Just the Facts

I apologize for the long break in posts over the holidays.

2007 has drawn to a close, and we can now see just how the real estate market performed. The media has been making it seem like the market is dead or at least terminally ill. Far be that from the truth.

Yes, sales are down for the peak years of 2004-2006. That is true. There is no denying it. However, historical data shows that those were unusual years. Take a look at the following numbers:

(for the purposes of this post, I examined residential property, residential income, farm, vacant land and commercial property sales listed in the MLS for Green County)

2007 - 491 properties sold
2006 - 581 properties sold

There is no question that there was a drop here. What happens when I go back a few years farther though?

2002 - 545 properties sold (this was considered a record year at the time)
2001 - 496 properties sold
2000 - 444 properties sold
1999 - 424 properties sold

Back in just a few years, there was no media speculation about a stagnant market, yet the numbers clearly show that the sales are actually higher now than they were back then. What happened was the sales boom has colored people's perceptions of normal.

We hope that this information can help people in the area realize that the Monroe and Green County markets are healthy and viable.