 One of the top stories in recent real estate headlines was the intensity and frequency of bidding wars. With so many buyers looking to purchase a home and so few of them available for sale, fiercely competitive bidding wars became the norm during the pandemic – and it drove home prices up. If you tried to buy a house over the past two years, you probably experienced this firsthand and may have been outbid on several homes along the way. But here’s the news you’ve been waiting for: data shows clear signs bidding wars are easing this year According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average number of offers on recently sold homes has declined considerably over the past few months (see graph below):  The graph shows homes were seeing a high of around five offers earlier this year. But the latest data shows that average was down to just shy of three offers per recently sold home. This shift is happening largely because rising mortgage rates moderated buyer demand and slowed home sales, resulting in a growing supply of homes on the market. Essentially, more choices for buyers. What This Means for You If you put your home search on pause because you were outbid last year or because you didn’t want to deal with the peak intensity of bidding wars, you can breathe a welcome sigh of relief. While it’s still a sellers’ market, an uptick in inventory gives you a window of opportunity to jump back in. You may still be competing with some buyers, but it likely won’t be anything like it was just a few short months ago. Bottom Line If you put your plans on pause because of intense bidding wars in recent years, it may be time to kick off your home search. Today, bidding wars are easing and that may mean less competition for you as a buyer. If you’re serious about buying a home or making a move, let’s connect to get started today. 
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 If you’re thinking about selling your house, you may have heard about the housing market slowing down in recent months. While it’s still a sellers’ market, the peak frenzy the market saw over the past two years has cooled some. If you’re asking yourself if you’ve missed your chance to sell your house and make a move, the good news is you haven’t – motivated buyers are still out there. But you do need to price your house right for today’s market. Here’s why. As Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says: “Homes priced right are selling very quickly, but homes priced too high are deterring prospective buyers.” It’s true buyer demand has slowed over the past few months as higher mortgage rates made it more expensive to buy a home. The result is fewer bidding wars and less competition among buyers (see visual below):  But don’t forget – that’s compared to the severely overheated market we saw over the past two years. According to the latest Confidence Index from NAR: “. . . 39% of homes sold above list price, down from 51% a month ago and 50% a year ago.” While this is a slower pace than even one month ago, serious buyers are still actively in the market, and they’re buying homes that are priced right. In fact, the Confidence Index also notes the average home is selling in just 14 days. If you’re aiming to sell your house, be sure you’re working with your agent to price it for today’s housing market. As buyer demand softens, it’s important to understand this isn’t the same market as last year. It’s not even the same market as just a few months ago. But it is still a sellers’ market. If you’re ready to sell your house, seek the advice of a real estate professional. In some cases, you’ll need to adjust your expectations accordingly to meet the market where it is today. Selma Hepp, Interim Lead, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains what’s happening and what it means when you sell: “Signs of a broader slowdown in the housing market are evident, . . . This is in line with our previous expectations and given the notable cooling of buyer demand due to higher mortgage rates... Nevertheless, buyers still remain interested, which is keeping the market competitive — particularly for attractive homes that are properly priced.” Bottom Line While the housing market has cooled from its overheated frenzy, it’s still a sellers’ market. Let’s connect so you understand what’s happening with buyer demand and home prices in our local area as you get ready to enter the market.   According to a recent survey from the Wall Street Journal, the percentage of economists who believe we’ll see a recession in the next 12 months is growing. When surveyed in July 2021, only 12% of economists consulted thought there’d be a recession by now. But this July, when polled, 49% believe we will see a recession in the coming 12 months. And as more recession talk fills the air, one concern many people have is: should I delay my homeownership plans if there’s a recession? Here’s a look at historical data to show what happened in real estate during previous recessions to help prove why you shouldn’t be afraid of what a recession would mean for the housing market today. A Recession Doesn’t Mean Falling Home Prices To show that home prices don’t fall every time there’s a recession, it helps to turn to historical data. As the graph below illustrates, looking at the recessions going all the way back to 1980, home prices appreciated in four of the last six recessions. So, historically, when the economy slows down, it doesn’t mean home values will fall.  Most people remember the housing crisis in 2008 (the larger of the two red bars in the graph above) and think another recession would repeat what happened then. But this housing market isn’t about to crash. The fundamentals are very different today than they were in 2008. So, don’t assume we’re heading down the same path. A Recession Means Falling Mortgage Rates Research also helps paint the picture of how a recession could impact the cost of financing a home. As the chart below shows, historically, each time the economy slowed down, mortgage rates decreased.  Fortune explains that mortgage rates typically fall during an economic slowdown: “Over the past five recessions, mortgage rates have fallen an average of 1.8 percentage points from the peak seen during the recession to the trough. And in many cases, they continued to fall after the fact as it takes some time to turn things around even when the recession is technically over.” And while history doesn’t always repeat itself, we can learn from and find comfort in the historical data. Bottom Line There’s no doubt everyone remembers what happened in the housing market in 2008. But you don’t need to fear the word recession if you’re planning to buy or sell a home. According to historical data, in most recessions, home price gains have stayed strong, and mortgage rates have declined. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, let’s connect so you have expert advice on what’s happening in the housing market and what that means for your homeownership goals.   If you tried to buy a home during the pandemic, you know the limited supply of homes for sale was a considerable challenge. It created intense bidding wars which drove home prices up as buyers competed with one another to be the winning offer. But what was once your greatest challenge may now be your greatest opportunity. Today, data shows buyer demand is moderating in the wake of higher mortgage rates. Here are a few reasons why this shift in the housing market is good news for your homebuying plans. The Challenge There were many reasons for the limited number of homes on the market during the pandemic, including a history of underbuilding new homes since the market crash in 2008. As the graph below shows, housing supply is well below what the market has seen for most of the past 10 years (see graph below):  The Opportunity But that graph also shows a trend back up in the right direction this year. That’s because moderating demand is slowing the pace of home sales and that’s one of the reasons housing supply is finally able to grow. For you, that means you’ll have more options to choose from, so it shouldn’t be as difficult to find your next home as it has been recently. And having more options may also lead to less intense bidding wars. Data from the Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows this trend has already begun. In their recent reports, bidding wars are easing month-over-month (see graph below):  If you’ve been outbid before or you’ve struggled to find a home that meets your needs, breathe a welcome sigh of relief. The big takeaway here is you have more options and less competition today. Just remember, while easing, data shows multiple-offer scenarios are still happening – they’re just not as intense as they were over the past year. You should still lean on an agent to guide you through the process and help you make your strongest offer up front. Bottom Line If you’re still looking to make a move, it may be time to pick your home search back up today. Let’s connect to kick off the homebuying process.   As there’s more and more talk about the real estate market cooling off from the peak frenzy it saw during the pandemic, you may be questioning what that means for your plans to sell your house. If you’re thinking of making a move, you should know the market is still anything but normal. Even though the supply of homes for sale has been growing this year, there’s still a shortage of homes on the market. And that means conditions continue to favor sellers today. That’s because the level of inventory of homes for sale can help determine if buyers or sellers are in the driver’s seat. Think of it like this:
And for the past two years, we’ve been in a red-hot sellers’ market because inventory has been near record lows. The blue section of this graph highlights just how far below a neutral market inventory still is today.  What Does This Mean for You? Ed Pinto, Director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center, gives a perfect summary of what’s happening in today’s market, saying: “Overall, the best summary is that we'll move from a gangbuster sellers' market to a modest sellers' market.” Conditions are still in your favor even though the market is cooling. If you work with an agent to price your house at market value, you’ll find success when you sell your house today. While buyer demand is softening due to higher mortgage rates, homes that are priced right are still selling fast. That means your window of opportunity to list your house hasn’t closed. Bottom Line Today’s housing market still favors sellers. If you’re ready to sell your house, let’s connect so you can start making your moves.  International Investment in U.S. Real Estate Climbs 8.5% to $59 Billion, Ending 3-Year Slide7/21/2022  By Colin O'Leary July 21st, 2022 International money is flowing back into U.S. real estate. International buyers purchased $59 billion worth of real estate from April 2021–March 2022, according to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors. The top U.S. destinations for foreign buyers were Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, New York and North Carolina. The total dollar volume of real estate purchased by international buyers was up 8.5% compared to the previous 12 months, ending a 3 year streak in declines of foreign purchases. China, Canada, India, Mexico and Brazil were the top five countries of origin by U.S. residential sales dollar volume. The average sale price ($598,200) and median price ($366,100) were the highest ever recorded by NAR. The report notes that 98,600 homes were sold to international buyers, a decrease of 7.9% from the previous year. Rising purchase prices are helping offset the decline in the number of sold homes. The report notes that for the 14th straight year, Florida remained the top destination for foreign buyers. Florida accounted for 24% of all international purchases. California ranked second with 11% of all international purchases, followed by Texas at 8%. Nearly 45% of all international purchases were all-cash deals.  By Colin O'Leary
July 14th, 2022 The average rental price in Manhattan has soared above $5,000 for the first time ever according a June market report compiled by Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel. The report finds that the average Manhattan rent in June was $5,058 per month, a 1.7% increase from the $4,975 average rent price recorded in May. Rental prices have soared over the past year in Manhattan, up an astonishing 29% year-over-year. The average monthly rent price in June 2021 was $3,922. The supply of rentals in Manhattan is way down at a time when demand is increasing. In June, the report notes that Manhattan had 6,433 units available for rent, a 46% drop from the 11,853 units that were available in June of 2021. There are several factors driving the increase in rental prices in NYC. Demand for rentals is up because more and more people are returning to the city after long absences due to the covid pandemic. Inflation and supply chain issues are also putting pressure on supply. Rising mortgage rates are not helping either, making it less affordable to purchase, which in return is causing potential buyers to continue renting for longer. |
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