June 2011 Market Update The U.S. housing market continues its gradual and uneven progress, despite the expiration of the home buyer tax credit. The remarkable rebound in housing activities from the initial drop following the end of the home buyer tax credit this past July adds to the belief that the risk of a double-dip downturn in housing may be disappearing. As the housing market
continues to work through the excess supply overhang, a result from the
glut of foreclosed properties which is keeping home prices below their
long-term trend growth, economists anticipate mortgage rates at or above
6% by the end of 2012 and expect buying activity to continue its upward
momentum.
Home Sales in millions
The number of homes home sales in April were down 12.9% compared to the same time last year when the impact of the tax credit was at its peak. Sales were relatively stable compared to the previous month: less than a 1% decline. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun states that “given great affordability conditions and job creation, home sales should be stronger” and cites unnecessarily tight credit for limiting sales. Gradual but uneven improvement is expected to continue. In fact, home sales have increased six of the past nine months.
Home Price in thousands
Inventory- Month's Supply in months
The supply of homes measured in months on the market, if sales continue at their current pace, inched up during April compared to March. Inventory levels remained 26% below the peak of 12.5 months in July and only 11% above April of 2010 when the tax credit was in full swing.
Source: National Association of RealtorsInterest Rates Rates have reached a new record low after steadily declining throughout May, primarily due to uncertainty in the global and domestic economies. Rates are still expected to follow an upward trend as the year progresses. As overall economic activity gets back on track, rates will likely rise to keep inflation in check. This window of opportunity for buyers to lock in these historically low interest rates may not remain open much longer.
This Month's Video Topics For Home Owners, Buyers & Sellers Following in the footsteps of its counterpart Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac is offering a summer sales promotion for buyers who purchase a home from its inventory of foreclosures or HomeSteps properties. Since banks typically sell foreclosures “as-is” without incentives, warranties, or repairs, this incentive could help buyers view a HomePath property more like a traditional sale, and less like a distressed property, during their search process. For offers received by July 31 that close by September 30, Freddie Mac is offering:
This is on top of the incentives already being offered:
Note that this program comes with a few eligibility requirements, which includes the home must be a single-family, owner-occupied, financed dwelling used solely for residential purposes.
Kauai real estate continues to be a good market for buyers and no-so-good for sellers. There has been a move back towards a balanced market from that of the prior 2 years. Inventory continues to decline from its peak at the end of 2008 but is still double that at during the market frenzy of 2004 & 2005. Absorption rates for the different market areas continues to decline with residential housing doing better than condos except in the Lihue zone where condos are actually in the green band signifying a balanced market.. The Lihue condo market is much more heavily weighted to residential than vacation use. A significant exception to that is Kauai Beach Resort, which has seen such steep price declines that investors have swooped in and paid cash for distressed properties. Kauai inventory continues to come down... Kauai absorption rates are showing less stress than years past... Additional Kauai sales information is available upon request. |
Jump to Kauai dataKauai is the oldest, 4th largest, and furthest north of the Hawaiian islands. Kauai’s climate is tropical and world-class beaches include Poipu Beach Park and Hanalei Bay, honored as America’s #1 beaches in 2001 & 2009. Richard Dolbeare is a Kauai real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty, the 2nd largest real estate franchise in the nation and a source of many buyer referrals. He is the author of Kauai’s #1 real estate blog and is the Localism Community Leader for Poipu. His Kauai community reviews include videos, descriptions, and sales data popular with buyers searching for homes on the internet. Richard is available by phone, text, email, or personal appointment.
Richard T. Dolbeare (RA) Keller Williams Realty (808) 651-4550 ABR, CRS, e-PRO, RSPS, SFR, BS/MS Living and working on the island of Kauai Brokerage Contact:
Keller Williams Realty, 1819 S. Kihei Rd., Ste. D-110, Kihei, HI 96753,
(808) 270-2900 |
Brought to you by KW Research. For additional graphs and details, please see the This Month in Real Estate PowerPoint Report.The opinions expressed in This Month in Real Estate are intended to supplement opinions on real estate expressed by local and national media, local real estate agents and other expert sources. You should not treat any opinion expressed in This Month in Real Estate as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of opinion. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., does not guarantee and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. All information presented herein is intended and should be used for educational purposes only. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. All investments involve some degree of risk. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in This Month in Real Estate. |
Russel Ray Photos - San Diego, CA
I can agree with the unnecessarily tight credit. I have some friends who went to buy a house and didn’t qualify because both of them are self-employed, but they’ve been self-employed for fifteen years!
Jul 02, 2011 01:35 PM
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