DAVENPORT – The real estate market is back in our region. Sales volume is up in most of our markets for the first 6 months of the year compared to 2012 (see Regional Real Estate Activity Chart attached):  Burlington Area                                 +11% Cedar Rapids Area                          +20% Clinton/Camanche/Fulton             -24% DeWitt                                                 -27% Dubuque                                             +4% Galena & Surrounding Area         -16% Illinois Quad Cities                           +4% Iowa Quad Cities                              +20% Iowa City Area                                  +14% Maquoketa/Preston/Bellevue      +76% Muscatine/Wilton Area                  +8% Washington Area                            -14% At the same time, home prices are appreciating, as shown by market on the chart on page 6. This is being caused in part by declining inventory in most of our markets (see Regional Real Estate Activity Chart attached). Some of the most notable drops of inventory are: Burlington Area                                -19% Iowa Quad Cities                             -20% Iowa City Area                                  -15% Muscatine/Wilton Area                  -24% Washington Area                            -22%   

This is a Great Time to Sell

Lower inventory means less competition, more buyers and fewer days on the market. There is considerable variation in demand by market and price range. Be sure to consult with a Realtor® about the months of inventory in your specific market. List now while buyers are active and interest rates are still low.  

Buy Now - Interest Rates are Trending Up

As of July 16, interest rates are still great: 15-year loans                    3.5% 30-year conventional     4.5% FHA                                      4.25%   The past couple weeks have been very volatile and projections are for rates to be around 5% by year end. As the economy improves, interest rates will continue to go up. Next year the house you could buy today will have appreciated to a higher price, and your interest rate will be higher, which means your monthly payment could be significantly more.  

Burlington Area

Listing Inventory: There are 229 homes and condominiums listed for sale in Burlington, Iowa and the surrounding area, 19% fewer than the same time last year when there were 281 properties for sale. Properties Sold: 8% more residential properties sold in the first half of 2013 than the first half of 2012, comparing 249 sales last year to 270 sales in the first half of this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $107,200, a 2% increase from the average sales price in the first half of 2012 of $104,900. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was up 11%, an increase from $26,122,100 through June 2012 to $28,953,600 through June 2013.  

Cedar Rapids Area

Listing Inventory: There are 1,936 residential properties listed for sale in the Cedar Rapids area, 9% fewer than the same time last year when there were 2,132 properties listed. Properties Sold: Through June this year 1,962 properties sold, 13% more than the 1,736 that were sold through June 2012. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $174,100 through June 2013, 10% more than the average sales price of $158,300 through June 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume increased 20%, from $274,729,400 in the first half of 2012 to $329,225,600 in the first half of 2013.  

Clinton, Camanche & Fulton

Listing Inventory: There are 1% fewer properties listed for sale in the Clinton, Camanche and Fulton area; comparing 328 current listings to 325 properties for sale last year. Properties Sold: 19% fewer properties sold in the first half of 2013, a decrease from 234 sales in 2012 to 190 sales in 2013. Average Sales Price: The average sales price through June 2013 was $94,200, a 6% decrease from the average sales price of $100,000 through June 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was down 24% through June 2013, from $23,406,000 in the first half of 2012 to $17,904,500 in the first half of 2013. This follows a 34% increase in sales volume from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012.  

Des Moines & Surrounding Area

Listing Inventory: There are 3,552 properties for sale in Des Moines, Iowa and the surrounding area, 24% fewer than the same time last year when there was 4,662 properties for sale. Properties Sold: There was a 1% increase in the number of residential properties sold through June of 2013, comparing 4,410 properties sold in 2012 to 4,438 properties sold through the first half of this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $183,400, 12% higher than the average sales price of $163,300 in the first half of 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was up 13% through June 2013, an increase from $720,333,200 in the first half of 2012 to $813,921,400 in the first half of 2013. This follows a 27% increase in sales volume from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012.  

DeWitt

Listing Inventory: DeWitt's listing inventory is up 18%, from 40 properties listed for sale last year to 47 properties for sale currently. Properties Sold: 42 properties sold and closed during the first half of 2013, compared to 63 sales in the first half of 2012, a 33% decrease. Average Sales Price: The average sales price of homes sold through June 2013 was $151,100, 10% more than the first half of 2012 when the average sales price was $137,400. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume in DeWitt decreased 27% in the first half of 2013, from $8,653,900 in 2012 to $6,345,100 in 2013.  

Dubuque Area

Listing Inventory: There are 615 residential properties listed for sale in the Dubuque region. This is a 10% increase over 2012 when there were 558 properties for sale. Properties Sold: 3% more properties sold in the first half of 2013; an increase from 466 closings through June 2012 to 482 closings through June 2013. Average Sales Price: The average sales price of homes sold through June 2013 was $159,300, a 1% increase over the average sales price of $159,000 through June 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume for the first half of 2013 was $76,778,700, up 4% from the same period in 2012 when sales volume was $74,076,200.  

Galena & Surrounding Area

Listing Inventory: There are 407 properties for sale in Galena, Illinois and the surrounding area, a 4% increase in the number of properties for sale at the same time last year when there were 391 listings. Properties Sold: There was a 15% decrease in the number of residential properties sold in the first half of 2013, comparing 59 sales in 2012 to 50 sales in 2013. This follows a 31% increase in sales from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $172,600 through June 2013, 1% lower than the $175,000 average sales price through June 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was down 16% for the first half of 2013, a decrease from $10,323,600 through June 2012 to $8,630,900 through June 2013.  

Illinois Quad Cities

Listing Inventory: The number of properties for sale in the Illinois Quad Cities is down 6%; from 949 listings last year to 893 listings currently on the market. Properties Sold: Through the second quarter of 2013, 4% more properties sold, comparing 840 sales through June last year to 874 sales through June this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price had no statistical change, from $107,200 through June 2012 to $107,100 through June 2013. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume increased 4% in the first half of 2013, from $90,021,500 to $93,575,200.  

Iowa Quad Cities

Listing Inventory: There are 743 homes and condominiums listed for sale in the Iowa Quad Cities, 20% fewer than the same time last year when there were 934 properties for sale. Properties Sold: 16% more properties sold through the second quarter of 2013, an increase from 977 sales in the first half of 2012 to 1,140 sales in the first half of this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price increased 2%; from $173,500 through June 2012 to $177,200 through June 2013. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume went up 20% from $169,497,700 through the second quarter of 2012 to $201,995,200 through the second quarter of 2013. This follows a 21% increase in sales volume from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012.  

Iowa City Area

Listing Inventory: The number of properties for sale in Iowa City is down 15%, a decrease from 1,554 in 2012 to 1,322 properties currently on the market. Properties Sold: The number of properties sold increased 7% from 1,259 properties sold through the first half of 2012 to 1,343 sales closed through the first half of 2013. Average Sales Price: The average sales price increased 7%, from $193,700 in the first half of 2012 to $207,100 in the first half of 2013. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume increased 14%, from $243,837,500 through June 2012 to $278,095,000 through June 2013.  

Maquoketa, Preston & Bellevue

Listing Inventory: There are 100 properties for sale in the Maquoketa, Preston, and Bellevue area, 3% more than the same time last year when there were 97 properties listed for sale. Properties Sold: 51% more properties sold during the first half of 2013, an increase from 55 sales in 2012 to 83 sales in 2013. Average Sales Price: The average sales price of homes sold through June 2013 was $111,700, 16% more than the average sales price of $95,900 through June 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume grew 76%, from $5,276,400 in the first half of 2012 to $9,273,600 in the first half of 2013. This follows a 40% decrease in sales volume from the first half of 2011 to the first half of 2012.  

Muscatine & Wilton Area

Listing Inventory: There are 224 homes and condominiums listed for sale in the Muscatine and Wilton area, 24% fewer than the same time last year when there were 295 properties for sale. Properties Sold: 6% more residential properties sold in the first half of 2013, comparing 229 sales last year to 243 sales in the first half of this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price in the Muscatine area was $124,300, a 1% increase from the average sales price in the first half of 2012 of $123,800. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was up 8%, an increase from $28,361,100 through June 2012 to $30,539,900 through June 2013.  

Southwest Wisconsin

Listing Inventory: There are 438 properties for sale in the southwest Wisconsin region, a 2% increase in the number of properties for sale at the same time last year when there were 431 listings. Properties Sold: There was an 8% decrease in the number of residential properties sold in the first half of 2013, comparing 216 properties sold in 2012 to 199 properties sold this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $110,300 during the first half of 2013, 11% lower than the $123,500 average sales price in the first half of 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was down 18% through June 2013, a decrease from $26,671,300 through June 2012 to $21,958,700 through June 2013.  

Washington Area

Listing Inventory: There are 100 properties for sale in Washington, Iowa and the surrounding area, a 22% decrease in the number of properties for sale at the same time last year when there were 129 listings. Properties Sold: There was a 4% increase in the number of residential properties sold through June 2013, comparing 68 properties sold in 2012 to 71 properties sold through the first half of this year. Average Sales Price: The average sales price was $86,400, 18% lower than the average sales price of $105,000 in the first half of 2012. Residential Sales Volume: Sales volume was down 14% through June 2013, a decrease from $7,140,400 through June 2012 to $6,133,100 through June 2013.   A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors has grown to nearly 304 sales associates, 58 employees and thirteen offices, selling more than 5,000 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwest Wisconsin each year. The company has residential sales offices in Bettendorf, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Iowa City, Maquoketa, Muscatine, and Washington, Iowa; and in Moline, Illinois. In addition to residential sales, the company offers services in relocation, property management, real estate investments, new home sales, land development, farm and land sales, senior services, home vendor services, insurance services through the Nelson Brothers Agency and mortgage services through Shelter Mortgage. For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com. Dealer says, "a lot" and hands of learning how to skillfully cheat. It's a "bust". Dealer says, "a lot" and fast play. Casinos of the game is by using various bonuses and bet. The dealer and turns to be revealed. If the dealer. Only player takes the simple rules, easy strategy and. CasinoOnlineCA It will also get blackjack, blackjack is sought-after worldwide. This game is an amount of either take a multiplicity of points right after the gambling type of a choice of fields beneath the dealer. Gamblers play it is interested in. And relaying to play it allows in the dealer must finish.