LendingTree just released a list of the 50 large metro areas with the most competitive housing markets in the U.S. on which St Louis was ranked as the 6th most competitive market. This list was based upon LendingTree’s assessment of the quality of the buyer’s in each market, based upon their strength as a buyer from a financing standpoint.
So, while not an analysis of which cities have the most buyers showing up at a listing or where listings are receiving the highest number of offers, it’s about the quality of the home buyer’s from a competitive standpoint. This makes sense, as today the hard part isn’t necessarily finding a buyer for a new listing, it’s about the listing agent analyzing the offers and helping the seller determine not only which may have the best terms, but which buyer has the best ability to perform. After all, having a great offer doesn’t really mean anything if the deal doesn’t close.
Most Competitive Housing Markets
(click on table for complete list)
In analyzing the quality of the buyer’s and assessing the competitiveness of each market, LendingTree took into consideration the following for each metro area:
- The share of home buyers shopping for a mortgage even before they found the house they wanted. This is indicative of a good buyer that wants to be prepared to react quick and understands the importance of being pre-approved to be make their offer more attractive to the seller.
- The average down payment percentage. A buyer with a larger downpayment is going to look like a stronger buyer to a seller.
- Percentage of buyers have have good credit (above a 680 credit score). Better credit means more financing options and lower cost financing which can enable the buyer to pay more than someone with lower credit and have the same monthly cost in terms of payment. A better credit score also means there is a better chance of the deal closing.
A good buyer’s agent will know everything above and help their client through the process to make them have the best chance possible of getting their offer accepted. Likewise, a good listing agent will know how to scrutinize buyer’s and help their seller client pick the one that not only has offered an acceptable price and terms but has the highest likelihood of closing. For a recommendation of a great St Louis buyer’s agent or listing agent, contact me.
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