Let the count down begin... 23 days til Christmas...

Where the heck did the year go? None of you probably even noticed that I skipped the November blog. Between closings, holidays, elections and any number of a thousand excuses, I just didn't do one.

I thought on such a cold snowy start to the holiday season, I better do some catching up. First off, Homes have been selling like hot cakes. 5 closings in November is even better than the bunch I was able to close the first of the year. It ain't over yet, but thankfully this has already been the best year in about 4 in my business... no records, but steady for a change.

A couple nuggets from the closings this month should shed some light on the market in general... My first one was a first time home buyer... the search process was quick and we found a home that wasn't bank owned or a short sale. His mortgage broker broke a record in getting the approval and it was a seamless transaction. The second one was a home that was priced well,in good shape, and in a marketable area. I mentioned priced well because that's key today. I listed it Friday, and we had an offer by Sunday. Might be a record for me. Number 3 took a little longer but was a nice family colonial on a great street. It was my listing and we got through the appraisal and inspection process with flying colors, but the mortgage for the buyer took forever it seemed. Underwriters are dragging people over the coals these days before they'll write a mortgage. Number 4 and 5 (o.k. I fudged a little but they should have closed in November) are slated to close tomorrow (fingers still crossed). I mentioned mortgage underwriters, both deals have great borrowers but the mortgage folks have delayed both closings for over 3 weeks now for a myriad of reasons. It's tough out there folks, no matter what you read about how easy it is to get a great rate on a mortgage, you still need bordering on excellent credit to get one.

All said, this is still a great time to be a Realtor and to buy a home. I spend a lot of time these days consulting on all kinds of Real Estate issues. Feel free to call if you have any of your own.

The fam is great. Bikes are put away for the winter, and we're settling in for hermit season. Big plans this month are a visit to Chicago with Bella to the American Girl store (don't ask me... I just go where Kel tells me to go). Anthony and I will have to find some male bonding experience in Chicago to avoid boredom. Jessy & Anthony are planning a trip here near Christmas, so we have that to look forward to. Dave & Lauren are well... Lauren looks like she could have the twins any second now... they need a little more time to make sure all their parts cook as long as they can, but you know how twins can be... Did I mention it's going to be 2 boys? Austin has gotten so big already... he's not walking yet, but he stands pretty good, and he talks... but it's some kind of language I've never heard before.

Gordy has been out hunting with me a few times and so far I haven't left him behind... Dave and Anthony went with me a couple weeks ago. We were able to help Anthony get his first taste of bird hunting... good times that day, and no Dick Cheney incidents.

I'm sure there's tons I haven't talked about but shame on me for skipping a month. See you in January... have a great holiday season

Dave & Kelly

p.s. a sincere thank you for all the referrals you've sent my way... Your family and friends are an important part of what I do.