Education Excellence/Membership Meeting

AUGUST 2014

EDUCATION EXCELLENCE/MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Plan to attend your SAR third quarter membership meeting and a day of Education Excellence next week, August 28th, at Center Place (photo, left) in Spokane Valley.

The day kicks off with "How to Deal with Difficult People" from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., takes a break to handle business with the SAR Quarterly Business Meeting featuring the REALTOR® Posse from Washington REALTORS®: President George McGilliard, President-Elect Mike Schoonover & CEO Steve Francks, the concludes in the afternoon with Core Curriculum "Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate" from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Everything, all day, is included in one fee of $40. Lunch only available at $15 (RSVP with Debbie at the SAR to pay at the door).

See the event flyer among the supporting documents to this newsletter.

JULY HOME SALES RISE

Spokane home sales picked up in July, but with minor drops in average and median sales prices, the Spokane Association of REALTORS® said.

Home sales in July grew to 626, up from 600 in June, said Rob Higgins, the association's chiefexecutive.

Median prices during July fell to $169,800. In June the median sales price was $171,750, the high-water mark so far during2014.

"This is typical for Spokane, with a slow gradual improvement over the course of the year," Higgins said. "We are not boom orbust."

July's average home sale price was $186,795, also down from June's $189,834, Higginssaid.

Read the complete article in The Spokesman-Review online here:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/aug/13/spokane-area-home-sales-rise-in-july/

BEATING NATIONAL HOUSING TRENDS

Spokane is on the "top ten" list of metro areasstanding out for strong price appreciation, housing inventory increases, and a rise in home sales that are far outpacing the more moderate gains in the national housing market, according to REALTOR.COM®'s National Housing Trend Report for June.

"National housing trends are masking some of the excitement we're seeing in individual markets," says Jonathan Smoke, REALTOR.COM®'s new chief economist.