“2020 will be known for a lot of things, and a record-breaking year for real estate will certainly be one of its more unexpected legacies,” prominent economist Daryl Fairweather said. And he’s right. Most of us would have expected the housing market to suffer from circumstances like a global pandemic and historic inventory shortages. Instead, we’re experiencing a strong seller’s market.
Continue reading A Strong Seller’s Market: The New Normal?
The U.S. unemployment rate is at a 50-year low, and consumer confidence remains high. In fact, the University of Michigan’s latest Surveys of Consumers found that Americans have their most positive personal finance outlook since 2003.
However, if you follow national news, you’ve probably heard speculation that we could be headed toward a recession. Global trade tensions and a slowdown in the GDP growth rate have sparked volatility in the stock market, leading to economic uncertainty.
Given these differing signals, you may be wondering: How has the real estate market been impacted? Where is it headed? And more importantly, what does it mean for me?
Continue reading How’s the Real Estate Market?
The North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report for January 2019 shows stronger price growth in December, but continues with the same declining market trends that began last April. So even though the median sales price is still climbing, the number of sales continues to drop. We are also seeing longer market times and a growing inventory of homes for sale.
Experts predict more of the same in 2019 with the California Association of REALTORS® noting that while the median home price may rise slightly, home sales will continue to drop. If our slower market is keeping you on the fence as far as buying, you may want to reconsider. Interest rates have recently decreased in reaction to stock market volatility and trade tensions, but most experts expect them to climb, possibly as high as 5.5 percent, in 2019.
Continue reading January 2019 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report for December 2018 brings more evidence of a shift from a sellers’ to a buyers’ market. Although unemployment is the lowest it’s been in more than 40 years and wages have grown, they still have not kept up with home prices. This coupled with rising interest rates has made affordability very difficult, especially in more expensive markets like ours.
What should we expect in 2019? Most experts predict that interest rates will continue to increase in 2019. They expect minimal price increases and a slowdown in home sales. Although buyers are nervous about this market, it’s a good time to lock in interest rates and find better deals on homes.
Continue reading December 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The September 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report continues a pattern that started five months ago. Although we are still seeing strong price increases, the number of homes available for sale has been growing while the number of homes selling continues to drop. Along with these changes, homes are staying on the market longer, and sellers are not receiving as much of their asking price when their homes sell.
Continue reading September 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The August 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report indicates a continuation of a market shift that started four months ago. Inventory is growing. Sales are slowing down, and homes are starting to stay on the market longer. CNBC reports that San Diego saw the largest increase in inventory in the second quarter compared to other high priced communities.
This is great news if you have been thinking of buying. The market is still tight and homes are still selling quickly, but you will have more choices. It’s cautionary news if you are planning on selling. Even though inventory is growing, it is still well below norms. But now home sellers have more competition and should price their homes to be the best option in their marketplace.
Continue reading August 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The July 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report shows inventory increasing for a third month in a row while sales continue to drop. Even with this slight growth in inventory, the market is still very competitive for home buyers. Prices continue to rise, and market times are short. Experts predict that demand will continue to outpace supply, and this will hurt San Diego County’s economic growth.
Continue reading July 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The June 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report continues to show a slight turnaround in the years-long trend of tightening inventory. As I noted last month, the number of homes for sale in San Diego and North County has been shrinking since 2015. Last month, year-over inventory in both markets finally increased. This month, we saw it continue to grow in North County and level-off countywide. This will be something to watch as the year progresses.
Statewide, we also saw a rise in inventory, but not across the nation as a whole. Experts are predicting home prices will continue to grow at double the pace of wages.
We have not seen enough of a shift to make any kind of major change in our market, but the lack of inventory is what has kept pressure on housing prices. If inventory continues to rise, this will bring more choices for home buyers and weaken home appreciation. Rising interest rates will also put pressure on home values.
Continue reading June 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The May 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report brings us a month of firsts. The median home price countywide hit its highest point ever at $575,000. That’s $15,000 higher than in March and 8.7 percent more compared to the previous year. North County also saw a new high with its median price increasing 7.4 percent over the previous year, hitting $644,500.
April’s other first was a year-over increase in new listings in both North County and San Diego County as a whole. We haven’t seen this happen since August 2016. This increase in new listings combined with fewer sales kept inventory levels from decreasing. They are still quite low at 2.1 months in North County and 1.9 months in San Diego County, but this is the first time inventory has not seen a year-over drop since 2015.
Continue reading May 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report
The April 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report continues to show strong price growth, tight inventory and fewer sales compared to 2017. Those price increases along with rising mortgage rates are making it tough for home buyers. The San Diego economy is strong based on a recent study by University of San Diego, but experts don’t see the real estate boom lasting forever.
Continue reading April 2018 North County and San Diego Real Estate Market Report