W Client
When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, it poured so much dust into the sky that the sun over Eastern Washington went dark. Ash drifted overhead, traveling into neighboring Idaho and forcing temperatures down by as much as 15 degrees F. 3 REASONS 536 WAS THE WORST YEAR IN HUMAN HISTORY
“We had a great experience working with Jason and Sachi. Together, they make a stellar team — responsive, flexible to our needs, honest, and easy to work with. The transaction and buying process went smoothly and was stress-free. When we
Locals spent a few weeks scared and shivering under dull skies. They had no way of knowing it, but they were experiencing a tiny fraction of the horror humans felt back in 536 — a time that Harvard University historian Michael McCormick once called “the worst year to be alive.”
For decades, the year 536 was a historical mystery. Records showed that it was a terrible time, stricken by the triple threat of:
1. Unexplained, unending darkness 2. Unseasonably frigid weather 3. Crop failures and famines
purchased the home from out of state, Sachi was kind enough to do a thorough video walk-through
Those horrors and the economic and political instability they brought ravaged the globe from Ireland to China. Although 536 was arguably the worst year, things didn’t get better for more than a decade. In fact, they got worse in some areas! In 541, the Plague of Justinian — the first bubonic plague pandemic — appeared in Egypt and spread through Europe, killing roughly one-third of the continent's population. For decades, archaeologists and historians have puzzled over the tipping point in 536. “What went wrong,” they wondered, “to make the sun go dark and trigger snow in summer?” It was a head- scratcher until 2018. That year, researchers finally solved the mystery with help from, of all things, a Swiss glacier! The glacial ice was riddled with volcanic glass. Further study revealed enormous volcanic eruptions in 536, 540, and 547 likely caused “The Dark Ages.” It wasn’t just metaphorically dark — it was literally dark thanks to ash blotting out the sun and coating people’s homes, skin, and clothing.
The Oahu single-family home market maintained a 12-month rolling average of over 200 sales, with 232 properties sold last month, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 16.5%. However, the condo market's 12-month sales average fell below 400 sales for the first time since January 2021. 376 condos were sold last month, marking a 24.2% dive in sales volume compared to September 2022. In September, the median sales price for single-family homes dipped by 4.5% compared to the previous year, reaching $1,050,000 by month-end. Meanwhile, condos experienced a 6.0% year-over-year increase, with a median sales price of $532,500. “As the third quarter ended, average U.S. mortgage rates held above 7%, reaching the highest level in more than 20 years,” said Fran Villarmia-Kahawai, president of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. “While the interest rate has presented some challenges, we continue to see strong demand from buyers and sellers who receive offers more than the original asking price.” Approximately 9% of single-family home sales closed at full asking price, while 38% sold above the original asking price. Meanwhile, 22% of condo sales received the full asking price, and 20% of condo sales closed above the original asking price. SEPTEMBER SALES VOLUME IS DOWN BY DOUBLE DIGITS, PROPERTIES SPEND APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS ON THE MARKET HOUSING SN OAHU HOME SALES SLOW AS MO
Scientists have traced the 540 eruption to Ilopango, a volcano in El Salvador that’s currently inactive, but they’re still hunting for the source of the 536 eruption. As we write this, volcanoes in Iceland and Alaska are the most likely candidates. We’ve already survived a pandemic this century, so for everyone’s sake, let’s hope both regions stay quiet until at least 2100. We all deserve a break! 2
THEMITCHELLGROUPHAWAII.COM
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator