Some Highlights:

• Existing home sales are currently at an annual pace of 5.32 million and have increased on a monthly basis for the last two months.
• The inventory of existing homes for sale remains below the 6-months needed for a normal market and is now at a 3.9-month supply.

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the real estate market heading into 2019. That uncertainty has raised concerns that we may be headed toward another housing crash like the one we experienced a decade ago.

As we approach the end of the year, many homeowners find themselves asking the question, “If we’re currently in a strong real estate market, why won’t my house sell?”

Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this winter makes sense. 

Some Highlights:

• Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available!
• Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a normal housing market.

Everyone should realize that unless you are living somewhere rent-free, you are paying a mortgage – either yours or your landlord’s. Buying your own home provides you with a form of ‘forced savings’ that allows you to use your monthly housing costs to increase your family’s wealth.

Some Highlights:

• An emerging trend for some time now has been the difference between available inventory and demand in the premium and luxury markets and that in the starter and trade-up markets and what those differences are doing to prices!
• Inventory continues to rise in the luxury and premium home markets which is causing prices to cool.

Over the last six years, we have experienced strong price appreciation which has increased home equity levels dramatically. As the number of “cash-out” refinances begins to approach numbers last seen during the crash, some are afraid that we may be repeating last decade’s mistake.

Some Highlights:

• The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report.
• In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state.

Home sales numbers are leveling off, the rate of price appreciation has slowed to more historically normal averages, and inventory is finally increasing. We are headed into a more normal housing market.

In real estate, the spring is often seen as the ideal time to buy or sell a house. The term “Spring Buyer's Season” exists for a reason, as renters and those looking to move on from their current home thaw out from the winter and hit the market ready to buy.

Many sellers believe that spring is the best time to place their homes on the market because buyer demand traditionally increases at that time of year, but what they don’t realize is that if every homeowner believes the same thing, then that is when they will have the most competition!

Some Highlights:

• Existing home sales are currently at an annual pace of 5.22 million, which is up 1.4% over last month. This reverses the six-month trend of dips in sales every month.
• The inventory of existing homes is still below the 6-month supply needed for a normal market and is now at a 4.3-month supply.

Every year at this time there are many homeowners who decide to wait until after the holidays to list their homes for the first time, while others who already have their homes on the market decide to take them off until after the holidays.

According to a recent report by ATTOM Data Solutions, home sellers who sold their homes in the third quarter of 2018 benefited from rising home prices and netted an average of $61,232.

Over the past few years, two trends have emerged in the housing market:

Home renovations have shot up

Inventory of homes available for sale on the market has dropped

One hundred years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we marked the end of the “war to end all wars.” That day, which was to be observed annually on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, became known as Armistice Day and then, later on, became Veterans Day.

According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the inventory of homes for sale this year compared to last year has increased for the last four months, all while sales of existing homes have slowed compared to last year’s numbers.

Every Hour in the US Housing Market: 

• 596 Homes Sell
• 278 Homes Regain Positive Equity

There are many questions about where home sales are headed next year. We have gathered the most reliable sources to help answer this question. Here are our sources:

With home prices on the rise and buyer demand still strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own without using the services of a real estate professional.

There are many questions about where home prices will be next year as well as where they may be headed over the next several years to come. We have gathered the most reliable sources to help answer these questions:

There are many unsubstantiated theories about what is happening with home prices. From those who are worried that prices are falling (data shows this is untrue), to those who are concerned that prices are again approaching boom peaks because of “irrational exuberance” (this is also untrue as prices are not at peak levels when they are adjusted for inflation), there seems to be no shortage of opinion.

Some Highlights:

• When listing your house for sale, your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible!
• There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens!

For a while now baby boomers have been blamed for a portion of the housing market’s current lack of housing inventory, but should they really be getting the blame?