Lots of Summer Fun

If you are looking for fun things to do in the Hayward area this summer check out the Chamber of Commerce website and this link to the Hayward Area Attractions.

Realtor Recycling Round-Up

Market Update for Buyers

Market Update

It was a strong year for sales in 2013; with it behind us it is worth taking a look at the pulse of the market. State-wide in Wisconsin home sales were strong with a state average up more than 11 percent over 2012. In our area the number of homes sold and median price was up over last year; a good sign for sellers. I have attached a brief overview of all property sales for Sawyer County for 2013 as compared to 2012.

The downside for sellers is that growth in value is slow but the upside is that our property values are far less volatile when compared to areas in the western and the southern parts of the country.

For buyers there remains a good amount of supply, continued low interest rates, good local lending and overall very affordable land, homes and commercial properties. In summary it remains a buyers market even though inventories are shrinking. There still remains a good supply of properties at affordable prices. Coupled with low interest rates it should be another strong year for our area.

It has been a great year for snow and that is about all I wish to say with respect to winter. Let the sun shine and the snow melt; I am ready for spring and summer!

Gary Nathan
Life is a Gift...Live it!
Woodland Developments & Realty

New Mortgage Rules

This is a great interview with Rose Oswald Poels from the WBA (Wisconsin Bankers Association) on how the new federal mortgage rules will impact borrowers.

By the way... this impact isn't just for WI -- these are Federal Rules....
WISN 12 News Kent Wainscott Interview with Rose Oswald Poels

Trail Report

Keep up to date with Ski Trail conditions by checking out the Birkie Trail Report and the Live Birkie Trail Cam at OO 

Life is a Gift...
Live it!
Gary Nathan
and Amanda Mavis






Photo by Barb Lundberg Photography

The Impact of Housing on the Economy

I read recently about the economic impact that home sales have on a community, and for that matter on Wisconsin and our country. According to Mike Theo or the Wisconsin Realtors Assn. the real estate industry accounted for $28.2 billion or 12.5 percent of Wisconsin’s gross domestic product in 2012. Every time a home sells it generates more than $13,000 in income from real estate related industries and over $5,000 of additional consumer spending. Plus there is another $3,000 that will be spent by that new home owner on remodeling and maintenance projects. Add to that the fact that another $11,000 can be directly linked to spending in local restaurants, on sporting events, support for local charities and more. There is no doubt that housing is a very important economic driver so let’s hope the upswing in 2013 will continue for 2014 and beyond.

Gary Nathan

Life is a Gift...

Live it!

Home Sales up for the Year but Dip in November

2013 November Home Sales Report

Sawyer County – November residential sales in Sawyer County were up 12.5%; total sales this year were 36 as compared to November 2012 sales of 32 households. During the same November period the median price dropped 15.3% from $177,000 in 2012 compared to $150,000 this November.  Sawyer County has a strong median price as compared to the $127,000 median price in the rest of the north region of Wisconsin.

Madison - According to the latest housing report by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA), Wisconsin home sales fell 6 percent in November 2013 when compared to November 2012, although total sales for the year remain ahead of 2012, Comparing the first 11 months, home sales were up 11.1 percent in 2013 over 2012. Prices were also higher in November, rising 4.7 percent above the same month last year, to a statewide median of $136,000.

“Over the last two months, the housing market has definitely cooled from the red-hot pace that characterized the first three quarters of 2013,” said Steve Lane, WRA board chairman.

“Although sellers would certainly prefer prices to increase faster, the more moderate rate of median price appreciation of 4.7 percent is healthy for the Wisconsin market,” said Michael Theo, WRA President and CEO. He noted that with current inflation lower than 2 percent, the modest home price appreciation will build total household wealth in real terms. “Wisconsin has enjoyed relatively mild swings in home prices relative to some of the more volatile regions of the country, and that stability keeps the dream of homeownership attainable for Wisconsinresidents,” he said.

The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index, which shows the percent of the median-priced home that the family with median income can afford to buy assuming current mortgage rates and 20 percent down, stood at 232. This is up slightly from the October value of 225, but well below the level of November 2012 when it was at 275.

Happy New Year!

Life is a Gift...

Live it!

Gary Nathan

Amanda Mavis

October Home Sales

October sales of existing homes in the north region of Wisconsin dipped by 5.3% as compared to 2012.  In Sawyer County our sales were off by 13.5%; we had 32 sales as compared to 37 sales in the same period last year.  The October median price held steady at $147,000.  Year-to-date the Sawyer County median sales price is at $172,000 as compared to $154,250 in 2012; that’s an 11.5% increase.  Total sales for 2013 are up over last year as well; 311 year-to-date sales as compared to 258 for the same period in 2012, a 16% increase.

According to the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association the market tempered in October.  This report from the WRA: “Wisconsin’s red-hot real estate market cooled in October, with sales of existing homes nearly identical to October of last year. October sales were just 0.1 percent lower than last October, representing the first time since July of 2011 that monthly sales did not increase over the previous year. The median sales price however continued to rise, increasing 5.6 percent to $142,500 in October relative to October 2012. On a year-to-date basis, median prices increased 7.5 percent compared to the first 10 months of 2012. “

“While somewhat surprising, these numbers are not totally unexpected,” said Steve Lane, Chairman of the WRA board of directors. “We are comparing sales between two very strong years and two very healthy markets,” said Lane. Year-to-date sales in the state are 12.4 percent higher than the first 10 months of 2012.

All in all it has been a pretty strong year for Wisconsin and for Sawyer County; hopefully the trend will continue.

Gary Nathan

Life is a Gift...

Live it!

Winter Wonderland Fun

Looking for a fun way to enjoy the cold winter months in Hayward? Why not try sledding and sleigh rides...?

Life is a Gift...
Live it!
Amanda Mavis

September Housing Stats

Wisconsin home sales were very strong in September, continuing the robust pace that has characterized the year according to the most recent housing report from the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Sales of existing homes were up 15.8 percent in September compared to that same month in 2012 — representing a 13.6 percent increase through the first nine months of the year. Median prices posted similar gains, increasing a very solid 6.7 percent in September relative to September 2012 — an increase of 7.8 percent year to date compared to the first nine months of 2012. Home sales have now been up for 27 straight months and median prices have consistently grown in all but one of the past 19 months.

All regions saw their existing home sales grow by double-digit margins in September as compared to September 2012. The North region which includes Sawyer County grew just over 19 percent for the period.

Housing remains affordable with the Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index standing at 222 in September, down from 257 a year ago. The index measures the percent of the median-priced home that a buyer earning the estimated median family income can afford to buy. It assumes that the buyer is borrowing at current rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. “Affordability in Wisconsin is down from last year, but it compares favorably to the national index,” Theo said. The U.S. Housing Affordability Index fell to 154.5 in August. “Wisconsin housing continues to be a good value and with solid appreciation rates over the last year, it is once again a significant way to accumulate household wealth,” said Theo.