Market Update

-Inventory of houses for sale this year dropped 6.8% from September of last year (1030 in 2019 vs. 1105 in 2018) putting further pressure on buyers and pushing the average price up further
-Regarding Average Price for Kingston and Area, September posted another year-over-year increase of 11.2%! Average price for the month was $400k vs. last September’s $359.7k
-New Listings were up for the month by 11.4% over last September (516 vs. 463) and Total Homes Sold was also up over last year by 8.4% (322 vs. 297) as Seller’s continue to capitalize on the squeeze in inventory
-Year-to-date average price is currently sitting at $391,492k which is 7.6% higher than the first nine months of 2018
-Months of inventory is numbered at 3.2, which is the lowest ever on record for this time of year – months of inventory refers to the number of months it would take to sell the current amount of inventory at the current rate of sales activity

Fall Home Maintenance To Do’s

Here are a few things you might want to consider addressing before the snow flies;
-Gutters! Yep, someone’s gotta get up and clean out those leafy eaves before they get frozen in there during the next looming season. Keep in mind that if you do it now, you may have to get up there and do it again before the snow flies, as the majority of trees seem to still be hanging onto at least half of their leaves. Got gutter guards?? Lucky you 🙂
-Turn off exterior water lines and drain pipes and hoses
-If you’re a lawn lover get some seed and fertilizer down now because as they say, the best offense is defense
-Plant Spring Bulbs! You know in early Spring, when you’re trying so hard to be positive and hopeful but everything is wet and brown and cold and brown…spring flowers can really brighten up your yard and days
-Check weatherstripping – preventing drafts is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways to keep heating costs down. Pro Tip – to check your weather stripping close the door or window on a strip of paper, if it slides easily you’re likely in need of replacement
-Speaking of heating, it could be time to change your furnace filter (or clean/vacuum your permanent filter if that’s your preferred choice) and consider having your furnace professionally serviced before you really need to rely on it
-Might also be a good time to test/change out smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries