Tis the season to be jolly, so I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads my articles, and those of you who have offered great feedback or contacted me to help you buy or sell your home.
Most of the time, I have no idea what I am going to write about from one month to the next, but something always comes up that I feel would be great to share. If there are any subjects you would like discussed, or information you would like, please let me know.
Quick Market Update
The holiday season sees a slowdown in sales and less demand. The Mesa market inventory of homes hasn’t really changed much. For most of the year, it has ranged from 100 to 108 days of supply, and in November we were at 103 days.
The Mesa median price has dropped from $197,000, in September, to $192,500, in October, which is down 2.3 percent. It is up 4 percent from the beginning of the year, however.
Mesa home sales are up 9.4 percent from October 2013.
Spring is just around the corner. With the Mesa housing market being stable in 2014, we are looking forward to the spring buying and selling season.
A Christmas tradition – Christmas Crackers
With the Christmas season upon us, instead of talking about the housing market, I want to share one of my family’s Christmas traditions.
One English Christmas tradition, which has been around for more than 165 years, is the Christmas crackers. Being from England myself, I’ve never had a Christmas without them.
When I was at my dentist’s office recently, I got the idea for this month’s article. We were chatting about Christmas and I mentioned Christmas crackers. None of the girls had heard of them or knew what they were. So, of course, I had to spend the next 30 minutes telling them all about the crackers and what fun they are. Now, all the girls in the office are heading to the stores to start making Christmas crackers part of their family tradition.
So, what are they? Created by Tom Smith, in 1847, the crackers are cardboard tubes covered in brightly colored twisted paper. When the cracker is pulled by two people, each holding one end of the twisted paper, the friction creates a small pop, which is produced by a narrow strip of chemically treated paper. The cardboard tube contains a brightly colored paper hat (which I make everyone wear, whether they want to or not), a small gift and a motto or joke.
Christmas crackers have been a tradition for the English Christmas dinner since their inception. Even the royal family will have a Christmas cracker adorning their Christmas dinner table. Being from England, I had to carry on the tradition for my family here in America. I used to have to get them shipped in from England, but now they can be found everywhere, from Costco, to World Market and Bed Bath and Beyond, as well as many other stores.
You can get very expensive ones, which will have better gifts, or you even can make your own, using a toilet paper tube and colored paper. Then, you can put your own gifts inside, and even make them specific for each guest, if you are that adventurous.
The crackers are not only a lot of fun, but the jokes usually are so corny you can’t help but laugh. They really decorate the dinner table, too, and the kids love the novelty gifts inside. We pull our crackers as soon as we all sit at the table before we eat (watch out for flying gifts), and then go around the table telling the jokes throughout the meal. For us Britts, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without them.
So, next time you are at the store and see these brightly colored crackers, buy a box, and start a new family tradition. I would love to hear from anyone who tries them this year.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Lorraine Ryall is a multimillion-dollar producer and recipient of the Coldwell Banker International President’s Circle Award. For more information, call (602) 571-6799, or visit her website at www.Homes2SellAZ.com.