A RECORD YEAR OF SALES FROM JEFF YARBROUGH AND the JEFF YARBROUGH GROUP

This time of year lends itself to look back and to look forward. We thought it would be fun to review each of 2016’s months and highlight one sale that we had an exceptional time working on. Whether it be a client we supremely enjoyed spending time with, a property that felt great to hold open houses in, or one that required us to think out-of-the-box; these 12 represent the diversity of what we spent valuable time, energy, and resources on this year.

The majority of transactions our team worked on do not appear above. And we don’t love those any less. This time of year, we want to say thanks to all of you who supported, referred, and worked with us. You and your referrals are what drives our business.

As we raise a glass to 2016–another record-breaking year–we look around the corner and up the hill in anticipation at what 2017 will bring. We hope you’ll be there with us. What will 2017 look like? Sources predicts a reflection of 2016, with home prices still on the rise.

Southern California prices and sales rose in November compared with a year earlier, according to a report released this week. The six-county region’s median price reached $465,000 last month, up 5.9% from November 2015, real estate data firm CoreLogic said. Sales soared 24.1%. Median prices climbed, year-over-year, in all six counties. The Southern California median home price has now risen, year-over-year, every month for more than four years.

Many economists expect prices to keep rising in 2017, but more slowly than in previous years as families have a harder time affording a home. Housing values’ rise has far outpaced income growth in recent years, and mortgage interest rates have risen since the Nov. 8 presidential election, driving up monthly payments. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.3% last week, up from 3.54% in the week before the election, according to government-backed mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.

In other housing news, the closely followed Case-Shiller index was also released this week. That index found that in Los Angeles and Orange counties, prices rose 5.7% in October compared with a year earlier.

Happy New Year!