Here in the lovely city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we as Realtors are positioned to enjoy a nice year in terms of the upswing in the real estate market.  Listings are up, sales are up, and it looks like this will continue into the fall and even early winter months.   Going in the winter months, our market is somewhat affected by ASD, Affective Seasonal Disorder, where sales drop, especially in the months of December and into January.  Being a newer agent myself, is this typical for you in your area of the country?  Do agents in Florida and Texas experience less of this AFD because of their climate?  Do agents in Minnesota and Michigan experience more of this because of their weather?  08/21/2006

In the news recently, there have been reports of the real estate market softening.  These reports come primarily from the east and west coasts of the United States, but here in the midwest, specifically Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we have not seen that "bubble" that experts have been talking about.  In fact, our market is up for the month of July by 10% over last year's sales.  Has anyone else in the midwest experienced what we have been experiencing in this area of the country?  I think it is misleading to have a "blanket" news report about the real estate bubble when there are actually sections of the country that are experiencing increases in sales.  Realtors need to have all the facts, and this is one of those facts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  The public can also be misinformed if they do not h... 08/05/2006