Mortgage rates were once again mostly flat over the past week, inching backward slightly.
Manufacturing output and consumer spending showed improvements, but construction activity was a disappointment. This meant there was no driving force to move mortgage rates in any meaningful way, which has been the theme in the last two months. That’s good news for price sensitive home shoppers, given that this stability in borrowing costs allows them a little extra time to find the right home.
Sellers: flat. Buyers: down. Prices: up.
By David Arbit on Wednesday, July 18th, 2018
Seller activity was relatively flat in June while buyers pulled back somewhat. For the first time since 2010, new listings surpassed 9,000 in May of this year. That’s encouraging, even though June seller activity was down slightly compared to last year. Increasing or steady seller activity combined with a cool down in demand is consistent with a loosening marketplace. That said, buyers shopping this spring and summer will still face stiff competition. While sellers are receiving full-price-or-better offers in record time, listings still need to show well and be priced properly. June marked the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year declines in closed sales, likely reflecting the shortage of homes for sale.
Strong demand and low supply means sellers yielded an average of 100.3 percent of their list price in June, a record high for any month since at least the beginning of 2003. The shortage is especially noticeable at the entry-level prices, where multiple offers and homes selling for over list price have become increasingly common.
The move-up and upper-bracket segments are less competitive and better supplied. Yes, the housing market is tight out there—sometimes frustratingly so. But over 54,000 Twin Cities buyers and sellers have managed to successfully transact real property so far this year.
June 2018 by the Numbers (compared to a year ago)
Sellers listed 8,730 properties on the market, a 1.2 percent decrease
Buyers closed on 7,063 homes, a 8.1 percent decrease
Inventory levels for June fell 15.9 percent compared to 2017 to 11,374 units
Months Supply of Inventory was down 14.8 percent to 2.3 months
The Median Sales Price rose 5.7 percent to $271,900, a record high
Cumulative Days on Market declined 14.6 percent to 41 days, on average (median of 16)
Changes in Sales activity varied by market segment
Single family sales sank 7.1 percent; condo sales rose 8.4 percent; townhome sales declined 13.7 percent
Traditional sales fell 6.6 percent; foreclosure sales sank 39.3 percent; short sales dropped 39.0 percent
Previously-owned sales fell 7.4 percent; new construction sales decreased 4.3 percent
New Listings and Pending Sales
Inventory
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending July 7, 2018
As prices persistently rise and months of supply decrease in year-over-year comparisons, it continues to be an ideal time for more sellers to enter the market. Across the U.S., inventory levels are still lagging behind last year, but new listings have perked up nicely so far this year. This has been coupled with many announced new home-building projects across the nation and a more positive tone from the building community.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending July 7:
- New Listings decreased 14.6% to 1,192
- Pending Sales decreased 10.6% to 1,018
- Inventory decreased 14.6% to 11,344
For the month of June:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.3% to $271,000
- Days on Market decreased 16.7% to 40
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.8% to 100.3%
- Months Supply of Inventory decreased 14.8% to 2.3
All comparisons are to 2017
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From The Skinny Blog.
Mortgage Rates Inch Higher
Mortgage rates were mostly unchanged, but did tick up for the first time since early June.
The 10-year Treasury yield continues to hover along the same narrow range, as increased global trade tensions are causing investors to take a cautious approach. This in turn has kept borrowing costs at bay, which is certainly welcoming news for those looking to buy a home before the summer ends.
New Listings and Pending Sales
Inventory
Weekly Market Report
For Week Ending June 30, 2018
The unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent in June 2018, marking the first increase in nearly a year. Economic forecasters are calling this a healthy increase indicative of more people being counted as entering the work force in an exceptional job market that added more than 213,000 paying jobs in June. Strong demand for workers combined with low supply creates upward pressure on wages. Employed people with higher wages are generally good for residential real estate.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending June 30:
- New Listings increased 15.1% to 1,864
- Pending Sales increased 1.1% to 1,519
- Inventory decreased 16.5% to 11,374
For the month of May:
- Median Sales Price increased 8.3% to $270,750
- Days on Market decreased 9.6% to 47
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.7% to 100.2%
- Months Supply of Inventory decreased 12.0% to 2.2
All comparisons are to 2017
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From The Skinny Blog.
Mortgage Rates Continue Recent Decline
After a rapid increase throughout most of the spring, mortgage rates have now declined in five of the past six weeks.
The run-up in mortgage rates earlier this year represented not just a rise in risk-free borrowing costs, but for investors, the mortgage spread also rose back to more normal levels by about 20 basis points. What that means for buyers is good news. Mortgage rates may have a little more room to decline over the very short term.
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