"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."
- Albert Einstein
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
- Arthur C. Clarke
In recent study from the State Examination Commission of Dublin, Ireland it was reported that teenagers have forgotten how to spell and write in complete sentences. In many cases they were "unduly reliant on short sentences, simple tenses, and a limited vocabulary" and that with the use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, it's beginning to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing, not to mention oral communication.
Wow! But is anyone really surprised? Not really. The pace of technological change is breathtaking and of course there will be both the good with the bad. Only today MSNBC reported that Amazon was flooded with complaints and blogs were on fire because the "Buy Button" was down for several hours on the company's Kindle website for Harry Potter's latest products. OMG!
With this in mind, our focus this month is on technology for real estate - and how it can be helpful to consumers. We have recently introduced some new upgrades and products that we hope you will find useful, whether you are actively buying or selling - or simply a causal observer of the real estate market.
YTD Home Sales Improving
If it feels like the market is getting better this year, your instincts are correct. Across the state of Maine, from January 1 2012 through March 25th 2012, single family home sales are up 7.2% compared to a similar period in 2011. In Cumberland and York Counties, sales are also up - 8.8% and 20.3% respectively.
Pricing, however, continues to remain unresponsive. The median home price in Cumberland County in 2012 is $209,450 compared to $210,000 in 2011. Pricing in York County is a bit more distressing (assuming you are on the selling side) as the price in 2012 YTD is $185,000 versus $192,000 in 2011.
During the last several months we have reported that high levels of inventory continues to create intense competition among sellers and provides buyers with pricing leverage. Focusing on Cumberland County, these dynamics appear to be shifting. Following encouraging signs in January, at the end of February the number of home currently under contract was at its highest percentage level in the last two years at 27.8%. This could be signaling a sustainable improvement in the overall housing market in Maine.
Each month we update sales statistics on our website for many local towns and cities. Visit Local Communities to see if the area you are interested in is included. If not, we can create an customized reports you may need.
