"SO HOW IS THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, WHAT'S NEXT?"

As the market continues to change, I have been asked on a daily basis “So how is the market, what’s next, Sara?” My replies are:

a) IF YOU ARE SELLING.

Undoubtedly, it could be a challenging time if you bought your home (s) in 2005 zero down, or if you have refinanced and took money out and your home currently has little to no equity.

b) IF YOU ARE BUYING. It is a FANTASTIC market.

It is relatively healthy market and it continues to do well. Of course I get a stare as if I have lost my mind. Clearly, that is a matter of opinion because the general public does not see the raw numbers that a real estate broker or agent sees daily.

Thus, let’s look at the factual numbers. Below are actual sales reported in the last 3 years with the Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) and the Maricopa County Assossor’s Office. We actually beat out all of the previous months of the 2007.

Year Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. (pending, not yet reported)

2006 6,102 6,163 5,608

2007 4,731 4,321 3,406

2008 5,954 5,846 6,168

So, how's the market? You decide as the numbers don't lie!