People go to parties. Kids are out of school. During a typical year-end market, housing consumers ought to know the market's latest trends and conditions. You should also practice efficient home buying and selling techniques. This year you've get to be extra nimble and extra quick.
Competition is particularly thick.
There were 1,272 fewer homes on the market in July this year than July 1998, according to the latest numbers for the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors. The association uses inventory data from Campbell-based R.E. InfoLink and that data includes both open escrows and actual listings. Richard Calhoun, a Creekside Realty broker who crunches R.E. InfoLink's numbers, says the number of homes actually available is closer to 2,700. Competition for homes tends to wane as the year end approaches, but this year's tight market could find buyers and sellers up against another problem particular to 1999. Next year is 2000.