Warmest Thanksgiving Wishes – The spirit of the season makes me especially thankful for my many clients and friends like you.

The inventory this year picked up from the dismal 99 homes for sale in January to its current level of 130. The market did very well once more this year when the snow melted, and hopefully housing will continue its path of upward motion for some time to come. Mostly it is the quality of life and schools that drive our house prices.

November and December as a rule are much slower times of year but if winter is less than what it was last year, we should be back up and running full force by mid January. Since there is less competition on the market this time of year, you may want to consider selling now. Also, if you know anyone who is thinking of buying or selling, I would love to hear from you.

Technology is driving our business and today’s buyer has all the statistics and school information at his fingertips. The buyers are savvy and well informed. Be sure to visit my web site RidgefieldRealEstate.com I continually strive to be better.

Some interesting thoughts to ponder:

• One hundred years ago, (1903) the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47.
• Only 14% of the homes in the US had a bathtub and only 8% had a telephone.
• A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.
• There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• The average wage in the US was $0.22/hour. The average US worker made between $200-$400/year.
• Sugar cost $0.04/pound. Eggs were $0.14/dozen. Coffee cost $0.15/pound.
• Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.
• The five leading causes of death in the US were 1. Pneumonia &influenza; 2. Tuberculosis3. Diarrhea; 4. Heart disease; 5. Stroke
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30.
• One in ten US adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Yes, we all have many reasons to be thankful. Our son survived a life threatening accident this year and life is good.