We're heading for the weekend again and I have another Fest to share with you. HooverFest in West Branch. Yes, it's true, we have one celebration after another in the Iowa City area at this time of year. We just finished celebrating the Johnson County Fair. Just around the corner is The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and right now I am going to tell you about HooverFest. West Branch is home of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the whole town comes alive for HooverFest. When? This Saturday, August 7, 2010 - They are saluting Firefighters and First Responders and the day is positively chock a block with things to do. According to an article in the West Branch Times they've changed things around a bit this year so it's worth looking at the schedule a little closer this time roun... 08/06/2010

It's Friday and time to look at new movies this weekend in Iowa City and Coralville. There's been so much going on to write about that I'm having trouble keeping up and missed a couple of weeks - I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms and needed to check my sources to see what I've been missing! It seems Inception is the movie of the year, if not the decade. Still haven't managed to see it myself, but it's definitely on my "to do" list. You can check out the schedule for movies at the Coral Ridge Movie Theatre in Coralville and the Sycamore Cinema in Iowa City Two new movies to tell you about this week. The Other Guys starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg is the first one. It's about a couple of mismatched New York cops who have trouble getting along. Sure to be a huge hit. The oth... 08/06/2010

Iowa City Real Estate Market Report July 2010 compared to June 2009     68 homes sold in Iowa City in July 2010 compared to 174 homes sold in July 2009. Quite the dip as you can see. It won't come as a surprise to you to learn that the expiration of the first time homebuyer tax credit had a significant impact on our market. The surprise would have been if that had not happened! Hopefully it levels out a bit now though and the numbers improve in August. Average Price Homes Sold July 2010 $186,993 Highest Price Home Sold: $445,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $65,000 Average Price Homes Sold July 2009 $183,765 Highest Price Home Sold: $635,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $60,000 As far as the days on market are concerned. I use a simple method to calculate the absorption rate/days on market that d... 08/04/2010

Weekly real estate market update Iowa City August 2, 2010. Homes sold, homes under contract and current listings.   585 Active Listings53 Homes Under Contract13 Homes Sold July 26 - July 31, 2010No big fluctuations on the week to week numbers at the moment. When it comes to calculating the days on market I use a simple method to calculate the absorption rate/days on market that doesn't manipulate the data. According to that calculation we have 8.2 months of inventory on the market, that's 248 days on market. MLS data puts it at less. Fact is though that we have many more homes than buyers in Iowa City and until that changes it's going to take us a while to see an improvement on the absorption rate.If you need to sell your home and would like me to prepare a CMA (Current Market Analysis)... 08/02/2010

It's Senior Day at Johnson County Fair today if you want to head on over. I was there yesterday for Kids Day on probably the hottest day of the year... Okay, I don't think it was, but it sure felt like it! Most of the animals were exhausted from the heat. The cheeky little goat in the slide show below caught my eye - Apparently didn't want to miss a thing! If you haven't made it over there yet and want to know what's going on just scroll down below the slide show and you'll find the schedule for today and tomorrow. Want to know where it's at? Here are the Directions to Johnson County Fairgrounds. This is a first for a slide show for me so if it doesn't work for you on your PC, just click on this link and it will take you to Picasa where you can view the photos on their server. Or.... Yo... 07/28/2010

Homes sold in Iowa City week ending July 24, 201013 homes sold in Iowa City last week. This number is lower than last year when 25 homes sold in the same time frame. According to MLS Data days on market also increased from 85 to 126. 13 Homes Sold Week ending July 24, 2010 Avg Price: $158,444 9 single family homes sold Avg Price: $161,291 4 condos sold Avg Price: $144,325 It looks like July will be a soft month for sales. Not really surprising considering the expiration of the tax credit on June 30. It was clear that the housing market would need time to correct after that. A couple more days until the end of the month and we will know more about that correction. If you need to sell your home and would like me to prepare a CMA (Current Market Analysis) please call me anytime at 319-400-... 07/26/2010

Weekly Real Estate Market Update Iowa City July 26, 2010: Includes Homes Sold, Homes Under Contract & Current Listings     599 Active Listings63 Homes Under Contract13 Homes Sold July 19 - July 24, 2010No big fluctuations on the week to week numbers at the moment. When it comes to calculating the days on market I use a simple method to calculate the absorption rate/days on market that doesn't manipulate the data. According to that calculation we have 8.1 months of inventory on the market, that's 246 days on market. MLS data puts it at 126, making it appear a little better. Either way we have quite a bit of inventory to work through in Iowa City and it's going to take us a while to see an improvement on the absorption rate.If you need to sell your home and would like me to prepare a CMA ... 07/26/2010

Living and Learning. That's the tagline for the 2010 Johnson County Fair. It kicks off on Monday July 26 through July 29, 2010. Fun for the entire family. And 70,000 visitors every year are proof of that! Kids and tractors. Can you really imagine anything better? Well... maybe kids and fire engines, but it's a close call! I was there this morning. I'd say these photos depict the quiet before the storm... Next week it will be quite a different story...Looking for the schedule? That's right here.Directions to Johnson County Fairgrounds.   07/23/2010

Summer is a wonderful time in Iowa City with free, family friendly events constantly popping up on the calender. Today I'm here to tell you about the upcoming annual Johnson County Fair scheduled from July 26 through July 29, 2010. This is a popular event through all age groups. 70,000 people visit the fair every year and the number is climbing. No surprise there. Children and tractors, that's a winning combination right there! Directions to Johnson County Fairgrounds.The theme is Living and Learning at the 2010 Johnson County Fair. And now without further ado, here's the schedule for events throughout the week: Monday July 26 - Teen Day Classic Tractor Display 5.00pm Kiddie Tractor Pull 6.30pm Truck & Tractor Pull 8.00pm Pumptown Family Band Tuesday July 27 - Kids Day Recycle Guy Burn ... 07/23/2010

As part of Iowa City's Summer of the Arts Program we have a variety of events going on outdoors this weekend in downtown Iowa City. What's even better is that these events are FREE! Friday July 16 you can catch The Recliners and Turkana at the Ped Mall. The show starts at 6.30pm and ends at 9.30pm. Saturday July 17 MidWestOne Bank's Free Movie is Bring it On. It's showing after sunset at the University of Iowa Pentacrest, outside of Macbride Hall in downtown Iowa City. Also on Saturday Poetic Rebound presents A Night of Dance from 6.30pm - 9.00pm. Location: Black Hawk Mini Park outside of Iowa Artisans Gallery at the corner of Washington and Dubuque Street. You can find more info at Summerofthearts.org 07/16/2010

PEN HOUSE on Saturday July 10, 2010 at 119 S Mt Vernon Dr, Iowa City - 1.00 - 3.00pm If you're looking for a versatile floor plan for the growing family then this is definitely it! There are 3 bedrooms on the main level and 3 bedrooms on the lower level and full kitchens on both levels. Highlight: Main level dining room opens up to deck with steps to the spectacular park like back yard. Also has a walkout basement that leads to patio and yard. Did I mention all the space already? Not just living space either, there's loads of storage space too for all your "stuff." Come visit with me and check this one out between 1.00 - 3.00pm Saturday July 10... Can't make it? Give me a call at 319-400-0268 to arrange a private showing at a time convenient to you. Directions: First Ave, right on Mayfi... 07/10/2010

Iowa City Aerohawks Radio Control Air Show, Sunday July 11, 2010 - 1.00pm - 4.30pm - Hebl Ave, Iowa City (Plenty of free parking available) When it comes to family friendly things to do it doesn't get any better than this! The Iowa City Aerohawks are having their Annual Radio Control Air Show on Sunday July 11 - 1.00pm - 4.30pm. Events include a freestyle flying competition, helicopter demonstration, giant scale aerobatics and more. And as if this all wasn't enough to keep the kids happy, to top it off there's a candy bomb drop for them too! If you were at the 4th of July Parade in Coralville last week you'll know The Aerohawks had an impressive float with the most amazing model airplanes on show. Now's your chance to see them in action! Gates open at 12.00 noon and the fun begins at 1.... 07/10/2010

It's Friday and time to look at new movies this weekend. By the looks of things Steve Carell has landed himself another hit with Despicable Me. Who would have thought that the Daily Show would spawn such a huge box office success? I mean, I love Jon Stewart, but cable tv and the big screen are two different worlds. I think it's pretty phenomenal that someone who started out in "fake" news has made it big time in quite a different arena! You can check out the schedule for movies at the Coral Ridge Movie Theatre in Coralville and the Sycamore Cinema in Iowa City Now to the movie...It seems Mr Carell's gotten so big he's made it to the elite club of actors who lend their voices to an animated character. You know only the really good ones get to do that, don't you? In Despicable Me he plays... 07/09/2010

Iowa City Real Estate Market Report 2nd Quarter / April - June  2010 compared to April - June 2009   392 homes sold in Iowa City in the 2nd quarter 2010 compared to 313 homes sold in the 2nd Qtr 2009 - That's a 25% increase. The really interesting part is just how many condos sold this year compared to 2009. We have an impressive increase of 62% - Excellent news since we have a market that is saturated with condos. We still have some catching up to do, but this is a great indicator that confidence is rising with consumers ready to buy condos again.   Average Price Homes Sold April - June 2010 $188,004 Highest Price Home Sold: $675,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $67,680 Average Price Homes Sold April - June 2009 $203,351 Highest Price Home Sold: $665,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $72,900 I do... 07/07/2010

Iowa City Real Estate Market Report June 2010 compared to June 2009 There were 195 homes sold in Iowa City in June 2010 compared to 175 homes sold in June 2009 - That's a 13% increase over last year. What jumps out is that condo and zero lot sales are on the rise. Good news, especially the condo part - We have a lot of condos in the Iowa City area! Average Price Homes Sold June 2010 $191,413 Highest Price Home Sold: $675,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $67,680 Average Price Homes Sold June 2009 $209,844 Highest Price Home Sold: $665,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $87,500 I don't use the days on market calculated by the MLS. I use a simple method to calculate the absorption rate/days on market that doesn't manipulate the data. According to that calculation we have  7.7 months of inventory on th... 07/07/2010

Weekly real estate market update Iowa City July 5. Includes homes sold, homes under contract and active listings.     614 Active Listings 59 Homes Under Contract 50 Homes Sold June 28 - July 3, 2010 An average of 241 days on market = 7.9 Months Absorption Rate (Number of months it takes the market to "absorb" homes). This number is staying pretty steady at the moment. In other words we still have a buyers market.  More homes than buyers in the market place + historically low interest rates = Opportunities for Buyers. For a complete list of homes for sale in Iowa City just send me an email letting me know what you're looking for and I'll send you a list of homes fitting your criteria. If you need to sell your home and would like some advice on how to sell it for the best price in the sho... 07/05/2010

It's Friday and it's 4th of July weekend - Lots of choices for things to do in Iowa City and Coralville this weekend... In Iowa City we have the Toyota-Scion Jazz Festival - a 3 day event from July 2 - July 4. In Coralville the 4th of July celebrations started yesterday already making it a 4 day extravaganza. With all this going on, is anyone thinking of going to the movies this weekend? It's my regular day for looking at new movies so let me give you the lowdown on what your choices are this weekend just in case you are. As far as new movies are concerned, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been out a couple of days now and is sure attract a lot of attention - 4th of July weekend or not! I haven't seen any of the Twilight movies, but then I'm not a teenager. I'm definitely not in the demog... 07/02/2010

Free, Family-Friendly events in Iowa City this 4th of July Weekend!It's 4th of July weekend and one of the highlights of the year starts today with the Toyota-Scion Jazz Festival.  This is part of the Summer of the Arts program that provides support and promotes the arts and cultural events in the area. This 3 day musical extravaganza runs through July 4. Along with the opportunity to enjoy some good jazz music, there's also the chance to enjoy some high cuisine on Culinary Row. Good music and good food, what more could you possibly want? Oh, I know... good weather! Well it seems we've got that one covered too with sunny skies and temperatures forecast in the 80's for the next couple of days - Fingers crossed the isolated storms forecast for Sunday stay away for the 4th of July Firework... 07/02/2010

Weekly real estate market update Iowa City June 28, 2010: Includes homes sold, homes under contract and current listings.     626 Active Listings100 Homes Under Contract34 Homes Sold June 21 - June 26, 2010An average of 243 days on market = 8.0 Months Absorption Rate (Number of months it takes the market to "absorb" homes). This number is staying pretty steady at the moment. Even with all the closings we've had in the last few months we still have a buyers market. It seems the homebuyer tax credit may have pulled home sales forward as activity is a little low for the time of the year. More homes than buyers in the market place + historically low interest rates = Opportunities for Buyers. If you've been thinking about buying a home now is definitely a good time to put that plan into acti... 06/28/2010

Looking at homes is much more fun than going to a lender to get pre-approved. I don't suppose anyone will disagree with me there. Perhaps that's why so many buyers need to have a house in mind before they go see a lender. We all put off things we don't like doing and since going to a lender seems to be right up there with a visit to the dentist it makes sense getting pre-approved would be one of those things you'd put off. So why is that such a bad idea you ask? Well, here I am with 3 good reasons why turning things around and getting pre-approved FIRST is a much better plan.1. It's frustrating and totally depressing for you to spend time looking at homes in a certain price range to later find out that you can only get pre-approved for a lesser amount. It takes all the fun out of the bu... 06/23/2010