from realestate.usnews.com more info on things to consider selling mistakes in this market...
It’s a new year and it’s time for a fresh start. If you’re planning to sell your home in 2017, here are a few mistakes you should avoid to maximize your results and minimize your headache. Selling a home can be difficult. Side step these common mistakes to increase your chances for a smoother, faster, and more gainful transaction.
1. Skipping the necessary preparation.
Once the decision has been made to sell, it’s understandable that many sellers want to get their homes on the market as quickly as possible. However, taking the time to get your home ready for sale is one of the most important steps in the selling process.
Skipping or skimping on this step is one of the biggest mistakes a home seller can make. You only get one chance to make a first impression and a great first impression can translate to actual dollar value – especially in a competitive market.
Take the time to paint, make repairs, declutter, tidy landscaping and stage the home, if needed. An experienced real estate professional can help you to determine what work needs to be done and how it could affect the value of your home in the local market.
Clean up and declutter. Potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves in your home – too much clutter, personal items or disorder can be distracting and turn buyers off.
Repair and upgrade. Even small cosmetic issues can be a red flag for potential buyers. Chipping paint, water stains, cracks or stained carpets can be signs of neglect or larger problems with the property. Your home should look well cared for and maintained.
Stage. Staging can range from simply refreshing and rearranging current furnishings, to editing and adding accessories, to complete professional staging.
Take great photos. Proper preparation also translates to a well-executed marketing plan. Your home should show at its best in person as well as in the property photos and collateral materials. As more and more buyers are turning to the internet to begin their home search, we rely on excellent photography to make a great first impression. Ditch those iPhone or point-and-shoot images. Professionally shot and staged property photos are an absolutely essential sales tool.
2. Pricing too high for the market.
Pricing is the most important decision, and the one that will have the largest impact on your sales outcome. The biggest mistake sellers make is overpricing their property for the market.
Overpricing typically leads to more days on market, which can negatively affect your final sale price. Whether you’re in a hurry to sell or not, time is a critical factor in selling your home. In general, the longer a property sits on the market, the less urgency buyers will feel, the more leverage they will feel they have and the less likely you will be to attract the attention for multiple offers.
Pricing can be a sensitive topic of discussion, and it’s a good idea to work with an experienced professional who knows the market as well as your specific neighborhood. As a seller, it can be difficult to see your own home with unbiased eyes. Emotional attachments and financial obligations can cause sellers to reach for more value than the market will bear.
Review comparable deals in the area, take a realistic look at your home and discuss the positives and negatives of different pricing strategies with your agent to determine what will work best for you.
Even with thoughtful pricing, it’s still possible to miss the mark. Sellers who are able to keep their emotions and expectations in check will be better able to reassess a situation and find a successful outcome.
3. Being present for showings and open houses.
As much as you may want to be completely hands-on in the sale of your home, it’s almost never a good idea to linger during showings or open houses. When the seller is present, it can create an awkward situation for potential buyers.
Buyers may feel they’re intruding on your home, which can make it even more difficult for them to imagine themselves living there. They may feel rushed or inhibited by the seller’s presence and may not take the extra time they need to go through the home at their own pace. In addition, buyers may not feel comfortable expressing their true feelings about a property which can lead to frustration and inaccurate feedback.
4. Not working with an experienced professional.
Working with an experienced real estate professional can make all the difference in your home selling experience. A good agent can provide you with support, advice and resources to help you avoid many of these common pitfalls.
From preparation and pricing to marketing and showing your property, a good agent can alleviate much of the stress, time and legwork necessary to get your home sold. Real estate transactions can get complicated and once a buyer makes an offer on your home or you enter escrow, a seasoned professional who is skilled in negotiation and familiar with the process can be invaluable.
When you’re interviewing and hiring an agent to sell your home, it’s important to ask questions. Not all agents are created equal, so choosing the best person to represent you is key. Working with an underqualified agent, or even someone who just doesn’t mesh with your personality and goals, can be just as detrimental as going it on your own.
Consider experience, past and current deals, market knowledge and marketing know-how. Equally important is to hire someone you respect, trust and feel you can work well with.
Avoid these common home selling mistakes and set yourself up for a positive and prosperous 2017.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
8 strategies to compete with cash homebuyers
more good food for thought in this hot seller's market for ways for buyer's to compete against all cash offers...
good info to consider from bankrate.com
In homebuying, cash rules.
Nationwide, roughly 30% of homebuyers pay cash, rather than get a mortgage, says Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, a real estate data company. That’s down from an average of 36% for 2011 through 2013, he says. But it’s still higher than a typical year — which sees about one-fifth of buyers paying with cash.
Cash dominates some markets. Two-thirds of buyers in Fort Smith, which straddles the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, paid cash in 2015, according to RealtyTrac numbers. In 9 other cities, at least half of all home sales were cash transactions in 2015. Seven of those cash-buyer hot spots were in Florida.
Worried about going head-to-head with cash buyers for your dream house? Here are 8 strategies to help you compete.
1. Offer more money
Money moves things. And it can speak volumes when you’re trying to buy a home.
Want to show a seller in a high-cash market that you’re a serious contender (despite your need for financing)? Pony up a hefty good-faith deposit, says Karla Goodman, Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Palm Coast, Florida.
She advises putting up 10% to 20% in earnest money. If you get the house, it goes to the down payment or closing costs, “so you give it to them now or later,” she says.
Don’t skimp on the purchase offer
You never want to pay more than the home is worth — or more than you can afford. But if you’re competing with cash buyers, you might want to offer more “if you have the means to do that,” Blomquist says.
Offering more doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the house.
“I lost an offer the other day because (my buyer) had financing, and the other person had cash,” says Goodman, who works in the Daytona Beach area, where half of homebuyers paid cash in 2015. “And (we) offered more money.”
2. Learn what's vital to the seller.
Different sellers value different things.
Some want the highest price they can get. Others want to close in time to buy another home or get the kids enrolled in school. Some want a good caretaker for their former home.
A large offer — or even a cash offer — might not be what matters most to your seller, says Adam Leitman Bailey, author of “Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home for the Lowest Possible Price.”
Find out what the seller’s goals are. If you can match those criteria — whether it’s a certain closing date or a promise to nurture a gardenia bush they planted in the yard — you’ll be a strong candidate, he says.
“If I’m the seller, I’m going to go for whoever is making my life easier,” Bailey says.
3. Demonstrate your good credit
Sellers love cash because it guarantees that there will be no last-minute snags if the buyer can’t get a mortgage.
So prove that you’re a serious contender by including a mortgage preapproval letter with your offer.
Some lenders may even go a step further, and actually underwrite your part of the loan (with a house to be added later), says ReRe K. Anderson, a broker associate with Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors. These buyers receive a loan commitment letter that they can submit when they make an offer, she says.
But most lenders will only go as far as preapproval before you have an actual address to plug into the equation, says Rob Van Raaphorst, spokesman for the Mortgage Bankers Association.
You can boost your buyer reputation by getting several preapproval offers and including them with the offer, Bailey says.
Make all those loan applications within a 45-day period, and your credit score will count them as 1.
4. Proof of Funds
To reassure a seller that you’ve got the cash on hand to obtain and close on a mortgage, show the money, says Anderson.
With your offer, include a letter from your bank or a CPA certifying any funds or assets you’re relying on to get that loan — like the down payment money, or a set-aside account with several months worth of mortgage payments.
“That alleviates a lot of concerns,” Goodman says.
5. Be ready to move quickly
“You just have to realize you’re at the bottom of the totem pole compared to cash buyers,” Blomquist says, so move quickly when you find a home.
Gather everything you need to make an offer in a notebook or folder, Bailey says. Include your mortgage preapprovals or commitment letter, plus anything you want to include with your offer, like proof of down payment funds or letters of reference. Line up pros for things you know you’ll need, like your home inspection.
If you have a lot of cash buyers in your target area, stay on top of the market yourself, Goodman says. Homes can come and go quickly, and you can’t rely solely on your agent.
And if you can’t reach an agent through social media, “have the foresight to pick up the phone and call,” Goodman says.
Even so, in a competitive cash market “understand going in — you may have to make 4 or 5 offers before you successfully bid on a home,” Blomquist says. “It can be tough.”
6. Write a letter
You’ve probably heard about this one: You write a letter to the seller, explaining what you love about the house, and why you want to buy it — and submit that with your offer.
Many agents swear it can be effective because it puts a human face on your offer and makes you more than just a dollar amount to the seller.
Demonstrating your humanity can be especially important if you’re going up against real estate investors who are paying cash, says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com, the site for the National Association of Realtors.
A letter was the tipping point for recent buyers who were up against a cash offer, Goodman says. The buyers wrote about how the sellers had raised a family in the house and how they wanted to do the same, she says.
The sellers “wanted a family there, because it had been a very important part of their life,” Goodman says.
7. Don't forego the inspection
One reason some buyers may prefer cash: Mortgage lenders require an appraisal, and some want a home inspection.
And with some mortgage programs, like Veterans Administration loans, those inspections may be more stringent, disallowing homes with problems like peeling paint.
So if a seller fears the home may have some issues, he or she may opt for a cash sale. In some competitive markets, sellers may try to include “as-is” language in the contract no matter how the buyer is paying, Goodman says.
But whether you’re going up against a cash buyer or not, smart money says you need your own independent home inspection, says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”
Don’t let fear, haste or the specter of competition push you into doing something unwise — especially with one of your biggest investments.
8. Shop New Construction
Supplies of new homes are growing faster than supplies of existing homes for sale, says Smoke. So it can be easier to get a new home, he says.
Buyers also get a warranty, plus new homes often cost homeowners less in maintenance and upkeep in those first 5 to 10 years than an existing older home, Smoke says.
In addition, if you buy the house before or as it’s being built, “you won’t face the scenario of having a multiple-bid situation,” he says.
And, while you don’t have to use them, many builders have preferred lenders and offer incentives or money that can be used toward closing costs, Smoke says.
good info to consider from bankrate.com
In homebuying, cash rules.
Nationwide, roughly 30% of homebuyers pay cash, rather than get a mortgage, says Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, a real estate data company. That’s down from an average of 36% for 2011 through 2013, he says. But it’s still higher than a typical year — which sees about one-fifth of buyers paying with cash.
Cash dominates some markets. Two-thirds of buyers in Fort Smith, which straddles the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, paid cash in 2015, according to RealtyTrac numbers. In 9 other cities, at least half of all home sales were cash transactions in 2015. Seven of those cash-buyer hot spots were in Florida.
Worried about going head-to-head with cash buyers for your dream house? Here are 8 strategies to help you compete.
1. Offer more money
Money moves things. And it can speak volumes when you’re trying to buy a home.
Want to show a seller in a high-cash market that you’re a serious contender (despite your need for financing)? Pony up a hefty good-faith deposit, says Karla Goodman, Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Palm Coast, Florida.
She advises putting up 10% to 20% in earnest money. If you get the house, it goes to the down payment or closing costs, “so you give it to them now or later,” she says.
Don’t skimp on the purchase offer
You never want to pay more than the home is worth — or more than you can afford. But if you’re competing with cash buyers, you might want to offer more “if you have the means to do that,” Blomquist says.
Offering more doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the house.
“I lost an offer the other day because (my buyer) had financing, and the other person had cash,” says Goodman, who works in the Daytona Beach area, where half of homebuyers paid cash in 2015. “And (we) offered more money.”
2. Learn what's vital to the seller.
Different sellers value different things.
Some want the highest price they can get. Others want to close in time to buy another home or get the kids enrolled in school. Some want a good caretaker for their former home.
A large offer — or even a cash offer — might not be what matters most to your seller, says Adam Leitman Bailey, author of “Finding the Uncommon Deal: A Top New York Lawyer Explains How to Buy a Home for the Lowest Possible Price.”
Find out what the seller’s goals are. If you can match those criteria — whether it’s a certain closing date or a promise to nurture a gardenia bush they planted in the yard — you’ll be a strong candidate, he says.
“If I’m the seller, I’m going to go for whoever is making my life easier,” Bailey says.
3. Demonstrate your good credit
Sellers love cash because it guarantees that there will be no last-minute snags if the buyer can’t get a mortgage.
So prove that you’re a serious contender by including a mortgage preapproval letter with your offer.
Some lenders may even go a step further, and actually underwrite your part of the loan (with a house to be added later), says ReRe K. Anderson, a broker associate with Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors. These buyers receive a loan commitment letter that they can submit when they make an offer, she says.
But most lenders will only go as far as preapproval before you have an actual address to plug into the equation, says Rob Van Raaphorst, spokesman for the Mortgage Bankers Association.
You can boost your buyer reputation by getting several preapproval offers and including them with the offer, Bailey says.
Make all those loan applications within a 45-day period, and your credit score will count them as 1.
4. Proof of Funds
To reassure a seller that you’ve got the cash on hand to obtain and close on a mortgage, show the money, says Anderson.
With your offer, include a letter from your bank or a CPA certifying any funds or assets you’re relying on to get that loan — like the down payment money, or a set-aside account with several months worth of mortgage payments.
“That alleviates a lot of concerns,” Goodman says.
5. Be ready to move quickly
“You just have to realize you’re at the bottom of the totem pole compared to cash buyers,” Blomquist says, so move quickly when you find a home.
Gather everything you need to make an offer in a notebook or folder, Bailey says. Include your mortgage preapprovals or commitment letter, plus anything you want to include with your offer, like proof of down payment funds or letters of reference. Line up pros for things you know you’ll need, like your home inspection.
If you have a lot of cash buyers in your target area, stay on top of the market yourself, Goodman says. Homes can come and go quickly, and you can’t rely solely on your agent.
And if you can’t reach an agent through social media, “have the foresight to pick up the phone and call,” Goodman says.
Even so, in a competitive cash market “understand going in — you may have to make 4 or 5 offers before you successfully bid on a home,” Blomquist says. “It can be tough.”
6. Write a letter
You’ve probably heard about this one: You write a letter to the seller, explaining what you love about the house, and why you want to buy it — and submit that with your offer.
Many agents swear it can be effective because it puts a human face on your offer and makes you more than just a dollar amount to the seller.
Demonstrating your humanity can be especially important if you’re going up against real estate investors who are paying cash, says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com, the site for the National Association of Realtors.
A letter was the tipping point for recent buyers who were up against a cash offer, Goodman says. The buyers wrote about how the sellers had raised a family in the house and how they wanted to do the same, she says.
The sellers “wanted a family there, because it had been a very important part of their life,” Goodman says.
7. Don't forego the inspection
One reason some buyers may prefer cash: Mortgage lenders require an appraisal, and some want a home inspection.
And with some mortgage programs, like Veterans Administration loans, those inspections may be more stringent, disallowing homes with problems like peeling paint.
So if a seller fears the home may have some issues, he or she may opt for a cash sale. In some competitive markets, sellers may try to include “as-is” language in the contract no matter how the buyer is paying, Goodman says.
But whether you’re going up against a cash buyer or not, smart money says you need your own independent home inspection, says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”
Don’t let fear, haste or the specter of competition push you into doing something unwise — especially with one of your biggest investments.
8. Shop New Construction
Supplies of new homes are growing faster than supplies of existing homes for sale, says Smoke. So it can be easier to get a new home, he says.
Buyers also get a warranty, plus new homes often cost homeowners less in maintenance and upkeep in those first 5 to 10 years than an existing older home, Smoke says.
In addition, if you buy the house before or as it’s being built, “you won’t face the scenario of having a multiple-bid situation,” he says.
And, while you don’t have to use them, many builders have preferred lenders and offer incentives or money that can be used toward closing costs, Smoke says.
Worried about higher property taxes? 6 things you need to know about protests and alternatives
it's that time of year...from the Denver Post
Protest, protest, protest. Front Range homeowners may have that reaction when they first see how much county assessors increased the value of their homes over the past two years amid worries that next year’s property taxes will shoot up as well.
Neighborhoods throughout metro Denver have recorded double-digit price increases, which reflects the region’s hot real estate market. The biggest percentage gains are coming in lower-income neighborhoods that lagged in past cycles.
The first steps for those who disagree with value placed on their home is to figure out how much the value should be adjusted and whether a protest has a chance of winning. And with a June 1 deadline for protests, homeowners need to act fast.
Should I protest?
While a big jump in property value may come as a shock, in most cases it is probably justified. But county assessors can have basic information about a property wrong, and they won’t know details about a home’s condition versus others in the neighborhood.
A key calculation to make upfront is whether any potential savings are worth the time and effort. Spending $700 for an outside home appraisal, assuming one can be obtained on short notice, won’t justify saving $50 or $100 in extra property taxes. And it isn’t necessary.
How do I research a protest?
Researching home price trends in the neighborhood is key to understanding whether a lower valuation is justified and will stand up.
For a typical home, assessors say, property owners can do the legwork themselves, perhaps with information on recent sales from a friendly real estate agent. And staff at the county assessor’s office can answer basic questions. Just make sure to say the call is informational and not a protest.
If you get a higher value than what’s on your valuation, quit while you’re ahead. If you get a lower value, then it’s time to do some math.
To get a ballpark figure on your 2018 property taxes, first, take the new “actual” value in the statements you recently received and multiply it by 7.2 percent. That’s your assessed value.
2017 property tax bill.
To get a rough estimate of how much lower your 2018 bill might be, do the same math but this time plug in the lower home valuation you came up with.
What can I do to improve my odds of winning a protest?
Property owners will have a stronger case if they make an argument based on the characteristics or condition of a property. For example, county records may overstate the square footage or number of rooms or show a basement is finished when it isn’t.
Your home’s condition can also help you contest a valuation. County appraisers rely on automated models and don’t go inside a home when they set a value. A home with deferred maintenance and no upgrades since the day it was built decades ago is worth less than one that has been remodeled and maintained.
Homeowners who’ve had a professional appraisal recently may also have a leg up. Assessors rely on the sales of comparable homes in the surrounding area to determine what a given home is worth. For this last valuation cycle, they looked at sales between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016.
Given how many borrowers refinanced their mortgages in 2015 and 2016, a homeowner may have a professional appraisal in hand that could support a lower value than what the county determined.
Some assessors, like Arapahoe County’s, provide a list of sales they used to support the valuation. A property owner might feel there are other sales that match up better and support a lower value. A real estate agent with access to the multiple listing service can help track down those sales. But again, any sales must be before June 30, 2016, and the closer the better.
If I think I’ve got a shot, now what?
If you’ve decided that a protest is worth your while, you can either file in person at your assessor’s office, by mail or, in most metro-Denver counties, online, at your assessor’s website. Regardless of how you do it, remember that your protest is due by June 1.
My protest didn’t get me what I wanted. What are my next steps?
If a protest is turned down, or the property value not adjusted as much as the owner requested, those decisions can be appealed before a County Board of Equalization.
In most counties, assessors must rule on a protest by the end of June and property owners can appeal to the CBOE by July 15. In more populated counties like Denver, Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson, assessors have until the end of August to rule on protests, with appeals due by Sept. 15.
There are two venues for another level of appeal beyond the county boards, and those are the district courts or the state Board of Assessment Appeals. Not many homeowners, however, go that far.
What else can I do to reduce my tax burden?
Homeowners age 65 or older who have lived in a home for 10 years or longer only have to pay half of the property taxes on the first $200,000 in value. A similar exemption is also available for permanently disabled veterans.
Also, some local governments and school districts can help some homeowners who want relief with their tax burden. If you’re disabled or age 60 or older, you can trade volunteer hours in lieu of taxes in what are called property tax work-off programs.
School districts and local governments will hold budget hearings in late summer and early fall, and taxpayers can weigh in to keep spending in check and reduce the overall tax burden.
Protest, protest, protest. Front Range homeowners may have that reaction when they first see how much county assessors increased the value of their homes over the past two years amid worries that next year’s property taxes will shoot up as well.
Neighborhoods throughout metro Denver have recorded double-digit price increases, which reflects the region’s hot real estate market. The biggest percentage gains are coming in lower-income neighborhoods that lagged in past cycles.
The first steps for those who disagree with value placed on their home is to figure out how much the value should be adjusted and whether a protest has a chance of winning. And with a June 1 deadline for protests, homeowners need to act fast.
Should I protest?
While a big jump in property value may come as a shock, in most cases it is probably justified. But county assessors can have basic information about a property wrong, and they won’t know details about a home’s condition versus others in the neighborhood.
A key calculation to make upfront is whether any potential savings are worth the time and effort. Spending $700 for an outside home appraisal, assuming one can be obtained on short notice, won’t justify saving $50 or $100 in extra property taxes. And it isn’t necessary.
How do I research a protest?
Researching home price trends in the neighborhood is key to understanding whether a lower valuation is justified and will stand up.
For a typical home, assessors say, property owners can do the legwork themselves, perhaps with information on recent sales from a friendly real estate agent. And staff at the county assessor’s office can answer basic questions. Just make sure to say the call is informational and not a protest.
If you get a higher value than what’s on your valuation, quit while you’re ahead. If you get a lower value, then it’s time to do some math.
To get a ballpark figure on your 2018 property taxes, first, take the new “actual” value in the statements you recently received and multiply it by 7.2 percent. That’s your assessed value.
2017 property tax bill.
To get a rough estimate of how much lower your 2018 bill might be, do the same math but this time plug in the lower home valuation you came up with.
What can I do to improve my odds of winning a protest?
Property owners will have a stronger case if they make an argument based on the characteristics or condition of a property. For example, county records may overstate the square footage or number of rooms or show a basement is finished when it isn’t.
Your home’s condition can also help you contest a valuation. County appraisers rely on automated models and don’t go inside a home when they set a value. A home with deferred maintenance and no upgrades since the day it was built decades ago is worth less than one that has been remodeled and maintained.
Homeowners who’ve had a professional appraisal recently may also have a leg up. Assessors rely on the sales of comparable homes in the surrounding area to determine what a given home is worth. For this last valuation cycle, they looked at sales between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016.
Given how many borrowers refinanced their mortgages in 2015 and 2016, a homeowner may have a professional appraisal in hand that could support a lower value than what the county determined.
Some assessors, like Arapahoe County’s, provide a list of sales they used to support the valuation. A property owner might feel there are other sales that match up better and support a lower value. A real estate agent with access to the multiple listing service can help track down those sales. But again, any sales must be before June 30, 2016, and the closer the better.
If I think I’ve got a shot, now what?
If you’ve decided that a protest is worth your while, you can either file in person at your assessor’s office, by mail or, in most metro-Denver counties, online, at your assessor’s website. Regardless of how you do it, remember that your protest is due by June 1.
My protest didn’t get me what I wanted. What are my next steps?
If a protest is turned down, or the property value not adjusted as much as the owner requested, those decisions can be appealed before a County Board of Equalization.
In most counties, assessors must rule on a protest by the end of June and property owners can appeal to the CBOE by July 15. In more populated counties like Denver, Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson, assessors have until the end of August to rule on protests, with appeals due by Sept. 15.
There are two venues for another level of appeal beyond the county boards, and those are the district courts or the state Board of Assessment Appeals. Not many homeowners, however, go that far.
What else can I do to reduce my tax burden?
Homeowners age 65 or older who have lived in a home for 10 years or longer only have to pay half of the property taxes on the first $200,000 in value. A similar exemption is also available for permanently disabled veterans.
Also, some local governments and school districts can help some homeowners who want relief with their tax burden. If you’re disabled or age 60 or older, you can trade volunteer hours in lieu of taxes in what are called property tax work-off programs.
School districts and local governments will hold budget hearings in late summer and early fall, and taxpayers can weigh in to keep spending in check and reduce the overall tax burden.
The Katskhi Pillar-A Whole New Meaning to the term "High-Rise"...
from Wikipedia...a complex with some serious privacy and a whole meaning to the real estate term it "has stairs" and it's a "walk-up"....
The Katskhi pillar (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი, kac'xis svet'i) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region of Imereti, near the town of Chiatura. It is approximately 40 metres (130 ft) high, and overlooks the small river valley of Katskhura, a right affluent of the Q'virila.[1]
The rock, with visible church ruins on a top surface measuring c. 150 m2, has been venerated by locals as the Pillar of Life and a symbol of the True Cross, and has become surrounded by legends. It remained unclimbed by researchers and unsurveyed until 1944 and was more systematically studied from 1999 to 2009. These studies determined the ruins were of an early medieval hermitage dating from the 9th or 10th century. A Georgian inscription paleographically dated to the 13th century suggests that the hermitage was still extant at that time.[1] Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 1990s[2] and the monastery building had been restored within the framework of a state-funded program by 2009.[3]
The Katskhi pillar (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი, kac'xis svet'i) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region of Imereti, near the town of Chiatura. It is approximately 40 metres (130 ft) high, and overlooks the small river valley of Katskhura, a right affluent of the Q'virila.[1]
The rock, with visible church ruins on a top surface measuring c. 150 m2, has been venerated by locals as the Pillar of Life and a symbol of the True Cross, and has become surrounded by legends. It remained unclimbed by researchers and unsurveyed until 1944 and was more systematically studied from 1999 to 2009. These studies determined the ruins were of an early medieval hermitage dating from the 9th or 10th century. A Georgian inscription paleographically dated to the 13th century suggests that the hermitage was still extant at that time.[1] Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 1990s[2] and the monastery building had been restored within the framework of a state-funded program by 2009.[3]
How fast were Denver homes selling last month? Fastest in the U.S.
from Denver Business Journal....no big surprise here on the story...
Homes in Denver sold faster last month than anywhere else in the country.
According to Seattle online real estate firm Redfin, "Denver was the fastest market, with nearly half of all homes going under contract in just six days, down from 11 days a year earlier. Seattle was the next fastest market with seven median days on market, followed by Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington at 10 days."
Homes selling fast last month in Denver mirrored a national trend, according to Redfin.
"The typical home went under contract in 40 days, 10 days faster than a year earlier, making April the fastest month on record since Redfin began tracking the market in 2010," the company said in a statement.
In late March, one real estate valuation company described the home sale market in Denver as homes "flying off the shelves."
Homes in Denver sold faster last month than anywhere else in the country.
According to Seattle online real estate firm Redfin, "Denver was the fastest market, with nearly half of all homes going under contract in just six days, down from 11 days a year earlier. Seattle was the next fastest market with seven median days on market, followed by Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington at 10 days."
Homes selling fast last month in Denver mirrored a national trend, according to Redfin.
"The typical home went under contract in 40 days, 10 days faster than a year earlier, making April the fastest month on record since Redfin began tracking the market in 2010," the company said in a statement.
In late March, one real estate valuation company described the home sale market in Denver as homes "flying off the shelves."
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