Twice in the last few days I've had to double check my Calendar just to make sure it really was November. Is Thanksgiving really only 10 days away?

I've been selling real estate for nearly two decades in the greater Seattle area and my personal business has never been this busy this close to the holidays.

Many of us credited the deadline of the 1st time home buyer tax credit for the increase in buyer interest, and indeed I think initially that was the case. But the deadline has now been extended five months out and I'm not seeing any signs of buyer's putting their search on hold until after the holiday.

According to NWMLS reports, inventory is decreasing and pending sales jumped 63% last month over a year ago. All good signs confidence in the local market has increased.

If you've entered a store, a restaurant or stepped onto a car lot lately you'll see signs of it too. Consumer confidence is up and people are spending money again. Rumors of shadow foreclosure inventory (or a 2nd recessio dip) don't seem to be holding home buyers back.

Have prices gotten so low that buyers (especially those submitting mulitple offers) are making quick decisions and adding escalation clauses to their contracts? Or is it that so many have waited so long, they're not willing to wait any longer for their place at the table....for their piece of the real estate pie?