Katie K Team

Inventory in the Grand Rapids market remains low, and  nationwide inventory is down 22% this month. As this Realtor.com article explains, lower inventory means higher prices for sellers. If you’ve been waiting to list your home, contact us at Katie-K to perform a CMA!

from the Daily Real Estate News

In a growing number of housing markets, sellers are facing less competition now compared to a year ago.

Inventory of for-sale homes has dropped by about 23 percent compared to this time last year, and fell by 6 percent alone from December 2011 to January 2012, according to Realtor.com data.

The age of the inventory is also declining, and is nearly 5 percent below levels last January.

The median age of for-sale housing inventory is lowest — 69 days or less — in Oakland, Calif.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Denver; Fresno, Calif.; Stockton-Lodi, Calif. and Phoexnis-Mesa, Ariz., according to January data from Realtor.com.

Meanwhile, as inventory is falling, the median list price has been on the rise: up nationally more than 3 percent year-over-year.

“Over the past year, an increasing number of markets have registered year-over-year increases in median list prices while fewer markets have experienced year-over-year list price declines,” a statement by Realtor.com notes.

Realtor Magazine reported recently that Detroit is among top housing markets  amidst the growing rebound. We think this is promising news for Michigan!

The list of housing markets showing signs of improvement in home prices and overall market conditions in February has grown to nearly 100 cities, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index. The index reveals metro areas that have shown improvement in home prices, housing permits, and employment for at least six straight months. In the latest index, some markets that were particularly hard-hit during the housing market crash — such as Miami and Detroit — were added to this month’s list. Such cities are seeing a turnaround in their sluggish housing markets, possibly already hitting bottom. “Despite the many challenges that continue to drag on the housing recovery — including the tight lending environment for builders and buyers — improving conditions are slowly but surely spreading from one housing market to the next,” Bob Nielsen, NAHB chairman, said in a statement. Here are 11 of the 39 metro areas added to the list this month:

(For a complete list, please visit: www.nahb.org/imi. )

• Napa, Calif.
• Deltona, Fla.
• Miami, Fla.
• North Port, Fla.
• Tampa, Fla.
• Augusta, Ga.
• Shreveport, La.
• Springfield, Mass.
• Cumberland, Md.
• Lewiston, Maine
• Boston, Mass.
• Detroit, Mich.

The following is a market update prepared by our Keller Williams research department, which tracks and analyzes real estate trends across the nation! As you’ll see, there are many reasons for cautious optimism!

The housing market is recovering. As more home buyers are taking advantage of the improved affordability conditions. With mortgage rates hovering around recent record lows and home prices having generally stabilized, economists are expecting an upward trend to a healthy and sustainable level in 2011.

Encouraging signs are showing up across the economy. Retail sales recently hit their highest level since before the recession. Key measures of small and big businesses’ optimism marched back up to prerecession levels and new claims for jobless benefits are trending lower. Together they bode well for steady job creation and improved consumer confidence which is generally manifested in more spending.

As the economy improves, current stimulus efforts by the government and the Federal Reserve Board are expected to gradually wind down. Meanwhile, serious buyers stand to benefit from historically favorable buying conditions.

Mortgage Rates:

Mortgage rates are inching up but remain historically low. This trend continues to support home buying as it translates to significant savings for buyers. As overall economic recovery remains on track, rates are expected to rise to keep inflation in check.

Home Sales:

Existing home sales resumed on an upward trend since bottoming in July. Sales activity rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.68 million in November. This was up 22% from July and 5.6% above the 4.43 million level in October, but remained 27.9% below the 6.49 million tax credit rush a year ago. As steady job creation is expected to continue, industry experts are hopeful for 2011.

Home Prices:

Home prices continued to stabilize. Median home prices edged up slightly to $170,600, 0.4% above year-ago levels. Distressed homes have accounted for a fairly stable market share, representing 33% of sales in November. This is on par with the 34% in October and 33% in November 2009. Historically favorable interest rates, coupled with stable home prices, continue to offer advantageous buying opportunities.

Inventory:

The number of homes on the market continued to decline. Total inventory fell to 3.71 million in November from 3.86 million in October. This reflects the increasing response from buyers to improved affordability conditions. As lending standards return to historical norms and consumers become more confident about their financial situation, more people will be able to buy their first home, move up, or invest.