People love the small-town charm of Mount Airy with its quaint historic buildings and welcoming atmosphere.  Their slogan is Stop, Shop and Stroll and it is easy to do all of those things on Main Street in the older part of the town.

Stroll along Main Street and take time to eat in one of the many excellent restaurants or shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at the Farmer’s Market during the spring and summer months.  Teens love to shop for vintage clothing as well as one of kind gowns at Deja Vu.

Downtown Mount Airy displays the small-town charm with quaint historic buildings and a welcoming atmosphere. It takes you back to a time long past, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Options for housing range from the older Victorian houses to newer golf course communities.

The housing market in Mount Airy continues to improve – take advantage of the prices now and return to small town living in this lovely area of Maryland.

The Market report this week is focusing on the Montgomery County section of this tri-county area.

December 2011 Real Estate Market Statistics for:  21771 Mount Airy, MD

Average Sold Prices are down -8.56% to $372,631 over $407,522 this same time last year.  Days on the Market continue to increase up +13%, to 140 days in Dec ’11 comparing to 111 in Dec ’10.  This along with the number New Pending Sales down -29% shows a struggling housing market.

Sellers who have found a buyer have had to price their homes very competitively.   The small shimmer of light is that Median Sold Price; Average Days on Market and Average Sold to Original List Price have improved in the last 30 days.

With the spring market around the corner I do predict a slight increase in activity through June – prices overall will remain flat.  If you are interested in becoming a part of the Mount Airy community, this is your chance to find a very nice home at a VERY REASONABLE PRICE.

Market data and commentary provided by Kathy Fleskes & Serena Toro, Rockville Regional Office.

Search for homes in Mount Airy, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

When analyzing the statistics, the data shows that Prince William County’s total sales volume has remained steady year after year, the Bristow market has seen a gain of 67%.  The Prince William County market experienced a peak in volume in July, 2011, then showed a steady decline through October, and has shown a rapid recovery this past November and December.  In Bristow, all indications show that January, 2012 will mirror this trend.

Let’s look at the Stats:

With interest rates at an all time low, home prices remaining steady, and inventory at a 5 year low, now is the time to make that decision to sell or buy.  If you are considering selling and moving up, now is the time.

Information obtained from statistics supplied by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, and analysis and comment by Jim Agnew, Managing Broker, Avery Hess, Realtors, Dulles Regional Office

Spotsylvania ended the year with an 18.75% increase in closed sales, a 5.58% increase in median sales price, a -17.86% reduction in days on market and a 21.21% increase in detached units sold!  That is fantastic news!

Sales rose, days on market declined and median sales price increased!  That is what needs to start to happen for us to ever begin to see a true recovery.

Read on for more stats:

One stat that has continued to be the same for quite some time, not only in Spotsylvania but in surrounding counties as well, is that we need more listings!

New Listings were down -6.62% and active listings were down -24.28%.  This has been the same story month after month. There are so many Buyers out there and many of them are just waiting for the right house to come on the market. If you are considering selling now is a great time to do it!

Foreclosures and short sales are still popping up everywhere. Banks are being very strict in making sure they receive no less than market value on the sales they are involved in, so that is helping with our prices. Many short sales are going through – so if you are having trouble making your payments, make sure and contact an experienced Realtor who can help you avoid foreclosure.

January is off to a great start!  We are expecting a great spring and this is a great time to jump into the local market!

Commentary and market stats provided by Amy Cherry-Taylor, Business Manager, Stafford Regional Office.

Search for Home in Spotsylvania County: www.averyhess.com

At one time, many of the smaller houses in Chevy Chase were being torn down and large “McMansions” were being built in their place, but this seems to have slowed with the turn in the real estate market.  However, homes, apartments and condos in the Chevy Chase area are still in high demand and bring high prices.

There seems to be an upturn in the market in recent months as indicated in the chart below.

Wondering why prices seem so high?  Chevy Chase’s close proxcimity to Washington D.C. makes it an expensive area to live with a highter median household income compared to the rest of Maryland.

Market data and commentary provided by Kathy Fleskes & Serena Toro, Rockville Regional Office.

Search for homes in Chevy Chase, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

Centreville is one of 3 markets in Fairfax County with a high percentage of townhouses and lower priced detached homes.  These markets are influenced more by changes in the economy due to employment and tighter lending requirements, than other areas of Fairfax County.

Earlier projections of a recovery of the Centreville Market in 2011 have dimmed due the continued lack of consumer confidence.  We started 2011 with pending sales at a very low level, they doubled in the 2^nd and partly through the 3^rd quarter, then fell back to nearly the level of December 2010.

The year ended with the lowest inventory in Fairfax County in nearly 5 years, from a high of 7,900 active listings in August 2007 to a low of 2,300 in December 2011.  Those thinking of selling should consider their options while the inventory is low, and new home builders are anxious to sell, it is an opportunity to move up.

Information obtained from statistics supplied by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, analysis and comment by Jim Agnew, Managing Broker, Avery Hess, Realtors, Dulles Regional Office

Tysons Corner is going through changes and there is no doubt about it as you pass by on the Beltway.  Just when you think you’ve gotten the roads figured out, they change. But don’t worry, this too shall pass. Since the only thing constant is change and change is good, you can bet Tysons Corner will be bigger and better than ever when construction is complete and the metro system is in place.

The figures below might be an indication of the holiday traffic conditions in the Tysons Corner area during December. It shows a slight drop in total revenue from the month before. While the number of units sold came down slightly, the average sales prices have increased.

With interest rates at an all time low and ongoing plans to make Tysons Corner a walkable, sustainable, 24-hour urban center where you’ll live, work and play; people are going to take advantage of these wonderful market conditions and buy in the Tysons Corner area. It’s an exciting, dynamic place to live and will only get better with time. It’s going to be a place where you can have it all – business, shopping, entertainment and right now, affordable housing. “Work to live!”

Want to see what’s available?  Contact us at AveryHess.com.

Market data and commentary provided by Charlie Carroll and Pattie Mancini

The 20120 zip code, which suffered in 2010 from a huge number of foreclosures and an exaggerated drop in average sales price has now begun to recover but still lags 8% behind the more affluent 20121.

The last time we visited Centreville in September, the market was beginning to catch up with the average sales price of Fairfax County, it now lags nearly 28% behind.

Earlier projections of a recovery of the Centreville Market in 2011 have dimmed due the continued of consumer confidence.  We started 2011 with pending sales at a very low level, and then they doubled in the 2^nd and partly through the 3^rd quarter then fell back to nearly the level of November 2010.

Information obtained from statistics supplied by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, and analysis and comment by Jim Agnew, Managing Broker, Avery Hess, Realtors, Dulles Regional Office.

Damascus is an unincorporated area in northern Montgomery County.  Although there is a large population grown and urban development, Damascus still retains its small town feel.

Damascus has seen significant new housing growth in recent years.  Housing costs in Damascus are among some of the highest in the nation, however the real estate prices don’t compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Maryland.

Here is the latest Real Estate Data on Damascus, MD:

20872 Damascus, MD

Damascus High School is the only high school in the greater Damascus area and is well-known for strong academics and championship athletic teams.   Damascus also benefits from a large, well-funded youth athletic program, the Damascus Sports Association.  Damascus High School is one of the few schools in the State that still holds its graduation ceremonies on the school’s football field.  In 2000 the commencement speaker was General Colin Powell.

Damascus has many types and styles of homes for sale and the community offers many events of interest and amenities that are unique to the area.  The town has many outdoor activities to enjoy and has a family friendly atmosphere about it.

Market data and commentary provided by Kathy Fleskes & Serena Toro, Rockville Avery-Hess, Realtors Office.

This activity has helped pending sales rise 15.63%.  In contrast, less sellers entered the market, pushing inventories down 17.39%.  If this trend continues, we could start to see a shift in the real estate landscape in Prince William.

Conversely, we are seeing buyers stepping into the market due to record low mortgage rates and affordable prices making homeownership more attractive than renting.   These prospective buyers are being very cautious with their decision to purchase, not allowing themselves to rush into a contract.  With low inventories we are hearing buyers say their home choices for quality inventory is low.  Nice, well-maintained homes are going under contract quickly, hence the rise in sales contracts mentioned above.

Prices gave back some ground. The Median Sale Price decreased 2.20 percent to 250,000. Days on Market increased 25.58 percent to 54 days.

All in all, it’s a safe bet to say that a seller with a good condition, well maintained home can expect a well-priced house to sell in a reasonable amount of time.  Purchasers know a good home and correctly priced home when they see it and are reacting quickly to get the home under contract.

If this trend continues the Prince William market is poised for a fantastic first Quarter 2012.

Market data and commentary provided by Maryanne Moyers, Managing Broker, Avery-Hess, Realtors.

Search for homes in Prince William County, and all the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com

For some reason October was a very slow month.  New listings were very minimal, new pending sales were up but closed sales and pretty much every other stat were down.  The phone wasn’t ringing as much and both Buyers and Sellers seemed to be sitting on the fence.

November was almost completely opposite where there were new listings, many more new sales and the market really started looking better!  That momentum has carried into December and will hopefully continue into the New Year!  So with that being said, take these numbers with a grain of salt. They are what they are and the next couple reports will look much better!

New listings are such an integral part of our market.  We really need those great, new listings to go on the market so all of the Buyers out there have something to buy!  When you see listings down like this it causes some Buyers just to wait and sit on the fence until just the right house comes on the market.  In many instances, they have already seen everything out there in their price range and haven’t found just the right one.  Some of the inventory becomes stale and those listings end up selling for less as they have been on the market for much longer.

Watch for the next couple of market reports!  Months like October just happen sometimes for no rhyme or reason. The good news is, despite the holidays, we are in the midst of a very busy end of the year and that is a good thing for both Buyers and Sellers!  Happy Holidays!

Commentary and market stats provided by Amy Cherry-Taylor, Business Manager, Stafford Regional Office.

Search for Home in Spotsylvania County: www.averyhess.com