Weekly Market Report

For Week Ending May 18, 2024

According to the 2021 American Housing Survey, approximately 10.2 million households bought and moved to a new home in the two years preceding the date the survey was conducted. Of those, 40% of buyers purchased their first home, and 7% of buyers purchased a newly built home. First-time buyers had a median age of 33 years and a median income of $90,000, while new-home buyers had a median age of 45 years and a median income of $112,100. The median age of all homebuyers was 41 years, with a median income of $97,700.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 18:

  • New Listings decreased 2.7% to 1,646
  • Pending Sales decreased 4.9% to 1,028
  • Inventory increased 16.9% to 8,234

FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL:

  • Median Sales Price increased 4.1% to $385,000
  • Days on Market remained flat at 46
  • Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.2% to 99.9%
  • Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 23.5% to 2.1

All comparisons are to 2023

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Mortgage Rates Drop Below Seven Percent

May 23, 2024
Spring homebuyers received an unexpected windfall this week, as mortgage rates fell below the seven percent threshold for the first time in over a month. Although this week’s data on previously owned home sales showed a decline, total inventory of both new and existing homes is up. Greater supply coupled with the recent downward trend in rates is an encouraging sign for the housing market.

Information provided by Freddie Mac.

Weekly Market Report

For Week Ending May 11, 2024

The trend toward building smaller homes continues, as America’s homebuilders respond to demand for more affordable housing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median single-family home sizes declined 4% annually in 2023 to 2,179 square feet, the lowest reading since 2010. With housing costs on the rise, townhomes have become an increasingly popular choice among buyers and builders alike, accounting for nearly 20% of all housing starts at the end of Q4 2023.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 11:

  • New Listings increased 7.1% to 1,553
  • Pending Sales decreased 9.0% to 1,027
  • Inventory increased 15.3% to 7,985

FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL:

  • Median Sales Price increased 4.1% to $385,000
  • Days on Market remained flat at 46
  • Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.2% to 99.9%
  • Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 23.5% to 2.1

All comparisons are to 2023

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Mortgage Rates Continue to Decrease

May 16, 2024
Mortgage rates decreased for the second consecutive week. Given the news that inflation eased slightly, the 10-year Treasury yield dipped, leading to lower mortgage rates. The decrease in rates, albeit small, may provide a bit more wiggle room in the budgets of prospective homebuyers.

Information provided by Freddie Mac.

April Housing Market Report

Listings are up more than sales meaning buyers are seeing more options

  • Signed purchase agreements rose 8.5%; new listings up 20.9%
  • The median sales price increased 4.1% to $385,250
  • Market times fell 2.2% to 45 days; inventory up 14.1% to 7,705

(May 15, 2024) – According to new data from Minneapolis Area REALTORS® and the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®, both listings and sales rose compared to last year at this time. Prices and inventory levels were also higher.

Sellers, Buyers and Housing Supply
(May 15, 2024) – According to new data from Minneapolis Area REALTORS® and the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®, both listings and sales rose compared to last year at this time. Prices and inventory levels were also higher. Sellers, Buyers and Housing Supply May and June tend to be the busiest times of year for buying and selling homes. This year has seen growth in both listings and sales compared to 2023. Through April, seller activity is up 19.3% while buyer activity is up 9.1%. For April alone, those figures are 20.9% and 8.5% respectively. Since listings are rising faster than sales, inventory levels are on the rise, recently up 14.1% to 7,705 active listings. That’s the highest number of actively marketed listings since November. While buyers are still feeling squeezed by rates just over 7.0%, pent-up activity for both buyers and sellers is being released as we’re comparing to an already low baseline.

Even with that increase in inventory, we’d need about 20,000 active listings to have a balanced market and we have under 8,000. But not all price points behave the same. There are 1.6 months of supply of homes under $250,000 but 6.2 months of supply of homes over $1 million (4-6 months is balanced). Move-up buyers with built-up equity from their first home are able to roll that into the next property, while first-time buyers don’t have that luxury. So, the most affordable price points have seen the largest declines in demand—but that’s also a result of having the tightest supply levels. Luxury buyers are less impacted by rates and therefore the upper price ranges are seeing the largest gains in demand. Some well-capitalized buyers are combating higher rates by skipping the mortgage entirely and using cash. About 17.5% of Twin Cities homes are purchased in cash but it’s nearly double that for properties over $1 million.

Prices, Market Times and Negotiations
Again, depending on price point, well-presented listings in many areas are getting multiple offers. Overall, sellers accepted offers just shy of full list price (99.9%), which was actually down a hair from last year. Moreover, they got those offers after an average of 45 days on market, which was faster than last year. That also varied by price point and area. Single family homes are selling after 43 days but condos are taking 74 days. “This is a market where both sides really can be successful with their needs but may not get all of their wants,” said Jamar Hardy, President of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “It’s okay to be excited about more inventory, but people should know that we still have an undersupplied market which means sellers have the advantage overall.”

The median home price was up 4.1% to $385,250. Single family prices stood at $425,000, condo prices hovered around $217,000 and townhomes checked in at $312,000. New home prices are just shy of $500,000 while existing home prices are $370,000. Even as prices remain firm, some sellers are finding themselves paying closing costs or doing other buyer incentives to get transactions across the closing table. “While we don’t have enough homes for everyone who wants one, I am seeing more traffic at open houses and additional buyers are coming into (or returning to) the market,” said Amy Peterson, President of the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®. “Many buyers are more cautious and realistic today, yet they are still excited to become homeowners.”

Location & Property Type
Market activity always varies by area, price point and property type. Existing home sales rose faster than new home sales. Condo sales rose nearly three times as much as single family. Sales over $500,000 rose at six times the rate of sales under $500,000. Cities such as Robbinsdale, Columbia Heights and Corcoran saw among the largest sales gains while Forest Lake, Victoria and Delano all had notably weaker demand. For cities with at least five sales, the highest priced areas were Medina, Lake Elmo and Orono while the most affordable areas were Red Wing, Mora, Columbia Heights and Faribault.

March 2024 Housing Takeaways (compared to a year ago)

    • Sellers listed 6,347 properties on the market, a 20.9% increase from last April
    • Buyers signed 4,334 purchase agreements, up 8.5% (3,806 closed sales, up 13.8%)
    • Inventory levels increased 14.1% to 7,705 units
    • Month’s Supply of Inventory rose 17.6% to 2.0 months (4-6 months is balanced)
    • The Median Sales Price was up 4.1% to $385,250
    • Days on Market was down 2.2% to 45 days, on average (median of 18 days, up 5.9%)
    • Changes in Pending Sales activity varied by market segment and price point
      • Single family sales rose 9.3%; condo sales were up 25.5%; townhouse sales increased 1.2%
      • Traditional sales were up 8.5%; foreclosure sales rose 39.4% to 46; short sales were flat at 6
      • Previously owned sales increased 9.8%; new construction sales were up 2.5%
      • Sales under $500,000 rose 3.6%; sales over $500,000 increased 24.2%


From The Skinny Blog.