Luxury Housing Creates Bright Spots in a Down Market

The Luxury Home Council today announced that its membership has broken a new record with over 500 members having been granted the prestigious Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS) designation since 2005. "Luxury housing is definitely a bright spot in the market today," said Jim Remley co-founder of the council....

Sutherlin, OR (PRWEB) November 8, 2006 -- The Luxury Home Council today announced that its membership has broken a new record with over 500 new members having been granted the prestigious Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS) designation since 2005.

"Luxury housing is definitely a bright spot in the market today," said Jim Remley co-founder of the council and an owner of a seventeen office real estate network based in Southern Oregon. "Demand for this course has skyrocketed in the last six months as boards, companies, and franchises have requested the course be delivered to their groups."

According to a recent study by Architectural Digest and Sotheby's International it was found that 36% of affluent families plan to invest in real estate in the next twelve months. This surprising fact is supported by reports of luxury housing hotspots in areas like Phoenix, Arizona where in 2000 440 homes sold for at least $1 million (according to sales data from the Information Market) compared to 2031 homes sold for at least $1 million so far in 2006, an increase of 360 percent.

Likewise Russ Valone, President and CEO of San Diego based Market Pointe Realty Advisors notes that new home sales (excluding downtown San Diego) priced at $1.1 million and up are showing "amazing resilience and even a small up tick" with 348 sales recorded in the first three quarters of this year, compared to 325 during the same period last year.

"Luxury Home buyers are somewhat insulated from factors that might affect a typical buyer like interest rate hikes," states Scot Spalding, president of luxury home portal LuxuryHomesandProperties.com. "And setting aside real estate the general economy, especially the stock market is still booming."

The Accredited Luxury Home Specialist course consists of an intensive two day live instruction course. The course covers such topics as the luxury home market – national and regional trends, specialization and building a niche, the luxury home buyer – needs and desires, marketing to find luxury home buyers, presenting services to luxury home buyers, the luxury home seller – patterns & trends / needs & desires, marketing to find luxury home sellers, and much more. In addition to attending the live course students are required to pass an exam, and demonstrate experiential expertise in dealing with clients within the luxury home market before being granted the designation.

"Real Estate licensees are wise to recognize that Luxury Housing can be a terrific niche. With the proper training any agent can tap into this market and begin to feel more comfortable and confident dealing with affluent buyers and sellers," said Remley.

The Luxury Home Council in partnership with RealtyU, the nation's largest real estate education network offers the Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (ALHS) course nationwide through a network of 40 real estate schools and over 600 instructors. For more information about the Luxury Home Council or the Accredited Luxury Home Specialist course visit http://www.luxuryhomecouncil.com or call 1-800-361-6848.

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