300 Main Street, Suite 200, Dubuque, IA 52001
Mon – Thurs 8 am – 5 pm, Fri 8 am – 12 pm
NEWS RELEASE: January 28, 2019
Contacts: Chris Beason, President
Office: 563-441-5032 | Cell Phone: 563-340-2763
ChrisBeason@RuhlHomes.com
Contact: Jeff Hefel, Manager
Office Telephone: 563-583-4550
JeffHefel@RuhlHomes.com
Attachments: 2018 Regional Real Estate Activity Chart; Photos of our top award winners, and company leadership, can be accessed at: Top Award Winner Photos and Activity Chart
Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors celebrated a strong 2018, with company sales volume of $917,973,157, making 2018 their best year ever. In addition, Ruhl Mortgage closed $124,917,165 in loan volume and NAI Ruhl Commercial Company closed $127,548,404 in sales volume.
Chris Beason, President, and Caroline Ruhl, CEO, honored 234 award winners for their 2018 achievements at Rhythm City Casino on January 25, 2019. Over 300 agents, staff and affiliated business partners cheered on their co-workers.
“We are absolutely blessed to work with the best team in the industry. Our amazing team of knowledgeable, caring, and committed professionals is what sets our company apart. Before we get into the awards and recognizing all that you’ve done, I would first like to thank you for who you are - and share our appreciation for the value you all bring to our team. You all inspire us lead from a place of passion and we appreciate the commitment you make everyday - to better yourself, your business, and one another. It is an honor to call you all family and we are grateful your love and support.” Beason told his team.
Dubuque Office Award Winners
Top Office awards in the Dubuque Office were presented to:
There is a complete list of all award winners on Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors’ website at www.RuhlHomes.com/News.
Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors 2018 Results
Ruhl shared with her team the company’s results in 2018:
Regional Real Estate Forecast for 2019
1. Buyer Confidence and a Strong Economy Will Drive the Market. Low unemployment, high consumer confidence, and an increasing desire for homeownership will continue to fuel our region’s home sales.The national media’s doom and gloom reports of falling home sales and prices do not apply here. We do not have the affordability problems of coastal markets and big metro areas. And our regional economy is booming.
2. Appreciation and Price Increases Will Continue. In our region, homes appreciated from 2.0% - 4.72% last year, depending on the market and price range of the homes. Less expensive homes will continue to appreciate more due to strong demand and lower inventory.
3. Mortgage Rates Trending Upwards. Mortgage rates in mid-January are at their lowest levels since last April. Economists agree that rates will rise, but are divided on just how much the increase will be. On average, they forecast 5.03% by the end of the year, with a few outliers at 5.5%.
4. More Inventory Available for Buyers. Our months of inventory is up in most markets and price ranges. The inventory increase will continue to be skewed toward the mid to high end of the markets, i.e. homes prices at $250,000 and higher.
We expect buyers to have more homes to choose from this year. There continues to be a supply and demand disconnect. More buyers for homes under $250,000, but more homes available over $300,000.
A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors has grown to 325 sales associates, 65 employees and eleven offices, selling more than 5,400 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. The company has residential sales offices in Bettendorf, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Iowa City, Maquoketa, Muscatine, Iowa; and Galena and Moline, Illinois. In addition to residential sales, the company offers services in relocation, property management, real estate investments, new home sales, land development, farm and land sales, senior services, home vendor services, insurance services through the Nelson Brothers Agency, mortgage services through Ruhl Mortgage, and commercial services through NAI Ruhl Commercial Company. For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com.
