Ray Carman – Auctioneer

Just a quick look, and it appears things are already hopping in 2008. Sumner County has seen 271 contracts on Houses and Land either go pending or close out! That is 271 transactions already completed or in progress.

That is up from only 59 transactions in the same time period just last year!

The year has started off well, and we expect it to continue! If you are thinking of buying or selling, now is a great time!

Today I was reminded that I have not been very active on this site. Truth is, I have been going through some processes to combine several efforts, including this one, into a stream line. I hope as the year begins, these things will unfold and blend together naturally.

As for Real Estate. Most talks with local friends lead one to believe we are in for a year full of Real Estate misery! Word is developers are backing off projects, banks are slowing down giving developer/builders money, and that the consumer is nervously watching what our nation will hold in this election year.

All these things are true to some extent. Yes, I have personally sat down with builders who have overstocked inventory and banks are pulling some of the plugs, demanding results in sales of homes. I have spoken to some developing insiders, and yes, they are slowing down as the market seems soft. Some landowners who wanted development prices are now willing to take prices significantly less! This process will affect some folks and leave some holding a empty bag wondering what happened.

BUT, this is not the end of the world, and, things in Middle TN are far greater than what the national media upholds. Your home value may not rise at the rate we have been used to in the past 5 years, but you should not see a major decline either. If you are like me, and have bought a newer home in the past three years, you may have to wait to see a profit from your home, as builders will start lowering prices to reduce inventory. But all in all, things are going to be ok!

The cure for all of this is to simply keep your head down and plow ahead! Some Realtors chose to believe the hype last year and bought into the “bad news”, thus giving up and quitting their post. Many chose not to renew their license this year due to a “shaky” market. At the same time, other Realtors who chose to simply keep working and ignore the media reports, these Realtors experienced their most productive years ever!

As the new year begins, things look and seem bleak, or, they look like riper fields than ever before! it all depends on how you choose to look at it! As for me, I fully look forward to another year of serving in this amazing field known as Real Estate! If you have a need to contact me, I can be reached at 615-428-4920, or emailed at ray@raywcarman.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sorry for being inconsistent in the past few weeks. Let the holidays take their course. I hope to be back in full force by the first of next week!

Enjoy your year in 2008!