Welcome to a New Dawn
No, this isn’t a Twilight reference, but rather one of hope and embarking on a new beginning. Will you join me?
We are finally at the end of this, excuse my French, #@&%$# of a year. Some people might think, ooo the clock just went past midnight, cue triumphant music. Sorry to say, but we aren’t out of this mess yet. What we are in is a new transition into something different. We have learned new things about how we live and probably who we are. I for one learned many a thing during this time. From what a slob I can be to improving communication to getting pretty creative with my meals. So, if anything, this time has provided growth and growth leads to progress leads to a better way of living, etc etc etc.
So what the hell does this have to do with buying and selling houses you ask? Forecasting a new year is difficult. Forecasting a new year during a pandemic, well it’s cloudy if anything. Home sales for 2020 will top the previous year with an 8.1% increase in median home sales.* It is predicted that the market will continue to be strong in 2021, and inventory will continue to be scarce, just as mortgage rates maintain their historic lows.
It’s a mixed bag of sorts, but one thing is for sure, needing a home is definitely in demand. Demographics are changing as some are extending families and finding new occupational paths, others are wanting different floor plans, and home improvement has seen a significant increase. Contractors can’t build houses fast enough to compensate for the lack of housing, and with increases in costs of production materials and lack of labor, there has been some constraints on new construction. As I said before, I think it’s a perfect time to be putting together that hopescape and making it happen.
To summarize, once the pandemic is over we can breathe again, literally, and open ourselves up to new possibilities. I don’t do resolutions when a new year arrives. It puts too much pressure and high expectations. The older we get, the more change becomes difficult, but what I like to do is take all the assets of the year before and apply them to improving the next year. Here are a few things I do plan on doing during 2021.
More virtual tours. I’m planning on showing you all houses on my own, in different neighborhoods, so you can stay safe. I will be available for physical and private tours adhering to all the precautions, but I thought it might be fun to explore and show you all houses on my own accord. I’ll showcase two or three a week.
Neighborhood Profiles. I’m finally getting this together for the website. Every month I’ll spotlight a different neighborhood in RVA and it will talk about the area from what’s near to architecture to history. I’ll be including photos and videos and interviews of actual neighbors from those areas.
Putting the Sweet in Home. Stay tuned as I reach out to local businesses that incorporate all things home, including decorators, designers, builders, and landscapers.
Lend An Ear Happy Hour: I’m planning on having a bi-weekly Q&A with a lender and myself to answer any questions you might have about buying a home and what lending options you might have.
I think I can handle this task list. I do want to continue to support local businesses and urge you to do so as well. I plan on doing what I can for my communities and neighborhood. It’s a good time to plan out some neighborhood clean ups, offer tutoring services, look after pets, and donate meals to healthcare providers and elderly neighbors. It’s a good time to work on your health regiment (a la Rebel Wilson), take more bubble baths, read more books, watch some documentaries, listen to more podcasts, play with your kids, play with your partners, have a road trip, plan for the future because you may never have this contemplation time again, well let’s hope we don’t have something like this jar our world again. This is temporary folks, the chaos will end and will be replaced by bigger and brighter things. So embrace the new year, burn the last one, and let’s move forward to better ways of living.