April 27, 2023
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased modestly for the second straight week, but with the rate of inflation decelerating rates should gently decline over the course of 2023. Incoming data suggest the housing market has stabilized from a sales and house price perspective. The prospect of lower mortgage rates for the remainder of the year should be welcome news to borrowers who are looking to purchase a home.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
For Week Ending April 15, 2023
Baby boomers—people ages 58 to 76—now make up the largest share of buyers and sellers nationwide, according to the National Association of REALTORS® 2023 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report. Baby boomers represented 53% of sellers and 39% of buyers in transactions that occurred between July 2021 and June 2022. Millennials, once the leading share of homebuyers, came in second place, accounting for 28% of buyers according to the report.
IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 15:
FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH:
All comparisons are to 2022
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
April 20, 2023
For the first time in over a month, mortgage rates moved up due to shifting market expectations. Home prices have stabilized somewhat, but with supply tight and rates stuck above six percent, affordable housing continues to be a serious issue for potential homebuyers. Unless rates drop into the mid five percent range, demand will only modestly recover.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
For Week Ending April 8, 2023
Housing affordability is slowly improving, according to ATTOM’s Q1 2023 U.S. Home Affordability Report. Among the 572 counties analyzed, 94% of median-priced single-family homes and condos were less affordable than their historical averages in the first quarter of 2023, falling from 99% in the fourth quarter of 2022. The portion of average wages needed for homeownership costs also declined slightly, with the typical total monthly mortgage payment (PITI) now requiring 29.9% of the average annual wage of $70,460, down from 31.2% in the fourth quarter last year.
IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 8:
FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY:
All comparisons are to 2022
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
(April 14, 2023) – According to new data from Minneapolis Area REALTORS® and the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®, home prices flattened out and held steady from last March. The metro’s median sales price stands at $355,000. Buyer and seller activity are still down around 25.0 percent from year-ago levels.
Sales & Listings
In March, sellers brought 4,980 new listings online which amounted to 23.9 percent fewer than last year. Of those and other active listings that sold, half lasted fewer than 27 days on market. That may seem high compared to last year’s figure of 12 days on market, but it’s in line with 2018, 2019 and 2020 for this time of year. This is another sign that normalizing demand has had a stabilizing effect on the market.
“While we do still see some competition for the most desirable listings, buyers don’t feel quite as rushed as they did a year or so ago, and they are being more selective,” said Jerry Moscowitz, President of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “The challenge now is on the monthly payment side which has forced buyers to think more critically about their options and budget.” Buyer activity continued to decline in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s rate hiking campaign, which has increased the cost of borrowing notably. Last month, buyers signed 3,767 purchase agreements, 27.9 fewer than a year ago. It was a similar story for closings—the 3,156 closed deals in March were down 20.5 percent. Largely because of rising rates, home sales have now seen 10 consecutive months of double-digit year-over-year declines that started in June 2022.
This means that sellers have had to adjust their expectations. There’s at least two sides to every story, and what’s seen as a return to normal for some could also be viewed as a downturn from a seller’s perspective. Sellers accepted an average of 98.6 percent of their list price compared to 102.7 percent last year. Price negotiations have moved slightly in buyers’ favor. But overall, the balance of the market has remained relatively tight because both buyer and seller activity have downshifted in tandem.
Inventory & Home Prices
The increases in home prices have dissipated as buyer activity has come down from record highs. Bidding wars have eased but not disappeared. “Even as sales have slowed from record highs, motivated buyers are out there but not to the same degree as recently,” said Brianne Lawrence, President of the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®. “That means prices aren’t being pushed up like they were. This is welcomed news for buyers, but sellers are still getting solid offers in a reasonable timeframe.”
The Twin Cities metro is still technically in a seller’s market, just not to the same degree as last year. There were 5,769 homes available for sale at the end of March, or 2.1 percent more than last year. Since buyer demand has waned and our inventory rose slightly, March’s month’s supply of inventory was up 27.3 percent. That meant we had 1.4 months’ supply of inventory at the end of the month. Typically 4-6 months of supply are needed to reach a balanced, neutral market.
Location & Property Type
Market activity varies by area, price point and property type. New home sales fell 6.7 percent while existing home sales were down 21.1 percent. Single family sales fell 22.0 percent, condo sales declined 28.9 percent and townhome sales were down 3.9 percent. Sales in Minneapolis decreased 26.0 percent while Saint Paul sales fell 21.9 percent. Cities like Watertown, Victoria, Mendota Heights, Blaine and Hudson saw the largest sales gains while Robbinsdale, Mound, Isanti and New Richmond all had notably lower demand than last year.
March 2022 Housing Takeaways (Compared To A Year Ago)
Licensed In Minnesota
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.
