Cold Days, Hot Deals

Sounds like an ad for used cars, I know, but it is true. Daytime highs haven’t been out of teens lately, -17F this morning and gas prices have been falling like the temps. On the real estate front, some savvy buyers are taking advantage of the historically low interest rates and finding good deals in this soft market. Currently 30 year fixed rates are in the mid 5’s making homes more affordable than they have been for several years. Inventories are still high (but shrinking) and sellers have been negotiating a bit more as one might expect. Recently the average selling price has been 90% of asking.

The chambers of commerce in Hayward and Cable are both offering holiday cash with incentives to purchase locally. With the diverse retail opportunities and local artisans in the area, there is little reason to leave town to do your shopping. In this slower economy it is all that much more important to support your local merchant.

Finally a little Holiday parade recap: if you were brave enough to hit the streets of Cable last Saturday evening you were rewarded with a fun little parade and may have witnessed my first and last singing performance outside of the shower. We did win best music but I attribute that to my mother’s voice and a general lack of competition. Fortunately, the real musicians were on hand at the Rivers Eatery where the Namekagon String Band entertained a full house including many young families in a wonderful smoke-free atmosphere.

Get out and enjoy the outdoors. Ice fishing has been good and there is plenty of ice for skating. Skiers and snowmobilers still need a bit more snow. Bring it on!