Wow, things have sure picked up in Skagit County this February! Pending sales (homes put under contract to sell) really jumped last month. There were 113 new contracts accepted, up 27% from the same time last year. The real jump came in the increase from January to February where we saw a 47% increase in pending activity! It looks like the buyers are really starting to take advantage of the historically low interest rates and rock-bottom pricing. The good news for sellers is that the inventory of homes for sale is still shrinking, down 18% from February of last year.

What does shrinking inventory and soaring pending activity mean for our market? It means an absorption rate of almost 15%! This means that 15% of the homes for sale in Skagit County were put under contract last month. To give you some perspective, we haven’t seen that level in over four years. It appears that we are entering into a more “balanced” market.

Buyers are still using every ounce of negotiation power to drive prices down a bit more, which are off 10% from last year. However, we did see a very modest median price increase over January’s level. Things are heading in the right direction!

Check out the full report (with pretty graphs) here.

We’re excited to announce that Amie Mani has joined us at Windermere Mortgage Services in Skagit and Island County. Amie has been working hard in Skagit County since 2000 and has earned a stellar reputation. She has experience originating a wide variety of loans, including Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, HomePath, and more. She ranked in the North Sound Area’s top 10 in production in 2011.

At the end of every transaction we quiz our agents on the service their clients received from their loan officers, inspectors, and closing agents. Amie earned top marks each and every time, with glowing recommendations from our agents. We’re proud to have her, and proud that she will be on-hand to help our agents give first-class service to all of our clients.

Check out Amie’s contact information here, and let her know if you have any questions about financing a new home, or refinancing your existing home. You have our word she’ll earn your continued trust and business. Welcome to Windermere Amie!!

Spring is just around the corner and if you are thinking of listing your Skagit County home this year, you need to do some work on the yard. Trust us. Take a look at this article from This Old House and see what a little time, money, and creativity can do for your home. If you don’t take our advice on this one, you’ll watch prospective buyers slowly drive past your home without stopping to grab a flyer or call their agent to make a showing appointment. Curb appeal counts!!!

Done with all this snow? Ready to get out and see something new? If you have been stuck inside YOUR house all week, the last thing on your list of fun is to go inside someone else’s, right? Think again. This is your chance to visit a classic Frank Lloyd Wright home. The tour is this Sunday and tickets are $35. Follow this link to learn more.

We’re excited to have Cindy Sullivan back in our Mount Vernon office, ready to help you sell or buy a home. Cindy spent some time out of the state enjoying warmer weather, but thankfully she came back to us. Please visit her website to learn more about Cindy Sullivan!

All of our new listings are featured in the scrolling picture frame on our website’s front page. List with us and get priority billing on our site! We list and sell all sorts of properties, and we’re proud of every one of our listings. Call us today to find out how we can help you.