Real Estate Information

There just one surprise after another in real estate!

The total dollar volume of homes sold in Clarksburg, MD was $3,758,144 in January 2009, which is an increase of 29.08 percent compared to January 2008.

The median selling price was $464,000, up 0.99 percent compared to January of last year, and the number of homes sold jumped by 50 percent during that same time frame.

Also, the time that homes stayed on the market before selling dropped to an average of 136 days -- down 11.69 percent compared to last year.

In December, the average sold price of a home in Clarksburg, Maryland was $511,042, which is a drop of 4.79 percent compared to December 2007.

The total number of homes sold was identical to December of last year, and the average days on the market was up by 2.61 percent.

Therefore, homes are taking a bit longer to sell compared to last year.

The audited year-end sales figures will be available in mid-February, and I'll be sure to provide that information as soon as the statistics are released.

The number of homes sold in Clarksburg in November 2008 was up 66.67 percent compared to November 2007.  This is remarkable, given all the negative economic news we've been hearing.

Also, the total dollar value of homes sold in Clarksburg was $4,454,490 this November compared to $2,829,140 last year -- an increase of 57.45 percent.

But... the average selling price for a home was down 5.53 percent.

The bottom line: more homes are selling than last year, but at a lower price.

A new hospital and medical campus for Clarksburg, MD is planned by Adventist Healthcare.

The plans call for a one-hundred-bed hospital, medical office buildings for physicians and out-patient medical services, a nursing home, and day-care facilities located on a sixty-acre site near Route 121 and Interstate 270.

Adventist Healthcare has worked for six years with Montgomery County planners and others to complete the various stages of the land-use process.

For more information, log onto http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/AHC/about/news/2008/new-clarksburg-hospital.aspx

You still have time to RSVP for the annual Clarksburg Town Center holiday cocktail party, which is scheduled for Saturday, December 6 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The party will feature an open bar, DJ, dancing, and catered cocktail fare.  The RSVP date is December 1.

Additional details are available on http://www.ClarksburgConnects.com

Here's a quick readout on recent home sales in Clarksburg....

Sixteen homes went under contract and a total of 35 new listings hit the market last month.

There were 12 homes that sold and settled in October 2008 -- identical to the number sold in October 2007 -- and the average days on the market for homes increased by less than one percent for this same period.

This indicates a fairly static situation for sellers, and presents a continuing opportunity for prospective buyers who want to take advantage of the imbalance in the supply (large) and demand (small) for homes.

Please mark your calendars for Monday, November 3.  That's when Mad Science, an interactive science show for children arrives in Clarksburg.

The show will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Clarksburg Town Center resident's club and includes experiments that kids can take home.

To sign up for the show and get additional details, go to www.ClarksburgConnects.com

Clarksburg Village is hosting a family day for residents and their guests on Saturday, October 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This promises to be a fun-filled event with food, a moon bounce, face painting, a magician, and the Balloon Man!  Admission is $5.

You can get all the details on http://www.ClarksburgVillager.com

Please be sure to come and meet your neighbors.

I'll see you there!

Last week I reported that the number of homes sold in Clarksburg during September 2008 had increased compared to last September.

This same trend is evident in Montgomery County.

A total of 768 homes sold in September 2008, a 31.78 increase over September 2007.  The total sold volume was $351,771,293 -- a 17.98 percent increase over last year.

The Montgomery County median selling price was down, indicating that more homes in the lower price range are selling than last year, and the days-on-the-market average shows that homes are staying on the market longer than last year by 23.17 percent.

The upshot: there are more buyers than last September, but they are being cautious before making a buying decision.

In the midst of all the bleak economic reporting in the news, I was intrigued to see this month's update from the Realtor database.

The total dollar volume of homes sold in Clarksburg in September 2008 increased 58.20 percent compared to September of 2007.  $6,570,174 worth of homes sold in our community last month.

The number of homes sold almost doubled (fourteen versus eight) this September compared to last September, and the median priced on those homes dropped by only 0.31 percent.  So that's the good news.

The not so-good-news (if you're a seller) is that, on average, homes are taking longer to sell -- 210 days compared to 67 last year.  Part of that increase is attributable to "short sales," in which owners attempt to sell their house for less than they owe the bank while asking the bank to forgive  the balance.  The lender reviews for each of these sales can be extremely time consuming, which is one reason for the increase in days on the market.