July market update

July 2020 Market Update

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As We Begin to Reopen…

As we transition into Phase III with some areas beginning to open up while others remain on restricted status, I encourage you to stay safe, make wise decisions when you go out in public, so you and your family continue to remain healthy.

The result of the pandemic has limited the number of houses coming on to the market here in Northern Virginia. Potential sellers are still concerned about people coming into their homes, which is understandable during this time. The crazy thing is – the pandemic and various Phases we have been in have not slowed down home sales! The inventory level of houses for sale is down 43% from this same week last year, yet sales are up 16.5%. It is critical that we find people looking to sell their home and are comfortable doing so because we are continuing to see multiple contracts on houses throughout Northern Virginia (in most price points). It is not uncommon to receive 15-25 contracts on a house in less than 48 hours when it is priced right, in the right condition and location. Most recently, I heard about a condominium in Falls Church that received 44 contracts – one of our fellow agents lost out on that one just last week.

The onslaught of offers has prices escalating, and as a result, we are experiencing some appraisal issues. I make sure to set the proper expectations for both sellers and buyers if I feel the house will not appraise.  In addition to this, I meet the appraiser at the property to keep them informed on the situation – the number of contracts, prices, the quantity of showings, etc. to try to avoid low appraisals. However, they still are happening in some cases, as some prices just cannot be supported by the appraisers. We have had several people waive the appraisal contingency to secure a home, which has been great for my sellers. We have also had many appraisal waivers from lenders when the borrower has excellent credit, is putting down 20% or more, and the neighborhood can support the pricing. To learn more about this, please call me.

Buyers – get in the game!  We can help, and rates are still amazing. Today’s rates are below 3% on 30-year fixed loans. Additionally, if you aren’t planning to move and you haven’t refinanced, now is a great time. Call me to learn more about this and our strategies to win in multiple contract situations or for a connection to one of my preferred lending partners. I am always here to help!

I hope you had a great 4th of July!!

Start your home search HERE! 

 

July Market Update

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Mid Year Update

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It is hard to believe we are already halfway through 2019. The two questions that I have are; where does the time go and where is the housing inventory? The number of houses in Northern Virginia remains extremely low – 20% below last year and nearly 33% from two years ago. The inventory with the lowest levels is in the first-time home buyer price range which is basically houses and condos priced below $350,000. At the time of this newsletter, there are only 717 properties for sale in all of Northern Virginia at this price point. These homes are flying off the market with an absorption rate resulting in a .75 month’s supply of housing. As such, we are seeing multiple offers as there just not enough supply for the number of buyers in this market. To climb the pricing ladder, we will see the month’s supply and inventory rise. As a comparison, houses priced between $350,000 and $500,000 have a .83 month’s supply with only 872 houses for sale. The $500,000 and $750,000 priced houses have a 1.2 month’s supply with 1,252 currently on the market. Both of these numbers are low, historically speaking, so don’t be alarmed if you are thinking of selling your house. Where we see the market slowing is in the $750,000 and above price point. In this price point, we have over a 3 month’s supply of inventory with 1,683 houses for sale. This is obviously a larger price range but shows the higher you go, the longer it takes to sell. I have mentioned many times if a house isn’t compelling – it isn’t selling and the best way to make it compelling is price. If you are considering selling in any of these price points, please call me to learn how to best position your house to sell for the most money in the least amount of time.

So, what does it mean for buyers? There are opportunities in the market to own but you need to be strategic in doing so in every price point. It is important to utilize the services of a professional to negotiate for you to get you into the home you desire. If you are considering becoming a homeowner for the first time or if you are moving up or down, give me a call to learn how this can be done for you.

Have a very Happy 4th of July and please be safe!

July Market Update

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Wow, it’s the Fourth of July already!

Will we see our sellers celebrate?  Will we see our buyers celebrate?  The answer – it depends.  This answer is not ambiguous, a lot depends upon the location and price point of the home.  For a majority of the Northern Virginia area, houses priced under $600,000 are selling quickly, unless they are condos. The ones priced above $600,000 are sitting on the market accumulating days on market, unless they are inside the beltway where they are having better luck selling.  So now you will know which sellers will be celebrating and which ones won’t.

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Also, if you are a buyer in the under $600,000 price point, you may potentially be in a bidding war and may need to put in an escalation clause to get the home. If not, you may miss out on a few homes because others are willing to pay more. Therefore, no celebration for you.

If you are looking above $600,000 and the sellers have accumulated days on market and truly need to sell, you can often times get a bargain price on the home of your dreams. This is cause for celebration!  Now you know.  Obviously this is a very general comment, each situation is going to be different so be sure to call me to learn more about what you may face in any of these scenarios.

The sales pace slowed down slightly in June and we expect this pace to continue through July and August, as it typically does. This being said, there are still over 900 house a week selling in Northern Virginia. Interest rates are fantastic, so the buying environment is rich. One thing we are noticing is there are more loan programs available and credit is easing, so this could bring more buyers into the market. Let’s keep a close eye on the easing part as we don’t want to go back to the situation that happened in the early to mid 2000’s.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.

I hope you have a great 4th of July and celebrate in style!