A Little History
I was listening to NPR today and they were talking about the history of winter solstice.
In older times people thought that perhaps the sun was going away as it sunk lower and lower in the sky and nighttime began overtaking daytime. A pattern was noticed and folks started realizing that it wasn’t the end of the world. Then came the contemplation on the question of; at what point were the days getting longer? It is hard to discern at what point the daylight starts increasing. (Unless you have a computer or a watch!)
At this point, it was wondered if time was standing still.
As our world cultures developed, we understood that time does not stand still. But, many creative types believed that this Winter Solstice was a time of stillness from which new thoughts and ideas would emerge.
I couldn’t help thinking about our economy, our world, our personal lives and of course our real estate market.
It seems like the boom times in our area from 2005-2007 were the Summer Solstice. The sun was high, the days were long and property was selling and appreciating. Buyers were excited because they were getting property that they loved or thought would make them money. Sellers were happy because they were making money!
Slowly the days were getting shorter. No one even really paid attention for a long time. I mean, how could this end? It was so NICE. But, things were starting to change. Sales were slowing and listings were starting to pile up.
The days were flying into night so quickly
Here we are at December 21, 2010. Winter Solstice. Sales volume has been picking up. Prices have adjusted and we are even seeing the average and median prices increasing on home sales. While land sales volumes have increased, the average and median prices have come down slightly.
It is December. People are still looking at property. There are offers being made and deals being closed during this quiet time.
What does this mean?
I think that we are going to see more deals and an increasingly healthy real estate market in Ennis, MT. Sellers looking for prices set in 2007 will not be selling, but Sellers who are adjusting their prices in line with current trends will be selling.
I think that the market next year is going to be busy with buyers and sellers as we come out of this quiet period where time stood still.
So gather up your creativity, make your New Years resolutions, and ENJOY THE SEASON.
