The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is top of mind for all of us and Skogman is closely monitoring the rapidly changing environment. As always, our highest priority is the health, safety, and well-being of our agents, employees, families, and clients. 

If you are considering listing your home for sale we encourage you to consult the CDC Protect Your Home website.

We would also like to encourage everyone to visit the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics 2019 Coronavirus website.      

Finally, please follow all guidance provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WHAT IS SKOGMAN DOING?

Beginning Monday, March 23, all Skogman physical offices will be closed, however, our operations will continue without interruption. We are fortunate to have the technological ability to remain open and operational by serving our customers, agents, and business needs remotely. At this time, we will be working remotely for 14 days but that could change based on guidance from the CDC and other public health authorities. We will update our statement if this time period changes. 

We have asked our agents to familiarize themselves and monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Steps to Prevent Illness. We want to stress to you the need to put distance between yourself and other people in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus.

We understand real estate is a person to person industry, and home buyers and home sellers want to pursue their real estate needs despite COVID-19.

Our agents are still attending listing appointments and showing properties when requested. This is subject to change so please check back for policy updates. In an effort to encourage social distancing we are asking buyers to do as much internet browsing of homes as possible to narrow down their list of prospective homes. 

WHEN SHOWING PROPERTY AND MEETING WITH CLIENTS, SKOGMAN AGENTS WILL STRICTLY FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES:

• Wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds once the prospective home's door is open; 
• Delegate showings/listing appointments to others within the brokerage if the agent is experiencing any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath;
• Agents will be in regular contact with their sellers to confirm they are comfortable having showings;
• Prior to listing appointments and showings, REALTORS® will ask all clients if they have experienced fever, cough, or shortness of breath, prior to meeting in person or conducting a showing. We will update the questions we ask based upon the Watch for Symptoms defined by the CDC;

Please check back often for the latest updates on our policies and procedures during this rapidly changing set of events.

Here is your July Market in a Minute – a quick snapshot of today's real estate market in both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. In the Cedar Rapids metro market, we are seeing the average price hovering around $199,000 which up 2.1% from this time last year. The average number of days that a property is on the market is 33, which is up 6.5% from this time last year. There are 644 active listings in the Cedar Rapids Metro area, that is actually up 7.1% from this time last year.

In the Iowa City area, the average sale price is up 5% from this time last year to $272,000. Last month, 303 homes sold, which is down 6.2% from this time last year in the Iowa City Metro Area. If you have any questions about what this means to you, please don't hesitate to call!