Tag Archive for: Christy and Garth Gillespie

Jackson Hole Luxury Homeowners –

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Exterior - northside_revToday’s luxury homeowners and buyers are savvier and more confident than ever according to a study by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.  Christy and I found the information very interesting and it seems to support what we are seeing in the Jackson Hole Real Estate market today.  In 2012 we had a total of 49 transactions over $3,000,000 and as of today we already have 35 transactions with some of our strongest closing months ahead.

The national survey of over 500 luxury home buyers had many interesting findings:

  • 75 percent of the luxury home buyers believe home ownership is a more sound investment than the stock market and 57 percent of employed luxury homeowners believe home ownership is a bigger indicator of success than their job or title.
  • A majority of luxury homeowners surveyed (53%) prefer owning multiple “lifestyle” homes to support activities like skiing and golf.
  • 58% of luxury home buyers already own multiple homes to support their lifestyle activities.
  • 60% of luxury buyers surveyed would rather have as many upgrades as they can afford verse larger square footage.
  • Nearly all (94%) of luxury home buyers would be willing to give up 1,000 square feet of living space from their next home in order to get a lifestyle amenity they desire, such as — Living in a better neighborhood (54%), living in a house that has “character” (51%), more land (44%), access to dining and entertainment (39%).
  • (66%) would rather have a “smart” home verse a “green”” home.
  • (87%) would not consider living in a home that is not tech-friendly.
  • Three of the top 5 luxury home essentials are outdoor orientated:  A garden oasis (53%), outdoor fire pit and or fireplace (50%) and a separate guest house outside of the main home (47%).

Those are some very insightful results.  If you are thinking of buying a luxury home or are in the process of remodeling or building one in Jackson Hole these results should be considered.

If you have any interest in learning more about Jackson Hole’s luxury real estate market please feel free to email us at  garth.gillespie@jhsir.com or drop us a phone call at 307-413-5243.

 

Jackson Hole Interest Rates

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September2013-19We are starting to get a lot of questions about interest rates.  Are they going higher, are they going back down, should we “lock our rate?  All of these are good questions and we don’t exactly have the answers but we do have some thoughts on the issue.

First of all, we don’t believe they are going back to 3%.  The interest rate hovered in the 3% range for a very long time.  The government is starting to indicate that they are going to start phasing out the “quantitative easing” which should increase interest rates.

Are they going higher?  Not in the short term….but more than likely yes in the longer term.  When we look at some recent projections from some notable entities like Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors we see most of the projecting that rates with be right around 5% in the second quarter of 2014.

Should you lock your loan?  We don’t have your answer on this one.  We suggest you speak with your local lender and have them assist you in making that decision.  Christy and Garth Gillespie recommend a few lenders and they include:  Patti Patterson – 307-732-7868. Jeff Collins – 307-732-7925 or Mark Hassler – 307-732-7933 all at First Interstate Bank or Eric Burba: 307-200-9756 at Guaranteed Rate.

 

5 Reasons To Hire Christy and Garth Gillespie – Jackson Hole Real Estate Agents

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Christy and I are proud to work with many different buyers and sellers in the Jackson Hole real estate market each and every year.  We work extremely hard is taking care of our customers in all of the aspects of a real estate transactions.  We sat down the other day and discussed what we do and why we believe Buyers and Sellers call us.  It was an extremely interesting team meeting and we came up with many reasons but we kept coming back to these 5 reasons:

1.  We help with all the disclosures and paperwork necessary in today’s heavily regulated environment.  Of course we don’t do all of these ourselves but we do have a large team of individuals and businesses that assist in this.  Buying and Selling real estate involves a lot of paperwork!  Our team consists of three of us — Christy, Garth and Audrey Williams.  Audrey Williams is a licensed agent that works as our Client Coordinator.

2. We are well educated in and experienced with the entire sales process.  There are not many real estate agents or teams in Jackson Hole that complete the amount of transactions the Gillespie Real Estate Team does year after year.  In 2013 we have already completed 33 transactions – that’s 1 transaction every week!  We have seen the difficulties in financing in the current banking environment, we have seen prices jump in the beginning of 2013 which have now settled down, we have seen inventory shrink and sellers raise their listing prices…we have basically seen the market evolve in the past year and know how to handle the current environment.

3. We act as a “buffer” in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transactions.  We enter every transaction trying to make it as easy as possible for all parties involved.

4.  We understand today’s real estate values when setting the price on a listing or on an offer to purchase.  Emotions can run high when people are negotiating.  We try to explain the statistics, the trends and make sense out of the whole process.  Some neighborhoods are easier than others but we sit down with each Buyer or Seller and lay out reasons for Listing Prices or where current values are headed.

5.  We simply and effectively explain today’s real estate headlines and decipher what they mean.  There are so many mixed signals in the press today.  Values going up, inventories shrinking, interest rates rising, markets cooling off…..what does all this mean.  We are here to explain.

To learn more about Christy and Garth Gillespie – the Jackson Hole Real Estate Experts – Call us at 307-413-5243.

 

August 2013 Jackson Hole Real Estate Market Review

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After a hiatus Christy and Garth Gillespie are back to blogging.  The Jackson Hole real estate market has been very busy so far for 2013.  We have been exceptionally busy and are having one of the best years that we can remember ever having.  Why?  We pride ourselves in pricing properties correctly and educating our Sellers and Buyers as to what is “current market”.  We have seen 4-5 years of depreciating sales and prices so now that we have better sales and prices are increasing it takes time to understand the market.  Unfortunately many sellers and agents working with sellers have over priced their properties because they saw the market heat up.  Buyers are out there but they are not stupid and are not willing to over pay for properties now that the market has done better these past 6 months.  There has been a nice increase in property prices of anywhere between 10-20%.

August was a good month with 50 sales market wide.  Over half the sales were for single family homes spread out around the valley.  Town had the most sales with 13 but also the lowest average sales price so most of these sales were either condos/townhomes or entry level homes.  North of Town also saw nice traffic as we had 7 sales.  Teton Village, 6 sales, has invested a lot of money in its infrastructure in the past 4-5 years and it is starting to see the benefits as occupancy has been at very high levels all summer.  Melody Ranch had a good August with 4 sales including the first reported million dollar sale of the year at $1.1 million (Listed by Garth and Christy Gillespie).

The highest sale recorded in August was $19,250,000 million for a home/estate located at Teton Village. Notably both sides of the transaction were represented by Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty.  The Auction was put on by Concierge Auctions.

Total Sales Volume for August was just about $70 million.  Average Sales Price verse List Price was 95%.  Median sales price was $770,000 and the average sales price was $1,334,000.

If you have any questions or comments about this report please feel free to email Garth at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com or to call at 307-413-5243.

1031 Exchanges and Tax Deferrals

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With tax season upon us, we found the following excerpt from Wyoming Title and Escrow timely, informative and easy to follow. It can be difficult to stay on top of the latest practices, especially when it comes to real estate. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about a 1031 Exchange.

“A 92 Year-Old Solution for Real Estate Investors Facing Higher Taxes in 2013:

1031 Exchanges Offer Full Deferral of the New 3.8% Medicare Surtax Tax and 20% Capital Gain Tax

The familiar adage, “It’s not how much you make, but how much you keep” rings truer than ever for real estate investors in 2013. Not only have capital gain taxes increased significantly for high earners, but many investors below the top tax bracket face an additional 3.8% surtax on passive investment income like capital gains. Fortunately, IRC Section 1031, a provision which has been in the tax code since 1921, provides critically needed tax relief.

Under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the top capital gain tax rate has been permanently increased to 20% (up from 15%) for single filers with incomes above $400,000 and married couples filing jointly with incomes exceeding $450,000. In addition, the new IRC Section 1411 3.8% Medicare surtax on net investment income, which includes capital gains, results in an overall rate for higher-income taxpayers of 23.8% — a staggering 58% increase from 2012 tax rates!

Four Steps Involved in Determining Capital Gain Taxation

Absent the tax deferral benefits of a 1031 exchange, below is a summary of the four ways investors will be taxed on the sale of an investment property:

1) Depreciation Recapture: Taxpayers will be taxed at a rate of 25% on all depreciation recapture.

2) Federal Capital Gain Taxes: Investors owe Federal capital gain taxes on the remaining economic gain depending upon their taxable income. Since a new higher capital gain tax rate of 20% has been added to the tax code, investors exceeding the $400,000 taxable income threshold for single filers and married couples filing jointly with over $450,000 in taxable income will be subject to the new higher tax rate. The previous Federal capital gain tax rate of 15% remains for investors below these threshold income amounts.

3) New Medicare Surtax Pursuant to IRC Section 1411: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 added a new 3.8% Medicare Surtax on “net investment income.” This 3.8% Medicare surtax applies to taxpayers with “net investment income” who exceed threshold income amounts of $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly. Pursuant to IRC Section 1411, “net investment income” includes interest, dividends, capital gains, retirement income and income from partnerships (as well as other forms of “unearned income”).

4) State Taxes: Taxpayers must also take into account the applicable state tax, if any, to determine their total tax owed. Some states have no state taxes at all, while other states, like California, have a 13.3% top tax rate.”

Melody Ranch Jackson Hole – New Listing – 1261 Melody Creek Lane

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Stunning new listing in Melody Ranch — Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  This fabulous home is located at 1261 Melody Creek Lane, a highly desired subdivision just a few miles south of the Town of Jackson. 

Melody Ranch, just 4 miles south of the Town of Jackson, is a place of wide-open spaces, remarkable views and a strong sense of community.  While residents appreciate the development for its close proximity to town and its natural beauty, they also love the fact that it feels like a true neighborhood, a place where people have chosen to make as their year-round home in Jackson Hole.

1261 Melody Creek Lane is a wonderful, newer (2009) custom built home.  Every detail of this home was done with quality in mind.  Very few homes have been built to the standards that this home has in the neighborhood.  Highlights include full hydronic in-floor heating throughout the entire home fueled by natural gas.  5 bedrooms – 4 of which are suites which include full bathrooms.  One of which is a substantial master bedroom with views to the south, vaulted ceilings, access to a back deck, spacious master closet and an elegant master bathroom.  The entire first floor has beautiful skip sawn hickory flooring and the entire home is equipped with solid Alder doors and trim work.

This is a home that must be seen to be appreciated so call Christy and Garth Gillespie at Jackson Hole Sotheby’s to set up a showing.  We can be reached at 307-413-5243 or send us an email at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com. 

Jackson Hole Real Estate Market Update April 2012

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Jackson Hole Real Estate Market update for April 2012.  We are selling a property just about everyday!  Last month the Jackson Hole real estate market had 26 closings for the month which included 21 residential properties and 5 vacant land parcels.  The 5 land deals were a welcome sight as we seem to have seen an increase of activity in this market segment.

The median residential sale price was close to $800,000 and the average listing price was $1,300,000.  The highest sale was not recorded but was listed for $7,995,000.  We saw a resurgence of “non-reported” sales as we saw 6 out of the 26 closed transactions (23%) report a $0 sales price.

Sales were scattered throughout the valley with 8 sales taking place in Wilson or Teton Village, 6 sales taking place “north of town” and 8 sales taking place in the Town of Jackson.  Average days on market were 261.  10 sales took place over $1 million.

Activity continues to hold pace as we have 61 pending transactions – 5 of which are vacant land.

For additional information on the Jackson Hole/Teton County Wyoming Real Estate Market please feel free to contact the Jackson Hole Experts – Garth and Christy Gillespie at 307-413-5243 or by email at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

Wow! What is happening to high end real estate in Jackson Hole?

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March and April of 2012 have started with a bang!  Major “transactions” have been taking place in Jackson Hole these past few months and we are really getting excited about the upcoming summer.  Since March 1st we have had 47 closings with 15 of those over $1 million dollars!  Half of those have been over $2 million and of those there have been 4 transactions over $6 million.

The action is not stopping either.  There are currently 12 under contract over $1 million dollars.  The biggest surprise has to be the vacant land buyers on the high end.  Since April 20th, 7 parcels have either sold or are under contract that were priced over $1 million.  On the high end side 2 parcels closed north of town in the Bar BC Ranch neighborhood that had listing prices of $6.5 and $8.9 million.  2 more properties just went “under contract” in the past week that are priced at $5 and $6.5 million?

Another observation is even though Teton Village and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort have closed for the ski season properties at the village have really been selling.  A Granite Ridge Lodge, an older Teton Village home and a Four Season Resort property have all sold.  There is one Older Teton Village home under contract and 2 vacant land parcels in the Granite Ridge Subdivision.

This is great news for the Jackson Hole Real Estate Market.  As more information is gathered about these transactions we will post it.  If you need additional information on the Jackson Hole market please feel free to call us at 307-413-5243 or email us at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

Investment and Vacation Homes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Jackson Hole has many Vacation / Second Homeowners and we are seeing an increase in these type of buyers.  This graph was put together by the National Association of Realtors and the Wall Street Journal.  The graph explains that Vacation Home sales increase 7% from 2010 to 2011.  The Jackson real estate market mirrored this increase as properties priced over $1,000,000 had an increase of 7% over 2010 (100 in 2011 verse 97 in 2010). 

As for the increase in investment type properties I believe Jackson lagged this market in 2011 and we are seeing that increased action in 2012.  We have 40 pending transactions at the moment of properties listed under $500,000.

There are a good amount of second homes for sale in today’s market so we can only hope that this summer provides a flurry of activity for the second home seller.  The Jackson Hole Experts – Christy and Garth Gillespie – specialize in assisting the second home buyer.  More than 50% of our transactions take place “log distance” so if you would like more information on second homes in Jackson Hole please contact us at 307-413-5243 or by email at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

Jackson Hole Home Prices Ready to Rebound?

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This is a great cover from one of the more trusted investment institutions – Barron’s.  The article explains how there is a belief that housing prices will remain rather flat for the year but by the beginning of 2013 we should start to see some appreciation in the housing market. 

What’s important here is that there is a general feeling that appreciation is going to start soon.  If you are on the fence about getting back into the housing market there are a lot of signs and people saying now is a good time to jump in.  Last week home mortgages hit another low but we should not expect rates to stay low like this ever.  If the economy and job market continues to improve we can hedge a bet that loan rates will slowly rise again.

To learn more about the real estate market and especially the Jackson Hole real estate market please call us, Christy and Garth Gillespie @ 307-413-5243 or send us an email at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

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Contact

CHRISTY GILLESPIE

Associate Broker
Cell (307) 413-5242
Office (307) 732-7610
christy@jhexperts.com.com

GARTH GILLESPIE

Sales Associate
Cell (307) 413-5243
Office (307) 732-7611
garth@jhexperts.com

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Christy & Garth Gillespie is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass Real Estate, a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

© Copyright 2018-2023 Christy & Garth Gillespie. All rights reserved.