Dog Days in Real Estate - Egyptian or Greek?

July 2019 - Issue 21

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Dog Days of Summer

July is bearing down and, even though we haven't had a spate of over-100 days, it's still plenty hot.

This happens every year, as dependably as the sun rising and setting, and has been doing so since ancient times.

The nickname for this time of year - the Dog Days of Summer - comes from the fact that every year about this time, a certain star rises in the morning sky, just before the sun. More about that below.

Reading - whether a book or this newsletter - is a great summertime activity because it usually doesn't make you break a sweat.

So, grab a cold drink and read on!

And, if your Dog Days dreams have you making changes so that you Love Where You Live, give me a call - I'd love to help.

Even in the heat.

817.903.1112

debra@debrabarrett.com

p.s. - please share Harmonious Home Adventures with friends and family (everyone deserves to love where they live!). Just hit the "forward" button on your email. They can sign up here:

Dog Days & Real Estate

It's in the Stars

Orion the Hunter, who strides across the night sky, typically has a faithful friend tagging along behind – the constellation Canis Major or the “Great Dog.”

Located at the “dog’s” chest, the brightest star in the constellation – and in the whole night sky, for that matter – is Sirius, aka the Dog Star. (For Harry Potter fans, it’s no accident that Sirius Black’s Animagus is a big black dog, Padfoot. If you're not a Harry Potter fan, well, just trust me. It makes sense.)

Every year, shortly after the Summer Solstice (June 21 this year), Sirius has a “heliacal rising.” That is, it appears in the dark morning sky shortly before sun comes up. When that happens, the Dog Days are upon us.

Traditionally, the Dog Days run from July 3 through August 11, although that varies some depending upon who you listen to or what you read. Here in Texas, the oppressive heat can come much earlier and certainly lasts far longer than that narrow window. If the heat is an indicator, the Dog Days usually hang around well into September.

Egyptian or Greek?

In general, those of us in North America tend to agree with the Greeks. And, in North Texas, the Dog Days bring hot, miserable weather, for sure.

During the Dog Days in Texas, things tend to move a bit slower – it doesn’t pay to get excited. There’s no call to be in a rush. People mosey, rather than stride.

As with the Greeks, the Dog Days bring stagnation and stultifying heat.

At least, that’s generally the case.

In the real estate market, however, the Dog Days look more like the flooding of the Nile and "hot" is a good thing.

Dog Days Deals

In the real estate market, the significance of Sirius to the Dog Days is that it's the brightest star in the sky. Despite the fact that it's nearly nine light years away, Sirius is so bright that it's sometimes visible in the daytime.

And it brings with it lots of bright, shiny opportunity!

Many buyers want to close their purchases so they can get moved into their new homes in time for back-to-school.

Many sellers have the same incentive to get moving.

This year, there's another reason to expect an active summertime real estate market: interest rates are very favorable right now.

You don't have to (although you should) take my word for it. The Home Buying Institute reported that Summer 2019 should be a hot – in the good sense – market in residential real estate.

So, even though the heat and humidity may make it tough to be outside, the Dog Days are good days to dive into the real estate pool, find the home of your dreams and start

loving where you live!