Pending Home Sales
The Good News Behind May’s Pending Home Sales Report
July 2, 2010 by James K Barath, CMPS · Leave a Comment
The Pending Home Sales Index plunged in May 2010, just one month after the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit program.
The Pending Home Sales Index is now at a record-low level.
A “pending home sale” is an existing home under contract to sell, but not yet closed. According to the National Association of Realtors®, 80 percent of homes under contract close within 60 days.
Because of this timeline, we can expect the summer’s Existing Home Sales to be weak, too. With fewer homes going under contract, fewer homes can close.
On the surface, May’s Pending Home Sales Index looks like terrible news for housing. It just might be if you’re a seller. But, the story reads differently if you’re a buyer. Just consider the market conditions.
A broad look at the housing market shows:
- Home supplies are rising in most markets
- Home sales are falling in most markets
- Mortgage rates are at all-time lows
In other words, in most markets, more sellers are competing for fewer buyers, and the “winning” buyers are financing their homes at the lowest rates in history.
It’s an excellent time to be a home buyer in Portage Indiana.
Pending Home Sales Data Shows Great Deals Harder To Find
June 3, 2010 by James K Barath, CMPS · 1 Comment
The Pending Home Sales Index shot higher in April as low mortgage rates and a soon-to-expire federal tax credit spurred home buying in Hobart Indiana and across the county.
A “pending home sale” is a home that’s under contract to sell but not yet closed.
Region-by-region, April’s pending home sales varied versus March’s data:
- Northeast Region: +29.5%
- Midwest Region : +4.1%
- South Region : -0.6% (after a +15.9% posting in March)
- West Region : +7.5%
On an annual basis, the Pending Home Sales Index is higher by 22 percent.
April marks the third straight month that pending home sales are up and today’s buyers should take note. This is because, according to the National Association of Realtors®, 80% of homes under contract close within 60 days.
In other words, May and June’s existing home sales data should be similarly strong, causing the Lake County Indiana real estate market to gently shift in favor of sellers. In fact, already, we’re seeing home resales touch multi-year highs while new home supplies fall to multi-year lows.
All of it tends to push home prices higher while simultaneously reducing buyer negotiation leverage. That, coupled with the high probability of higher mortgage rates ahead, means that finding “deals” will get tougher for the average home buyer.
In looking at the housing market data, it appears that the best month in which to have bought a home this year was February. The next best time may be right now.
Talk to your real estate agent if you’re planning to buy a home this year. It may be sensible to move up your time frame a few months.
Will March Pending Home Sales Lead to Higher Home Prices
May 5, 2010 by James K Barath, CMPS · Leave a Comment
The Pending Home Sales Index moved higher in March as home sales were spurred by low mortgage rates and an expiring tax credit.
A “pending home” is a property that is under contract to sell, but not yet closed.
March marks the second straight month in which the Pending Home Sales Index improved after a series of weak showings this past winter.
March showed a 5 percent increase over the month, but the Pending Home Sales Index is still off its October 2009′s peak. October 2009 is a comparable period to March 2010 in that it marked the 1-month deadline before the home buyer tax credit’s initial expiration date. The credit was later extended to April 2010, of course.
That said, March’s surge in sales is being felt on the street.
Home buyers in Highland Indiana no doubt noticed the change in activity. Around the country, anecdotally, multiple offer situations were more common last month and “right-priced” homes tended to go under contract quickly.
The increase in March’s Pending Home Sales is diminishing the nation’s home supply which, in turn, should cause prices to rise in most markets — including Lake County Indiana.
Today’s buyers should consider making an offer sooner rather than later. Looking at the data, it appears the best time to have found a “deal” on a home may have been in February.
