About the areaBuyer TipsFriday Fun FactsInvestmentReal Estate December 4, 2020

14 Times

For the 14th time this year, 30-year mortgage rates set a record and hit an all-time low.

Based on data just released by Freddie Mac, rates are now at 2.71%.  Their weekly survey of the 30-year mortgage rate dates back to 1971.

Just one year ago rates were at 3.68%.

So, what does this mean for buyers?

Based on a $400,000 loan, current rates result in a monthly payment that would be $212 less than one year ago.

 

At Windermere Real Estate we are taking Safer at Home and Social Distancing very seriously.  Our people are following our Safe Showings protocol, staying connected to their clients, and providing help wherever needed.

Buyer TipsFriday Fun FactsReal EstateSeller Tips November 20, 2020

Remodeling Impact

Americans spend $400 billion per year remodeling their homes.
So, which remodeling investment gives the best return when it comes to resale value?
It should come as no surprise, especially leading up to Thanksgiving, that the best money to spend upgrading your home is in the kitchen.
It’s the place where most homeowners spend most of their waking hours.
According the research from the National Association of Realtors, it’s where remodelers will see the biggest return on investment.
Here is the ranking of various projects in terms of the value it adds to the home:

1. Complete kitchen remodel
2. Kitchen upgrade
3. HVAC replacement
4. Owner’s suite renovation
5. Bathroom renovation
6. Finishing a basement
7. Adding a bathroom

At Windermere Real Estate we are taking Safer at Home and Social Distancing very seriously. Our people are following our Safe Showings protocol, staying connected to their clients, and providing help wherever needed.

About the areaBuyer TipsFriday Fun FactsHomes for SaleReal Estate November 13, 2020

A Little Perspective

A Little Perspective

Here’s a little perspective on the inventory of homes for sale in today’s market…

First we’ll look at Metro Denver:

• The average number of residential listings for sale at this time of year is 15,577
• The highest-ever for this time of year is 29,722 which occurred in 2006
• The number of listings right now is 4,821
• So, inventory in Metro Denver is roughly one-third of the average and 25,000 fewer than the highest-ever.
• DMAR is the source of the stats listed above

Now, Northern Colorado:
• Larimer County has 802 active listings today
• Based on 10 years of data, this is the lowest it has ever been
• The high in Larimer County occurred in 2010 with 2608 listings so today’s inventory is one-third of what it was 10 years ago.
• Inventory today in Weld County is 727 which isn’t the lowest-ever.
• The lowest during the last 10 years was 2017.
• The highest was 2010 with 1791 properties so today there are roughly 1,000 fewer properties to choose from.

About the areaFriday Fun FactsInvestmentReal Estate October 30, 2020

Brand New Market Report

The latest quarterly report from our Chief Economist Matthew Gardner is now available. Here is a quote from the report with his take on the Front Range economy:

What a difference a quarter makes! Following the massive job losses Colorado experienced starting in February—the state shed over 342,000 positions between February and April—the turnaround has been palpable.

Through August, Colorado has recovered 178,000 of the jobs lost due to COVID-19, adding 107,500 jobs over the past three months, an increase of 4.2%.

All regions saw a significant number of jobs returning. The most prominent was in the Denver metropolitan service area (MSA), where 78,800 jobs returned in the quarter.

Although employment in all markets is recovering, there is still a way to go to get back to pre-pandemic employment levels.

The recovery in jobs has naturally led the unemployment rate to drop: the state is now at a respectable 6.7%, down from a peak of 12.2%.

Regionally, all areas continue to see their unemployment rates contract. I would note that the Fort Collins and Boulder MSA unemployment rates are now below 6%.

Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, which is troubling, but rising rates have only slowed—not stopped—the economic recovery. Moreover, it has had no noticeable impact on the state’s housing market.

To receive a complimentary copy of the latest Gardner Report, simply reach out to us and we will send it to you right away.

BlogFriday Fun FactsHomes for SalePremier PropertyReal Estate October 16, 2020

Million Plussing

The luxury market is very active right now.  Buyers in the high-end are taking advantage of low interest rates and the equity they have built in their prior homes.

Closings of million-plus single family homes are up significantly along the  Front Range.

When compared to this same time last year, sales of properties in this price range are up:

87% in Metro Denver

150% in Larimer County

67% in Weld County

Windermere Real Estate in Colorado recently hosted a private online event for our clients with our very own Chief Economist Matthew Gardner.  We would be happy to send you the recording if you would like.

Fort Collins Real EstateFriday Fun FactsHomes for SaleReal Estate September 25, 2020

6 Million

The National real estate market just hit a massive milestone.

Based on the numbers through August, we are now on pace to sell 6 million homes.  This is the highest pace we have seen in 14 years.

The 6 million threshold is a big deal in the real estate brokerage world.

Each month, as they have for a long time, the National Association of Realtors tracks the sales and then calculates the annualized rate of residential closings.

For many, many years this number has bounced around 5.5 million.  The fact that it just jumped to 6 million speaks to many factors especially the effect of today’s interest rates.

Buyer TipsFriday Fun FactsReal EstateSeller Tips September 11, 2020

Forbearance Falls

The number of loans in forbearance just fell to their lowest level since mid-April.

This is good news for the real estate market.

Less and less people are seeking payment relief on their mortgages.

The number of loans currently in forbearance stands at 7.16%.

This news coincides with the U.S. Unemployment Rate falling to it’s lowest level in 5 months as more people are getting their jobs back.

The economy has added back roughly half of the 22.2 million jobs that were lost in March and April of this year.

About the areaFriday Fun FactsReal EstateUncategorized September 4, 2020

New Home Surge

Sales of new homes have jumped to their highest levels in 14 years.

The annualized rate of single-family new construction homes is now at 901,000 according to the new Census Bureau report.

This means that across the U.S., at the current pace of sales, there will be almost 1,000,000 new homes built and sold over the next 12 months.

This pace is 36% higher than one year ago and the highest it has been since the end of 2006.

Given the low inventory levels of previously-owned homes that most of the Country is experiencing, this uptick in new home activity is welcome news.

Buyer TipsFriday Fun FactsHomes for SaleReal EstateSeller Tips August 14, 2020

At Least List

Periodically we track a stat which we find to be quite interesting.

It answers this question – how many properties are selling for at least list price (asking price or higher)?

This stat tells us how active the market is and helps our buyers to realize that, in some cases, they will be in a competitive situation.

When we look at single-family home sales so far this month, this is what we find:

57% of properties in Larimer County sell for at least list price

62% of properties in Weld County sell for at least list price

So, in well over half of the transactions, buyers need to offer list price or higher to acquire the property.

The data gets even more interesting when this information is broken out by price range.

To no one’s surprise, the percentage increases for properties priced under $400,000:

81% in Larimer County

70% in Weld County

We find that for properties over $400,000 the percentages still tell a story of a very active market:

47% in Larimer County

56% in Weld County

Bottom line, in most locations and price ranges we see a strong sellers’ market where buyers need to be prepared to make a strong offer and to also compete.

 

About the areaBuyer TipsFriday Fun FactsHomes for SaleReal EstateSeller Tips August 7, 2020

Rebound

The Case-Shiller Home Price Index tracks appreciation in the 20 largest real estate markets across the U.S.

Their most recent quarterly report was just released this week.

Metro Denver prices are up over last year by 3.89% which is just slightly higher than the average of the 20 markets.

It is interesting to see how the 20 locations have performed since the pre-Great Recession housing peak.

Turns out that Denver has done the best out of all the markets.

Since 2008, Denver home prices have appreciated 64.9%. Second-best is Dallas at 55.5% and Seattle is third at 41.2%.

Believe it or not, there are markets where average home prices have still not returned to their 2008 levels.

Las Vegas is 14.5% below 2008 and Chicago is 12.8% below.

These numbers are another indicator of the long-term health and performance of the Front Range market.