I’m breaking down the stats by zip code and posting just the opening inventory as raw data on my blog. Later I’ll turn them into solds by month for comparison and predicting 2008.

Some are pretty scary, like 98033 Kirkland with 243 single family homes on market and only 42 in escrow. If I take out new construction there are 148 for sale and 31 in escrow. That’s a lot of new houses not sold.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/321531/Active-Rain-Year-in

All from one photo I took in the bathroom when I got home from work. Didn’t even comb my hair. Don’t need to for these new “face” shots. She used picnik.com and only cropped and colored. No touch up. I’ll have to check out picnik .com

Actually my daughters do that all the time. They just take the digital camera, hold it at arm’s length and start shooting pictures of themselves until they get one they like. Look at the one Miranda just did:

http://www.myspace.com/chingchongmiranda

Thanks for the stats update, Ardell.

We are working on all of that by zip code and in some cases by development specific. Stay tuned.

There is no “window of looser rules” but there is a special dispensation for substantial change in listing. I think you only need to drop the price by 5% to get the special dispensation or convince the mls that you did a substantial upgrade to condition. Remodeled baths and kitchen might be a good example of “substantial upgrade” even if the price is raised or stays the same.

Not sure if that grants you the right to not have cumulative days or simply gives you a new listing number.

I’m working hard on all stats by zip code today to catch the breakdown of “out the gate” inventory for 2008.

The simple answer is that some take the properties off for the holiday, but most let them expire out or cancel them so they will get a new listing number with a 28. MLS issues listing numbers in sequence starting with 2800000 or so after midnight of 12/31/07.

It is a violation to cancel simply to get a fresh 28 starting listing number. But it is not a violation for a seller to take their property off the market during the holidays or to expire and then come back.

Days on Market will still be cumulative, unless they have a very large gap from taking off market to putting back on market. But when we get into March and April, having a listing number starting with 27 will be a larger detriment than Days on Market.

So the reduction is mostly about vying for better positioning in 2008. Some will stay off until April and that “may” drop the cumulative days on market for their listing.

Again, it is against the rules to vie for position in the mls, but it is not against the rules to take your house off the market before the holidays and bring it back in April.