Our Lake Norman real estate market is constantly in motion. I hear so many opinions from fellow Realtors here that I find myself turning to the MLS data regularly to see if there are any significant signs of change I can share with you.
August felt like a market that, while struggling, was beginning to show signs that home sellers and builders “get it”. Price reductions have been more significant and more frequent. Sellers that are not serious are pulling their homes off of the market choosing to wait it out. Those less fortunate, both sellers and builders, are now more frequently going into foreclosure, short sales or, at the very least, making substantial reductions before selling. Of course, sellers that priced a property correctly are still selling quickly.
Here is a snapshot look at our just completed month of August:
LAKE NORMAN AUGUST HOUSING REPORT
Lake Norman
2008
Average $
DOM
2007
%+/-
Ave $
%+/-
DOM
%+/-
Active Listings
1716
$735,024
145
Contingent
16
$373,024
158
Conditional
30
$962,500
177
Pending
94
$529,915
130
Sold
75
$536,489
137
144
64%
$486,381
10%
105
30%
Months of Supply
22.9
Numbers to note:
The number of active listings are creeping down from their peak of over 1800
The number of homes sold continues to drop…This month a harsh -64% which is especially tough because by August 2007 we were already in a declining market
The average sales price actually went up 10%…There are signs that some of middle and higher-end homes are selling
Because our sales dropped, we are still seeing over 22 months of supply of inventory…again, as a reminder, 6-8 months of supply represents a traditionally balanced market.
Historically September and October Lake Norman sales pick up a bit before the holiday slowdown. Because of the price-reductions I have been seeing I think we might just see some increase in sales versus this month. Interest rates are in the low 6% range so if a buyer can get a good loan, I’m beginning to think this is not a bad time to start thinking seriously about buying.
While the market will probably remain weak until mid 2009, there are some bargains to be had right now and probably will be from now on. If you have read my blog for very long you will know that I have not said: “This is a great time to buy”. However, I do think that there are some good bargains out there that I would encourage buyers to consider. Motivated sellers and builders may be what turns our local market around. Once we get our inventory down and regain buyers confidence we will once again enjoy our historically thriving Lake Norman housing market.
Lake Norman Real Estate: What Does August Tell Us?
Our Lake Norman real estate market is constantly in motion. I hear so many opinions from fellow Realtors here that I find myself turning to the MLS data regularly to see if there are any significant signs of change I can share with you.
August felt like a market that, while struggling, was beginning to show signs that home sellers and builders “get it”. Price reductions have been more significant and more frequent. Sellers that are not serious are pulling their homes off of the market choosing to wait it out. Those less fortunate, both sellers and builders, are now more frequently going into foreclosure, short sales or, at the very least, making substantial reductions before selling. Of course, sellers that priced a property correctly are still selling quickly.
Here is a snapshot look at our just completed month of August:
LAKE NORMAN AUGUST HOUSING REPORT
Numbers to note:
Historically September and October Lake Norman sales pick up a bit before the holiday slowdown. Because of the price-reductions I have been seeing I think we might just see some increase in sales versus this month. Interest rates are in the low 6% range so if a buyer can get a good loan, I’m beginning to think this is not a bad time to start thinking seriously about buying.
While the market will probably remain weak until mid 2009, there are some bargains to be had right now and probably will be from now on. If you have read my blog for very long you will know that I have not said: “This is a great time to buy”. However, I do think that there are some good bargains out there that I would encourage buyers to consider. Motivated sellers and builders may be what turns our local market around. Once we get our inventory down and regain buyers confidence we will once again enjoy our historically thriving Lake Norman housing market.
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