August sneaked up on me between the thunderstorms!  Thankfully, the area golf courses are really soaking it up -- no complaints about a drought this summer!

Speaking of golf, Mid South Golf Club is holding a special for the month of August.  Guests can play at Mid South for $50 and at Talamore for $40.  Beware of the fine print . . . there is a catch . . . you have to play with me!  If you are interested let me know, and I will try to put something together in the next two weeks. 

Real Estate Update:  Although the real estate market in Moore County remains sluggish, June was the Best Month we had this year with 108 sales.  July is coming in as the 2nd Best Month with 86 sales recorded so far.  To put this in perspective, check out the amount of units sold "in the month of July" since 2006:

This is a classic case of "having to take the good with the bad."  Although "86 units sold" is the second best month of activity for 2009, the July totals have declined each year since 2006.  "Average Sales Price" has also declined the last three years.  The July 2009 average price was $243,000 (compared to $250,000 in 2008 and $297,000 in 2007). 

So what does this mean to you (especially if you are a seller!)?  It means homes priced under $350,000 ARE SELLING in this tough market.  Only 2 houses sold for more than $600,000 in July 2009 bringing the total to 10 since January 2009.  Compare that to 33 properties (over $600,000) selling in the first seven months of 2008 and 44 properties above $600,000 in the first seven months of 2007.  Now that hurts if you are a seller in that price range.

For those of you who enjoy charts and statistics, click here for a 3-page PDF file containing: 

(1)  Moore County Sales thru June 2009;

(2)  Sold Units Days on Market by Month (2006 -2009); and

(3)  Months of Inventory by Price Range June 2009.

Even if you are not a "number-cruncher" per se, it is great information for keeping abreast of our local market.

I hope you find time to get out and enjoy the rest of the summer.  I'm enclosing a link to the Sandhills Events Calendar for August. Enjoy!

Sincerely,