Guess which photo is my front yard today...if you guessed photo number two you are correct!  Yep, it's December here in Colorado Springs.  And what does that mean?  Okay, besides snow and Christmas time...it means the November stats are out.  So here's the latest on our real estate market:

Home Sales :  UP 3.4% over last year at this time.  At the end of last month, home sales in our area were at 7,808 units sold.  Last year we were at 7,554 right now.

Average Sales Price : DOWN 4.5% over last year at this time. Currently, the average sales price is at $218,527.  Last year it was $228,936 at this time.

Active Listings (meaning number of homes for sale) : DOWN 22.7% over last year at this time.  At the end of November we had 3,667 homes for sale here.  Last year November we saw 4,746 homes for sale here.

To summarize:  Sales are up slightly over last year.  Prices are still coming down.  Inventory is way down.  75% of home sales this year have been under $250,000 in price.  For that range, it's a seller's market.  Over $250,000 in price, the months supply gets longer and it remains a buyer's market.

Interest rates are still amazing: 4% for a 30 year, conventional fixed rate mortage.  3.75% for a VA or FHA.

Rock on!