZEROS- AND VIRTUALLY EVERY CONCEIVABLE OPTION. 4 FIREPLACES. 5-CAR

Summary

MLS #5718436
Price3790000
Bedrooms7
Bathrooms (Full)7
Square Footage11738
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

4695 Whitestone Way

Suwanee, GA 30024

$2599000
Custom Home in The River Club. 6 Bedroom 6.5 Ba on double lot backing golf course. 1st floor features large 2 story foyer overlooking LR with handsome study and large entertaining DR. Gourmet kitchen overlooks oversized Family Room and covered porch. Master on main and 2nd bedroom on main. Upstairs features 3 bedrooms all with private baths and large dressing area. Terrace level features bedroom and bath, Bar area, game room and theatre.

Summary

MLS #5751567
Price2599000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage8412
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

4605 Whitestone Way

Suwanee, GA 30024

$2500000
Exquisite estate home with the finest attention to detail throughout. Overlooking 4th green, home features marble inlayed foyer, Liv Rm, Office w/FP, opulent Great Rm w/FP, state of the art Kitchen, Stunning Keeping Rm w/beamed ceiling & FP, Romantic Master on main, elevator, World class terrace Lvl w/Rec Rm w/FP, Bar, Billiards Rm w/FP, Humidor, Home Theater(all equipment stays!), 2nd master suite & most beautiful finish work in the River Club. Pool & spa w/stone surround, stunning outdoor living areas. WOW!

Summary

MLS #5722910
Price2500000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage9476
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

869 Big Horn Hollow

Suwanee, GA 30024

$2450000
Welcome home...you've earned this! Enter an innovative floor plan built for entertaining & family enjoyment. Delight in vaulted wood beamed ceilings throughout, wood, brick & travertine floors, wide baseboards, stained doors throughout. The chef of the family will revel in the showcase kitchen of granite and brick. Master on main, separate his & hers baths/closets with car wash shower for both to enjoy. Terrace level is filled with customized features including media room with built in show cases for memorabilia, bar, wine cellar, game room, cozy rec room with fireplace

Summary

MLS #5713023
Price2450000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage9663
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

912 Little Darby Lane

Suwanee, GA 30024

$2099000
Old world European inspired master piece, indescribable detail thruout,in private setting, 2 story grand foyer w/spiral staircase, pecky cypress paneled study, gourmet kitchen views to fireside keep rm ,Private master suite on main level w/spa like master bath, his/hers closets w/custom built-ins, whole house audio system ,cover porch w/outdoor fireplace/Terrace level features: Pub style bar,w/1800 bottle wine cellar, theater seats 8 features concession stand, billiard rm,card rm,spa rm w/sauna, salt water pool & spa w/cascading waterfalls & outdoor fire pit.

Summary

MLS #5693604
Price2099000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage9755
Square Footage SourceBuilder
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

811 Flathead Pass

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1975000
Exquisite stone home. Quiet cul-de-sac. 1+/- acres. Impeccable detail + finishes, motor court w 6-car garage. Dormer windows w diagonal panes, peaked arches accent old world architecture. Entry offers views of dining rm + 2-story fireside great rm w 16' windows + flanking bookcases. Arched 8' French doors + 14' ceiling in fireside library. Chefs kitchen w generous counterspace, walk-in pantry, opens to fireside keeping rm w walls of windows + coffered ceiling. Owners suite w 14' ceiling, fireplace, luxury closet 'for her', spiral stairs to 'his closet' + exercise space,

Summary

MLS #5756560
Price1975000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage8200
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

962 Little Darby Lane

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1849999
Exquisite details with superb finishing mark this amazing River Club home! Formal DR w pecky cypress walls, rustic aged exposed beams, handkerchief ceiling in foyer w built in bookcases. Kitchen built for 2 chefs w island feat all Viking appl & custom inlay cabinetry. Owners suite on main. Barn door leads to pool bath, mud rm w laundry & hammered copper sink. Junior master w spa bath. Finished terrace level& outdoor living at its finest. Complete w private 1 Bdrm Guest House w kitchenette & screened porch overlooking saltwater pool w spa.

Summary

MLS #5645985
Price1849999
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage7603
Square Footage SourceBuilder
StatusActive

Features

5 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

878 Crescent River Pass

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1799999
Stunning Brick & Stone Manor home w good golf course views. Outdoor living rooms on multi levels w fireplace overlooking pool & waterfall spa. Chefs kitchen w mixed woods. Working island w veggie sink, warming drawer, Wolf gas coooktop, dual dishwashers, subzero and wine chiller. Main floor boasts study w fireplace, living room w fireplace & stone walls, formal dining room, & owners suite on main. 3 generous ensuite bedrooms upstairs. Terrace level finished w media, billiards area, custom bar, wine, office, & guest bedroom w full bath.

Summary

MLS #5758623
Price1799999
Bedrooms5
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage7316
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

5212 Boulder Bluff Way

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1789900
A cul-de-sac lot, this 6 bed home offers an abundance of outdoor living spaces,spa pool & fire pit backing up to natural woods. Foyer flanked w/a large DR & study.The kitchen has it all: island w/serving bar,walk-in pantry & counter space for the home chef.The vaulted kitchen-family room is accented w/ truss beams. Main floor master has spacious his/her walk in closets. A finished terrace w/ theater, family/billiards & game rooms,full kitchen, weight room, guest suite & BA completes this home.

Summary

MLS #5687744
Price1789900
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage7553
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in None

2915 Southers Circle

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1680000
Peaceful estate with all the amenities-an entertainer's delight! Enter through the iron gate & follow the drive through the trees to your new dream home. A must see with no detail forgotten! Gorgeous Chef's kitchen open to keeping room & breakfast area. Master on main. Finished basement w/full kitchen, custom walnut bar, theater room & more. Saltwater pool/spa with auto cover & outdoor fireplace. HUGE shop w/14' RV door & second 12' door, foam insulation, wired 220 w/gas lines run. Enjoy the convenience of the Chattahoochee Recreation Area out your back door.

Summary

MLS #5740199
Price1680000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage5385
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

4 Bed / 4 Bath Home in The River Club

4870 Hanalei Hollow

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1599990
Home must be sold with a 18-24 month lease back. Fabulous Arthur Rutenberg Custom Home siutated in the River Valley at The River Club. This stunning home features an open floor plan for entertaining, gourmet chef's kitchen and owners suite on the main floor. Upstairs are 3 additional on suite bedrooms and a bonus room. Home has amazing view of 16th fairway and is walking distance to the club. This home is sold furnished.

Summary

MLS #5765916
Price1599990
Bedrooms4
Bathrooms (Full)4
Square Footage4333
Square Footage SourceBuilder
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in THE RIVER CLUB

4732 Blackwater Way

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1599900
Sitting beautifully on the 6th hole, this home has all the extensive trim/finishes any discriminating buyer will appreciate! Filled w natural light w features to include solid teak flooring, true hand crafted masonry frpl, planked walls in FR, waterworks faucets throughout, custom interior trim & built ins, calcutta gold marble counter tops, & custom hardware. Home is accented w hand baked brick, stone foundation & slate roof for welcoming appeal. Owner suite up w frpl & bath w waterworks tub, steam shower & bidet. Terr lvl w kitchen/bar & bath. 4 car garage too!

Summary

MLS #5566477
Price1599900
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage7800
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

7 Bed / 8 Bath Home in Belmore Estates

4994 Price Drive

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1599000
Stunning brick & stone estate on over 1 acre in private gated community. Resort style pool featuring waterfall,slide,hot tub, & fire pit plus covered porch w fireplace.4car garage, 8 fireplaces, 3 laundry rooms. Huge owner's suite w private balcony, spacious secondary bedrooms & lofts. Gourmet kitchen well-equipped w high-end appliances opens to spacious keeping room & breakfast room overlooking pool.Terrace level has 2nd kitchen/bar, theater, fitness, steam sauna, game room, den, & guest suite. MANY details and UPGRADES! Luxurious Lifestyle!

Summary

MLS #5765505
Price1599000
Bedrooms7
Bathrooms (Full)8
Square Footage11592
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

6 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

4505 Whitestone Way

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1550000
Tuscan columns and a wrought iron railing greet you at the covered porch of this brick & stone estate, inviting you to step inside. The gracious interior includes 12' ceilings, panelled study, sunny solarium with brick walls & soaring arched windows, a chef's dream kitchen w/ honed granite counter tops, soapstone apron sink, top of the line appliances. Tremendous entertaining space with covered outdoor living space including an outdoor dining porch. Guest suite on main lined by leaded glass windows w/ access to the covered porch.

Summary

MLS #5634131
Price1550000
Bedrooms6
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage8187
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

5 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

932 Chattooga Trace

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1490000
Modern Day CHIC nestled in the ultra exclusive River Club. Every detail was carefully selected and quality crafted; Reclaimed wood beams & finishes, shiplap & birch walls, Luster Stone walls & ceilings, rich moldings. Master suite on main offers serenity & privacy. Open 2 story family room w/ stone fireplace & T&G ceiling adjacent to the modern renovated chef's kitchen. Enjoy alfresco dining on the covered porch or enjoy smores by the fire on the amazing renovated Trex deck that overlooks the pristine gardens. Full daylight terrace level awaits your finishes.

Summary

MLS #5760185
Price1490000
Bedrooms5
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage5780
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

7 Bed / 6 Bath Home in The River Club

4508 Lochsa Lane

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1490000
Lovely custom brick & stone home in THE RIVER CLUB. Fantastic floor plan W/2 story foyer & LR, executive office, volume ceilings, curved staircase + rear stairs. Beautiful kitchen w/Wolf/Subzero/Bosch/Double ovens & Walk in pantry integrated into cabinetry - overlooks keeping rm w/FP & wood plank ceiling. Guest Suite on Main Level, 4 ensuite BR's up, and 2 BR/1 BA on terrace level along with bar, theater rm (includes equipment) & rec rm. Rear grounds are stunning w/large brick & stone patio, FP, stone pizza oven, grill, sink, stunning hot tub spills over into pool.

Summary

MLS #5743797
Price1490000
Bedrooms7
Bathrooms (Full)6
Square Footage8116
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

4 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

878 Big Horn Hollow

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1488888
Superb craftsmanship reflect in the River Club brick/stone home. Welcoming foyer feat inlaid floors & flanked by gentleman's Study w custom builtins & formal DR. Natural light fills the GR w fireplace & wet bar. Gourmet Kit feat dual Dishwashers, Subzero, Thermador 6 burner cooktop & dual convection ovens, large island & 2 pantries! Main level owner ste w sitting area & spa bath. Stained Canadian Maple hardwood flooring, 2 ensuite bdrms up & junior owner ste w jetted tub & dual vanities. Fin terr includes billiards/game room & gym w rubber flooring w full bath.

Summary

MLS #5758524
Price1488888
Bedrooms4
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage7133
Square Footage SourceAppraisal
StatusActive

Features

5 Bed / 5 Bath Home in The River Club

5108 Coosa Court

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1475000
Located in a Private setting,home has been meticulously maintained paneled study, gourmet kitchen views to fireside vaulted keep rm,hardwood flooring throughout,master suite on main level w/spa like master bath, his/hers closets w/custom built-ins,second master suite upstairs,large secondary bedrooms w/private baths & great closet space,laundry on main & upstairs cover screen porch w/outdoor fireplace amazing backyard w/stone paver patio that views cascading waterfall & outdoor fire pit.Home backs up to nature preserve,prefect lot for pool walk out from your main floor

Summary

MLS #5765721
Price1475000
Bedrooms5
Bathrooms (Full)5
Square Footage6603
Square Footage SourceTax Record
StatusActive

Features

5 Bed / 4 Bath Home in The River Club

4971 Roaring Fork Pass

Suwanee, GA 30024

$1426000
Stunning J. Patrick O'Donnell brick & stone masterpiece brimming with character in The River Club. Situated on wide lot with preserved forest area, this 5BR, 4 and 2 half BA home is loaded with high-end features, including custom closet system in elegant master retreat on main. Chef's kitchen with pot filler, beverage refrigerator, warming drawer, farm sink, sliding barn door and Wolf range opens up to vaulted, beamed ceilings in family room and screened porch with fireplace. Perfect for entertaining! Full daylight lower level is framed, roughed in for lg in-law suite.

Summary

MLS #5706779
Price1426000
Bedrooms5
Bathrooms (Full)4
Square Footage5000
Square Footage SourceBuilder
StatusActive

Features

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Category Archives: client protection

Don’t Lose Your Shorts (Sale)…

They are all of the rage.  Sellers don’t want to be forced to do them, and buyers are scared to death of having to deal with them.  At the same time, it is often the best option for a seller to avoid foreclosure and get back on the path to rebuilding their lives.  They can also be a great deal for buyers.

English: Buyers and sellers in the Plazuela de...

English: Buyers and sellers in the Plazuela de los Sapos, Puebla, Mexico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a buyer, there are some big differences between buying foreclosures and buying short sales.  To begin with, often, short sales are still occupied.  I have been in a LOT of houses… foreclosures, vacant homes that weren’t foreclosed, abandoned homes and non-distressed tradition sales.  Homes without people in them tend to degrade.  Short sales tend to be in better condition and have fewer maintenance issues that need to be dealt with right away.

However, all is not wonderful in the world of Short Sale properties.  They have a huge problem.  Short sales are risky.  The risk is financial, but rather it is time.

  • The average Short Sale takes over 9 months to close after going under contract.
  • Only 25% of Short Sales actually make it from contract to closing.

So that means that a buyer could go through the better part of a year, only to have the sale fall through because of a lender-based wrinkle.  And when 3 out of 4 of them fall out in the process, it equals a MASSIVE waste of time.

The risk is the same for a seller.  Months and months of uncertainty followed by disappointment.  The desire to get on with financial life gets delayed.  It’s no wonder that so many sellers end up giving up and letting the house go to foreclosure.

But, there IS a way out…

Along with the brokerage change a few months ago, I also partnered up with a couple of other agents… one of which is a short sale specialist.  As part of the partnering, we have contracted a firm that handles Short Sale Process from contract to close.  The firm’s batting average is quite a bit better than the national averages…

  • Their average Short Sale takes less than 4 months from contract to close, with most happening anywhere from 2-5 months.
  • They are at 82% making it through the process to closing.

This is a huge reduction of risks for both the buyer and the seller… financial, time and emotional.  It still isn’t perfect, but 4 out of 5 beats the heck out of 1 in 4.  And getting the average time down by half is pretty big, too.  That gets Short Sale buyers out of the realm of almost exclusively investors and back into a range that is workable by people that plan to live in the house.  That opens up the market considerably.  And that means that more of the sales are likely to make it to close.

BTW, Sarah’s close rate is even higher than the 82%.

If you are wondering whether a Short Sale is appropriate for you, please feel free to give me a call, or send a text to my cell or email.

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How to Get THE Best Deal…

Every buyer in the market has one goal in mind… get the best deal possible on the exact house that they want.  Of course, there are a few problems… but like most problems, there ARE solutions.

exterior

exterior (Photo credit: lane.bailey)

The first problem is understanding value…  To begin with, the quality of the deal is NOT measured by sale price v listing price.  The list price and the value are NOT directly related.  You might actually have a better deal in your hand at full price… or even above… with one property, while another might be over-priced at half of the list price.  Compare the price you are getting to the value of the comps.  Don’t forget to subtract (or add) for needed improvements, updates and other differences.  That is what real estate agents do when they create a Comparative Market Analysis.

The second problem is being realistic…  Sure, there is a chance that you might be able to get a property that has a realistic worth of twice what you will pay for it, but don’t expect it.  Especially if you are looking for a property YOU are going to live in.  If you are looking for a rental/investment property, then you don’t need to worry as much about the particulars of living in the property… only how it will work financially.

Third, learn the real market…  You need to have a heart to heart with your real estate agent.  You need to talk openly about the area values and trends.  Not the national values and trends, not the state… not even the city or ZIP code, but the area… subdivision or neighborhood, as well as the price range.  In the market areas I monitor, I see instances where the direction of the market in one price range is opposite that of the adjacent price range.  The same thing happens with locales.

English: To Let in Dover As the estate agent w...

English: To Let in Dover As the estate agent would say , 'A property with potential'. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The fourth problem is REAL big.  Don’t “just toss something out there as a starting point”.  This one is huge.  I see it all of the time.  Buyers toss out an incredibly low offer “to get the ball rolling”.  BUT, when working with an actual human seller, it often only serves to anger them and get them to dig in their heels.  When dealing with an institutional seller, it makes them think the buyer isn’t serious.  In either case, what ends up happening is that the chance of a deal gets slimmer… and if there is a deal between the buyer and seller, it might end up not being as good of a deal as if the buyer had made a higher initial offer.  (BTW Sellers… this one works both ways… pricing too high often leads to a lower selling price in the end).

Finally…  Be READY to act when you find what you want.  It isn’t a deal if you leave it laying on the side of the road.

If YOU are ready, give me a call.  Lane 678-200-5895…

 

 

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But the News Said…

English: Change of the Case-Shiller Home Price...

English: Change of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index relative to its peak values in 1989 and 2006. Series starting in 1989 is in blue. Series starting in 2006 is in red. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the comments I hear the most is “but the news said…”.  There are always stories on the news about the NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) market stats, Case-Shiller or others.  Most of the statistics are based on national numbers.  Case Shiller is a little more local, in that it is based on the local area… if you can call the Atlanta region “local”.

One thing I would note is that the Atlanta region DOES tend to track pretty close to national averages.  But being pretty close isn’t the same as being the same.  And even if it were, there is a huge difference between the Atlanta Metro area and Gwinnett County… much less Suwanee, or the Morningview subdivision.

And that is the problem…

We can’t listen to the news and have a clear picture of what it means for our house or our neighborhood.  It would be the same as looking at the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and deciding whether a specific stock was going to go up or down.

But that is exactly what people do… They see a report on the network news and then decide that houses are over-priced, under-priced or whatever.  When the real fact is that some market segments are rocking bargains right now… there is too much inventory and not enough buyers.  Other segments have scarce inventory and homes are selling as fast as they are listed (if they are priced appropriately).  But the national news… or even the local news… can’t be that exact in their reporting.

Unlike a lot of real estate professionals, I don’t begrudge the news for reporting the “big picture” story on the real estate market.  We DO need to know what is happening on a national basis.  But we also need to remember that there are vast differences between neighborhoods, price ranges, ZIP codes, school areas, etc.

The best bet is to talk with a local agent… I have monthly market reports on 7 cities in Gwinnett County, GA.  If this is your area, you can get a much better idea of what is going on around you.  If you really want to know what is happening, let me know and we’ll talk about YOUR house.

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The “Best” Deal?

Buyers and sellers in the Plazuela de los Sapo...

Buyers and sellers in the Plazuela de los Sapos, Puebla, Mexico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It might be one of the most asked questions I get from both Buyers and Sellers…

Is this the “best” deal?

The problem is that there is almost never an answer.  It isn’t as simple as a mathematical equation… unless there are variables to include for things like emotion, comfort and other intangibles.  The other problem is that just trying to figure out if THIS is the best deal can change the answer to the equation.

People have a tendency to “dig in” when they are pressed.  Buyers or Sellers hit a limit to what they want to do, and often they hit that limit harder when  the other party is trying to test the limits.

We’ve all heard the story of the boiling frog…  If you put him in a pot of boiling water, he jumps out, but if you put him in comfortable water and slowly heat it, he will sit there and boil.

boiling water עברית: מים רותים

boiling water עברית: מים רותים (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It works the same with buyers and sellers.  If a Buyer sends an offer with a very low price (we’ll leave aside value v pricehere…) to start negotiations, the Seller often digs in and won’t accept an offer that they might have accepted had negotiations started from a more acceptable point.  Conversely, if a Seller starts with a list price that is too high, the Buyers may just not submit an offer… or they might pick the property apart and submit a lower offer than they might have otherwise.

Of course the thing to remember is that it certainly ISN’T the best deal if it never happens…

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Prices Up? Prices Down? WTH??

Case-Shiller Home Price Index

Case-Shiller Home Price Index (Photo credit: planspark)

Just in the last two days I have heard reported on the national news that prices have stabilized (link to the NAR release here) and that prices were declining in 16 of the 20 top metro areas (Case-Shiller link here).

How can these two stories be squared?

Honestly, I don’t think that they can be…  and given experience with past “interpretations” by the NAR, I’m inclined to not believe the NAR numbers.  Actually… I believe the numbers, but not the interpretation.

Case-Shiller looks at actual properties in some of their surveys.  Rather than looking at averages or medians, they sample properties.  By looking at repeat sales of the same address, they can better determine what prices are doing.

Pretty much every other study looks at all of the sales and then breaks it down to average or median prices.  The problem then is that if more expensive homes are selling, it looks like values are going up.  If less expensive homes are selling, it looks like prices are going down.

Of course, nothing is perfect.

The problem is that there are a LOT of ways that data can be sliced and diced.  And EVERYONE that looks at the data has an agenda.  Some may be better at ignoring their personal bias, but it is still there.

My take?  I don’t think we are quite ready to recover.  Yet.  I think that the bottom line is that until there is a recovery in jobs (not the unemployment rate, but the employment rate), there will be no recovery in the hosing market.  And that shakes out to local areas…

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