Blog – John Angell – Paragon Realtors

Vague Specifics – October 2020

Historically, the months leading up to an election have been rather quiet. But what the heck, 2020 is unique for a lot of terrible reasons so it may as well be unique for a good reason or two.

Regardless of who is in the lead, uncertainty causes both businesses and individuals to hold their breath. September’s MLS stats proved that wrong, with pending sales an unbelievable 23% above those of September 2019 DESPITE a 48% reduction in for-sale inventory. Since 2014 I’ve heard people say, “I’m going to wait until the market peaks before I sell”, and I usually bit my lip. Not anymore. If you’re considering selling, now is a phenomenal time. There aren’t going to be as many buyers out there as there were in July, but the bump up in sales prices that the summer almost always provides has been apparent.

A new drink has captured my heart and is in the process of cirrhosizing my liver: Ranch Water. In my quest for an adult beverage with modest calories, this is certainly worthy of mention. Ingredients: 2 jiggers of blanco tequila, 1 jigger lime juice, large splash of Topa Chico. It’s a delightfully tart, slightly sweet, refreshing beverage with only 222 calories, and two certainly does the job.

Of the many vacations Kacie and I have enjoyed over the years, Montana has given us the worst “vacation hangover” of them all. One thing that we noticed in Montana was there was not one piece of litter anywhere we went. Friendly people for the most part (minus an outlier with a California license plate on his Range Rover), and everyone was respectful of the environment and one another. I asked a native Montanan if they ever got used to the beautiful scenery, she said she appreciates it every day.

This is the backyard view we had at our house at the Wilderness Club. It doesn’t do it justice.

Making It A Happy (Covid) Halloween!

I’m going to try to stay as upbeat on this as possible, but every time modern issues – be they social, political or even medical – serve to hinder or diminish what were some of my fondest childhood memories, it’s difficult to remain positive.

Halloween is almost upon us. Trick-or-Treat enthusiasm has diminished over the last 30 or so years, but it’s still been a thing lots of kids and parents have enjoyed. Unfortunately it would appear traditional Halloween in 2020 is cancelled, and here are a few Frown Upside Down alternatives thanks to our loving benefactors at the CDC:

Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

Frankly, I’m all for pumpkin carving (or magic markering them if, like my mother in the 80s, your child can’t be trusted with knives and stabbing weapons), being festive, and dressing up in elaborate costumes, but not being able to go door-to-door and enjoy the Halloween spirit is frustrating to say the least.

But that’s 2020: the year that would never end.

MLS Statistics – October 2020

Architectural Corner – Dingbat

Still can’t believe this is actually the name of a housing style, and I had the pleasure of selling a Dingbat condo back in March.

The Dingbat is a boxy, 2 or 3 story apartment/condo, consisting of relatively few units per parcel, with the living areas overhanging street-front parking. Having a garage beneath the dwelling is a brilliant use of space to accommodate covered parking, but I can’t imagine having a neighbor with an active night life pulling into their carport and slamming their car door at 3am. Dingbat condos came into prominence in the 1950’s and 1960’s, primarily in the American sunbelt.

The word itself is a bit disparaging, but dingbat refers to the star-shaped decorations (similar to typographic dingbats) that are often found on their stucco facades. Although they’re a very efficient use of limited lot sizes, they are often considered eyesores and are often the target of demolition efforts.

I’ve seen quite a few of these buildings around Dallas. There are quite a few in Oak Lawn, and one in particular on Oram in East Dallas, although I know they’re not necessarily confined to those two areas.

Vague Specifics – September 2020

Well, we survived another blazing Dallas summer. Is it me, or did the quasi-fall weather come a little early this year? I’m not complaining, I’m not going to miss 117 heat indexes, it’s just a bit odd. Normally we have to wait until around Halloween to experience some genuinely cool mornings. I harken back to my college days, when I donned a Halloween kilt just in time for 40 degree weather… it certainly kept me invigorated.

As of today (Tuesday, September 22nd), the market has definitely calmed down a bit. Sales in September will prove to be very strong because so much is still in title, but I’m thinking October we’ll see a bit of a seasonal cool-down. The election is in November (in case you’ve been hiding in a cave on Mars with your eyes closed and fingers in your ears), and the economy always holds its breath for a couple of months. Uncertainty is worse for markets than whether or not the red or blue M&M wins. Speaking of elections, I would hope that December and January would see a subsidence of the hyper-partisanship that has fallen on the United States, but I can’t remember a time when that was the case. As long as media and social media persist as they do (and I’m not picking sides here), I don’t see it changing anytime soon.

After an extended period of non-vacationing (which is the kiss of death to my travel-loving wife), Kacie and I are headed to Montana for a week. in early September. I have to admit the thought of being with a bunch of strangers in a thin metal tube never worried me before Covid. Even when we went to Whistler in mid-February, the exposure to strangers didn’t worry me. But people are still flying every day. If you’re curious, take a look on AA.com. The price for planet tickets these days is unbelievable, and the travel ban has made us look inside America’s borders. It’s really amazing just how vast the United States is and how much there is to see.

Will The 2020 Surge Continue?

What started out looking like another banner year following the first quarter was suddenly crashed thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since then, the recovery has been nothing shy or remarkable. See the graph below, courtesy of Fair Texas Title:

As of September, sales for single-family homes have outpaced 2019 by 4% but still lingers slightly behind condo sales. The question is: will it last?

Working for us is the incredibly low listing inventory we continue to experience has caused buyers who would normally have purchased to continue to hold out for the right house. Interest rates remain at historic lows.

Working against us is the continued Covid lockdown, what is typically a 3rd quarter slowdown, and of course the election. Election seasons always see a slower market because uncertainty is the worst thing any market can experience.

Will it continue? I believe so. Chances are we’ll see numbers settle down a bit as to mimic 2019 a bit more, but barring Covid-20 or Giant Meteor the good times should continue to roll.

Architectural Corner – Split-Level Ranch

It all started when the Earth cooled and things called “hills” formed. I know in our topographically-challenged city that’s an alien concept, but please bear with me.

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright (like so many other styles), the split-level ranch is a staggered-level home, typically featuring the large living, dining & kitchen combo on the middle level; sleeping rooms tend to be on the third floor (occasionally the first), with a garage and/or basement on the first. A short set of central stairs connects all levels.

Advantages to this style include reasonable access to the foundation, plumbing and floor ducts and the ability to actually build a wide house on a hill, unfortunately they tend to be difficult to navigate for less mobile people.

You don’t see many of these homes in Dallas, but in neighborhoods with significant hills they tend to appear in clusters.

MLS Statistics – September 2020

Architectural Corner – The Igloo

Igloos can be attributed to the Innuit, native to the arctic regions of Canada, Greenland (remember, not green), and even the United States. The Innuit are commonly referred to as Eskimos.

Igloos were primarily constructed of ice but also employed whale bone. With temperatures in the region dropping as low as -49, Igloos were surprisingly efficient at utilizing body heat alone for warmth and could range from 19-61 degrees on the inside!

Igloos are different in construction from geodesic domes in that their components are built in an ascending upward spiral pattern, and if built properly can support the weight of a full-grown man. Unfortunately, they only offer limited protection from Polar Bears.

Vague Specifics – August 2020

July was an amazing month for real estate, August is looking to be even better. We’ve about made-up in sales volume for the COVID-dip, and every indicator says August is going to be a banner month. Unless the election has more of an effect on the market compared to other election years (and the effect is noticeable), 2020 will actually have a higher sales volume than 2019. Despite millions of people out of work, low interest rates and mass migration to DFW have helped us beat the odds.

While it’s a hot market, it’s possibly the most emotional real estate market in history. It’s absolutely maddening. I don’t blame people… between COVID, the heat, low inventory and the politically charged climate of an election year, it’s no wonder everyone is on edge. In previous years I wouldn’t have put much credence in back-up offers, but we’ve seen many contracts fall through in 2020 and many of them are due to buyers and sellers having personal issues with one another. We’re earning our money as Realtors, and in all honesty, this is exactly what the market needs to thin the herd of flippant agents.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve picked up disc golf again after a 20-year hiatus (thanks to my great friend, Chad Lasseter, for helping me rediscover it). Frankly, it’s been a Godsend. It’s a great excuse to get outside and soak up some sun, allows you to be as serious/casual as you like, and is both less expensive and less physically strenuous on the body as regular golf. I never realized just how indoors-oriented I’d become until I started spending several hours outside at a time, and it’s really nice to actually be adapted to the summer heat. Don’t get me wrong, a 107 degree heat index is a sweaty experience, it’s nowhere nearly as oppressive as it has been in previous years. For anyone interested, there are dozens of courses around the Metroplex, and it’s just a fun, laid-back time. Anyone feel like throwing the disc some weekend, just let me know!