Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS
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27
The Quad Cities Experiences the Largest One-Year Gain in Region
Five-year home appreciation in our region was between 6.96% and 15.32% with all of our local Metropolitan Statistical Areas experiencing a positive gain.
"Although interest rates rose sharply during the fourth quarter, our data show no signs of a home price slowdown," said Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Deputy Chief Economist Andrew Leventis. "Although it will certainly take more time for the full effects of the elevated interest rates to be felt, there is no evidence of a normalization in the unusually low inventories of homes available for sale, which has been the primary force behind the extraordinary price gains."
In the past year, home prices are up: 4.33% in Dubuque; 2.02% in Iowa City; 5.50% in the Quad Cities and 2.44% in Cedar Rapids. This compares to other cities: Des Moines up 3.99% and Chicago, IL up 3.89%. This data is provided by the FHFA for the fourth quarter of 2016 (see chart and website below). Of course, there is considerable variation based on price range and location of properties, with more affordable properties appreciating more.
| Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) | Percent Change in House Prices | |
| 1 Year | 5 Year | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | + 2.44% | + 6.96% |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | + 5.50% | + 11.39% |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | + 3.99% | + 15.32% |
| Dubuque, IA | + 4.33% | + 11.67% |
| Iowa City, IA | + 2.02% | + 12.49% |
| USA | + 6.15% | + 33.05% |
Information courtesy of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) for the fourth quarter of 2016. FHFA stats always run one quarter behind. Their full report is available at www.fhfa.gov. *Rankings based on annual percentage change in house prices.
"With such a low inventory of houses for sale," said Caroline Ruhl, president of Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors, "This could be an ideal time for you to sell your home and move up to your dream house. We recommend that you consult with your real estate professional to learn more about the real estate activity in your local neighborhood. The public can also request a Neighborhood Report from any Ruhl&Ruhl Realtor or go to ruhlhomes.com and click on 'Get Neighborhood Market Activity' underneath the photo on the homepage."
26
Knowledge is Power
Guest Post by Bettendorf Sales Manager, Matt Schwind
Is this the year you buy a house? As a manager of a real estate office, I can tell you that, although it's only February, the sales activity in the market has already started to pick up. It's been a mild winter, and the warmer weather tends to accelerate the housing market in the Quad Cities. People are also confident in the local economy, and interest rates are for the time being still at record lows, which makes the cost of owning a home (or buying a new one) less expensive for you each month. So, if you are wanting to get in on a good market, you'll want to do as much research as possible. You'll probably want to know...
- How fast homes are selling.
- What percentage of asking price are they selling for
- What are the available grant programs for home buyers
- What inspections are required, and which ones are most common
- What is the best way to negotiate...
20
Optimism & Opportunities
Guest Post by Broker/Owner Chris Beason
If you're tired of negativity surrounding the change in administration, you may want to go speak with someone in the real estate industry for a more positive outlook on the times ahead. This time of year, we like to get input from a variety of sources on the outlook for the coming year. By asking general questions about potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the coming year to various sectors of the real estate markets, we gather a tremendous amount of input on what's in store. We expected comments relating to the instability and unpredictability surrounding any administration change. But this year there seems to be a tremendous amount of optimism about the real estate market in the coming year and most of the excitement was around some general opportunities:
- Strong Market Conditions & Stable Home Price Appreciation
- Pent-up demand in the upper-end
- Buyer urgenc...
20
Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors Celebrates Best Year Ever!
Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors celebrated a strong 2016, with company sales volume of $844,644,683, making 2016 their best year ever. In addition, Ruhl Mortgage closed $148,531,635 in loan volume. "It takes a great team working together to provide our clients their best real estate experiences ever! Thank you for your caring service." Ruhl told her team.
Chris Beason, Broker/Owner, and Caroline Ruhl, President, honored 203 award winners for their 2016 achievements at the Waterfront Convention Center on January 27, 2017. Over 300 agents, staff and affiliated business partners cheered on their co-workers. Top awards were awarded to:
- Top Excellence in Service Award: Hannah Dolash, Clinton Office
- Top Associate of the Year: Kurt Johnson, Bettendorf Office
5
8 Home Improvement Skills to Master Before Moving In
Maybe you're becoming a homeowner for the first time. Maybe you are transitioning back to owning a home after several years of renting. Maybe you just need to freshen up on your home improvement skills. Whatever your situation, you haven't had to take care of your own property for a long time. So what's home improvement all about? What should you learn first? Check out the top eight tips from realtor.com below!
- Hanging Pictures
- Unless your idea of decor is a blank wall, you'll eventually want to hang some pictures in your new space. Wh...
