An Update on the St. Cloud Real Estate Market

The St. Cloud market is strong with good inventory, record-low interest rates, and homes moving at a steady, predictable pace. Tune in for more details.

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 Looking to sell in St Cloud? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Today we wanted to give you a quick recap of the spring and summer markets, as well as what we’re expecting to happen this fall in St. Cloud real estate.

It’s been a good year. In the last six months within 20 miles of St. Cloud, we’ve closed 1,623 homes. It’s not a record high or low, but it’s a steady, consistent market. Looking at inventory, we have 1,023 homes on the market, which is about 200 fewer than last year at this time.

If you’re a buyer, it’s a good year because we’ve got a good selection of properties and we’ve got record-low interest rates. That means record-low monthly mortgage payments.

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Inventory is good and interest rates are lower than ever.

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If you look at pending sales — a sign of where the market is right now — we have 345 pending sales, which is a very strong number, and a little bit up from last year. What we’re seeing is good inventory, homes selling in a predictable fashion (many times in two to eight weeks), and we’ve got those record-low interest rates. You can buy more house for less money than ever.

If you have any questions or would like specifics about your personal situation, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We’d be happy to help you!

Why Is Professional Photography So Important?

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 Looking to sell in St Cloud? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Lately, we have been getting a lot of questions about professional photography. Should you use it? How much should you use? Is it really important?

Photography is important because it is the first introduction to your house. In today’s market, most buyers will see your property on the Internet before they see it in person. When they see the photos online, they will either eliminate it from their home search or put it on the list of homes they want to see. Then, you aren’t wasting your time showing the property to buyers that aren’t interested in your home.

The photos should be of good quality: crisp, clear, and not too dark or too light. Photographers make minor adjustments to the photos to make sure the lighting is appropriate and the home is shown in the best light.

We do put out a number of photos online in order to create interest. However, we do want to leave some new, exciting things for buyers to see when viewing the home in person. That way, potential buyers have more to discover when viewing your property.

We download these professional photographs to high-quality websites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and our own corporate site. If a customer determines that your property is a good fit, we get an instant email from them. That way, we can get in touch with them immediately, make sure they are qualified to buy the home, and set an appointment to show them your property right away. We can also answer any questions they may have about the property.

If you have any other questions about professional photography or about real estate in general, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

The St. Cloud Real Estate Market Is Better Than Ever

Looking to buy in St. Cloud?  Get a full home search

 Looking to sell in St Cloud? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

This spring has been great for the real estate market. In fact, the market is the best it has been since 2005, before the recession. I’m here with a quick update on some exciting numbers from St. Cloud real estate.

As of right now, we have seen 1,054 closed sales over the last six months, which is a very nice increase. We also have 495 pending sales, which is the highest number of pending sales in 10 years. That’s great news for sellers!

Not only that, if you are thinking of selling your home, you can expect to sell in two to eight weeks. Selling a home is a far more predictable, much easier process today than it was just a few years ago.

I also have good news for buyers. Currently, there are 1,034 homes on the market within a 20-mile radius of St. Cloud. That’s a very nice selection. The market is moving a little quicker, so you do have to make decisions faster. However, we can help you through that process.

Even better than that, buyers today are able to take advantage of historically low interest rates. You can get a 30-year fixed mortgage with an interest rate between 3.5% and 4%. If you get a 15-year mortgage, the rates are even better.

Overall,  now is a great time buy or sell real estate. If you have any questions about the market or need help with your specific property, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I would be happy to help you.