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Kitsap County Homes for sale - Inventory down - Buyer's Market?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with HOMEFRONT Realty WA State Licence #23384

 Bremerton Real EstateThe Kitsap County home for sale inventory is down 25.4% from the same time in 2008.  That is the largest drop in inventory in the Puget Sound area.  So, with inventory down is it still a buyer's market? 

What is a buyer's market?

A very simple way to explain the definition of a buyer’s market is a simple statement such as, a market which has more sellers than buyers. Low prices result from this excess of supply over demand.

So how does the real estate profession calculate statistics to arrive at the conclusion there is more supply than demand ?

Most real estate professionals define market conditions by using the absorption rate formula. So what is an absorption rate? An absorption rate is the mathematical representation of the relationship between supply and demand.

The total quantity of available homes is divided by total homes sold in the previous month. The results represents the number of months it will take, at that same pace, to sell the entire real estate inventory of a local market area.

Here is last months example:
• Kitsap County has 1982 homes currently on the market. (as of December 31, 2009)
• Last month, 237 homes sold
• 1982 / 237 = 8.36
• So the Kitsap County area has 8.36 months of inventory.

But, remember the answer is only true if the housing market stays the same. The same meaning that there is always 1982 homes on the market and each month 237 of those homes sell.  Absorption rates allow us to give some kind of mathematical equation to determine what type of real estate market we are experiencing at any given time.

Remember that real estate is local and that towns, cities, counties and states all have different absorption rates and will have different markets.  There are also different markets within a market. You might have a buyer’s market when you look at high end homes and yet a seller’s market when it come to 1st time home buyer properties.

• NORMAL MARKET :: conditions exist when the Absorption Rate is between 5 and 6 months
• SELLER’S MARKET :: conditions exist when the Absorption Rate is lower. (1 – 4 months)
• BUYER’S MARKET :: conditions exist when the Absorption Rate is higher. ( 7 plus months)

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Jo SossAuthor:Jo Soss

Jo Soss is the designated Broker and the owner of Homefront Realty in Bremerton Washington. Selling real estate in the greater Puget Sound area since 1994 she has vast knowledge in all aspects of a real estate transaction. Using today's technology with her signature personal service allows her to achieve complete customer satisfaction.

Comments (1)

Kate Elim
Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA
Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Jo...And there can be a particular type of home that might be in more demand than others.  We have waterfront homes in our market, water view homes with or without assigned boat slips, off water houses with or without assigned boat slips.  The demand differs for each of these groups.  Local agents know their markets and that is why it is important to work with a local expert.

As you said, real estate is local.

Kate

Jan 05, 2010 02:41 PM