Christmas trees on cars, holiday office parties, full mall parking lots, as the season descends upon us, the Orange County real estate market follows a normal cyclycally slower path through the first couple of weeks of the New Year. Not much has changed over the last couple of weeks other than a drop in demand and the active inventory, typical for this time of year. It is cold outside, for Southern California, it has been raining, Orange County’s equivalent of snow, and there are plenty of holiday distractions. It is no wonder that fewer homes are coming on the market as buyer demand appreciably drops to lows last seen in February. It will take a couple of weeks into 2010 before buyers and sellers shake the cobwebs off and return their focus to real estate once again. Many are taking a break, as this real estate market is absolutely exhausting. Nothing is easy. Ask the buyers in the lower ranges that have written offer after offer with no success thus far. There is just way too much demand, especially below $750,000, and the buyer competition is fierce. Multiple offers are the norm. Losing to buyers with large down payments or all cash investors is the norm. It is frustrating to be a buyer in today’s market. Most buyers enter the Orange County market with totally different expectations, since all they hear about are homeowners in trouble, sellers upside down in their homes and falling property values. Yet, they get into the cars of Realtors®, and quickly come to the realization that the market is much different. It is actually a SELLER’s market, without massive appreciation. It is the short sales and foreclosures that are actually keeping values from appreciating. Demand is HOT, the inventories have fallen appreciably throughout this year, values have already dropped to affordable levels, interest rates are at historical lows, and the government has implemented tax credits for first time home buyers (and now moves up sellers). Today’s market reality is frustrating for buyers. It is no wonder that many buyers will take the holidays off, sit back and relax. It does not help that there simply is not enough new, fresh inventory hitting the market. This is primarily due to the notion that this is not the best time to sell a home. Many want to wait for what they think is the best time to sell a home, the Spring market, which starts after the Super Bowl. But, demand is still strong right now in the lower ranges. During the Spring market, there are more homeowners opting to place their homes on the market along with increased demand. It is actually a good time to market a home, especially if a seller is looking to move up and take advantage of the new tax credit.
So, how do the numbers look? Let’s start by taking a look at the biggest change in the past two weeks, demand. Demand, the number of new pending sales over the past month, dropped by 392 homes to 2,646, a 13% drop. Last year’s demand was 324 fewer and dropped 12% in two weeks. Two years ago there were 1,498 fewer and dropped by 8% in two weeks. The active listing inventory has not really changed much over the past couple of weeks, a 67 home drop to 7,588. We have not seen the active inventory at this low of a level since December 2005. That’s been the story of 2009. The Orange County real estate market has shed 4,254 homes since the beginning of the year, a 36% drop. The expected market time for all of Orange County increased in the past couple of weeks from 2.52 to 2.87 months. A rise in the expected market time is also cyclical through the end of the year. The expected market time last year was at 5.34 months and two years ago it was at 14.05 months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 2.29 months. For homes priced between $1 million to $2 million, the expected market time is 7.64 months. That range represents 14% of the active listing inventory, but just 5% of demand. For homes priced above $2 million, the expected market time is 23.68 months. That range represents 12% of the active listing inventory and a meager 1% of demand. The data illustrates what buyers and sellers are experiencing within the housing market, the higher the range, the slower the market. The total pending count, which includes all pending sales beyond 30-days, dropped by 355 homes to 6,391, the largest drop of the year. Now that more short sales are actually obtaining lender approval and are closing, the total pending count has started to drop after rising throughout the year. For the fourth time this year, and now three reports in a row, the number of distressed properties on the market increased, but only by 13 homes, or 0.5%. There are now 2,509 distressed homes on the market, 33% of the total active inventory. Last year 45% of the active inventory was distressed and two years ago it was at 23%. There are currently only 337 foreclosures in all of Orange County, an increase of 16 in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing inventory and have an expected market time of 0.93 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.42 months. Foreclosures are exceptionally HOT and continue to sell well above their asking prices. There are currently 2,172 short sales on the active market, a decrease of 3 in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 29% of the active listing inventory. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 2.14 month versus 7.32 months one year ago. Homeowners with equity in their home now account for 67% of the current active inventory and 48% of demand.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Orange County Housing Report: Thankful for Affordability
On this Thanksgiving Eve, the return of home affordabilty in Orange County is something to be thankful for, especially if you are a first time home buyer. With the run-up in prices earlier this decade, I recall many people were concerned for their children and the “next generation” of home buyers. Homes had risen to such astronomical heights that many wondered if they were going to be able to live close to home or stay in California. The silver lining to the current downturn has been that affordability and historically low interest rates have enabled buyers pushed out of the market in prior years to buy a home in Orange County. A few years ago nobody was working with first time homebuyers. Today, agents have pockets filled with buyers and many of them are purchasing a home for the first time. There is not a better feeling, as a Realtor® than handing a buyer keys to their first home. The return of affordability, historically low interest rate and a fear that rates will eventually rise has boosted demand as more and more buyers have entered the market, especially in the lower ranges. Throw in the first time home buyer tax credit (now extended through mid-2010) and an increased conventional loan limit all the way to $729,750 (now extended through all of 2010), buyers have even more reasons to purchase. As a result, the active inventory has dropped dramatically throughout the year. The lower ranges are experiencing a lot of activity and multiple offers. Homes below $750,000 are HOT and below $500,000 even HOTTER. Buyers and their agents are diligently watching the inventory for the next new listing to pop on the market. The active inventory is extremely tight, especially in the lower price ranges, with multiple offers and tremendous competition a new norm. As a result, prices have stabilized in many areas. These are the roots to an Orange County housing recovery. All downturns eventually turn around and it is the activity in the lower ranges that prop up the market. We have the activity, but unemployment and the sheer number of distressed properties, especially short sales, have to work their way through the system first.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The distractions of the holiday have finally seeped into the Orange County housing market. Demand, the number of new pending sales over the prior month, dropped by 6%, 203 homes, and now totals 3,038. That’s still better than 2,466 posted last year or 1,243 two years ago. Cyclically demand drops for the rest of the year and through the first few weeks of the New Year. We can expect more of the same this year, but maybe not as deep as prior years due to so many buyers waiting for the right home to hit the market. But, not as many homes will hit the market, waiting, instead, for the end of the holidays. As a homeowner, this is actually a good time to place a home on the market, especially in the lower ranges. The active listing inventory will continue its slow descent though the end of the year. The Spring market, which actually begins for Orange County after the Super Bowl, is typically the best time to sell. Demand will increase, but so will the number of homes hitting the market. There will still be plenty of competition from distressed properties, which will keep values in check throughout 2010. We can also expect a return of the discretionary homeowner for the fourth year in a row, only selling their home if they truly are motivated to sell. Currently the active listing inventory decreased by 64 homes over the past two weeks, totaling 7,655. That’s 5,292 fewer than last year and 9,114 fewer than two years ago. The inventory has dropped by 4,187 homes so far this year, a 35% drop. The expected market time for all of Orange County increased in the past couple of weeks from 2.38 to 2.52 months. A rise in the expected market time is also cyclical for the remainder of the year. The expected market time last year was at 5.29 months and two years ago it was at 13.49 months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 1.99 months. For homes priced between $1 million to $2 million, the expected market time is 6.64 months. That range represents 15% of the active listing inventory, but just 6% of demand. For homes priced above $2 million, the expected market time is 25.65 months. That range represents 12% of the active listing inventory, but just 1% of demand. The data illustrates what buyers and sellers are experiencing within the housing market, the higher the range, the slower the market. The total pending count, includes all pending sales beyond 30-days, dropped by 109 homes to 6,746. Now that more short sales are actually successfully closing, the total pending count has reached a plateau after rising throughout the year. For the third time this year, and now two reports in a row, the number of distressed properties on the market increased by 34 homes, or 1%. 33% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 45% last year. There are currently only 321 foreclosures in all of Orange County, a decrease of 18 in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing inventory and have an expected market time of 0.78 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.40 months. Foreclosures continue to be exceptionally HOT and are, on average, selling for 3% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,175 short sales on the active market, an increase of 52 in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 28% of the active listing inventory. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.82 month versus 7.21 months one year ago. Homeowners with equity in their home now account for 67% of the current active inventory.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The distractions of the holiday have finally seeped into the Orange County housing market. Demand, the number of new pending sales over the prior month, dropped by 6%, 203 homes, and now totals 3,038. That’s still better than 2,466 posted last year or 1,243 two years ago. Cyclically demand drops for the rest of the year and through the first few weeks of the New Year. We can expect more of the same this year, but maybe not as deep as prior years due to so many buyers waiting for the right home to hit the market. But, not as many homes will hit the market, waiting, instead, for the end of the holidays. As a homeowner, this is actually a good time to place a home on the market, especially in the lower ranges. The active listing inventory will continue its slow descent though the end of the year. The Spring market, which actually begins for Orange County after the Super Bowl, is typically the best time to sell. Demand will increase, but so will the number of homes hitting the market. There will still be plenty of competition from distressed properties, which will keep values in check throughout 2010. We can also expect a return of the discretionary homeowner for the fourth year in a row, only selling their home if they truly are motivated to sell. Currently the active listing inventory decreased by 64 homes over the past two weeks, totaling 7,655. That’s 5,292 fewer than last year and 9,114 fewer than two years ago. The inventory has dropped by 4,187 homes so far this year, a 35% drop. The expected market time for all of Orange County increased in the past couple of weeks from 2.38 to 2.52 months. A rise in the expected market time is also cyclical for the remainder of the year. The expected market time last year was at 5.29 months and two years ago it was at 13.49 months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 1.99 months. For homes priced between $1 million to $2 million, the expected market time is 6.64 months. That range represents 15% of the active listing inventory, but just 6% of demand. For homes priced above $2 million, the expected market time is 25.65 months. That range represents 12% of the active listing inventory, but just 1% of demand. The data illustrates what buyers and sellers are experiencing within the housing market, the higher the range, the slower the market. The total pending count, includes all pending sales beyond 30-days, dropped by 109 homes to 6,746. Now that more short sales are actually successfully closing, the total pending count has reached a plateau after rising throughout the year. For the third time this year, and now two reports in a row, the number of distressed properties on the market increased by 34 homes, or 1%. 33% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 45% last year. There are currently only 321 foreclosures in all of Orange County, a decrease of 18 in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing inventory and have an expected market time of 0.78 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.40 months. Foreclosures continue to be exceptionally HOT and are, on average, selling for 3% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,175 short sales on the active market, an increase of 52 in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 28% of the active listing inventory. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.82 month versus 7.21 months one year ago. Homeowners with equity in their home now account for 67% of the current active inventory.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Orange County Housing Report: Short Sales are a Nightmare
Have you ever pedalled up a steep hill on your bicycle as a kid only to wonder if you were going to ever make it? That’s the same feeling that buyers, sellers and agents get in trying to arrive at a successful close date. Short sales are homes where the asking price is less than the outstanding loan amounts. These are subject to the lender’s approval. This takes anywhere from weeks to months. There is nothing short about a short sale. About a year ago, it was just about impossible for agents to show a short sale to a prospective buyer. Nine times out of ten, the short sale already had at least one offer on the home and submitted to the lender for approval. However, the home remained on the market as an active listing until the approval was received. So, agents would show their buyers home after home only to find out that most short sales already had an offer submitted, which amounted to a giant waste of everybody’s time. Agents then would contact every short sale to see if it was “really” available. This stemmed from the fact that an escrow is not opened until after lender approval. Escrow is not opened so that expenses are not incurred for any work completed. Inspections, homeowner association documentation, appraisals, etcetera, are all fee based and time sensitive and nobody is going to want to pick up the tab if a lender does not approve a file or if there are significant delays. The short sale data has been cleaned up over the course of the last year. It is mandatory for all offers that are submitted to a lender to be placed in “Backup Offer” status or “Pending Sale” status within the Multiple Listing Service. I used to reference the overstated active listing inventory and the understated pending sale statistics last year at this time. The data is still not perfect, but is much improved and easier for agents and buyers to look at homes. In response to so many short sales no longer counted as a part of the active listing inventory, the total pending sale inventory has blossomed. There are currently 6,838 total pending sales. 58% are short sales, only 8% are foreclosures and 33% are homeowners with equity. There are 3,703 pending sales that have been pending for more than one month. 76% are short sales, 5% are foreclosures and 19% are homeowners with equity. There are 2,132 pending sales that are have been pending for more than two months. A stunning 91% are short sales, 1% are foreclosures and 8% are homeowners with equity. Almost a third of the total pending sales count has been pending for more than two months and most are short sales. Even though more and more homeowners have defaulted on loans, lenders have not been foreclosing. As a result, the market has grown much hotter with an increase in successful short sales and a shift to more equity sellers. Here’s a breakdown:
The huge increase in pending short sales has not materialized as a huge increase in closed short sales. All of these numbers illustrate that dealing with short sales is like bicycling up a steep hill as a kid. Just because a buyer’s offers is accepted, if it is a short sale, it is going to take a long time to close escrow. Since short sales are distressed, their pricing attracts a lot of attention from buyers. Buyers can expect multiple offers in dealing with short sales. In the end, buyers have to move quickly and compete with other offers only to wait for a long period of time for the seller to obtain lender approval. Sometimes the process takes such a long time that the buyer walks away and looks for something else. Many move onto equity sellers. The Orange County real estate market and the entire state of California are at the mercy of lenders. The bottom line, the market is full of challenges and the short sale process makes the current real estate landscape even more challenging.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The market has continued to not change much over the past few months. Once again, the past two weeks are no exception. The active listing inventory decreased slightly by 30 homes over the past two weeks, totaling 7,719. That’s 5,539 fewer than last year and 9,514 fewer than two years ago. The inventory has dropped by 4,123 homes so far this year, a 35% drop. We can expect the active listing inventory to drop slightly for the remainder of the year. Demand, the number of new pending sales within the past month, increased by 75 in the past couple of weeks to 3,241, a 2% increase. Last year’s demand was 684 fewer and two years ago was 1,946 fewer. The expected market time for all of Orange County decreased in the past couple of weeks from 2.48 to 2.38 months. The expected market time last year was at 5.18 months and two years ago it was at 13.31 months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 1.87 months. For homes priced above $1 million, the expected market time is 8.79 months. That range represents 27% of the active listing inventory, but just 7% of demand. For only the second time this year, the number of distressed properties on the market increased. The distressed inventory increased by 73 homes, or 3%. 32% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 44% last year. There are currently only 339 foreclosures in all of Orange County, an increase of 25 in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing market and have an expected market time of 0.82 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.22 months. Foreclosures continue to be exceptionally HOT and are, on average, selling for 3% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,123 short sales on the active market, an increase of 48 in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 28% of the active listing inventory. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.72 month versus 7.08 months one year ago (this number was grossly overstated as illustrated earlier). Homeowners with equity in their home now account for 68% of the current active inventory. If a buyer wants to avoid the many pitfalls of dealing with short sales and foreclosures, they should turn their attention to equity sellers.
The huge increase in pending short sales has not materialized as a huge increase in closed short sales. All of these numbers illustrate that dealing with short sales is like bicycling up a steep hill as a kid. Just because a buyer’s offers is accepted, if it is a short sale, it is going to take a long time to close escrow. Since short sales are distressed, their pricing attracts a lot of attention from buyers. Buyers can expect multiple offers in dealing with short sales. In the end, buyers have to move quickly and compete with other offers only to wait for a long period of time for the seller to obtain lender approval. Sometimes the process takes such a long time that the buyer walks away and looks for something else. Many move onto equity sellers. The Orange County real estate market and the entire state of California are at the mercy of lenders. The bottom line, the market is full of challenges and the short sale process makes the current real estate landscape even more challenging.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The market has continued to not change much over the past few months. Once again, the past two weeks are no exception. The active listing inventory decreased slightly by 30 homes over the past two weeks, totaling 7,719. That’s 5,539 fewer than last year and 9,514 fewer than two years ago. The inventory has dropped by 4,123 homes so far this year, a 35% drop. We can expect the active listing inventory to drop slightly for the remainder of the year. Demand, the number of new pending sales within the past month, increased by 75 in the past couple of weeks to 3,241, a 2% increase. Last year’s demand was 684 fewer and two years ago was 1,946 fewer. The expected market time for all of Orange County decreased in the past couple of weeks from 2.48 to 2.38 months. The expected market time last year was at 5.18 months and two years ago it was at 13.31 months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 1.87 months. For homes priced above $1 million, the expected market time is 8.79 months. That range represents 27% of the active listing inventory, but just 7% of demand. For only the second time this year, the number of distressed properties on the market increased. The distressed inventory increased by 73 homes, or 3%. 32% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 44% last year. There are currently only 339 foreclosures in all of Orange County, an increase of 25 in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing market and have an expected market time of 0.82 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.22 months. Foreclosures continue to be exceptionally HOT and are, on average, selling for 3% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,123 short sales on the active market, an increase of 48 in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 28% of the active listing inventory. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.72 month versus 7.08 months one year ago (this number was grossly overstated as illustrated earlier). Homeowners with equity in their home now account for 68% of the current active inventory. If a buyer wants to avoid the many pitfalls of dealing with short sales and foreclosures, they should turn their attention to equity sellers.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Orange County Housing Report: Lack of Inventory is SPOOKY
Keeping with the cries for “trick or treat,” the Orange County housing market has its own eerie trick, an incredible lack of inventory for homes priced below $1 million. The other day I was asked what one thing spooks me the most about the real estate market right now and the crazy inventory was my answer. There is very little fresh, new inventory. The lower the range, the “spookier” it gets. Properties that are priced right and in great condition are flying off of the market with multiple offers and tremendous activity. Buyers new to the market are dumbfounded by all of the competition. Their expectations are of doom and gloom and the ability to “cherry pick” whatever home they are interested in AND at a discount. Yet, just about every agent has pockets filled with buyers who want to buy but have been unable to purchase after losing out on property after property. For most, it is not the first time home buyer credit that is motivating them, as it is set to expire at the end of November anyhow (there is an extension that is in the works though). Many buyers don’t even qualify for the credit due to income requirements. Affordability, low rates and a fear that rates will increase from their historically low levels has motivated people to jump into the market. On average, agents are writing several offers for every buyer. To top it off, investors are back in the real estate game and pushing out buyers with smaller down payments. FHA (Federal Housing Administration) financing allows for a small down payment, but buyers electing to utilize this program simply are finding it impossible to purchase. We have seen prices increasing in the lower ranges slightly, but distressed properties are keeping a lid on stronger appreciation. The "shadow inventory" of foreclosed properties sitting on the sidelines and not yet on the market due to foreclosure moratoriums, government intervention, or banks careful not to flood the market, has only compounded the problem of a lack of inventory. Even if the strategy were to change and more of the “shadow inventory” hit the market, demand is currently strong enough to quickly sop it up. However, buyers should not expect foreclosures to flood the market all at once, lenders and the government are not interested in eroding values further. Instead, when the market heats up in the spring we can probably expect an increase in foreclosure activity to parallel an increase in demand. This housing downturn has been full of surprises and this year's "spooky" twist has been an unexpected drop in the inventory.
So, how do the numbers look? The market really has not changed much over the past few months. The past two weeks are definitely no exception. There have been no surprises other than the continued descent in the housing inventory. The active listing inventory decreased by 174 homes over the past two weeks, totaling 7,749. We have not seen the inventory this low since the beginning of January 2006. That’s 5,041 fewer than last year and 9,705 fewer than two years ago. The inventory has dropped by 4,093 homes so far this year, a 35% drop. We can expect the active listing inventory to drop slightly for the remainder of the year. Demand, the number of new pending sales within the past month, dropped by 31 in the past couple of weeks to 3,166, a 1% drop. Last year’s demand was 703 fewer and two years ago was 1,925 fewer. For the remainder of the year, as we enter the Holiday market, we can expect demand to continue to slowly drop as the distractions of Thanksgiving, unwrapping presents and ringing in a New Year sets in. The expected market time for all of Orange County decreased ever so slightly in the past couple of weeks from 2.48 to 2.45 months. The expected market time last year was at 5.19 months and two years ago it was at 14.06 months. That’s correct. The current expected market time for the entire market, including the sluggish upper end, is two-and-a-half months. For homes priced below $1 million, the expected market time is 1.89 months. For homes priced above $1 million, the expected market time is 9.27 months. That’s because that range represents 29% of the active listing inventory, BUT just 8% of demand. There is actually okay activity up to $2 million, nothing to write home about, but some movement. For the 1,039 homes priced above $2 million, the expected market time is in the double digits, a crawl. After increasing for the first time this year two weeks ago, the number of distressed properties on the market decreased by 9 homes. 31% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 43% last year. There are currently only 314 foreclosures in all of Orange County, a decrease of eight in the past two weeks. The numbers have not really changed much since July. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing market and have an expected market time of 0.69 months. Last year the expected market time was at 1.22 months. Foreclosures continue to be exceptionally HOT and are, on average, selling for 3% above their asking prices. Buyers should be aware that it is a feeding frenzy out there for foreclosures. Realistic expectations are that the more qualified borrower able to bring in a strong offering price is going to ultimately prevail. Buyers with smaller down are going to find it difficult to compete. There are currently 2,075 short sales on the active market, a decrease of just one home in the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 27% of the active listing inventory, a major player in today’s marketplace. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.85 month versus 6.92 months one year ago. Remember, there is nothing “short” about a short sale. Short sales, where the homeowner owes more than the home is worth, are subject to loan approval and can take anywhere from weeks to months to secure that approval.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Orange County Housing Report: Two Polar Opposite Markets
With Halloween fast approaching, the differences between the lower end and higher end Orange County housing market are SPOOKY. It is extremely ironic that the general public expects a really soft real estate market with a lot of inventory and that buyers get to call all of the shots. That is entirely not true for homes priced below $1 million with an expected market time of only 1.88 months. That translates to an incredibly HOT seller’s market. That range represents 71% of the current active listing inventory. The upper range, homes priced above $1 million, represents 29% of the active listing inventory, but has an expected market time of 10.37 months. Anything over 10 months is basically an almost frozen market, a deep buyer’s market. So, today’s Orange County buyers need to know that the lower the range, the hotter the market. From $750,000 to $1 million, the expected market time is 3.76 months, not incredibly hot, but not incredibly slow either. The word on the street is that there is not that much new, fresh inventory hitting the market, so if a great property comes on the market that is priced right, don’t expect it to last very long. Below $750,000 is crazy, and below $500,000 is just NUTS. That’s right, N-U-T-S!!! Tremendous competition, multiple offers, and selling prices close to or above the asking prices are the norm. This is where many who have not experienced the Orange County housing market by sitting in a car and touring the few homes on the market within their areas of interest simply will not believe me. So, if you are in doubt, take a look around for homes in the lower ranges. The hot market is a reality. The homes that do not sell are overpriced, in poor condition or are in a poor location. It is not just distressed homes that are selling. 50% of demand, the number of new pending sales during the past month, is sellers with equity in their homes. Homes that are priced right are selling and selling fast. The sales to list price ratio for homes priced below $1 million is 99%. That means that on average, homes are discounted by only 1% off of their asking prices. For homes priced below $500,000, the sales to list price ratio is 100%, meaning that, on average, they are selling for their full asking price. That should be the headline in local newspapers and the topic for the nightly news: “Most homes in Orange County are selling for their asking prices and they are selling fast!” Let me clarify one important point though, the lower ranges are experiencing a seller’s market, but are not experiencing appreciation. Prices have stabilized because there is just too much demand. But, with so many distressed properties still in the mix and many appraisal issues, prices are not going up. With the government’s changes to the appraisal process, known as “The Home Valuation Code of Conduct,” more and more homes are not appraising for the agreed upon purchase prices. The government had the right intention, but I can write a book as to how the code of conduct has made the housing recovery process much more challenging. When an appraisal comes in too low, the buyer, the seller, or a combination of the two, makes up the difference, OR the pending sale falls apart and the home is placed back on the market.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the upper ranges. Homes above $1 million may represent 29% of the active listing inventory, but they only represent 7% of demand. As is customary, the higher the range, the slower the market. In this downturn it is even more pronounced. The sales to list price ratio in the upper range is 92%. That takes into account the LAST list price after many price reductions. The sales to ORIGINAL list price ratio is 85%. This vast discrepancy is due to unrealistic expectations on the part of sellers within the higher ranges and illustrates the need to carefully price a home based upon recent sales activity, 90 days or sooner is preferable, and all pending activity. Sellers in the upper ranges should not fall into the trap of giving too much weight to active listings. In this market, a buyer is not going to take into consideration another active listing that has sat on the market for months in coming up with an offering price. Appraisers are not going to give active listings much credence either. The market is so slow in the upper ranges that a great price, super condition and a great location still may equate to a long market time. Demand is just too low, so sellers need to pack their patience and enjoy the ride; this may take a while.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The active listing inventory increased by just six homes within the past couple of weeks, remaining under the 8,000 mark and totaling 7,923. That’s 4,799 fewer than last year and 9,836 fewer than two years ago. Ask any agent and their number one complaint is a lack of inventory in the lower ranges. Demand, the number of new pending sales within the past month, dropped by 73 in the past couple of weeks to 3,197. Last year’s demand was 524 fewer and two years ago was 2,022 fewer. The expected market time for all of Orange County increased slightly in the past couple of weeks from 2.42 to 2.48 months. The expected market time last year was at 4.77 months and two years ago it was at 14.73 months.
The number of distress properties on the market increased for the first time since November of 2008. Within the past couple of weeks the number of foreclosures and short sales increased by 79, now totaling 2,398, returning to early September 2009 numbers. 30.3% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 42.9% last year. There are currently only 322 foreclosures in all of Orange County, an increase of two in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing market and have an expected market time of 0.67 months. Foreclosures are HOT and are, on average, selling for 4% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,076 short sales on the active market, an increase of 77 over the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 26% of the active listing inventory, a major player in today’s marketplace. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.82 month versus 6.08 months one year ago. Short sales are also a hot segment within the marketplace; however, buyers should not expect instantaneous results and quick closings. Short sales must wait for “lender approval,” which can take anywhere from weeks to months.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the upper ranges. Homes above $1 million may represent 29% of the active listing inventory, but they only represent 7% of demand. As is customary, the higher the range, the slower the market. In this downturn it is even more pronounced. The sales to list price ratio in the upper range is 92%. That takes into account the LAST list price after many price reductions. The sales to ORIGINAL list price ratio is 85%. This vast discrepancy is due to unrealistic expectations on the part of sellers within the higher ranges and illustrates the need to carefully price a home based upon recent sales activity, 90 days or sooner is preferable, and all pending activity. Sellers in the upper ranges should not fall into the trap of giving too much weight to active listings. In this market, a buyer is not going to take into consideration another active listing that has sat on the market for months in coming up with an offering price. Appraisers are not going to give active listings much credence either. The market is so slow in the upper ranges that a great price, super condition and a great location still may equate to a long market time. Demand is just too low, so sellers need to pack their patience and enjoy the ride; this may take a while.
So, how do the rest of the numbers look? So, how do the rest of the numbers look? The active listing inventory increased by just six homes within the past couple of weeks, remaining under the 8,000 mark and totaling 7,923. That’s 4,799 fewer than last year and 9,836 fewer than two years ago. Ask any agent and their number one complaint is a lack of inventory in the lower ranges. Demand, the number of new pending sales within the past month, dropped by 73 in the past couple of weeks to 3,197. Last year’s demand was 524 fewer and two years ago was 2,022 fewer. The expected market time for all of Orange County increased slightly in the past couple of weeks from 2.42 to 2.48 months. The expected market time last year was at 4.77 months and two years ago it was at 14.73 months.
The number of distress properties on the market increased for the first time since November of 2008. Within the past couple of weeks the number of foreclosures and short sales increased by 79, now totaling 2,398, returning to early September 2009 numbers. 30.3% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 42.9% last year. There are currently only 322 foreclosures in all of Orange County, an increase of two in the past two weeks. Foreclosures only represent 4% of the active listing market and have an expected market time of 0.67 months. Foreclosures are HOT and are, on average, selling for 4% above their asking prices. There are currently 2,076 short sales on the active market, an increase of 77 over the past two weeks. Short sales currently represent 26% of the active listing inventory, a major player in today’s marketplace. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.82 month versus 6.08 months one year ago. Short sales are also a hot segment within the marketplace; however, buyers should not expect instantaneous results and quick closings. Short sales must wait for “lender approval,” which can take anywhere from weeks to months.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Top 10 OC Housing Trends
Even though the kids have gone back to school, the Orange County housing market has not really changed much over the course of the past several weeks. It is a good time to take a look at the broader market and pinpoint the latest trends. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 current Orange County housing market trends (in no particular order):
1. Below $750,000 is technically a seller’s market with an expected market time of approximately two months or less. The activity below $500,000 is incredibly hot. However, this is not a conventional seller’s market as values are not appreciating. The sheer numbers of distressed properties, mainly short sales, is keeping a lid on any appreciation. Buyers can expect multiple offers, a tremendous amount of competition, and the need to write offers to purchase on more than one property (often times several).
2. The listing inventory has been dropping all year and is now just above the 8,000 mark at 8,064. We started the year at 11,842 active homes on the market. One year ago there were 5,110 additional homes on the market and two years ago there was more than double today’s numbers. In the lower price ranges there is not a lot of new inventory coming on the market.
3. Cash is king and so are buyers with larger down payments. With so much competition in the lower ranges, buyers with very little down are having a hard time purchasing. They are losing out to buyers that can afford larger down payments. Many first time home buyers who are relying on the low down payments allowed by FHA financing simply cannot compete with more qualified buyers and investors. That’s right. Investors are back and taking away the ability for a lot of buyers to purchase.
4. Foreclosures are EXTREMELY hot. There are currently only 334 active listings that are foreclosures in all of Orange County, representing 4.1% of the total inventory. The expected market time for foreclosures is 0.66 months, or between two and three weeks.
5. The average sale to list price ratio for foreclosures over the past three months is 103%. That means that, on average, foreclosures are selling for 3% above the list price. The sale to list price ratio for short sales and equity sellers is 98%. And, if there weren’t so many appraisal issues, those numbers would be even higher. Buyers in the lower ranges should not expect to offer that much less than the asking price.
6. Prices are not dropping in the lower ranges, but they are in the upper ranges above $1 million. The higher the price range, the higher the expected market time with less and less demand. 30% of the active inventory can be found above $1 million, yet the higher end represents only 7% of demand.
7. The rumors of a foreclosure moratorium have been rampant all year long. There is truth to the moratorium, but it does not look like there will be a substantial increase in the number of foreclosures to hit the market until the first quarter of 2010. Also, there is a tremendous amount of pent up demand where just about every agent has pockets filled with buyers who are actively looking, but, surprisingly, there just is not a lot of fresh inventory. Any increase in foreclosures will most likely be offset by pent up demand.
8. With pressure from the federal government, lenders are moving more and more towards short sales. We can expect within the coming weeks for the Obama administration to announce something along these lines. Currently most short sales, where home owners owe more than their homes are worth, take a very long time to obtain lender approval, delaying the ultimate close of escrow. Lenders are creating procedures to speed up the process. Short sales are a better route than foreclosures because they are in much better condition and save the lenders a lot on repairing and carrying costs. There are currently 2,050 short sales on the market with an expected market time of 1.58 months, much different than just one year ago when there were 4,422 short sales with an expected market time of 6.2 months.
9. There are currently more distressed sales within the upper ranges. Last year only 6.5% of all distressed properties were above $750,000. Today, 11.4% of all distressed properties are above that mark. The upper ranges are not immune to distressed sales. More and more prime borrowers are having trouble paying their mortgages. A contributing factor to this trend is the increase in unemployment and the falling of property values where more and more borrowers are upside down in their homes.
10. The total pending sale count , not just a snapshot of the past month (what I refer to as demand), has steadily increased by 56% over the last year. It is taking longer to close pending sales primarily because there are a large number of short sales that are waiting on lender approval; thus, the count has really blossomed. There are now 6,851 total pending sale versus 4,393 one year ago.
Here’s a breakdown of how the numbers look this week: the active listing inventory dropped by 298 homes in the past two weeks to 8,064, its lowest level since January of 2006. Demand, the number of new pending deals over the prior month, increased by 61 in the past two weeks to 3,464. Last year’s demand was at 2,974, 490 fewer than today, and two years ago, it was at 1,180, 2,284 fewer than today. The expected market time is currently at 2.33 months, a slight change from the 2.46 month mark two weeks ago. The number of distress properties on the market dropped by 132 homes in the past two weeks, now totaling 2,384. 29% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 43% last year. There are currently 2,050 short sales on the active market, a drop of 134 over the past two weeks. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.58 months.
1. Below $750,000 is technically a seller’s market with an expected market time of approximately two months or less. The activity below $500,000 is incredibly hot. However, this is not a conventional seller’s market as values are not appreciating. The sheer numbers of distressed properties, mainly short sales, is keeping a lid on any appreciation. Buyers can expect multiple offers, a tremendous amount of competition, and the need to write offers to purchase on more than one property (often times several).
2. The listing inventory has been dropping all year and is now just above the 8,000 mark at 8,064. We started the year at 11,842 active homes on the market. One year ago there were 5,110 additional homes on the market and two years ago there was more than double today’s numbers. In the lower price ranges there is not a lot of new inventory coming on the market.
3. Cash is king and so are buyers with larger down payments. With so much competition in the lower ranges, buyers with very little down are having a hard time purchasing. They are losing out to buyers that can afford larger down payments. Many first time home buyers who are relying on the low down payments allowed by FHA financing simply cannot compete with more qualified buyers and investors. That’s right. Investors are back and taking away the ability for a lot of buyers to purchase.
4. Foreclosures are EXTREMELY hot. There are currently only 334 active listings that are foreclosures in all of Orange County, representing 4.1% of the total inventory. The expected market time for foreclosures is 0.66 months, or between two and three weeks.
5. The average sale to list price ratio for foreclosures over the past three months is 103%. That means that, on average, foreclosures are selling for 3% above the list price. The sale to list price ratio for short sales and equity sellers is 98%. And, if there weren’t so many appraisal issues, those numbers would be even higher. Buyers in the lower ranges should not expect to offer that much less than the asking price.
6. Prices are not dropping in the lower ranges, but they are in the upper ranges above $1 million. The higher the price range, the higher the expected market time with less and less demand. 30% of the active inventory can be found above $1 million, yet the higher end represents only 7% of demand.
7. The rumors of a foreclosure moratorium have been rampant all year long. There is truth to the moratorium, but it does not look like there will be a substantial increase in the number of foreclosures to hit the market until the first quarter of 2010. Also, there is a tremendous amount of pent up demand where just about every agent has pockets filled with buyers who are actively looking, but, surprisingly, there just is not a lot of fresh inventory. Any increase in foreclosures will most likely be offset by pent up demand.
8. With pressure from the federal government, lenders are moving more and more towards short sales. We can expect within the coming weeks for the Obama administration to announce something along these lines. Currently most short sales, where home owners owe more than their homes are worth, take a very long time to obtain lender approval, delaying the ultimate close of escrow. Lenders are creating procedures to speed up the process. Short sales are a better route than foreclosures because they are in much better condition and save the lenders a lot on repairing and carrying costs. There are currently 2,050 short sales on the market with an expected market time of 1.58 months, much different than just one year ago when there were 4,422 short sales with an expected market time of 6.2 months.
9. There are currently more distressed sales within the upper ranges. Last year only 6.5% of all distressed properties were above $750,000. Today, 11.4% of all distressed properties are above that mark. The upper ranges are not immune to distressed sales. More and more prime borrowers are having trouble paying their mortgages. A contributing factor to this trend is the increase in unemployment and the falling of property values where more and more borrowers are upside down in their homes.
10. The total pending sale count , not just a snapshot of the past month (what I refer to as demand), has steadily increased by 56% over the last year. It is taking longer to close pending sales primarily because there are a large number of short sales that are waiting on lender approval; thus, the count has really blossomed. There are now 6,851 total pending sale versus 4,393 one year ago.
Here’s a breakdown of how the numbers look this week: the active listing inventory dropped by 298 homes in the past two weeks to 8,064, its lowest level since January of 2006. Demand, the number of new pending deals over the prior month, increased by 61 in the past two weeks to 3,464. Last year’s demand was at 2,974, 490 fewer than today, and two years ago, it was at 1,180, 2,284 fewer than today. The expected market time is currently at 2.33 months, a slight change from the 2.46 month mark two weeks ago. The number of distress properties on the market dropped by 132 homes in the past two weeks, now totaling 2,384. 29% of the active inventory is distressed compared to 43% last year. There are currently 2,050 short sales on the active market, a drop of 134 over the past two weeks. The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.58 months.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Orange County Housing Report: End of Summer Cycle
As the end of summer fast approaches, the Orange County real estate market continues to follow its normal, cyclical path. The active listing inventory continues to drop, demand drops slightly and the expected market time has very little movement. This is typical for this time of year.
Here’s a breakdown of how the numbers look this week:
- Active listing inventory dropped by 169 homes in the past two weeks to 8,362, its lowest level since the beginning of 2006.
- The active inventory last year was at 13,582, 5,220 additional homes.
- The active inventory two years ago was at 17,760, 9,398 additional homes.
- Demand, the number of new pending deals over the prior month, dropped by 103 in the past two weeks to 3,403.
- Last year’s demand was at 2,847, 556 fewer than today.
- Two years ago, demand was at 1,206, 2,197 fewer than today.
- The expected market time is currently at 2.46 months, a slight change from the 2.43 month mark posted two weeks ago.
- The current expected market time is within the definition of a seller’s market, below five months. There is tremendous demand for homes priced below $750,000. Below $500,000, the market is extremely hot. Homes are receiving tremendous activity with multiple offers and an average list to sales price ratio of 100%. Even though we are currently experiencing a seller’s market, property values are not appreciating. This is primarily due to the number of distressed properties on the market that continue to suppress values.
- The expected market time for properties priced between $250,000 and $500,000 is currently at 1.33 months, levels not seen since the incredible days of 2005. Ask any buyer looking for a home priced below $500,000 just how crazy the market has been and you will quickly find that they are writing offer after offer. Last week, one of our agents stated that his buyer was finally in escrow after writing their fifth offer.
- Buyers today do not know how crazy the market is until they lose out on a property or two, learning from the good ol’ school of hard knocks. This is contrary to their perception of the housing market out of the gates due to the constant stream of press on the recession, unemployment and distressed homeowners.
- The current Orange County housing market is controlled by lenders, where just about half of all pending deals are either a short sale or foreclosure.
- The number of distress properties on the market dropped by 43 homes in the past two weeks, now totaling 2,516. The total had stopped its drop two weeks ago. I thought that the number would increase today. The pace in the drop has slowed over the past month, so it will be interesting to see where we go from here.
- 30.1% of the active inventory is distressed. That’s far different compared to last year when 42.3% of the inventory was distressed.
- There are currently only 332 foreclosures on the active market, an increase of 13 over the past two weeks.
- The expected market time for foreclosures is currently at 0.71 months, a deep seller’s market.
- There are 2,184 short sales on the active market, a drop of 56 over the past two weeks.
The expected market time for short sales is currently at 1.80 months.
What can buyers expect going into the Autumn Market? Interest rates dropped and remain extremely low. Demand is still extremely hot for homes priced below $750,000. There has been a lot of news regarding the end of the $8,000 first time tax credit, which currently ends with sales on November 30th. However, we can expect an extension to that program coming soon. We can also expect a second extension to the increased conventional loan limit, for Orange County it is $729,750. The government does not want to see a decrease in the current real estate market momentum, and these two programs have helped immensely. So, even though we are entering a cyclically slower time of year, do not expect that much of a change in the current market. There are still droves of buyers still looking for homes. The word out on the street is that agents have pockets filled with buyers and not enough new inventory coming on the market. Any increase in fresh inventory would be welcomed by buyers and their agents alike. However, there just won’t be a lot of new inventory to hit the market until after the New Year. The upper price ranges are experiencing less demand. Lack of financing and the recession are not helping. But, the distressed inventory within the upper ranges is definitely fueling some demand.
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