News

It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to improve a home and make it more sellable, according to HomeGain’s 2012 National Home Improvement Survey.
Read the rest of this entry »

Kitchens and bathrooms remain the top jobs home owners are taking on in remodeling projects, according to a new survey by the National Association of Home Builders.
Read the rest of this entry »

Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 4.1 percent to 101.4 in March from an upwardly revised 97.4 in February and is 12.8 percent above March 2011 when it was 89.9. The data reflects contracts but not closings.

The index is now at the highest level since April 2010 when it reached 111.3.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said 2012 is expected to be a year of recovery for housing. “First quarter sales closings were the highest first quarter sales in five years. The latest contract signing activity suggests the second quarter will be equally good,” he said.

“The housing market has clearly turned the corner. Rising sales are bringing down inventory and creating much more balanced conditions around the county, which means home prices will be rising in more areas as the year progresses,” Yun said.

The PHSI in the Northeast slipped 0.8 percent to 78.2 in March but is 21.1 percent above March 2011. In the Midwest the index declined 0.9 percent to 93.3 but is 16.9 percent higher than a year ago. Pending home sales in the South rose 5.9 percent to an index of 114.1 in March and are 10.6 percent above March 2011. In the West the index increased 8.7 percent in March to 108.0 and is 9.0 percent above a year ago.

Although commercial real estate markets showed signs of recovery in 2011, commercial lending standards have tightened in the past year for small businesses and scuttled a major portion of contracted transactions for smaller properties, according to the National Association of Realtors® annual Commercial Real Estate 2012 Lending Survey.
Read the rest of this entry »

Existing-home sales were down in March but continue to outpace year-ago levels, while inventory tightened and home prices are showing further signs of stabilizing, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, declined 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.48 million in March from an upwardly revised 4.60 million in February, but are 5.2 percent above the 4.26 million-unit pace in March 2011.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the recovery is in the process of settling into a higher level of home sales. “The recovery is happening though not at a breakout pace, but we have seen nine consecutive months of year-over-year sales increases,” he said. “Existing-home sales are moving up and down in a fairly narrow range that is well above the level of activity during the first half of last year. With job growth, low interest rates, bargain home prices and an improving economy, the pent-up demand is coming to market and we expect housing to be notably better this year.”

Total housing inventory at the end of March declined 1.3 percent to 2.37 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 6.3-month supply2 at the current sales pace, the same as in February. Listed inventory is 21.8 percent below a year ago and well below the record of 4.04 million in July 2007.

“We were expecting a seasonal increase in home listings, but a lack of inventory has suddenly become an issue in several markets with not enough homes for sale in relation to buyer interest,” Yun said. “Home sales could be held back because of supply factors and not by demand – we’re already seeing this in the Western states and in South Florida.”

The national median existing-home price3 for all housing types was $163,800 in March, up 2.5 percent from March 2011. Distressed homes4 – foreclosures and short sales sold at deep discounts – accounted for 29 percent of March sales (18 percent were foreclosures and 11 percent were short sales), compared with 34 percent in February and 40 percent in March 2011.

Foreclosures typically sold for an average 19 percent below market price in March, while short sales were discounted 16 percent.

NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami, said buyer traffic is up. “Our members are reporting an increase in foot traffic from a year ago, but more importantly, home shoppers this year are much more serious about finding the right home and making an offer,” he said. “Stabilizing home prices and historically favorable affordability conditions are giving buyers more confidence, and Realtors® have become more optimistic since the beginning of the year from the positive shift in buyer patterns.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.95 percent in March, up from a record low 3.89 percent in February; the rate was 4.84 percent in March 2011; recordkeeping began in 1971.

All-cash sales slipped to 32 percent of transactions in March from 33 percent in February; they were 35 percent in March 2011. Investors account for the bulk of cash transactions.

Investors purchased 21 percent of homes in March, down from 23 percent in February and 22 percent in March 2011. First-time buyers accounted for 33 percent of transactions in March; they were 32 percent in February and 33 percent in March 2011.

Single-family home sales declined 2.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.97 million in March from 4.07 million in February, but are 5.9 percent above the 3.75 million-unit pace a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $163,600 in March, up 1.9 percent from March 2011.

Existing condominium and co-op sales fell 3.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 510,000 in March from 530,000 in February, and are unchanged from March 2011. The median existing condo price was $165,200 in March, which is 7.1 percent above a year ago.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast declined 1.7 percent to an annual level of 580,000 in March but are 5.5 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $228,300, down 1.9 percent from March 2011.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest were unchanged in March at a pace of 1.02 million but are 15.9 percent above March 2011. The median price in the Midwest was $132,800, up 5.2 percent from a year ago.

In the South, existing-home sales slipped 1.1 percent to an annual level of 1.75 million in March but are 3.6 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the South was $146,500, up 6.2 percent from March 2011.

Existing-home sales in the West fell 7.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.13 million in March and are 0.9 percent below March 2011. The median price in the West was $198,300, up 1.6 percent from a year ago.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

# # #

According to the National Association of Realtors® quarterly commercial real estate forecast, all of the major commercial real estate sectors are seeing improved fundamentals, but multifamily housing is becoming a landlord’s market commanding bigger rent increases. These trends also are confirmed in NAR’s recent quarterly Commercial Real Estate Market Survey.
Read the rest of this entry »

Housing affordability conditions have reached the highest level since recordkeeping began in 1970, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Read the rest of this entry »

February existing-home sales declined from an upwardly revised January pace but are well above a year ago, while the median price posted a slight gain, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Sales were up in the Midwest and South, offset by declines in the Northeast and West.
Read the rest of this entry »

Economists have been warning that a flood of foreclosures will soon be hitting the real estate market, likely this summer. Increases in foreclosures traditionally pull down nearby home prices. So should home owners be worried?
Read the rest of this entry »