2024 Second Half of the Year Weird Market Selling Strategy

As we approach the second half of the year, it’s important to notice the little shifts happening along the way.  Remember, real estate markets don’t crash overnight.  It happens slowly at first, then all of a sudden.  We are in the slowly at first phase.

Our market here gets insulated because it’s not a primary market.  Being a discretionary sale and discretionary purchase for the majority of transactions, it provides a lag time from when we start to see primary markets destabilize.

If you are thinking about what to do with your OBX investment home, you need to look big picture.  Consider first and foremost, just because you don’t HAVE to sell, does not automatically mean that keeping the home is in the best financial interest for your family.  Always consult your financial adviser for guidance.

Let’s now take a look at the two options, sell or keep.  Regardless of what you choose, this information will help you set up the best expectations for either choice.

Sell

  • Good news! Prices are still at record highs.  You have not missed the boat.
  • However, pricing strategy must remain fluid. No longer set the price and then 3 months later look at it.  If you want to maximize profit here, you must be the trend setter, not the follower.
  • Inventory is rising – up 29% from this time last year
  • Demand is dropping – down almost 10% from last year, and last year demand dropped 50% from 2022
  • Price reductions are increasing – in May 368 new listings came on and 287 listings had a price reduction
  • Must be negotiable – 66% of properties sold are below asking price.
  • Affordability is still the number one concern for buyers

If you employ a listing strategy with this in mind, you will maximize your return and get the home sold in a reasonable amount of time.

Keep

  • Remember how these cycles have worked over the years.
    • Boom 1985/86 – fell apart early 90’s – stagnant until 2000.
    • Boom again 2004/05 – fell apart 2008/09 stagnant until 2019/20.
    • Boom 2021/22 – 2023 activity dropped by half, pricing is just starting to crack with price reductions and under asking price sales.
    • If the pattern continues it could be stagnant again until 2035 or longer.
  • Rising Insurance as well as other increasing vendor costs.
    • be prepared for at least a 14% increase in dwelling policies and unknown yet for homeowners.
    • Service providers are increasing costs: lawn care, pool/hot tub maintenance, linens, etc
  • Return to pre-pandemic rental income.
    • It starts with lower vacancy rates. 2024 is already seeing only 90% booking.
    • Next will be set lower rates – discounts are already happening.
    • If you stay, the cost to own will go up, with income to support going down.
  • Prepare for capital improvements.
    • Tightening insurance underwriting regulations are requiring updates to stay insured. Roof, water heater, etc
    • Continued lack of demand for homes that have not been updated. Especially as inventory increases, you’ll need to have prime condition and updating to be chosen.
    • Reality of a major storm this year or next. Let’s face it, no one likes to say it, but we haven’t had a hurricane since 2018.  Generally, we see a 6 to 9 year pattern.

If you do decide to keep the home through the next cycle, let’s at least put together a plan to get your home updated and where to best spend the money.  I also have a list of trusted vendors who can help you get things done.

Now that you have the big picture, let me know if I can be of any help as we navigate this next market shift.

The “Raw Truth” about the OBX market right now.

It’s no secret the real estate market is in very bad shape right now.  And in an effort to be as up-front as possible about the pros and cons, I wanted to create this quick list of the main things to consider before buying or selling.

One of the biggest questions I get as an agent is around timing.  When is the right time to buy or to sell?  Truthfully, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to this.  The best time is when you want to.  Rarely do we have clients who HAVE to buy or sell out of some distress.  That’s just not the norm.  So, does it make sense for YOU to buy or sell right now?  Let’s look at the raw truth.

  1. Outer Banks homes have the ability to generate quite a nice rental income. If you want to insure your long-term capability to own the home, only look at homes with income that is enough to cover the mortgage.  If it’s not going to cover at least that part, it may not be the right house for you.
  2. OBX home purchases are primarily a lifestyle choice. It’s not the norm to make bank on rental income, so only buy a home you know you will get a lot of personal use from.  If it’s not really ideal for your family, you won’t use it.  That time spent is priceless.  Be sure it fits your future family, too.
  3. With banks failing as what seems to be a regular occurrence now, real estate is an actual tangible asset. While the prices do fluctuate, it will never go to zero.  The inflationary dollar is in real trouble.  Why not park some cash in real estate, especially with passive income and personal use on the table?
  4. However, real estate appreciation or value is NOT capable of instant liquidity. Unless you consider 30 days instant.  Pulling liquidity out of real estate takes some financial investment and, most importantly, time.  If you need liquid cash fast, this is not the right investment.
  5. MAINTENANCE IS MANDATORY. Let me say that again.    Do not become one of those lax owners who collects the money and does nothing to the house for 20 years.  It will only cost more later.  The environment here is harsh.  Annual maintenance to keep the home in top condition is expensive.  Be prepared for that, or just buy raw land instead.
  6. While we benefit from low taxes here, insurance is most definitely on the rise! It may soon be unaffordable for many.  And, there is talk of no longer offering coverage for natural disasters.  I can’t imagine they get away with that, but be aware it’s being talked about. To be properly insured could be pushing $15,000 for many homes these days.  It’s nothing to take lightly.  Make sure you aren’t currently under-insured.  Construction costs for a new build START at $300/sq.ft. now!  (I hope you were sitting when you read that)
  7. Interest rates aren’t forever; you can refinance! Granted, you will need equity in the home to do that, so be aware it does come with some risk if that is your plan.  You will need to refinance before the market price eats up your 20% down payment, or it will require more cash to make it happen.
  8. As a Long-term investment plan, real estate is actually very low risk – high reward. Even if someone bought in the last boom of 2005, just 16 years later, even they would have made a handsome profit.  Not to mention 15 or 20 years of someone else paying your mortgage…all that equity for you to capitalize on at the end.

If you would like to discuss your specific circumstances and find out the best timing to either buy or sell, just contact me and we will go through everything you need to know!

June Market Report

First let’s talk about banking.  Two major players (Citizens and Key Bank) recently pulled out of all mortgages in resort markets.  If you remember in March I wrote about the FANNIE MAE requirements for second homes that is making it extremely undesirable to get a conventional loan for a second home (higher rates, larger down payments, etc).  This means banks doing conventional loans have to add those loans to their balance sheet as they can’t be sold to FANNIE MAE without the extra high costs, which no one wants to do.  This caused these two banks to pull out of the resort markets across the US.  Will more banks follow?  I suspect at some point they will have to.

What happens if buyers can’t get a mortgage for a second home?  Or they become so scarcely available they price themselves out of possibility?  Do we become a cash only market?  Time will tell!

Meanwhile, rising rates have pushed buyer demand extremely low, and yet inventory is just as low if not lower.  This strange anomaly is the only thing stopping prices from plummeting down.

For example, here are the number of homes sold from Jan to May for the past 3 years:
                 Duck    Corolla         KDH,KH,NH
2023           29            82                      172
2022           68          136                     294
2021            58         241                      355
Conversely, take a look at current inventory levels
               Duck             Corolla            KDH,KH,NH
SFRES    14                     45                              52
The lack of demand indicates the prices should be affected by now.  However, so many homeowners either purchased with cash or have an interest rate of 3% or less.  I read an article the other day that 90% of all mortgages in the US are under 5%.  Who is going to sell and buy something else at today’s higher rate of 7%?  Not many, apparently!

The one thing that could cause inventory to jump this fall is the struggling rental market.  Whether it’s inflation, unemployment, or just being cautious, this year’s rental reports are showing some real struggles.  Across the country Airbnb owners are reporting 25% drop in bookings.  Most owners are making adjustments to the weekly rates to entice bookings.  Let’s just say it, the COVID rental bubble is officially over.  Back to the way it was before.  So, this could cause some of the short term buyers banking on high rental returns to throw in the towel and sell, while they can still get fairly good prices.

Either way, it’s going to be an interesting year for sales.  There are several things to watch, mortgage availability, rental performance, and increasing supply.  We could end up with a “perfect storm” this fall!

If you are thinking of buying or selling, call me to discuss the perfect strategy to fit your needs.

 

Outer Banks Market Update – March 2023

As of right now, the Outer Banks is experiencing what is considered to be a “normal market”.  That means we are not seeing prices change in any significant way up or down.  While prices are still at what is considered to be somewhat inflated, there’s not been real measurable changes so far.  Secondly, we still have a balanced level of inventory.  A normal market is considered to be a demand level of 4 to 6 months of inventory.  We are sitting right in the middle at 5 months of inventory.  This means the demand is steady and supply is still rather low.  In comparison at the peak times in 2021 and 2022, we had just a 2-month inventory.

This begs the question, where are we headed?  There are 3 factors I’m watching to help determine that.  What’s great about Beach Realty is we watch the statistics every single week.  It’s just as good as having a crystal ball. The numbers change in a gradual way that you can actually see the shifts coming if you’re paying attention, which we are!

Factor 1 – Mortgage Applications

Year over year nationwide mortgage applications to buy a home has fallen 41%.  In just a YEAR!  It’s currently at the lowest level in 28 years right now.  That’s even worse than the mortgage crash that happened in 2008.  Coupled with data from NAR, only 29% of recent home purchases are cash.  The most obvious cause is rising interest rates and still inflated home prices.  As a second home market, over 70% of our home sales are a discretionary purchase.  It’s a decision buyers can wait on, especially if they think changes are coming soon.

Factor 2 – FNMA and Second Homes

About a year ago Fannie Mae basically got out of the second home business.  Wanting to pull support from second homes and focus more on first time home buyer programs they negotiated a deal with the Mortgage Bankers Association to drastically increase rates on second homes.  Which at the time didn’t seem too objectionable on conforming loans because the conforming loan limit was $548,250.  With the average second home here being near $700,000, most buyers wouldn’t be affected.  Now the limit is $726,200 for a conforming loan, coupled with the most attractive rates being a now 75% LTV, the rates shot up over 7% with one point.  Making it even more expensive than ever to buy a home on the Outer Banks with a conforming limit mortgage. I don’t know the exact percentage of second home mortgages that are sold to Fannie Mae, but I think an educated guess would be MOST of them.  The only solution is for mortgage brokers to keep the loans on their books and try to offer more attractive rates.  Who knows how long that will last and how many lenders will participate.  I only know of one broker with that program right now.

Factor 3 – Rising Inventory

As buyer demand continues to soften due to rates and prices, inventory will start to creep up this spring and summer.  That could lead us directly into an inventory level over 6 or 7 months by fall.  That pushes us back into a buyer’s market.  If rental receipts drop this year, as expected, this fall we could see prices take a very noticeable hit.  How much is yet to be determined.  However, with as high as prices rose over the last few years, even a 10% drop would likely still put the home higher than pricing was in 2019.  So all is not lost, for this year at least.

If you’re thinking about selling, NOW is your window.  Give me a call to discuss further.

5 Reasons To List Your Home in the Summer

Although it sounds reasonable to think with all the guests coming, it would be better to just sell the home in the fall or spring, take a look at these 5 reasons you could be missing out by waiting.

  1. Inventory has been our biggest challenge in terms of pricing. June, July, and August are historically the time of year when our inventory is the lowest.  Why not take advantage of that incredible opportunity?  Lower inventory could mean higher prices.
  2. The Outer Banks will have over 3 million visitors each year. Obviously, the majority of those folks visit during the summer months.  We cannot get that kind of exposure any other time of year!
  3. The home is fully open and operational. Buyers will have inspections done before closing.  When the house is winterized during the fall/winter there are extra costs to open the house back up for those inspections.  Right now, everything is up and running and easy to inspect and ensure to the buyer the home is in good condition.
  4. It’s a beach house! When does the beach look the best?  Summertime of course.  Your beach house will show the best with sun shining, deck chairs out, pool open, hot tub running!  Buyers get excited about these things and it helps to sell your home.
  5. Buyers this time of year are serious about buying! If a potential buyer is going to take time out of their much-anticipated vacation to look at your home, it means they are serious about buying.  They’re here with all decision-makers too.

IS YOUR HOUSE READY TO GO ON THE MARKET? CHECK OUT THESE 8 TIPS!

It’s no secret the real estate market on the Outer Banks is shifting. Even as we move into a seller’s market, keep in mind a majority of our home sales are secondary homes. This means more than 50% of our home buyers will spend up to 2 years searching for the right home. They can do that because they aren’t physically moving into the home.

Being a discretionary purchase, they have the time to wait for the right house. That means even if you have the upper hand in terms of lower inventory and potentially rising prices, buyers still want what they want. Your home can still sit on the market for a prolonged period of time if it’s not set up to sell in today’s real estate market.

We’ve put together a checklist of readiness to ensure your home can hit the market and sell for the best price in the fastest time frame. Consider the following market statistics:

  • In 2019 there were 1,842 single-family homes sold
  • Currently, there are only 1,079 single-family homes listed for sale (2/20/2020)
  • Almost 60% (58%) of all properties sell in the first 90 days
  • Median days on market is 69
  • They are selling within 4% to 5% of asking price

If closed sales for January and current Under Contract numbers are at record highs, we could easily see 2020 hit the 2,000 single-family homes sold mark. That means we barely have half the homes on the market right now that could potentially sell this year.

The following checklist is designed to get you the most for your home in the current market:

1. HAVE A HOME INSPECTION

Let’s face it, the last time we had this kind of market shift in 2000, a home built in 1985 was only 15 years old. Today, that home is now 35 years old. In the extreme weather environment, we have on the OBX, a lot can happen in 35 years. If your home is more than 10 years old, you need a pre-listing home inspection. The number one cause for deals to fall apart is a home inspection revealing more than the eye can see. Buyers get nervous and walk. When that happens, the entire world knows your home sold, then un-sold, and everyone wants to know why. The items discovered will most likely become a material fact and have to be disclosed to future buyers. If an inspection is done beforehand, major items can be addressed and taken care of. End of story. There is no reason to list your home blindly and set yourself up to negotiate the “unknown” 2 to 3 weeks into a sale.

2. MAINTENANCE ITEMS

Even if a home inspection reveals no issues, sometimes systems will be at the end of their life expectancy. Buyers today do not want to walk into automatic maintenance without expecting a deep discount. If your 20-year roof is on year 18, it is wise to replace it. There’s no guarantee you can add that cost to the top of your asking price, but what it can do is sway a buyer towards your property versus another. The number one concern for buyers today is condition. Your home does not become more valuable because the systems work. However, it does immediately become more saleable.

3. POWERWASH/CLEAN

This should be a no-brainer, yet all the time I show or preview homes that look like they’ve been abandoned. Everyone likes things that look nice. Take an honest look at your home’s exterior and interior. One of the easiest spaces to turn off a buyer is the carport and outside shower area. Buyers say all the time, you can tell how well the owners have cared for this home by how those areas look. Clean up the leaves, sand, junk that can accumulate. Power wash the gunk off the decks and siding. Get the interior a nice spring clean. First impressions don’t generally get a do-over.

4. PREPARE THE ENTRYWAY

What will buyers see as they approach your home, climb the stairs and enter the front door? Is it inviting? Is the door rotted or rusted? Does the key work easily? Are there spider webs or overgrown plants and weeds? This will set the tone for the entire showing. Sometimes buyers will change their minds about seeing a home altogether if the entry isn’t pleasant. Be mindful of the best way to enter your home. If your electronic keypad is on a door that isn’t the best entry, insist on giving your agent a key to the best entrance and have buyers go in that way. I recently went into preview a $750,000 home that was quite lovely. The entrance had imported tile, great artwork and felt very welcoming. The agent gave me a keycode that opened a door to an empty two-car, cold, garage. This is not the first impression you want.

5. YARDWORK

No matter what time of year you list your home for sale, take a good look at the landscape of your yard, which is the main aspect of curb appeal. Having branches scraping the side of your car as you pull into the driveway is not a good look! Do what you can to clean it up for whatever is appropriate for the season.

6. DECLUTTER OR STAGING

Whether you live in the home or it’s your vacation home, have a professional eye look and give advice on how to stage it to sell. Most people need to see space, rather than stuff, in order to envision themselves in your home. Less is more when it comes to wall hangings and nick-knacks. Updating bedspreads and shower curtains is an easy way to give the home a fresh look. If the home is being sold furnished, some fresh, beachy furnishings can make all the difference.

7. UPGRADES

With the new HGTV culture, buyers expect homes to be already updated. This type of preparation can take several months to do. These are the things you want to plan 6 months to a year before you list your home for sale. Depending on whether you live there or rent, everyone can also get a chance to enjoy the upgrades as well. Before spending any money, decide what your budget is and have an agent come over to advise the best use of that money. Some updates will prove a better return than others. We talk to hundreds of buyers a year, so we have a clear idea of what will get you the most for your money. Be prepared though, construction costs have doubled in the last 10 years. You’ll want to really follow a plan to stay on budget and get the most out of it.

8. PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DETAILS

With the growing popularity of VRBO and Air BnB type of rental arrangements, there are some real challenges when selling. Those types of reservations, when done solely through the property owner, are automatically not transferrable when selling. If a buyer is relying on the income of your home to make the purchase, you could run into some real issues at the closing table. Even if you are renting through a traditional property management company, there can be cancellation fees you incur if the new buyer doesn’t stick with your rental company. It’s becoming increasingly more important to employ the proper timing strategy to sell, depending on the source of your weekly guests. Talking to an agent ahead of listing about how the transfer works will help avoid any major stresses once the home is under contract.

WHY DO YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE AGENT, EVEN IN THIS MARKET?

Ilona Matteson, Beach Realty

Getting an offer on your home in an active market seems quite easy, and in most cases it is.  What do you need an agent for then?  Well, finding the buyer is just the first of dozens of steps in getting your home sold.

The question becomes, do you want to ensure you are getting maximum VALUE as well as maximum CONVENIENCE when selling?  It’s actually a pretty pain staking process to go through the entire 45 to 60 day process and requires many, many hours of time.

Many sellers think they can get an offer and then “let the attorney handle it”.  Yes, your attorney can manage the CLOSING.  That simply entails preparing your deed and handling the transfer of money AT THE END OF THE TRANSACTION.

Here’s what it doesn’t include:

  • Pre-Qualifying the buyer/agent/offer to make sure it’s a solid deal
  • Negotiating for the highest dollar
  • Choosing the best offer, in the case of multiple offers (it’s not always about the highest price)
  • Negotiating the home inspection, including finding contractors to give estimates, and meeting them at the home
  • Pest Inspection, Septic Inspection, Pool/Hot Tub, HVAC – knowing vendors and meeting them at the home
  • Prepping the appraiser or answering comparable questions – attorneys don’t have access to MLS, nor have been in the latest homes sold
  • Staying on top of the buyer’s loan process
  • Knowing which lenders and other vendors perform on time
  • Working with the rental company to transition buyer
  • Handling the dozens of calls from buyer/buyer’s agent throughout the process

Bottom line, we are experiencing an extreme number of homes selling per month.  All requiring an attorney to manage the closing.  The attorney is not available to answer calls throughout the day to deal with the day to day situations that come up during your closing process.  In addition to that, if they were available, they would be charging you per hour for that time.  Most attorneys charge around $200/hour.  On average an agent will spend 30 to 40 hours working on your transaction.

Even if you offer a commission to a Buyer’s Agent and think they can assist with these tasks, that’s true.  However, the Buyer’s Agent works for the buyer.  You are now essentially paying the buyer’s agent to work AGAINST you, without your own representation.

In the end, the best way to maximize VALUE and CONVENIENCE is to have a professional agent manage the ever challenging task of getting your home sale to a successful closing.

Hard Truths about Selling a Home on the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks Real Estate Market is still recovering from the bubble that started busting around 2005.  There will be roughly 1500 homes sell this year and we expect that number to be about the same for next year.

While things are starting to stabilize here, it doesn’t come without challenges.  Listed below are some Hard Truths about selling a home on the Outer Banks today.  These are not easy things to say, or to read, but my goal is always to be completely up front and honest about what it takes to make it happen.

  1. Inventory levels still far exceed a 1 year supply. Right now we have 17 months worth of inventory, IF no other homes come on the market.  It would take 17 months to sell out what we have based on the number of current buyers per month.  Consider then, that on average each month 385 new listings come on the market.  Only 175 are selling.  With a current inventory of 3000…that creates a supply and demand issue, which is the main factor keeping prices down.  How can prices possibly rise with supply and demand that far out of balance?
  2. Condition is the number one concern for buyers. The price MUST match the condition of your property.  This includes cosmetic updates.  Buyers are so price conscious today that they want move in ready.  Your home may have been meticulously maintained, but because of high inventory levels, a buyer can purchase a home that is updated for the same price or slightly more.  They will pay it to avoid having to put any more out of pocket up front.
  3. Waiting it out will take longer than you think. I hear almost daily that a seller will wait another year before selling.  Honestly, there’s no financial or logical data to support that decision…unless you’re just simply not ready to sell.  Prices are not going to turn around overnight.  Consider point number 1.  If it will be at least 1.5 to 2 years to filter out the inventory problem, then your home is still worth 10% to 15% to 20% less than what you really want for it, how long could it take for the value to rise by that percentage?  All the while, the home is getting older and you’re coming out of pocket to support it.  In many cases the cost to keep it while waiting the market out will be the same or more than the increase in value.
  4. Overpricing your home is the biggest mistake in a volatile market. By overpricing your home, you’re simply helping to sell the competition.  We see it over and over.  By the time the price is finally reduced to cause a sale, the home sells for less than it could have sold if it was priced correctly 6 to 12 months ago.  See the next point.
  5. Don’t be fooled, prices are still going down. Considering the average time on the market is 240 days and normally there will be 3 to 4 price reductions to procure an offer, those are both huge indicators that prices are still dropping.  No, they aren’t dropping by catastrophic percentages like a few years ago, but 2% to 5% is still money out of your pocket by waiting or chasing the market with a price too high.
  6. The Outer Banks market is still very much trying to recover. Did you know that only 10% of the properties on the market today are under contract?  Yes, you read that correctly.  90% of the properties for sale today are not selling.  Only 10% are under contract.  Can you see now how important price is in today’s market?
  7. You can be the leader or the follower. When you price your home aggressively to sell quickly, YOU get to set the price!  By waiting and letting other homes sell before you, usually at lower prices, you become subject to their lead.  While it may feel like you are leaving money on the table, the truth is you priced your home to sell and it did.  Putting you in the lead and ahead of the 90% of homes that aren’t selling.
  8. It has been 10 years since 2005. I know it may sound harsh, but that ship has sailed.  I sometimes joke that 2005 called, they want their prices back!  It’s time to let go of the idea that 10 years ago your home was worth X number of dollars.  Your home is now 10 years older and the market is drastically different than it was then.  The truth is those prices will come again, in 15 to 20 years from now.  Holding on to the past is never sound advice.  If you truly want to sell your home now, you have to let go of 2005.
  9. You are not “giving your house away.” Pricing your home to sell in a market that is struggling to recover is not the same as giving it away. Prices change.  Markets change.  Trends change.  Today’s market has different rules than yesterday’s market.  Refer back to point 8.
  10. I know you don’t HAVE to sell your home.  On a daily basis I hear this from sellers.  “Well we don’t HAVE to sell it.”  Of course you don’t.  It’s not like you live here and are moving for a job transfer or downsizing or upsizing.  It’s a second home.  The motivations to sell vacation homes are very different.  However, you probably do WANT to sell it.  And if you don’t sell the home you will HAVE to keep maintaining it..HAVE to keep dealing with renters…HAVE to keep paying for it…HAVE to keep fixing things that break…HAVE to not move on to the next thing.  Bottom line is if you really don’t WANT to sell it, don’t list it.  We already have an inventory problem.  Keep it off the market until you are truly ready to do what it takes.
  11. I am the best agent for the job of selling your home. I will likely take a lot of heat for this list.  Which I’m prepared for.  I know that in challenging times like this I HAVE to be committed to telling my clients the truth and getting things done.  If I sugar coat it, you’ll lose money and that is absolutely unacceptable to me.  Time and time again sellers have not taken my recommendation and ended up on the market longer than necessary and selling for less than had to be, just to “see what happens.”  I’ve been through 2 of these major cycles in my 19 years of doing this.  I can tell you what will happen.  I just did in these 10 points.

I hope you can appreciate the spirit in which I share this information with you.  If some of these were hard to read, then I did my job.  Nothing would make me happier than to sell your home for more money, yet nothing will frustrate you more than if I don’t sell it at all.

Outer Banks December Market Report      

While we do have a slowdown in activity over the winter months, the real estate market is not a total loss for December – February.  There are still buyers looking and sellers wanting to move on, so don’t discount us just because you can’t jump in the ocean during your visit right now.

This year we saw a few things happen that are noteworthy:

  • Inventory went up moderately over last year (about 10%)
  • Number of sales stayed roughly the same (up only 1%)
  • Prices remained steady going neither up nor down for most areas
  • Yet, price reductions are sgingerbread housetill required for most homes to sell
  • Once priced to attract an offer, homes are selling at about 93% to 95% of asking price
  • Average days on market is still topping 240 days (for those that sold)
  • Distressed properties are still lingering
  • The OBX market as a whole is at a 17 month supply of homes for sale
  • Condition and price are recognized as the most important factors for buyers

If you’ve thought about selling your home, don’t wait until the spring.  Here are 5 reasons to go ahead and list now!

  • People who look for a home during the holidays are more serious
  • There are fewer transactions so the deal can close faster
  • Buyers have more time to look during the holidays
  • There will be a 30% increase in listings in the Spring which could impact your price then versus now.

We’ve had an exciting year in sales for 2014.  With interest rates going NO WHERE for the time being, it seems likely we can have another strong year of sales for 2015.

If you have thought about either buying or selling in the new year, contact me so we can come up with a strategy for you.

Real Estate on the Outer Banks for the 1st quarter of 2013

What a great start to another year for real estate on the Outer Banks!  After ending another record year in 2012 we were expecting big things for 2013.  So far there are a few interesting trends to take note of.

It’s hard to tell exactly what caused home sales for the first quarter to be down 18%, but the good news is for March, properties going under contract are up 7%.   I’m also slightly surprised by the average sale price being down 11% over the same period last year.  There is still time for that to level out.  One thing is for sure, if you are waiting 12 months before selling your home, you could end up regretting that strategy.

It’s clear this recovery isn’t going to happen quickly.  For example, consider the following scenario…If your recommended price today is say, $500,000 and the market starts to appreciate as early as 2015 at a NORMAL rate of either 2% or 5% per year, take a look at the length of time it will take to just reach $550,000.

Today’s Recommended Price:

$500,000.00

$500,000.00

2013 – 0% appreciation

$500,000.00

0%

$500,000.00

2014 – 0% appreciation

$500,000.00

0%

$500,000.00

2015 – 2% appreciation

$510,000.00

5%

$525,000.00

2016 – 2% appreciation

$520,200.00

5%

$551,250.00

2017 – 2% appreciation

$530,604.00

5%

$578,812.50

2018 – 2% appreciation

$541,216.08

5%

$607,753.13

2019 – 2% appreciation

$552,040.40

5%

$638,140.78

2020 – 2% appreciation

$563,081.21

5%

$670,047.82

2021 – 2% appreciation

$574,342.83

5%

$703,550.21

It can be a minimum of 3 to 6 years!  Consider your carrying cost during that time frame, are you really better off to wait for that price or go ahead and sell now?

So the question becomes what will it take to turn this market around?  The biggest challenge we face today isn’t distressed sales, it’s supply and demand.  Right now we have over 3000 properties for sale and 143 buyers a month (based on a 3 month average).  That means if no other home is listed for sale it would take 21 months to sell of what we have right now.  And on top of it there are 435 new listings coming into the market each MONTH!

I don’t want to paint the picture of gloom and doom, because our market is far from that.  I can absolutely guarantee that if you price your home competitively I CAN SELL IT!

In a market full of many choices for a buyer, the buyer is going to purchase the home they perceive as the best value.  There are 4 factors that determine value.

  1. Location – this has always been the case for real estate.  The better the location the higher the price.  However, recently we’ve noticed buyers don’t make the decision solely on this factor anymore.
  2. Condition – with funds being tighter, insurance costs going up buyers are less likely to buy a home with maintenance issues.
  3. Amenities – what can your home offer the buyer that the others you’re competing with can’t?  Do you have a view, new furniture, a pool, hot tub, deeded beach access?
  4. Rental income – most buyers are going to want to know how this home will support itself.  The less of 1 through 3 you have, the less income, the less value to a buyer in most cases.

The moral of the story is to be the best value you have to have MORE for LESS.  That’s how you stand out in a market with massive inventory and guarantee a sale.

For information on what your home is worth, contact me today!