I don’t know what’s going on nationally, but in our local market there has been activity the past two weeks that was non existent the past several months.  In the month of June alone, our real estate office put 16 properties under contract, compared to fewer than that number total the past 6 months.  I’m telling you, things are happening!

I’m not ready to run out and declare that the bottom has been reached or the economy is again healthy, but I do believe the free fall has been arrested, and that people are starting to get off the fence and back into the game.  Prices have come down, but I don’t think in an overall manner will come down much further.  From what I have noticed,  people are recognizing this and understand that there may not be another buyer’s market such as this for a long time.

Some more numbers for your dining and dancing pleasure:  sales prices are on average 91% of the current asking price and 80% of the original asking price.  If you bought a property in Jackson Hole prior to 2006, chances are, if you have to sell, you’ll end up making money on the sale, just not as much if you had sold at the top.  Doesn’t mean you’ve lost.
Pigs and hogs, Dear Reader.  Pigs and hogs.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the lackluster start to the ski season - a blog post prompted by a discussion I had with an associate.  Just prior to Christmas Day, there was one run open at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, the result of aggressive snow-making by humans, not the heavens.  The Farmer’s Almanac had predicted a cold, dry winter in the northern Rockies for 2008/2009, and I was beginning to wonder if the Almanac would be correct.

Then came Christmas Day and 20″ of snow in a 12 hour period.

The skies above Jackson Hole have been fairly generous ever since.  I don’t think we’ll hit the 600+ inches we were blessed with last year, but as of this morning, we passed the 470 inch mark - a respectable total any way you slice it.  And with five days left and 12 more inches predicted before mid day tomorrow, I’d say we have little to complain about regarding the quality of this year’s skiing.  And now, my thoughts turn to summer and fishing…
I hope to see you out here soon, buying real estate.  There might be a seat in the drift boat for you - I’ll throw in a day of fly fishing instruction with the purchase of a home.  How can you go wrong with that?