As we head into the busy spring buying season for homes, here are the stats for February 2009--all figures compared to same time one year ago.

Jackson County:

Pending Contracts:                621  down 19.77%

Average Sales Price:             $108,081, down 11.5%

New Listings:                          1284, down almost 21%

Johnson County:

Pending Contracts:                480, down 25%

Average Sales Price:             $238,133, down 2.67%

New Listings:                          998, up 1%

Ample use of the word 'down' in these stats, but know this:  fewer listings means the market will balance out, as there is not that much new product coming on the market to choose from. However, history shows us that March through June is the busy buying season, so thisi is the time for buyers and seller activity.  First time buyers are jumping into the market with the lower interest rates and the promise of the $8000 tax refund.

For specific statistics on your neighborhood, email me with your  full address and zip code.  Comments on this blog are welcome, but I am unable to answer personally due to technical limitations.

Thanks for reading!