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Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending April 16, 2016
Higher home prices and declining months’ supply confirm that it continues to be an excellent time to sell as we start to shift into the heart of the sales season. While construction is expected to pick up and both first-time and move-up buyers are eager to bid for the perfect home, we still need to find a solution for the ongoing problem of low inventory.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending April 16:
- New Listings decreased 5.0% to 1,957
- Pending Sales increased 5.9% to 1,506
- Inventory decreased 19.1% to 12,592
For the month of March:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $222,000
- Days on Market decreased 17.5% to 85
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.9% to 96.8%
- Months Supply of Inventory decreased 28.6% to 2.5
All comparisons are to 2015
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From The Skinny Blog.
Existing Home Sales
Mortgage Rates Little Changed
April 21 results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) show mortgage rates little changed. Volatility in financial markets subsided over the past week, allowing Treasury yields to stabilize. As a result, the 30-year mortgage rate was mostly flat, up only 1 basis point to 3.59 percent.
New Listings and Pending Sales
Inventory
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending April 9, 2016
Although inventory is down across the country, many homes that do get listed are selling fast. Days on market is dwindling, and sellers are getting more for their homes than they might have in the past. Confident seller pricing combined with continuously low interest rates for buyers is keeping most markets balanced.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending April 9:
- New Listings decreased 6.1% to 1,983
- Pending Sales increased 15.2% to 1,496
- Inventory decreased 18.3% to 12,389
For the month of March:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $222,000
- Days on Market decreased 17.5% to 85
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.9% to 96.8%
- Months Supply of Inventory decreased 28.6% to 2.5
All comparisons are to 2015
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From The Skinny Blog.
Spring Market Draws out Eager Buyers; Sellers Still on Hold
With the spring market officially underway, both buyer and seller activity rose in March 2016 compared to last March. Buyers signed 5,861 new purchase agreements, pushing pending sales up a respectable 12.6 percent. Would-be sellers were still concerned about their ability to secure their next property in this competitive environment, so new listings only increased 0.5 percent. Hence, supply levels remained near 13-year lows. Compared to last March, inventory levels fell 20.6 percent to 11,893 active properties. Prices continued their disciplined trek back towards levels last seen 10 years ago. The median sales price rose 5.7 percent from last March to land at $222,000. Median list price, by contrast, has already reached and exceeded its previous record, perhaps an indication that the median sales price could do the same this year.
Buyers came out swinging with strong offers in March. Sellers accepted offers closer to their list price, as the percent of original list price received at sale was up to 96.7 percent. Homes tended to sell in less time, with cumulative days on market declining 17.5 percent to 85 days. Months supply of inventory fell 28.6 percent to 2.5 months—the third lowest figure on record going back to 2003. Generally, five to six months of supply is considered a balanced market. While the metropolitan area as a whole is favoring sellers, not all areas, segments or price points necessarily reflect that.
“Between new loan applications and anecdotal evidence, we knew this spring would be another big one for buyers,” said Judy Shields, Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) President. “The small gain in seller activity was nice, but it falls well short of the supply levels needed to sustain the demand we’re seeing. That should be motivating for sellers, but it’s still important to understand that your home needs to be priced right.”
It’s also useful to assess specific area and segment performance, since no single property spans the entire metro area nor all market segments and price points. The percentage of sales that were foreclosure or short sale fell to 13.4 percent while traditional pending sales rose 16.2 percent. Single-family homes continued to dominate sales volume, even though townhomes had the strongest increase in closed sales compared to last March, followed by condos. Previously-owned sales had a stronger performance than new construction. Sales activity in the $200,000 and below range declined 13.8 percent while sales activity between $200,000 and $300,000 rose 10.5 percent and activity above $300,000 rose 3.4 percent. Cities with the highest median home price include North Oaks, Orono, Edina, Plymouth, Chanhassen and Minnetonka.
The national unemployment rate ticked up to 5.0 percent in March—reflecting more confident job-hunters actively seeking work. The most recent wage data is also encouraging—a positive factor that could offset declining affordability brought on by rising prices. Locally, the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area was among the top eight metros with the lowest unemployment rate. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is about 3.7 percent compared to a long-term average of about 8.0 percent. Rates took a surprising dive after the Federal Reserve announced the first hike last year. Nevertheless, marginally higher rates are expected in 2016.
“Serious buyers should be prepared to make their strongest offer right up front this spring,” said Cotty Lowry, MAAR President-Elect. “Traffic at open houses is as strong as I can recall, which makes additional options on the supply side of the equation that much more critical.”
Mortgage Rates Hit New 2016 Lows
The April 14 release of results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) shows mortgage rates again moving lower, in response to high demand for Treasuries. The 30-year mortgage rate fell 1 basis point to 3.58 percent. This rate represents yet another low for 2016 and the lowest mark since May 2013.
New Listings and Pending Sales
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