Inventory
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending January 25, 2020
CoreLogic’s latest Single-Family Rent Index report saw the cost of renting single-family homes, including condos, up 3% in November 2019 compared to November 2018. According to the report, rent prices started climbing in 2010 and have stabilized around an annualized rate of 3% since early 2019. With the cost of rent continuing to trend upward, it makes sense that many are considering paying their own mortgage, instead of their landlord’s, by becoming first-time homeowners.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending January 25:
- New Listings decreased 5.2% to 916
- Pending Sales decreased 0.9% to 795
- Inventory decreased 14.9% to 7,751
For the month of December:
- Median Sales Price increased 8.2% to $279,000
- Days on Market decreased 1.8% to 56
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.5% to 97.3%
- Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 15.8% to 1.6
All comparisons are to 2019
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
Mortgage Rates Continue to Drop
January 30, 2020
This week’s mortgage rates were the second lowest in three years, supporting homebuyer demand and leading to higher refinancing activity. Borrowers who take advantage of these low rates can improve their cash flow by lowering their monthly mortgage payments, giving them more money to spend or save.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending November 23, 2019
Residential new construction activity continues to rise nationally. The U.S. Commerce Department reports that new housing permits rose 5% in October to a new 12-year high of 1.46 million units. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of REALTORS® chief economist, called the latest figures “tremendously good news for the housing sector.” With builder sentiment and buyer activity remaining strong, it is widely expected that new construction will continue to remain brisk in the coming months.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 23:
- New Listings increased 74.1% to 928
- Pending Sales increased 39.8% to 966
- Inventory decreased 6.6% to 10,724
For the month of October:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $280,000
- Days on Market decreased 4.2% to 46
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.1%
- Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 4.0% to 2.4
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending November 16, 2019
In the Federal Housing Administration’s 2019 Annual Report to Congress, the FHA announced their Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund Capital Ratio stood at 4.84%, up from 2.76% last year and well above the 2% minimum required by Congress. This has prompted the National Association of REALTORS® to advocate for a reduction in FHA insurance premiums and eliminating the life-of-loan mortgage insurance requirement. While the FHA has not committed to any changes at this time, there is optimism for change in the future as the reserves continue to increase. With FHA loan market share at 11.4% in the 2019 report, any reduction in mortgage insurance costs would positively affect a large number of future borrowers.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 16:
- New Listings increased 6.2% to 1,028
- Pending Sales increased 6.3% to 999
- Inventory decreased 6.1% to 11,147
For the month of October:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $280,000
- Days on Market decreased 4.2% to 46
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.1%
- Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 4.0% to 2.4
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
October Monthly Skinny Video
Fannie Mae is predicting that continued low rates and possibly lower rates are expected in 2020.
Listings, Sales, Prices: All Rise
November 19, 2019
The Twin Cities real estate market started the fourth quarter of 2019 on a strong note with buyer and seller activity rising in October compared to 2018. Buoyed by historically low interest rates, the number of new listings and pending sales rose last month and the median price of a home also increased.
New listings increased by 3.8 percent last month to nearly 6,300 properties on the market. Pending home sales increased 4.9 percent in October, continuing their steady rise since mortgage rates dipped below 4.0 percent in June. The increase also puts the number of pending sales in positive territory for the year. Continuing the market’s upward trend, the median price of a home in the Twin Cities rose to $280,000 in October, a 5.7 percent increase over last year.
October reversed a trend of rising days on market and continued September’s reversal of sellers accepting a slightly lower share of their list price compared to last year. With increased sales activity, quicker market times and sellers yielding strong offers, it’s no wonder more sellers decided to list. There are still some signs that the market is rebalancing, but buyers awaiting spooky news could see their patience tested based on October numbers.
While inventory has grown this year, supply remains tight for first-time buyers and downsizing households competing for homes under $350,000. At this price point, multiple offers and homes selling for over list price in record time is still common. Builders struggle to replenish inventory due to high costs, a labor shortage and regulatory constraints. The shortage of affordable homes has prompted many owners to stay put. With 2.3 months of supply, the Twin Cities market is still significantly undersupplied.
October 2019 by the Numbers (compared to a year ago)
- Sellers listed 6,258 properties on the market, a 3.8 percent increase from last October
- Buyers closed on 5,391 homes, a 1.3 percent increase
- Inventory levels decreased 5.8 percent from last October to 11,607 units
- Months Supply of Inventory was down 8.0 percent to 3 months
- The Median Sales Price rose 5.7 percent to $280,000
- Cumulative Days on Market declined 4.2 percent to 46 days, on average (median of 25)
- Changes in Sales activity varied by market segment
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- Single family sales rose 5.5 percent; condo sales increased 1.4 percent; townhome sales fell 0.5 percent
- Traditional sales increased 4.8 percent; foreclosure sales dropped 21.1 percent; short sales fell 55.6 percent
- Previously owned sales were up 4.4 percent; new construction sales climbed 2.6 percent
Quotables
“Interest rates are boosting buyer confidence,” said Todd Urbanski, President of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “Consumers may also be realizing that some of their fears around the market and economy could be overstated.”
“The latest figures show our key metrics returning to growth,” said Linda Rogers, President-Elect of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “We expect Minnesota and the Midwest to fare well should that change.”
From The Skinny Blog.
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending November 9, 2019
With the stock market reaching record highs, continued low unemployment, and low mortgage rates, many signs in the US economy remain strong. However, total household debt has been rising for twenty-one consecutive quarters and is now $1.3 trillion higher than the previous peak of $12.68 trillion in 2008. While delinquency rates remain low across most debt types, including mortgages, higher consumer debt loads can limit future household spending capability and increase risk if the economy slows down.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 9:
- New Listings increased 6.3% to 1,094
- Pending Sales increased 1.6% to 992
- Inventory decreased 5.9% to 11,463
For the month of October:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $280,000
- Days on Market decreased 4.2% to 46
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.1%
- Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 4.0% to 2.4
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending November 2, 2019
This week the Federal Reserve reduced its benchmark rate for the third time this year. This action was widely anticipated by the market and mortgage rates rose for the third consecutive week. Despite the recent rise, rates still remain approximately one percent lower than a year ago, which has a substantial effect on buying power. Also this week, a TransUnion analysis predicts a surge of additional first-time homebuyers will enter the market between 2020 and 2022, climbing from 7.6 million buyers in the 2016-2018 period to 8.3-9.2 million in the 2020-2022 period.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 2:
- New Listings increased 9.2% to 1,223
- Pending Sales increased 3.3% to 1,043
- Inventory decreased 5.5% to 11,917
For the month of September:
- Median Sales Price increased 6.8% to $279,900
- Days on Market increased 2.4% to 43
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.5%
- Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 3.7% to 2.6
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.