Coming on the market July 18, 2013, and with two public open houses on Sundays July 21st and 28th from 1:30-4:30pm, 5323 Broadway is a stunning 3Br/1.5Ba two-story Arts and Crafts Style home.  Original details include unpainted wood mouldings an built-ins, leaded and stained glass cabinet doors, oak floors and a functioning fireplace. The bedrooms are all spacious and the there is also abundant storage in the basement. Upgrades and/or replacements were made in the last 15 years to the foundation, electrical, plumbing and furnace systems, and there are also french doors leading to a deck and stairs to a lush and private rear yard. The kitchen was elegantly remodeled and featured in the 1999 Rockridge Kitchen Tour.

Please stop by on either of the Sunday open houses and enjoy viewing this beautiful home.

By all accounts, the single biggest factor contributing to the recent (last 6 month) surge in home prices has been the scarcity of inventory on the market. Of course, this is basic economics: when supply is low relative to demand, prices go up.  I believe this is about to change.

Why? Spring and early summer has always been when more homes come on the market. Nothing new there. But this year, I think something else is happening, and that is as homeowners have been hearing about multiple offers and huge overbids on the few neighboring houses that have come on the market, they want to get in on the action too! How do they hear about it? In part because us Realtors are so desperate for something to sell that we’ve been sending out lots of postcards (like one with the image shown) exorting would-be-sellers to get off the fence!

But this seems that this approach will become a self-defeating proposition. Demand is indeed high, but relatively steady. As supply increases, buyers may begin to feel less desperate to buy any one house because there are more on the horizon.  This is likely to lead to lower prices. So hang on buyers: the Inventory is coming!

-Brett Weinstein