December 5, 2019
This week the economy sent mixed signals, leaving mortgage rates unchanged. Survey data for manufacturing and service industries varied while construction spending fell modestly. However, homebuyer demand continued to improve, rising eight percent. Clearly homebuyers remain bullish on the real estate market.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
Residential new construction activity continues to rise nationally. The U.S. Commerce Department reports that new housing permits rose 5% in October to a new 12-year high of 1.46 million units. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of REALTORS® chief economist, called the latest figures “tremendously good news for the housing sector.” With builder sentiment and buyer activity remaining strong, it is widely expected that new construction will continue to remain brisk in the coming months.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 23:
For the month of October:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
In the Federal Housing Administration’s 2019 Annual Report to Congress, the FHA announced their Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund Capital Ratio stood at 4.84%, up from 2.76% last year and well above the 2% minimum required by Congress. This has prompted the National Association of REALTORS® to advocate for a reduction in FHA insurance premiums and eliminating the life-of-loan mortgage insurance requirement. While the FHA has not committed to any changes at this time, there is optimism for change in the future as the reserves continue to increase. With FHA loan market share at 11.4% in the 2019 report, any reduction in mortgage insurance costs would positively affect a large number of future borrowers.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 16:
For the month of October:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
Fannie Mae is predicting that continued low rates and possibly lower rates are expected in 2020.
November 19, 2019
The Twin Cities real estate market started the fourth quarter of 2019 on a strong note with buyer and seller activity rising in October compared to 2018. Buoyed by historically low interest rates, the number of new listings and pending sales rose last month and the median price of a home also increased.
New listings increased by 3.8 percent last month to nearly 6,300 properties on the market. Pending home sales increased 4.9 percent in October, continuing their steady rise since mortgage rates dipped below 4.0 percent in June. The increase also puts the number of pending sales in positive territory for the year. Continuing the market’s upward trend, the median price of a home in the Twin Cities rose to $280,000 in October, a 5.7 percent increase over last year.
October reversed a trend of rising days on market and continued September’s reversal of sellers accepting a slightly lower share of their list price compared to last year. With increased sales activity, quicker market times and sellers yielding strong offers, it’s no wonder more sellers decided to list. There are still some signs that the market is rebalancing, but buyers awaiting spooky news could see their patience tested based on October numbers.
While inventory has grown this year, supply remains tight for first-time buyers and downsizing households competing for homes under $350,000. At this price point, multiple offers and homes selling for over list price in record time is still common. Builders struggle to replenish inventory due to high costs, a labor shortage and regulatory constraints. The shortage of affordable homes has prompted many owners to stay put. With 2.3 months of supply, the Twin Cities market is still significantly undersupplied.
October 2019 by the Numbers (compared to a year ago)
Quotables
“Interest rates are boosting buyer confidence,” said Todd Urbanski, President of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “Consumers may also be realizing that some of their fears around the market and economy could be overstated.”
“The latest figures show our key metrics returning to growth,” said Linda Rogers, President-Elect of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “We expect Minnesota and the Midwest to fare well should that change.”
From The Skinny Blog.
With the stock market reaching record highs, continued low unemployment, and low mortgage rates, many signs in the US economy remain strong. However, total household debt has been rising for twenty-one consecutive quarters and is now $1.3 trillion higher than the previous peak of $12.68 trillion in 2008. While delinquency rates remain low across most debt types, including mortgages, higher consumer debt loads can limit future household spending capability and increase risk if the economy slows down.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 9:
For the month of October:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
This week the Federal Reserve reduced its benchmark rate for the third time this year. This action was widely anticipated by the market and mortgage rates rose for the third consecutive week. Despite the recent rise, rates still remain approximately one percent lower than a year ago, which has a substantial effect on buying power. Also this week, a TransUnion analysis predicts a surge of additional first-time homebuyers will enter the market between 2020 and 2022, climbing from 7.6 million buyers in the 2016-2018 period to 8.3-9.2 million in the 2020-2022 period.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 2:
For the month of September:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
A new Census report this week announced that new construction home sales nationwide decreased slightly to a seasonally adjusted rate of 701,000 units, which is 15.5% higher than a year ago. Also in the announcement was news that the median sales price of new construction homes declined to $299,440 nationally, down 8% from a year ago. This decline was due to an increase in the availability of new homes at lower price points and is a welcomed change in what has been an underserved segment of the market.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 26:
For the month of September:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
For Week Ending October 19, 2019
While the U.S. Commerce Department reported that total housing starts dropped 9.4% month over month in September, that drop was focused on the apartment and condo segment while single-family housing starts actually rose .3%. Throughout much of the country, the continued low level of housing inventory is constraining sales activity from where it would be in a balanced market. Active inventory is in its normal seasonal decline, leaving buyers with fewer choices as we move towards the end of the year.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 19:
For the month of September:
All comparisons are to 2018
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
“Nationally, buyer and seller activity remained strong, buoyed by low mortgage rates.”
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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.