The Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors often provides us with important information related to real estate sales and trends. Their May 2016 report reflects data collected in February and March. Here are some interesting statistics that we pulled from the report:
• We are in the thick of an exciting period of home buying and selling, often with quick multiple offers that are near, at or even above asking price!
• It was widely predicted that we would see healthy sales activity during the second quarter of 2016, and the market has not disappointed.
• Prices moved higher as the median sales price was up 3.4 percent to $125,000. Days on the market decreased 11.6 percent to 61 days. (Note: Homes listed by The Olear Team are averaging just 22 days on the market in 2016.) The “days on the market” statistic is defined as the total number of days the listing is on the active market before an offer is accepted.
• Although inventory is still being stretched thin in many areas, low mortgage rates coupled with higher wages have built a relatively sturdy housing marketplace. How long that can continue without fresh supply remains an important question, but conditions are seemingly good enough for serious buyers.
According to a Merrill Lynchstudy, “an estimated 4.2 million retirees moved into a new home last year alone.” Two-thirds of retirees say that they are likely to move at least once during retirement.
As one participant in the study stated:
“In retirement, you have the chance to live anywhere you want. Or you can just stay where you are. There hasn’t been another time in life when we’ve had that kind of freedom.”
The top reason to relocate cited was “wanting to be closer to family” at 29%; a close second was “wanting to reduce home expenses” at 26%.
A recent Freddie Macstudy found similar results as “nearly 20 percent of Boomers said they would move closer to their grandchildren/children compared to 13 percent who said they would move to a warmer climate.”
Not Every Baby Boomer Downsizes
There is a common misconception that as retirees find themselves with fewer children at home, they will instantly desire a smaller home to maintain. While that may be the case for half of those surveyed, the study found that three in 10 decide to actually upsize to a larger home.
Some choose to buy a home in a desirable destination with extra space for large family vacations, reunions, extended visits, or to allow other family members to move in with them. According to Merrill Lynch:
“Retirees often find their homes become places for family to come together and reconnect, particularly during holidays or summer vacations.”
Bottom Line
If your housing needs have changed or are about to change, meet with a local real estate professional in your area who can help with deciding your next step.
In today’s market, with homes selling quickly and prices rising, some homeowners might consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.
Here are five of those reasons:
1. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With
Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale By Owner:
The buyer who wants the best deal possible
The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
The appraiser if there is a question of value
2. Exposure to Prospective Purchasers
Recent studies have shown that 89% of buyers search online for a home. That is in comparison to only 20% looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you?
3. Results Come from the Internet
Where do buyers find the home they actually purchased?
The days of selling your house by just putting up a sign and putting it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong internet strategy is crucial.
4. FSBOing has Become More and More Difficult
The paperwork involved in selling and buying a home has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 8% over the last 20+ years.
The 8% share represents the lowest recorded figure since NAR began collecting data in 1981.
5. You Net More Money when Using an Agent
Many homeowners believe that they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real estate agent’s commission. The seller and buyer can’t both save the commission.
Studies have shown that the typical house sold by the homeowner sells for $210,000 while the typical house sold by an agent sells for $249,000. This doesn’t mean that an agent can get $39,000 more for your home as studies have shown that people are more likely to FSBO in markets with lower price points. However, it does show that selling on your own might not make sense.
Bottom Line
Before you decide to take on the challenges of selling your house on your own, let’s meet up so we can discuss the difference having an agent can make. Please contact the professionals at The Olear Team today!
There are some homeowners that have been waiting for months to get a price they hoped for when they originally listed their house for sale. The only thing they might want to consider is… if it hasn’t sold yet, maybe it’s not priced properly.
After all14,986 houses sold yesterday, 14,986 will sell today and 14,986 will sell tomorrow.
14,986!
That is the average number of homes that sell each and every day in this country according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) latest Existing Home Sales Report. NAR reported that sales are at an annual rate of 5.59 million. Divide that number by 365 (days in a year) and we can see that, on average, over 14,986 homes sell every day.
The report from NAR also revealed that there is currently only a 4.0-month supply of inventory available for sale, (six-months inventory is considered “historically normal”).
This means that there are not enough homes available for sale to satisfy the buyers who are out in the market now in record numbers.
Bottom Line
We realize that you want to get the fair market value for your home. However, if it hasn’t sold in today’s active real estate market, perhaps you should reconsider your current asking price. For more information, please contact The Olear Team today!
Every homeowner wants to make sure they maximize their financial reward when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensuring you get the highest price possible.
1. Price it a little low
This may seem counterintuitive. However, let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their home a little over market value will leave them room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for your house (see chart below).
Instead of the seller trying to “win” the negotiation with one buyer, they should price it so that demand for the home is maximized. In that way, the seller will not be fighting with a buyer over the price, but instead will havemultiple buyers fighting with each other over the house.
Realtor.com gives this advice:
“Aim to price your property at or just slightly below the going rate. Today’s buyers are highly informed, so if they sense they’re getting a deal, they’re likely to bid up a property that’s slightly underpriced, especially in areas with low inventory.”
2. Use a real estate professional
This too may seem counter intuitive. The seller may think they would net more money if they didn’t have to pay a real estate commission. With this being said, studies have shown that homes typically sell for more money when handled by a real estate professional.
Research posted by the Economists’ Outlook Blog revealed that:
“The median selling price for all FSBO homes was $210,000 last year. When the buyer knew the seller in FSBO sales, the number sinks to the median selling price of $151,900. However, homes that were sold with the assistance of an agent had a median selling price of $249,000 – nearly $40,000 more for the typical home sale.”
Bottom Line
Price your house at or slightly below the current market value and hire a professional. That will guarantee you maximize the price you get for your house. For more information, please contact The Olear Team today!
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their latest Quarterly Metro Home Price report earlier this month. The report revealed that home prices are not only continuing to rise but that the increases are accelerating. Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR, discussed the impact of low inventory on buyers in the report:
“Without a significant ramp-up in new home construction and more homeowners listing their homes for sale, buyers are likely to see little relief in the form of slowing price growth in the months ahead.”
Here are the percentage increases of home prices for the last two quarters:
What this means to sellers
Rising prices are a homeowner’s best friend. As reported by CoreLogic in a recent blog post:
“With demand strong and inventory thin, the share of homes selling for the list price or more has also returned to pre-bust levels. With inventory tight, homes are more likely to sell above the asking price.”
What this means to buyers
In a market where prices are rising, buyers should take into account the cost of waiting. Obviously, they will pay more for the same house later this year. However, as Construction Divereported, the amounts of cash necessary to buy a home will also increase.
“These factors have created a situation where the market keeps moving the goalposts in terms of the down payment necessary for first-time homebuyers to get into a home.”
Bottom Line
If you’re thinking of selling and moving down, waiting might make sense. If you are a first time buyer or a seller thinking of moving up, waiting probably doesn’t make sense. For more information, please contact The Olear Team today!
In today’s market, with homes selling quickly and prices rising, some homeowners might consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.
