Susan's Blog

Despite all the doom and gloom reported in the media, and some anecdotal evidence of some real hardships experienced by a relatively small number of people, the true picture of the market can only be determined by looking at the actual sales figures maintained by the local Multiple Listing Service.  These numbers are reported as-is, and are not colored by any so-called expert opinions or biases.

It is also important to remember that real estate is a long term investment, so comparing prices one month to the next or even from one year to the next may give a false picture of whether you have made a good investment.  Most people stay in their home for several years before considering selling, and no matter how volatile the day-to day market may seem, over time the values always increase.

To illustrate, I pulled records of all sales closed on Fair Oaks single family residences for each of the first seven months of this year and compared them with those during the same period in 2002, just before the market started swinging crazily up and down over the last few years.  Before that there had been a number of years of steady increases year over year, and as the current market settles into that pattern again, the market will continue to rise, but more calmly.

To make the below chart, I reviewed all of the sales each month for the two years, and found the mean closing sale price for each month, then added all 7 months for each year and divided by seven to reach the annual mean.  This chart will illustrate the equity increases that can be gained by planning to keep your real estate investment for several years and riding the intermediate ups and downs.  Real estate is a great investment!

Call me if you have any questions about this chart.

NOTE:  The figure for February 2002 includes one exceptionally high priced home (over $1 million), which skewed the average for that month considerably

Come to the Fair Oaks Dog Walk - a fun day for all:  adults, kids and pets.  This year it will be on October 4.  It is held every year on the first Saturday in October and features a beautiful two mile walk along the American River.  There will be a live band, dog contests and games, free doggie treats and there will be water for the dogs and their people, and some food booths with yummy people food.

The walk begins at the Fair Oaks Village Park, crosses the old historic Fair Oaks Bridge, then follows the horse trail along the river, and ends up back at the Village Park - a truly beautiful route. The Village Park is just east of Sunrise Blvd and just south of Winding Way.  There is street parking, and a number of spaces at the Community Center on the east side of the park.

The event finishes with a raffle, giving out dozens of prizes donated by local businesses.  There will be booths and vendors with fun items to buy, and some of the vendors will also be giving prizes.

There are rules for participation, but they are simple and common sense.  There is also a nominal registration fee of $10 for the first dog and $5 for each additional dog you want to bring.  You can find the rules, the registration form, and some photos of previous dog walks at http://www.fairoaksdogwalk.com/fodw/Registration.html, or you can register the morning of the event.  On site registration begins at 8:30 am and the walk will start at 9:00.  If you would like to purchase a 2008 Fair Oaks Dog Walk T-shirt, they are $15 and you can pre-order and pick them up the morning of the event or buy them at the event if supplies permit.

The proceeds from the registration fees will benefit the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, and two other non-profit groups:  Fair Oaks Responsible Dog Owners Group (FORDOG) www.fordog.org and Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM) www.sacanimalshelter.org.

If you don't own a dog but you just want to join the fun, come on out.  It's always an enjoyable day.