Real Estate Blog - March, 2020

Active vs Sold Report- March 2020

Here’s what you need to know about the Reno/Sparks real estate market, from the experts at Dickson Realty.

There were 522 homes active on the market and available for purchase at the end of February, which was a 17% decrease from January and a staggering 42% decrease from February 2019. Although it is not uncommon to see a lower number of homes for sale this time of year, we have not had inventory this low in recent history.

Reno/Sparks area REALTORS sold 451 single family homes in February, which was an 16% increase from January and a 25% increase from February of 2019. Demand for homes is expected to remain strong, even with the lower inventory.

The median sold price for single family homes in Reno/Sparks was $391,500 in February,…

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16 Activities You Can Do At Home While Staying Safe From Coronavirus

As the weekend approaches, you may be looking for activities you can do at home while social distancing during the Coronavirus. Here are 16 things you can do from the comfort of your own abode while staying safe, healthy and relatively sane.

Activities You Can Do At Home For Adults

1. Explore a Museum

Just because you can’t leave your home, doesn’t mean you can’t go to the Louvre or the MoMA. There are at least 14 world-class museums that offer virtual tours right from your laptop. Check them all out here. 

2. Go to the Movies Together

With the Netflix party Chrome extension, you can host a group watch party with friends and family. It synchronizes video playback and adds group chat, so you can make your own version of Mystery…

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What Do Low Interest Rates Mean For Mortgages And Refinancing?

On March 15, the Federal Reserve announced it would cut the federal funds rate to a range of 0 to 0.25 percent in an effort to encourage the flow of credit to consumers and small businesses. This created questions for many individuals, especially those in the process of buying a home or refinancing.

To answer some of these questions and clarify some confusion, Dickson Realty reached out to one of our trusted partners, Dereck Bowlen. Dereck is the Branch Manager for Synergy Home Mortgage in Caughlin Ranch. He’s been in the mortgage industry for more than 25 years and offered his perspective and advice.

Answers To Some Of Your Questions About Interest Rates

Does the Federal Reserve’s reduction mean I can get a 0% interest rate on a mortgage or…

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Market Profile Report – Reno/Sparks – March 2020

These are challenging and unprecedented times, but even during uncertainty, people will continue to buy and sell real estate for many reasons. The health and well-being of our clients, agents, employees and community is of the utmost importance to us. We take the coronavirus outbreak very seriously and we will continue to take steps to ensure that we are as prepared, organized and proactive as possible.

Below is an update on the Reno/Sparks real estate market. Our analysis focuses on single family home activity in the region for the month ending February, 2020.

The median price in Reno/Sparks decreased 3.33% from January to February, to $391,500. When comparing year over year, median price increased 5.2%, which is a healthy growth rate.

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11 Ways To Support Northern Nevada Businesses During COVID-19

Right now is a challenging time for many local businesses during COVID-19. But, a thriving business community is a part of what makes Northern Nevada such a special place to live. As consumers and citizens, we can help entrepreneurs and employees in a variety of ways. Here are a few suggestions for how you can make a difference and support Northern Nevada businesses during COVID-19.

What You Can Do To Support Northern Nevada Businesses During COVID-19 While Staying Safe

1) Order take out or delivery from your favorite restaurant

After a few days of eating pantry food, you’re probably going to want something to eat that you didn’t prepare. Luckily for you, many of your favorite spots are offering take-out and delivery options at this time.…

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Tips for Celebrating Spring

Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 11:50 p.m. EDT (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) is the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, commonly known as the first day of spring! 

Things have been a little crazy for the last few weeks with the spread of Covid-19. Whether you're home from work, tackling home schooling lessons for your kids, or going through your normal routines, you may want a break from the news and panic and celebrating spring might be the way to do that. We've compiled a list of things you can do to welcome the season in Northern Nevada.

• Take a Hike- With so many awesome trails, you can "self-isolate" and still enjoy the great outdoors. 
• Garden- If you're not quite ready to start planting outdoors, consider starting an indoor garden. 
• …

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Some Calming Thoughts About the Times

Recently, Dickson Realty CEO, Nancy Fennell, shared this video and the following statement about the Coronavirus and its impact on the real estate market. If you have any questions about the local market, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

We wanted to share a video message with you that was recorded from the Chief Economist, Dr. Marci Rossell of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.  She discusses the economic impact of the Coronavirus and how it differs from other historic economic events. 

Life is often chaotic, uncertain, and forceful. But even in the midst of disorder, a calm mind will be your ticket to clarity and wise decisions.  

Let us at Dickson Realty be part of the calm mind helping all those we come into contact to reach…

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Where to Recycle in Northern Nevada

Recycling is a simple way to make a difference every day. Estimates from the EPA say that every person generates about 1.5 pounds of recyclable materials daily and every year 22 million tons of household recyclables go to landfills, become litter, and pollute water.

In 1991 Nevada passed legislation that encouraged recycling with goals that at least 25% of everything we throw away is diverted away from the landfill. In addition to commonly recycled items like cans and paper, this also includes other items like old appliances, light bulbs, and tires, among much more. According to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, "as of 2017, Douglas County had the highest rate of recycling at 51.6%, Carson City in second at 26.7%, and Washoe County in a…

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Historically Low Interest Rates Make it a Great Time to Buy a Home

Mortgage rates have dropped to lows not seen in nearly 50 years! If you are planning to purchase a home in the near future, it may be worth it to start the process now. As of this writing, mortgage rates are: 

30-year Fixed Rate Mortgage: 3.29%

15-year Fixed Rate Mortgage: 2.79%

Check current interest rates here. 

To put the current interest rates into perspective, the previous lowest rates occurred during the housing crisis in November 2012 when mortgage interest rates dropped to 3.31%. 

If you are considering purchasing a home or refinancing your current home loan, talk with a mortgage professional to see if the lower rates will be of benefit and check out this post to see what questions you should ask before you refinance. 

If you…

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Spring Cleaning Tips

With the warmer weather you may be preparing for spring cleaning. Before you start tackling your deep cleaning chores, take a look at the Spring Cleaning Checklist we created to help you get the most from your spring cleaning. 

Ever Room

• Clean baseboards, doors, walls, and ceiling
• Dust blinds and wash or dry clean window treatments
• Wipe down light fixtures and replace burnt out bulbs
• Dust or vacuum lamp shades

Kitchen

• Clean out pantry (wipe down shelves, vacuum, and discard expired foods)
• Deep clean oven
• Wipe down cabinets
• Vacuum refrigerator coils and the top and behind the fridge
• Clean the inside of the refrigerator

Bedrooms

• Wash bedding and throw pillows
• Rotate mattress
• Organize items on…

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