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Dear Neighbor,

The 30 sales transactions in Kent in the last 12 months is only slightly more than last year's tally of 27. We are seeing the path back to a more balanced market. There is a small pool of buyers who are serious and will buy if the right house and value coincide. There is still more property supply than buyer demand, but the number of offerings is being slowly chipped away.

Moreover, the national economy is systemically healthier, providing a more confident buyer pool. We are seeing a very strong upper end of the market fueled by capital that is seeking hard assets, like real estate, in which to invest. It is the main reason we are seeing cash deals for multi-million dollar estates during a time of historically low interest rates. Typically the upper end of the market is the trend setter in value recovery as that level of the market has more capital flexibility and critical evaluation processes.

In summation, incrementally our market values are getting healthier. One critical indicator is the number of days it takes to sell a house. 5-6 months is considered the standard of a "normal" market. The days it took to sell a house in the last 12 months was 148 down nearly a month from last year and two months from 2013.

Another benchmark of the market's health is the number of available listings. There are considerably fewer listings on the market today (45) than last year at this time (58). And there are 3 sales pending.

Here is what has transpired in the last 12 months.

Time to enjoy the simple things in life! Charm carries through this impeccable 2 bedroom home at 9 Segar Mountain Road. This family has installed many great quality upgrades including a new driveway. The proximity to town and easy to maintain are two major reasons why this house, available at $235,000, is a deal.

59 Segar Mountain Road is a 1930's style cape home with three bedrooms, two bath, fireplace in the living room and wood flooring throughout. The home was in need of considerable updating and renovation. The grounds maintain over 70 years of plantings and also include a pool and a one bedroom pool house. Listed for $235,000 we sold it for $175,000 to an investor who renovated beautifully. They took this 1935 gem and completely renovated the entire property. A master craftsmen and an interior architect reinvigorated the timeless style and included high standards that today's savvy population expects. The custom high-end fixtures, appliances, kitchen and bath appointments as well as the state of the art heating and air conditioning systems make this a great full time or weekend residence. The original main house has retained many details from 1935 and now has 3 bedrooms with baths en suite. The pool house was upgraded with a new septic and the place is fabulous. It was listed for $595,000 and sold for $555,000 all in 98 days.

22 Cobble Heights is a perfect getaway retreat off Cobble Valley. Dramatic fieldstone fireplace & soaring ceiling in LR/DR. Private 2nd floor Master bedroom suite. Family room/office on lower level has a full bath and a professional photographer's darkroom. The 2700 sq. ft. house on 2 acres sold for $412,000.

206 Segar Mountain Road was renovated and expanded by its current owners. An upper level was added affording panoramic views of Cobble Brook and a sumptuous master suite. The main level has a warm and inviting kitchen with wood stove, living room, guest room & bath as well as a den. We assisted the buyers who closed for $257,000.

Nestled on a hill side acre, this cutie at 246 Segar Mountain could be a 3 bedroom home, but works best with two bedrooms and 2 full baths. It is in great condition recently painted and nice floors. Improvements such as a new septic, new water pump ensure mechanicals are of no concern. It is listed $149,000 as one of the best opportunities at this price point.

Beautiful private 4.48 acre wooded lot at the end of the cul-de-sac on Stone Fences Lane sold. This is a great site for one's dream home on this level and private parcel. This parcel last sold in 1992 for $60,000 and closed recently for $86,000.

A Contemporary home at 280 Segar Mountain with great space and sunlight-filled rooms is in turnkey condition. Both the living and dining rooms have high ceiling and lead to a wrap-around deck. 3 bedrooms include a master suite and there is potential for a 4th bedroom. The home is privately sited at the top of a 3.6 acre parcel that is wooded and sloped. Close to town it was originally listed for $495,000 in May 2010 and sold after three price reductions for $335,000.

Atop a 5 acre parcel with views over South Spectacle Lake, 36 Iron Mountain Road has a level wooded building site that closed for $100,000.

We closed on 23 Davis Road this month. This cape style home with French provincial touches is bordered in stone walls on a 2 acre manicured parcel. There are 3 bedrooms in this 1,850 sq. ft. home. The 2 bathrooms are tiled and employ Toto fixtures. A country kitchen features wood beamed ceiling, stone fireplace and zinc topped cabinetry. There is a second floor family room as well as an office, garage and barn. My partner Chris Garrity had this listed for $660,000 reduced to $625,000 and it sold for $593,895.

Set atop one of the highest points in Kent is this spacious sun-filled house with 50 mile views. 32 Spectacle Ridge Road is listed for $3,200,000 by Chris Garrity and it maintains privacy, lake access to South Spectacle and of course truly great views. Four private suites provide wonderful comfort while the open floor plan allows for family fun. The detail, quality and craftsmanship are paramount and a luxurious horizon line pool feels like swimming on top of the world. See the video at www.bainrealestate.com

There are more properties for sale in the neighborhood, so if you need assistance on any of them, please give us a call. We here at Bain Real Estate wish you all the best of 2015 and hope you will let us know if you need any help in the coming year. For current updates check our blog at http://heartofkent.blogspot.com/

All the best,

David Bain

Chris Garrity

And the Kent office-Toni Soule, Dave Farity, Marilyn DeVos, Eve Iselin & Scott Harvey

This graph shows the number of successful transactions

in our key towns of Cornwall, Kent and Sharon in 2014

Please note that not all listings and sales transactions are through David Bain Real Estate