News Updates

Redfin Reports Home Prices Hit Another Record High, Pushing Pending Sales Down 4%

Prices keep rising because this spring’s inventory is lower than usual. The sliver of good news for buyers is that mortgage rates have declined slightly The median U.S. home-sale price hit a record $387,600 during the four weeks ending May 19, up 4% from a year earlier. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Weekly average mortgage rates dipped to 7.02% from a five-month high of 7.22% at the start of the month, bringing the median monthly housing payment to $2,854, roughly $20 shy of April’s all-time high. High housing costs pushed pending home sales down 4.2% year over year, the biggest decline in three months (except the prior 4-week period, when sales declined 4.4%). Prices keep rising despite declining sales because there aren’t enough homes on the market: New listings are up about 8% year over year, but inventory remains lower than typical spring levels. Many homeowners are staying put because they would rather hold onto their relatively low mortgage rate than move up to a bigger and/or better home. “Move-up buyers feel stuck because they’re ready for their next house, but it just doesn’t make financial sense to sell with current interest rates so high,” said Sam Brinton, a Redfin Premier agent in Salt Lake City, UT. “The homeowners listing right now are often doing so because they need to: One of my clients is selling because of a family emergency, and another couple is selling because they had a baby and simply don’t have enough room. Buyers should take note that many of today’s sellers are motivated; if a home doesn’t have other offers on the table, offer under asking price and/or ask for concessions because many sellers are willing to negotiate.” Leading indicators Indicators of homebuying demand and activity   Value (if applicable) Recent change Year-over-year change Source Daily average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 7.09% (May 22) Up from 6.99% a week earlier, but down from a 5-month high of 7.52% 4 weeks earlier Up from 6.95% Mortgage News Daily Weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 7.02% (week ending May 16) Down from 5-month high of 7.22% 2 weeks earlier Up from 6.39% Freddie Mac Mortgage-purchase applications (seasonally adjusted)   Declined 1% from a week earlier (as of week ending May 17) Down 11% Mortgage Bankers Association Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index (seasonally adjusted)   Essentially unchanged from a month earlier (as of week ending May 19) Down 11% Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index, a measure of requests for tours and other homebuying services from Redfin agents Touring activity   Up 31% from the start of the year (as of May 19) At this time last year, it was up 22% from the start of 2023 ShowingTime, a home touring technology company Google searches for “home for sale”   Down 8% from a month earlier (as of May 19) Down 18% Google Trends Key housing-market data U.S. highlights: Four weeks ending May 19, 2024Redfin’s national metrics include data from 400+ U.S. metro areas, and is based on homes listed and/or sold during the period. Weekly housing-market data goes back through 2015. Subject to revision.   Four weeks ending May 19, 2024 Year-over-year change Notes Median sale price $387,600 4% All-time high Median asking price $420,250 6.6%  All-time high Median monthly mortgage payment $2,854 at a 7.02% mortgage rate 10.5% $18 below all-time high set during the 4 weeks ending April 28 Pending sales 89,303 -4.2% Biggest decline since 4 weeks ending Feb. 25 (except the prior 4-week period, when sales declined 4.4%) New listings 102,671 8.5%   Active listings 901,194 14.8%   Months of supply 3.2 +0.6 pts. 4 to 5 months of supply is considered balanced, with a lower number indicating seller’s market conditions Share of homes off market in two weeks 44.9% Down from 49%   Median days on market 33 +3 days   Share of homes sold above list price 31.3% Down from 34%   Share of homes with a price drop 6.4% +2 pts. Highest level since Nov. 2022 Average sale-to-list price ratio 99.5% -0.1 pts.   Metro-level highlights: Four weeks ending May 19, 2024Redfin’s metro-level data includes the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Select metros may be excluded from time to time to ensure data accuracy.   Metros with biggest year-over-year increases Metros with biggest year-over-year decreases Notes Median sale price Anaheim, CA (20.1%)Detroit (16.9%)San Jose, CA (12.9%)Oakland, CA (12.5%) West Palm Beach, FL (12%) San Antonio (-1%) Fort Worth, TX (-0.6%)   Decreased in 2 metros Pending sales San Jose, CA (18.4%)San Francisco (8%)San Diego (4.3%)Newark, NJ (3.6%)Columbus, OH (3.3%) West Palm Beach, FL (-15.3%)Atlanta (-14.9%)Houston (-14.5%)Phoenix (-12.3%)Providence, RI (-11.6%) Increased in 10 metros New listings San Jose, CA (36.7%)Montgomery County, PA (26.2%)Phoenix (26.1%)Seattle (21.2%)San Diego (21%) Atlanta (-8.1%)Chicago (-4.9%)Detroit (-3.9%)Virginia Beach, VA (-2.6%)Newark, NJ (-2%)Warren, MI (-1.8%) Decreased in 6 metros To view the full report, including charts, please visit:https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-pending-sales-fall-prices-increase Author admin View all posts

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ICE First Look at Mortgage Performance

Continued Improvement in April Leads to Fewest Serious Delinquencies in 18+ Years Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., a leading global provider of technology and data, reports the following “first look” at April 2024 month-end mortgage performance statistics derived from its loan-level database representing the majority of the national mortgage market. Data as of April 30, 2024 Total U.S. loan delinquency rate (loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure): 3.09% Month-over-month change: -3.28% Year-over-year change: -6.63%   Total U.S. foreclosure pre-sale inventory rate: 0.37% Month-over-month change: -3.31% Year-over-year change: -16.42%   Total U.S. foreclosure starts: 26,000 Month-over-month change -0.83% Year-over-year change: 4.01%   Monthly prepayment rate (SMM): 0.52% Month-over-month change: 8.39% Year-over-year change: 18.83%   Foreclosure sales: 5,900 Month-over-month change: 1.55% Year-over-year change: – 7.87%   Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: ​ 1,658,000 Month-over-month change: -53,000 Year-over-year change: -88,000   Number of properties that are 90 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: 417,000 Month-over-month change: -17,000 Year-over-year change: -84,000   Number of properties in foreclosure pre-sale inventory: 199,000 Month-over-month change: -6,000 Year-over-year change: -35,000   Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due or in foreclosure: 1,857,000 Month-over-month change: -59,000 Year-over-year change: -123,000 Top 5 States by Non-Current* Percentage Mississippi: 7.48% Louisiana: 7.24% Alabama: 5.38% West Virginia: 4.81% Arkansas: 4.79%     Bottom 5 States by Non-Current* Percentage Oregon: 2.02% Montana: 1.94% Idaho: 1.92% Washington: 1.89% Colorado: 1.80%   Top 5 States by 90+ Days Delinquent Percentage Mississippi: 1.92% Louisiana: 1.71% Alabama: 1.42% Arkansas: 1.21% Georgia: 1.10%   Top 5 States by 12-Month Change in Non-Current* Percentage New Hampshire: -16.06% Alaska: -14.35% Rhode Island: -13.46% District of Columbia: -13.36% Kentucky: – 13.03%     Bottom 5 States by 12-Month Change in Non-Current* Percentage South Dakota: 0.37% Louisiana: 0.08% Arizona: -0.12% Arkansas: -0.83% Tennessee: -1.56%     *Non-current totals combine foreclosures and delinquencies as a percent of active loans in that state. Notes: 1) Totals are extrapolated based on ICE’s McDash loan-level database of mortgage assets. 2) All whole numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, except foreclosure starts and sales, which are rounded to the nearest hundred. The company will provide a more in-depth review of this data in its monthly Mortgage Monitor report, which includes an analysis of data supplemented by detailed charts and graphs that reflect trend and point-in-time observations. The Mortgage Monitor report will be available online at https://www.icemortgagetechnology.com/resources/data-reports by June 3, 2024. For more information about gaining access to ICE’s loan-level database, please send an email to Mortgage.Monitor@bkfs.com. Source: Intercontinental Exchange Author admin View all posts

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Realtor.com® April Rental Report

National Rents Drop Again, But Three Midwest Markets Surge to Record Highs Rents fell again last month, with particularly big savings for renters in Austin, Texas; Las Vegas; and San Francisco compared to when those markets peaked, according to the Realtor.com® Rental Report. Still, some areas with low unemployment and a slower pace of new home construction saw record-high rents that could continue to rise into the summer months. The median asking rent nationally for 0-2 bedroom units fell by -0.7% from April of last year, to $1,723, and declined across all size categories. It was the ninth straight year-over-year drop, though the pace of rent declines has slowed. Rents are just $33 (-1.9%) below their August 2022 peak. “In the ever-fluctuating real estate market, renters will find that trends vary significantly by location,” said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com®. “Renters in some historically expensive areas are seeing lower prices compared to what they would have paid at the peak of the market, while many relatively affordable markets are witnessing a continued rise in rental costs to new highs, and the scales could tip to even more markets later this summer.” Renters in some South and West markets see biggest savings; Austin leads the wayThe median asking rent for Austin, Texas in April was $1,494, which is down $195 (-11.5%) from its September 2022 peak. That’s the largest percent savings, compared to the market’s peak, among the 50 biggest metro markets. The decline was partly driven by an influx of new multi-family homes into the Southern market, which has helped to push Austin’s rental vacancy rate higher. Rents in Austin have been declining month-over-month since June 2023. Still, April’s median asking rent in Austin is $260 (21.1%) more than it was five years ago, before the pandemic. The metro with the second-biggest rent savings since the peak was Las Vegas, where renters could save $184 on average by renting a typical property today, down -11.1% from the June 2022 high. And in San Francisco, a typical renter could save $303 per month, down -9.9% from the July 2022 peak. Three Midwest metros hit record-high rents and more could followBy contrast, in parts of the Midwest, rents are climbing. The median asking rents hit their highest levels since March 2019 in three Midwest cities: Indianapolis (up 4.5% annually to $1,334), Milwaukee (up 3.8% to $1,671), and Minneapolis (up 2.5% to $1,529). Driving higher rents are below-average unemployment rates and the slow pace of new multi-home construction. Current rental prices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Chicago are all slightly below peak but could hit their own record highs this summer if the recent growth trend continues. While rents in many Midwest metro areas are generally more affordable than in cities in other parts of the country, in some key markets renters are facing increasing affordability challenges. Rents decline across all size categoriesOn average, rents for units of all sizes continued their months-long trend downward in April. Studios saw the biggest drop, with the median asking rent nationwide falling by 1.7% on a year-over-year basis, to $1,443. That’s down -3.2% from its October 2022 peak but 18.9% higher than five years ago. Median rent for one-bedroom units fell -1.4% to $1,601, the eleventh straight month of annual declines. And the median rent for two-bedroom units fell by -0.7% to $1,916. That’s -1.9% lower than its August 2022 peak but 24.4% more than five years ago. Media contact:Sara Wiskerchen, press@realtor.com SOURCE Realtor.com Author admin View all posts

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OPPORTUNITY ZONE HOME PRICES MIXED BUT STILL KEEPING UP WITH NATIONWIDE PRICE TRENDS

Median Home Values Rise During First Quarter of 2024 in Only Half of Opportunity Zones Targeted for Economic Redevelopment Around U.S.;  But Price Trends Inside Zones Again Reflect National Market Patterns; By Some Measures, Opportunity Zone Changes Surpass Nationwide Gains ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property, and real estate data, released its first-quarter 2024 report analyzing qualified low-income Opportunity Zones targeted by Congress for economic redevelopment in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In this report, ATTOM looked at 3,512 zones around the United States with sufficient data to analyze, meaning they had at least five home sales in the first quarter of 2024. The report found that median single-family home and condo prices increased from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 in just 49 percent of Opportunity Zones around the country. But they were still up annually in almost two-thirds of Opportunity Zones with enough data to measure. Those trends, in and around low-income neighborhoods where the federal government offers tax breaks to spur economic revival, continued a long-term pattern of home values inside Opportunity Zones moving alongside broader nationwide shifts for at least the last three years. The mixed first-quarter price patterns hit harder in the very lowest-priced areas, with declining values posing a warning sign in those markets. Nevertheless, the overall picture inside Opportunity Zones revealed ongoing measures of economic strength, or limited weakness, inside some of the country’s most distressed communities compared to other markets around the country. That scenario has remained in place even as a decade-long housing market boom has slowed in Opportunity Zones and elsewhere, with relatively modest price increases over the past year. By one key measure, Opportunity Zones price trends even showed continued signs again of doing somewhat better than the nation as a whole during the early months of 2024. For example, changes in typical home values across more than half of Opportunity Zones were better than nationwide price movements both quarterly and annually. “Another quarter, same result. That’s the takeaway yet again inside Opportunity Zones around the U.S., where home prices still lag far behind national numbers, but gains and losses mostly keep tracking overall market patterns,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “Clearly, there are exceptions, especially at the lowest end of the price scale. Nevertheless, the latest data shows Opportunity Zone housing markets continuing to attract considerable interest among home buyers pushed out of higher-priced areas in a market with very limited supplies of homes for sale. That again points to the kind of economic viability needed to lure investors who may want to take advantage of the redevelopment incentives aimed at revitalizing those communities.” Opportunity Zones are defined in the Tax Act legislation as census tracts in or alongside low-income neighborhoods that meet various criteria for redevelopment in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Census tracts, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, cover areas that have 1,200 to 8,000 residents, with an average of about 4,000 people. Amid economic limitations, most Opportunity Zones again had typical home values that fell well below those in other markets around the nation in the first quarter of 2024. Median first-quarter prices inside 78 percent of the zones were less the U.S. median of $330,000. That was about the same portion as in earlier periods over the past three years. In addition, median prices remained under $200,000 in about half the zones. High-level findings from the report: Media Contact:Megan Huntmegan.hunt@attomdata.com SOURCE ATTOM Author admin View all posts

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D.R. Horton, Inc. Announces the Passing of Company Founder and Chairman, Donald R. Horton

D.R. Horton, Inc., America’s Builder, announced the sudden passing of Donald R. Horton, the Company’s Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors. David V. Auld, the Company’s Executive Vice Chairman, has been appointed by the Board to serve as Executive Chairman, effective immediately. “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my friend and our Company’s iconic founder and Chairman, Don (“DR”) Horton. Throughout the Company’s 46-year existence, he worked tirelessly to build a national homebuilding operation with a strong company culture, and the impact of his personal involvement with our team of operators across the United States has contributed immeasurable value to our company and people,” Auld said. Auld continued, “I am deeply grateful to DR for his friendship, leadership and commitment to making D.R. Horton the leading homebuilder in America. DR was truly a pioneer in the homebuilding industry. From the first house he built in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas as a local homebuilder, he led the business to unprecedented growth regionally and then nationally. Under DR’s leadership, we have had the privilege of helping more than one million American individuals and families achieve homeownership. We are all indebted to DR for his vision, tenacity and never-ending drive to continue to grow and improve our Company. While he is impossible to replace, we will strive to carry on his legacy of enabling the dream of homeownership for individuals and families across the United States in every stage of their lives. Our sincere condolences and prayers go out to DR’s wife, Marty; his sons, Ryan and Reagan; daughters-in law, Stacy and Michelle; their four grandchildren; and the rest of DR’s family.” Throughout the Company’s history, Don steadfastly maintained a strategy of decentralized operational decision making, which was considered unorthodox by many industry observers. The company’s local leadership teams have been and continue to be empowered to make local business decisions, such as product offerings, price points and home features. Today, we consider this important company tenet a critical ingredient to our past and future success. Over the years, Don traveled extensively visiting the Company’s field operations. During these visits, he made it a point to meet everyone in the sales offices, job sites and division offices, and he continually emphasized that the people in our operational teams are the key to our business success. Don was approachable and relatable to everyone he met and maintained an unassuming personal lifestyle, as he never forgot his humble beginnings and the hard work it took to succeed. Don always referred to the Company, including our employees, homebuyers, vendors and subcontractors, as the D.R. Horton family. While the Company has grown significantly, the sentiment remains true, and Don championed several initiatives for the benefit of D.R. Horton employees and their families. He founded a Horton summer camp for employees’ children to enjoy activities in the great outdoors and truly enjoyed leading and actively participating in the summer camp for many years. The D.R. Horton, Inc. Foundation was created to provide financial and other assistance to employees and their families who are victims of natural disasters, helping take care of housing, meals and other personal needs following a disaster. Also, numerous Company employees have experienced individual acts of caring and kindness from Don over the years without him seeking any attention or credit. This culture of family and care for each other will be a longstanding legacy of Don’s commitment to the Company and its employees. Don, age 74, has served as Chairman of D.R. Horton, Inc. since it was formed in July 1991, and held the roles of President and CEO from July 1991 until November 1998. He was involved in the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1972, and was the founder, sole or principal stockholder, director and president of each of D.R. Horton’s predecessor companies, which date from 1978 to 1990. Don is survived by his wife Marty and their children Ryan (Stacy) and Reagan (Michelle) and four grandchildren: Douglas, Madeline, Derek and Shelby. Details on a public memorial event to honor Don’s longstanding legacy will be made available at a later date. Author admin View all posts

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Median U.S. Home Price HitS an All-Time High of $434,000 in April

San Jose and Rochester are hotter than other parts of the country; roughly three-quarters of homes that sold in those metros last month fetched more than their asking price—a higher share than anywhere else in the U.S. The median U.S. home sale price rose 6.2% year over year in April to $433,558—the highest level on record, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Today’s housing market is much slower than it was during the pandemic homebuying boom, but prices continue climbing because there still aren’t enough homes to go around. New listings increased 1.7% month over month in April on a seasonally adjusted basis and rose 10.8% year over year. Still, they were roughly 20% below pre-pandemic levels, in large part because many homeowners don’t want to sell, as they feel “locked in” by the low mortgage rate they scored during the pandemic. It’s worth noting that last April, new listings were at the lowest level on record aside from the start of the pandemic, which is one reason they’re now posting such a large year-over-year gain. Home sales were little changed from a month earlier (0.2%) in April on a seasonally adjusted basis but were down 1.4% from a year earlier. Homebuyers are getting hit by the one-two punch of high prices and elevated mortgage rates. The average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate was 6.99% in April. That’s up from 6.82% in March and 6.34% in April 2023, and is more than double the all-time low of 2.65% during the pandemic. “It’s not all bad news for homebuyers. Mortgage rates are already inching lower in response to this week’s inflation report, which signaled that the Fed may cut interest rates this summer—a possibility that just weeks ago many thought was off the table,” said Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao. “In certain parts of the country, buyers also have room to negotiate as homes linger on the market, prompting sellers to slash their asking prices and provide concessions.” Housing Supply—While Historically Low—Hit a Four-Year High in April as Homes Lingered on the Market Active listings rose to the highest level since December 2020 in April. They were up 0.3% from a month earlier and up 7.5% from a year earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis, though remained far below pre-pandemic levels. While new listings represent the number of homes that were listed for sale during a given month, active listings represent the total number of homes that were for sale during a given month. That means that the latter metric includes homes that have been sitting on the market for a while. Nationwide, 43.9% of homes that went under contract in April did so within two weeks of being listed, down from 46.9% a year earlier. 18% of Home Sellers Are Cutting Their Asking Prices Nearly one in five (17.6%) homes for sale in April had a price cut, meaning the seller lowered the asking price after putting their home on the market. That’s up 5.6 percentage points from 12.1% a year earlier—the biggest gain in over a year. “Most sellers in Las Vegas are willing to negotiate—anywhere from 5% to 10% off their list price,” said local Redfin Premier real estate agent Fernanda Kriese. “Sellers are offering buyers money for mortgage-rate buydowns, along with other concessions. Homes that are listed below market value get multiple offers and are snatched up in two to four days, but homes that are priced $5,000 to $10,000 over market value are sitting for 30 to 60 days longer.” Las Vegas, like many pandemic boomtowns, has seen its housing market cool following the homebuying frenzy of 2021 and 2022. But other markets haven’t cooled as quickly, and some are seeing substantial competition between homebuyers. In San Jose, CA, for example, three in four homes (75.8%) that sold in April went for more than their asking price. That’s up from 61.6% a year earlier and is the highest share among the metros Redfin analyzed. Next came Rochester, NY, at 72.8%, and Oakland, CA, at 69.7%. Nationwide, one-third (33.5%) of homes that sold in April went for more than their asking price. Redfin recently surveyed its agents and found that the majority of respondents (74.4%) think the 2024 housing market is shaping up to be more favorable for sellers than buyers. That’s likely in part because sellers are fetching record-high prices for their homes. The survey, conducted by Qualtrics in April-May 2024, was fielded to roughly 300 Redfin Premier agents. April 2024 Highlights: United States   April 2024 Month-Over-Month Change Year-Over-Year Change Median sale price $433,558 3.2% 6.2% Homes sold, seasonally adjusted 425,102 0.2% -1.4% New listings, seasonally adjusted 522,713 1.7% 10.8% All homes for sale, seasonally adjusted (active listings) 1,617,980 0.3% 7.5% Months of supply 2.3 -0.2 0.1 Median days on market 35 -5 -2 Share of for-sale homes with a price drop 17.6% 1.9 ppts 5.6 ppts Share of homes sold above final list price 33.5% 3.5 ppts 0.1 ppts Average sale-to-final-list-price ratio 99.7% 0.4 ppts 0.2 ppts Share of homes that went under contract within two weeks 43.9% -1.4 ppts -3 ppts Average 30-year fixed mortgage rate 6.99% 0.17 ppts 0.65 ppts Metro-Level Highlights: April 2024 Data in the bullets below came from a list of 85 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 750,000. A full metro-level data table can be found in the “download” tab of the dashboard in the monthly section of the Redfin Data Center. Refer to Redfin’s metrics definition page for explanations of metrics used in this report. Metro-level data is not seasonally adjusted. All changes below represent year-over-year changes. To view the full report, including charts, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-tracker-april-2024/ Author admin View all posts

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