Picking Up in Late Summer?

August is traditionally a time for beaches and BBQs, not real estate.  Many people are on vacation, and those who remain start to think of Labor Day as the acceptable point at which to pick up projects like moving or expanding.  And yet, this year, we seem busy as we hurtle toward September.  A lot of what we are working on has yet to close, and our commissions so far this year still lag behind last year's, but many of our agents say that they are busier than they have been in years. 

Some of this reflects the fact that every transaction is harder than it used to be; you can't count on anything simply proceeding through to completion without a few bumps along the way.  Some, though, does seem to suggest that Connecticut may at last be joining the ranks of all the other states that are embracing recovery.  While jobs have not gotten back to their 2006 high, they are headed in the right direction.  Ditto housing prices and construction permits.  Also consumer confidence, which is evident in the proliferation of new restaurants and retail ventures. 

Maybe this is the new normal.  A less seasonal, less steady expansion, but a tentative and welcome leap forward.  Okay, a step forward.  But it's progress, and we are glad to see it!