Healdsburg Open Houses this Weekend

This Sunday, April 17, we have nine homes scheduled for open houses from 1 to 4 p.m. in Healdsburg.

Asking prices are ranging from $307,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath home to $1.375 million for three-bedroom, three-bath plus office home.

Here are the listings:

$589,000 15655 Norton Rd, 2Bdrm/1Bth plus studio, California Land Realty

$339,500. 1128 Cowan Lane, 3Bdrm/2Bth ReMax Full Spectrum

$1,375,000. 2165 Jack Pine Rd. 3Bdrm,3Bth + Office, Wine Country Group

$307,000. 338 Grandview Ct. 2Bdrm/2Bth, ReMax Full Spectrum

$325,000. 232 Vineyard Dr. 2Bdrm/2Bth CPS Real Estate

$1,145,000.  17594 Healdsburg Ave. 3Bdrm/3Bth Healdsburg Sotheby’s

$749,000. 429 Sherman St, 3Bdrm/2Bth Wine Country Group

$899,000. 1389 Canyon Rd. 3Bdrm/2Bth SF Sotheby’s Realty

$899,000. 1665 Scenic Lane, 3Bdrm/2Bth CPS Healdsburg

Real Estate Question of the Week: When will the housing market recover?

I am asked this many times a week and I have a lot of interaction with experts on the subject of economic recovery. It is hard to be an expert on a subject that in reality is a skilled guess. 

Many are saying that when jobs come back, the real estate market will stabilize. The real estate market stabilized in January when we saw no home prices decreasing or increase more than a half of a percent. 

Jobs are coming back slowly in some areas and stronger in others. In the tech sector, there is a scramble to hire the best in that field before they go to another company. This is because change is taking place and growth is ahead. 

So the question is will jobs lead the way --,probably not. Industrial capacity utilization will probably crack this entire mess wide open and we may see amazing growth that will surprise everyone. It has happened in every other downturn, a faster than predicted recovery. 

The first of two other factors is that there will be an increase in interest rates in the future that will create a sense of urgency and a run on the housing market. The retort to this is, but the banks are not lending. They will when there is profit involved. 

The other factor is inflation. Yes, we are seeing increases in food and gas. We will pay that and always will. It is what we shoulder like it or not. You can still buy a DVD player for $49 and appliances are still low in price. There are great deals out there on cars also. 

This is where industrial capacity is our friend. We have always heard about America’s ability to work our way out of tough times. Well this is exactly how it works. Let’s talk about industrial capacity. Our factories and work places have the capacity to produce much more than the current volume. We are only in the 13-18 percent range. That leaves a lot of head room for growth without overwhelming our skilled work force. 

When demand starts to rise, as we are seeing, it is it has a snowball effect. Factories, goods and services will rebound with dare I say unprecedented speed. It has only been achieved at this level at end of every economic cycle.  

I will go out further on this limb and say that like it or not, we are lucky to have Ben Bernanke at the helm through all of this. Bernanke has studied the great depression his entire life and knows more about it than anyone. It is just beyond belief that he would be in the position he is at this point in the economic cycle.

This may not be a popular statement but it is true and we need skill not a popularity contest. When Bernanke pulls this off he will go down as one of the greatest men in our century. 

So get to work and quit reading this online when there are more productive things you could be doing. You have a great stake in helping with this recovery so shop local. That can be your first step!