2015 LBOR River City Recognition Awards

Humanitarian Contribution in the Community

Wayne Simien, 2015 recipient of the LBOR River City Recognition Award for his Humanitarian Contribution to the Community. We so appreciation Wayne and his work with Called to Greatness, and his ongoing ministry to the youth of our community and at the University of Kansas. Wayne is pictured with Suzy Novotny, Co-Chairperson of the LBOR Community Relations Committee, Crystal Swearingen, 2015 LBOR President, and Pat McCandless, who made the nomination and presented this year’s award.

Acrhitectural Enhancement in the Community

Arterra Event Gallery Owner & Visionary Wayne McDaniel, Co-Creator and Executive Director Mike Gehrs, Assistant Director Aaron Burnett, and Architect Allen Belot, receive the 2015 LBOR River City Recognition Award for an Archtectural Enhancement in the Community. The Arterra Event Gallery is a premier event space in Lawrence! Also pictured are Suzy Novoty, Co-Chairperson of the LBOR Community Relations Committee, Crystal Swearingen, 2015 LBOR President, and Mary Jones, who made the nomination and presented this year’s award.

Lawrence Board of REALTORS® Releases Home Sales Figures for April 2014

May 21, 2014

Homes sales fell by 12.6% in April compared to the prior year. Sales in April 2014 totaled 90 units, down from 103 in 2013.

Among existing homes, 86 units sold in April, a decrease of 4.4% from 90 units that sold in 2013. The average sale price of existing homes was $173,248. This represents a decrease of 6.2% from the April 2013 average price of $184,676.

According to Susan Bonham, President of the Lawrence Board of REALTORS®, “We have segments in our housing market that are performing differently. On the positive side, the sale of homes in the $100,000 to $300,000 range continue to perform very well, while on the negative side, we’ve seen a drop in home sales listed below $100,000. This may be due to a lack of inventory in that price range. Another positive is, we are seeing new inventory entering the market at rates ahead of last year.”

For new construction, 4 sales occurred in April, down from 13 units the prior year, a decrease of 69.2%. The average sale price of new homes in April was $379,398, up 21.3% from the same period last year.

Bonham pointed out, “Lawrence needs new construction to strengthen. Fortunately, new developments are underway which will improve the activity on newly constructed homes.”

A total of 137 contracts for sale were written in April 2014, down from 162 in April 2013. This is a decrease of 15.4%. Contracts written during the month reflect, in part, sales that will close in the near future. The inventory of active listings in the City of Lawrence stood at 429 units at the beginning of April, which is up from 418 homes that were on the market at the beginning of April last year. At the current rate of sales, this figure represents 4.8 months’ supply of homes on the market.

Bonham noted, “Similar to state and national trends, Lawrence housing sales are underperforming. Through the first 4 months of the year, overall sales are essentially flat. However, when you take a closer look at the differing segments, you’ll start to see these varying results. With all of the complexities involved in the analysis of the market, it is so important for consumers to get the help of a real estate professional.”

Complete summaries of MLS statistics for the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, and the entire MLS are available at:
• City of Lawrence Home Sales Statistics – http://bit.ly/1mZLGDB
• Douglas County Home Sales Statistics – http://bit.ly/1jtGCWI

For questions and/or comments, please contact LBOR President Susan Bonham at Susan@SusanBonham.com or 785-393-7070.

Lawrence Board of REALTORS® Releases Home Sales Figures for February 2014.

March 20, 2014

Lawrence Home Sales Continue to Climb while Supply of Homes Falls.

Homes sales rose by 4.1% in February compared to the prior year. Sales in February 2014 totaled 51 units, up from 49 in 2013.

Among existing homes, 50 units sold in February, an increase of 16.3% from 43 units that sold in 2013. The average sale price of existing homes was $200,520. This represents an increase of 1.9% from the February 2013 average price of $196,736.

For new construction, 1 sale occurred in February, down from 6 units the prior year, a decrease of 83.3%. The average sale price of new homes in February was $572,500, up 123.0% from the same period last year.

A total of 72 contracts for sale were written in February 2014, down from 83 in February 2013. This is a decrease of 13.3%. Contracts written during the month reflect, in part, sales that will close in the near future.

The inventory of active listings in the City of Lawrence stood at 344 units at the beginning of February, which is down from 371 homes that were on the market at the beginning of February last year. At the current rate of sales, this figure represents 6.7 months’ supply of homes on the market.

According to Susan Bonham, 2014 President of the Lawrence Board of REALTORS®, “The spring market is here! The year is off and running and the numbers look great. Sales are up again and home prices are continue to increase. Overall, homes are selling more quickly, and are selling at prices that are closer to the asking price. The concern at this time is still housing inventory. The number of homes on the market at this time remains well under where we stood in recent years.”

Complete summaries of MLS statistics for the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, and the entire MLS are available at:
• City of Lawrence Home Sales Statistics – http://bit.ly/1er9A7e
• Douglas County Home Sale Statistics – http://bit.ly/1d4YlTp

For questions and/or comments, please contact LBOR President Susan Bonham at susan@susanbonham.com or 785-393-7070.

Safety Reminder

September was REALTOR® Safety Month!  And as September came to a close we (the Lawrence Board of REALTORS®) experienced a real life reminder of just how vulnerable we all are, and how quickly a bad person can instill fear in what we believe to be a safe place!

Using this as a positive, this is a great opportunity to put some really purposeful thought into your day to day routine.  As an example, we will no longer “run to the bank” in the afternoon, leaving just one person in the office.  Instead we’ll do those types of things in the morning when we have more staff in the office.  You can also bet that we won’t leave the office door unlocked if we’re working beyond normal business hours.  We’ve talked through a number of things to make our environment more safe, including updating our employee emergency contact information, and the LBOR staff have been provided with pepper spray at the encouragement of our local law enforcement.

This was most likely a one time occurence (we certainly hope so).  But, we were clearly caught off guard.  Please take some time for some purposeful thought about your safety and your environment, so that you minimize your vulnerability and don’t find yourself caught off guard.

Need help getting the safety discussion started?  Download Now a comprehensive guide to safety while working with clients, safety in your office, and safety in your home.