Real Estate Blog’in

There were 10 new homes listed with an average price of $325,340 with 3 in the $100k range, 2 listed in the $200k range, 2 listed in the 300k range and 3 listed above $400k.  There were 4 new land listings with an average price of $261,750 one was listed for $32k and another at $370K.  There was 1 multi-family listing and2 commercial listings.

In the past seven days there were 25 price changes, 5 properties sold, 12 expired listings, 96 listings on the hotsheet and 59 pending listings.  Of the 5 sold properties 2 were residential listings, 1 was land and 2 were commercial.  These sold properties had an average list price of $147,720 and an average sold price of $138,700. 

This copyrighted data was provided by the Silver City Regional Multi List Svc as of May 9, 2008. 

Who May Register to Vote?

Anyone who is a United States citizen, is or will be 18 on or before the next Election Day, and has established a permanent residence in New Mexico.

When May You Register?

You may register to vote any time. In order to be eligible to vote in an election, your voter registration must be received by the Grant County Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., 28 days prior to any election.

How do I Register?

In-Person at the office of the County Clerk or by using the mail-in registration form. These are available at any county clerk’s office, at the Office of the Secretary of State and at many state agencies.

You may register to vote when applying for a new or renewed driver’s license, when applying for certain types of public assistance or services, at many public libraries, colleges and universities, or at any organized voter registration drive.

What Information is Required?

The voter registration requires the following information:

Name, gender, birth-date, social security number, physical residence, mailing address (if different from your residence), party affiliation (if any), home phone number (which may be used for election purposes, but not required for voter registration) and a signature/date from applicant. *NOTE: A post office box is not a physical residence. Please use a street address or fill out the map at the bottom of the application if you live in a rural area. You cannot be assigned to the proper polling place unless the county clerk knows the location of your residence.

May I vote early or by absentee ballot?

In statewide, county, special and school-district elections, a person may vote by mail beginning on the 28th day before Election Day. The absentee ballot must be received at the County Clerk’s Office either by mail or personal delivery by no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. The ballot may also be delivered to the polling place in which the voter is registered by 7 p.m. on Election Day.  A person may vote early in person at the Grant County Clerk’s Office starting on the 28th day preceding the election.

Are Sample Ballots Available?

Sample ballots are available at the County Clerk’s Office in advance of each election and at the polls on Election Day.

Grant County Clerk: 1400 Highway 180 East, Silver City, NM - (575) 574-0042

For more information: New Mexico Secretary of State

The market is historically slower the first quarter of the year. However, these numbers are telling!  Transactions are down by half and the average price has slipped only marginally.

Click here for the First Quarter - Sold Market 2006, 2007, 2008

Properties listed under $200k are still selling at a brisk pace, $200 to $300k slower and above $300 very slowly.  We currently have 56 listings under contract.  24 of those pending sales are residential listings with an average asking price of $159,433.

In New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District, we have a tremendous and rare opportunity to elect one of our own to the United States House of Representatives.

Monty Newman, REALTOR® and former Mayor of Hobbs, is seeking the Republican nomination. Monty has been a REALTOR® for over 30 years, served as President of the REALTOR® Association of New Mexico in 1995 and has served on the leadership team of the National Association of REALTORS®. He understands the issues REALTORS® face every day. Monty will fight for policies which promote economic development in New Mexico, tax reforms that encourage homeownership and a stable housing market, and quality, affordable health care options for REALTORS®.

Your participation is needed in the June 3rd Republican Primary. To do so, you must be registered to vote as a Republican in New Mexico prior to May 6th, 2008! Please take a moment and follow the voter registration steps below:

1. Verify if you are currently registered to vote by clicking here.

2. If you are not registered, please click here to download the voter registration form.

3. To register to vote, you will need to mail your completed voter registration form to your county clerk’s office prior to May 6th, 2008. To find the address for your county clerk, please click here.

4. For answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding voter registration in New Mexico, please click here.
Please make our REALTOR® voice heard by registering to vote and supporting Monty Newman on June 3rd. Your vote will make a difference and I look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,Pat Pipkin
2008 President
REALTORS Association of New Mexico

There were 21 new homes listed with an average price of $275,599 with 1 listed under a hundred thousand, 9 in the $100k range, 3 listed in the $200k range and 8 listed above 300k.  There were 2 new land listings with an average price of $209,750 one was listed in Silver City and the other in the Lake Roberts area.  There was 1 farm/ranch listing in the Cliff/Gila area for $4 million.

In the past seven days there were 22 price changes, 11 properties sold, 5 expired listings, 78 listings on the hotsheet and 57 pending listings.  Of the 11 sold properties 8 were residential listings, 2 were land and 1 was commercial.  These sold properties had an average list price of $161,945 and an average sold price of $144,590. 

This copyrighted data was provided by the Silver City Regional Multi List Svc as of April 25, 2008. 

I have upgraded to Microsoft Office 2007 and often find that other users are still using older versions of Word, Excel, etc.  I recently discovered Microsoft has a free “Compatibility Pack” download that allows users to open, edit, and save files in the new file formats for Office 2007, using any previous version of Office.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

I realized my blog was getting visually boring.  So, I am posting a nice photo of the Buckhorn Saloon and Pinos Altos Opera House in Pinos Altos, New Mexico.

The photo belongs to Bob Pelham.  Bob takes photos for local publications, businesses and the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce as well as for his business the Pinos Altos Cabins: http://www.pinosaltoscabins.com/index.shtml

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) announces the release of the first New Mexico State of Housing Report.  The report was created to serve as an essential resource for public policy makers, private-sector decision makers and others interested in a better understanding of New Mexico’s housing sector.

To download a copy of the State of Housing Report, click here.  The report can also be found on MFA’s homepage http://www.housingnm.org/.

There were 17 new homes listed with an average price of $229,194 with 1 listed under a hundred thousand, 6 in the $100k range, 6 listed in the $200k range and 4 in the 300k range.  There were 7 new land listings with an average price of $573,500 with 4 listed in the Silver City area, 1 in Pinos Altos and 1 listed in San Lorenzo.  One 500 acre piece of land was listed for $2.9m.  There were no new commercial listings.

In the past seven days there were 14 price changes, 12 properties sold, 15 expired listings, 88 listings on the hotsheet and 59 pending listings.  Of the 12 sold properties 9 were residential listings and 3 were land.  These sold properties had an average list price of $113,449 and an average sold price of $106,241. 

This copyrighted data was provided by the Silver City Regional Multi List Svc as of April 18, 2008. 

By John Ralston, CHI, RHI

A home inspection is an objective visual examination of the physical structure of a home, from the roof to foundation.  A home inspection is the equivalent of a physical examination from your doctor. When problems are found, the inspector may recommend further evaluation or remedies.  A home inspection summarizes the condition of a property, points out the need for major repairs and identifies areas that my need attention in the near future.  Buyers and sellers depend on an accurate home inspection to maximize their knowledge of the property in order to make intelligent decisions before executing an agreement for sale or purchase.  A home inspection points out the positive aspects of a home, as well as the maintenance that will be necessary to keep it in good shape.  After an inspection, both parties have a much clearer understanding of the value and needs of the property.

There are many good reasons to do a pre-purchase home inspection.  Here are just a few.

Reason #1: It makes good business sense

• Consider the fact that the average price of a home is in excess of $190,000.
• Consider that a new roof can cost anywhere from $5,000 and up.
• Consider the fact that a new furnace can cost from $2,500 and up.

Reason #2: You will have greater peace of mind.

Buildings, old and new, need repairs and even on newer buildings it is not uncommon to have repair estimates into the thousands of dollars.

Reason #3: You will be better informed.

Being armed with the right information will help you make a good decision and feel great about it.  Not doubt about it, buying real estate is not a stress-free event, but a home inspection will relive some of the strain.

Questions or comments?  Call John at 575-543-8375 or write to homeinspection@dishmail.net.