Whether you are looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate, it is important to understand market conditions. Real estate is hyper-local, with market dynamics changing from subdivision to subdivision. However, county trends will give you a good idea of what to expect.
Roughly 63 percent of U.S. homeowners have mortgages. Given that large percentage, its important to understand what the equity positions in their homes look like to assess real estate fundamentals. The good news for us is that according to CoreLogic, homeowners with mortgages saw their equity in their homes rise by almost $1 trillion (12.3%) in the last year. That points to a healthier market.
While I focus most of my time on what’s happening in Manatee and Sarasota counties, it’s also important to follow the broader real estate trends. Overall, the real estate market in the United States is seeing significant price increases. Over the past 12 months, average sale prices for homes have risen by 6.2%.
We saw mortgage rates stay essentially flat again last month after a rapid rise to start this year. Average U.S. rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages are currently at 4.51%. At the end of last month, they were sitting at 4.54%. While it is great to see upward momentum reverse for the time being, the general forecast continues to be for a slow continued rise over the next twelve months.
The Sarasota and Manatee county markets for condos & townhomes are currently moving in lockstep. Both markets are Seller’s markets for condos & townhomes priced below $400,000, Balanced markets for condos & townhomes priced between $400,000 and $600,000, and Buyer’s markets above $600,000.
