The market on South Hill was definitely affected by a season of holidays, snow storms, and the Law of Gravity.

For anyone unfamiliar with the area, the entire hill looks over the shore into Bellingham Bay and Fairhaven, and the streets dress to match the hillside accordingly (steep and unforgiving should you be out during one of the aforementioned storms).

I prefer to think of South Hill owners as resilient;  hardened from the battle with prospective buyers, low offers, and inspection responses that read longer than The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney: An Allegory.  

The existing listings tell the same story , as the average time on the market for these homes is around 222 days. Which puts the homes well back into the summer, and some even the spring. 

Yet these numbers are not new to South Hill.  Looking back in the files for all sales from January to December, only 22 homes sold the entire year, and 14 condos sold.  That's about two homes and a condo a month.

But the sheer number of homes in South Hill has never been that expansive, a fantastic sign for the area/neighborhood in that people don't want to move, and they know what they have, and are pricing their homes according to the value they have for their home.  And the market says homeowners are willing to wait to get their price. 

Advice?  Put your Realtor on alert:  if you want into South Hill and the current properties don't suit you, you'll need to act quickly, and be prepped to offer close to listing price.  Or be prepared to wait.  Someone previewing all of the properties as soon as the hit the market..as most of the public websites have a 3 to 4 day lag time from listing to hitting the web. 

While online, look for numbered streets between 11th and 17th Streets, or cross streets like Knox, Adams,Douglas, Taylor, Highland, or the Forests.  You're getting a view with more altitude as you venture east, but the more Northeast you go, the more college friendly you'll need to be.

STRIKE OR TAKE A HIKE:   18 properties sold after being on the market 120 or more days while 15 sold in less than 60

Upcoming months:  South Hillians who've taken their homes off the market for the holidays and/or winter repairs will be eyeing the market for the upcoming upswing of spring and summer buyers, ready to soak in the sun (it's coming) and the bay views.

___________________________________________________________________________

Everyone says buying your

first apartment makes you

feel like an adult. What no

one mentions is that selling it

turns you right back into a

child.

-Anderson Cooper

Labels: South Hill Homes, South Hill Market