The “cost of waiting to buy” is defined as the additional funds necessary to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time.
Freddie Mac forecasts interest rates will rise to 3.8% by Q4 2020.
CoreLogic predicts home prices will appreciate by 5.4% over the next 12 months.
If you’re ready and willing to buy your dream home, now is a great time to buy.
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers and Seller Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
Year-Over-Year Home Sales Slip 1.6% After Largest Inventory Decline in 13 Months
DENVER – August 2019 existing home sales slipped 1.6% from a year ago, despite buyer demand exceeding available housing supply, according to the RE/MAX National Housing Report. Following July’s year-over-year sales increase of 2.3%, the slight August decline marks the sixth month of 2019 that produced fewer sales than 2018.
Buyer demand outpaced homes listed for sale in August, causing the largest inventory decline in 13 months. An analysis of the report's 53 metro areas shows August inventory shrank 5.5% year-over-year, the largest drop since 7.8% in July 2018. August’s inventory contraction followed July’s year-over-year inventory decline of 1.5% after nine consecutive months of year-over-year inventory growth. Months Supply of Inventory decreased to 2.8 compared to 2.9 in July 2019 and eclipsed the previous August low in the report’s 11-year history.
“The modest inventory growth that started last fall has been swallowed up by demand as buyers have returned to the market, likely spurred on by attractive interest rates,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “Home sales dipping at the same time inventory falls suggests there may have been some reluctance on the part of sellers to list their homes. Nevertheless, demand is again ahead of supply, extending the favorable seller’s market that has been in place for several years.”
Inventory has remained below four months in 39 of the last 42 months, dating back to March 2016. Six months is considered a market balanced between sellers and buyers.
Homes moved quickly and August saw a year-over-year price increase of 5.7%, further evidence of buyer demand. The August Days on Market total of 44 represented the second-fastest pace of August home sales in the report’s history. The previous record was set last August, when homes sold in an average of 43 days.
August weighed in as the eighth consecutive month of year-over-year price growth as the Median Sales Price rose to $263,000. Going back to February 2012, prices have increased year over year in 89 of the past 91 months.
Despite the favorable conditions for sellers, there were still a few encouraging signs for buyers in the last of 2019’s peak months for home sales:
While home prices typically decline from July to August, the decrease of 3.6% was the steepest drop-off in report history from July to August.
Despite August’s significant year-over-year inventory shrinkage, the seasonal decline in inventory from July-to-August of 3.9% is on par with the 3.7% average since the RE/MAX National Housing Report began in August 2008.
Closed Transactions
Of the 53 metro areas surveyed in August 2019, the overall average number of home sales is down
4.2% compared to July 2019, and down 1.6% compared to August 2018. Leading the month-over-month sales percentage decrease were Miami, FL at -13.5%, Dover, NH at -13.1%, and Washington, D.C. at -10.3%.
Median Sales Price – Median of 53 metro median prices
In August 2019, the median of all 53 metro Median Sales Prices was $263,000, down 3.6% from July 2019, and up 5.7% from August 2018. Two metro areas saw a year-over-year decrease in Median Sales Price: San Francisco, CA at -3.2% and Wichita, KS at -1.2%. Six metro areas increased year-over-year by double-digit percentages, with the largest increases seen in Birmingham, AL at +13.2%, Milwaukee, WI at +11.3%, and Manchester, NH at +11.2%.
Days on Market – Average of 53 metro areas
The average Days on Market for homes sold in August 2019 was 44, up one day from the average in July 2019, and up one day from the August 2018 average. The metro areas with the lowest Days on Market were Omaha, NE at 19, Cincinnati, OH at 25, and Nashville, TN at 28. The highest Days on Market averages were in Des Moines, IA at 95, Miami, FL at 79, and Hartford, CT at 75. Days on Market is the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed.
Months Supply of Inventory – Average of 53 metro areas
The number of homes for sale in August 2019 was down 3.9% from July 2019 and down 5.5% from August 2018. Based on the rate of home sales in August 2019, the Months Supply of Inventory was 2.8, a decrease compared to 2.9 in July 2019 and 3.5 in August 2018. A six months supply indicates a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers. In August 2019, of the 53 metro areas surveyed, only Miami, FL, at 6.9, reported a months supply at or over six, which is typically considered a buyer’s market. The markets with the lowest Months Supply of Inventory were Phoenix, AZ and Manchester, NH, both at 1.5.
Feel free to contact me and I can help break down exactly what these numbers mean for our local market and for your neighborhood. And lastly, If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home - please call or email me. I'm here to help!
Below are 5 compelling reasons listing your home for sale this fall makes sense.
1. Demand Is Strong
The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing, and able to purchase…and are in the market right now. More often than not, in many areas of the country, multiple buyers are competing with each other to buy the same home.
Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market.
2. There Is Less Competition Now
Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply that is needed for a normal market. This means that in the majority of the country, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers.
Historically, a homeowner would stay an average of six years in his or her home. Since 2011, that number has hovered between nine and ten years. There is a pent-up desire for many homeowners to move as they were unable to sell over the last few years due to a negative equity situation. As home values continue to appreciate, more and more homeowners will be given the freedom to move.
Many homeowners were reluctant to list their homes over the last couple years, for fear that they would not find a home to move to. That is all changing now as more homes come to market at the higher end. The choices buyers have will continue to increase. Don’t wait until additional inventory comes to market before you decide to sell.
3. The Process Will Be Quicker
Today’s competitive environment has forced buyers to do all they can to stand out from the crowd, including getting pre-approved for their mortgage financing. This makes the entire selling process much faster and simpler, as buyers know exactly what they can afford before shopping for a home. According to Ellie Mae’s latest Origination Insights Report, the time needed to close a loan is 43 days.
4. There Will Never Be a Better Time to Move Up
If your next move will be into a premium or luxury home, now is the time to move up. There is currently ample inventory for sale at higher price ranges. This means if you’re planning on selling a starter or trade-up home and moving into your dream home, you’ll be able to do that in the luxury or premium market.
According to CoreLogic, prices are projected to appreciate by 5.2% over the next year. If you’re moving to a higher-priced home, it will wind up costing you more in raw dollars (both in down payment and mortgage) if you wait.
5. It’s Time to Move on with Your Life
Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and determine whether it is worth waiting. Is money more important than being with family? Is money more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should?
Only you know the answers to these questions. You have the power to take control of the situation by putting your home on the market. Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire.
That is what is truly important.
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers and Seller Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
