Dennis Norman - St Louis Real Estate News

St Louis County Real Estate Market Update for January 2025

By Dennis Norman, on February 19th, 2025

The St Louis County real estate market saw a strong start to the new year, with a median sold price of $234,450 in January 2025. This represents a significant increase of 17.81% compared to January 2024, when the median sold price was $199,000. However, there was a slight decrease of 9.79% from December 2024, when the median sold price was $259,900.

The median list price also saw a substantial increase, reaching $235,000 in January 2025. This is a 20.51% increase from January 2024, when the median list price was $195,000.

Despite the high prices, there were 624 home sales in Continue Reading →

St. Louis Housing Market Outlook: What 2025 Price Forecasts Mean for You

By Dennis Norman, on February 19th, 2025

St Louis Realtors - St Louis Real Estate

According to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index (HPI) Forecast, U.S. home prices are expected to rise 4.1% year-over-year through December 2025. Nationally, home prices rose 3.4% from December 2023 to December 2024, showing a steady upward trend despite affordability concerns. In Missouri, home values have already reached record highs, and with mortgage rates still elevated, local buyers and sellers should prepare for a competitive market.

In the St. Louis metro area, the median home price was $255,000 in December 2024. Applying CoreLogic’s 4.1% projected price increase, that would push the median home price to approximately $265,500 by December Continue Reading →

Discover the Hottest Zip Codes in St. Louis: Where Homes are Flying Off the Market in Record Time

By Dennis Norman, on February 16th, 2025

Are you looking to buy or sell a home in the St. Louis metropolitan area? If so, you’ll want to pay attention to the latest real estate data. According to recent statistics, the fastest selling zip codes in the area are 62035 in Madison-IL, IL, 63021 in St. Louis, MO, and 63055 in Franklin, MO.

In 62035, homes are selling at lightning speed with an average of only 15 days on the market. This district boasts 6 active listings with an average list price of $324,250. Close behind is 63021, where homes are selling in an average of 17 days. Continue Reading →

Jefferson County Update: Median Home Prices Continue to Rise in 2025

By Dennis Norman, on February 15th, 2025

The real estate market in Jefferson County, as of February 15, 2025, is showing promising signs of growth. According to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS®, the median sold price for homes in Jefferson County during January 2025 was $270,000, up 2.27% from the same time last year when the median sold price was $264,018. This also marks a 1.89% increase from December 2024, when the median sold price was $265,000.

The median list price for homes in Jefferson County also saw a significant increase, rising 4.69% from $257,900 in January 2024 to $270,000 in January 2025. This indicates a Continue Reading →

Discover the Top 3 Fastest Selling School Districts in the St. Louis Metro Area

By Dennis Norman, on February 12th, 2025

Are you in the market for a new home in the St. Louis metropolitan area? As you search for the perfect place to call home, it’s important to consider the school district that your future home will fall under. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you and have compiled a list of the top three fastest selling school districts in the area.

Topping the list is Wood River-Hartford DIST 15 in Illinois, where homes are selling at lightning speed. With only 2 listings on the market, the average time on the market is just 4 days. This district boasts an Continue Reading →

From Record Peaks to New Norms: January Home Sales Trends in St. Louis

By Dennis Norman, on February 10th, 2025

St Louis YTD Home Sals January 2025 by St Louis Realtors

St. Louis, take a look at our live, interactive chart for January YTD home sales—a snapshot that tells quite a story. Here’s a breakdown of what the numbers are saying and why they matter to you.

A Look at the Data

January 2025: YTD home sales came in at 1,674. That’s an 8% drop from January 2024’s 1,820 sales. Recent Year-Over-Year Shifts: 2020 to 2021: Sales surged from 2,060 to 2,539—a jump of roughly 23%. 2021 to 2022: A cooling set in with a decline of about 7.7% (from 2,539 down to 2,343). 2022 to 2023: We saw a dramatic Continue Reading →

Metro East Real Estate Market Update for January 2025

By Dennis Norman, on February 9th, 2025

The real estate market in the Metro East area continues to show strong growth, with the median sold price for homes reaching $186,000 in January 2025. This represents a 13.59% increase from the same time last year, when the median sold price was $163,750. The chart below, available exclusively from MORE, REALTORS®, illustrates this upward trend.

In addition to the increase in sold prices, the median list price for homes in the Metro East area also saw a significant jump, reaching $187,450 in January 2025. This is a 14.51% increase from January 2024, when the median list price was $163,700.

Continue Reading →

St Charles County Real Estate Market Update for January 2025

By Dennis Norman, on February 8th, 2025

The real estate market in St Charles County saw a slight increase in median sold price during January 2025, according to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS®. Homes sold for a median price of $350,000, which is a 3.40% increase from the same time last year when the median sold price was $338,500. However, this also represents a 2.78% decrease from December 2024, when the median sold price was $360,000.

The median list price also saw an increase, rising to $350,000 from $339,999 in January 2024. This shows a 2.94% year-over-year increase in list price. In terms of sales, there Continue Reading →

St Louis Metro Area – January 2025 Real Estate Market Update

By Dennis Norman, on February 7th, 2025

The real estate market in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) continued to show strong growth in January 2025, according to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS®. Homes in the stl msa update sold for a median price of $256000, representing an 11.33% increase from January 2024 when the median sold price was $229950. This also marks a 0.39% increase from December 2024, when the median sold price was $255000.

The median list price for homes in the stl msa update was $250000, a 9.17% increase from January 2024’s median list price of $229000. Despite the increase in prices, Continue Reading →

Buying Still Beats Renting in St. Louis for 2025—Here’s the Data to Prove It

By Dennis Norman, on February 6th, 2025

A new interactive map making the rounds shows cities and counties across the country and whether it’s more affordable to buy a home or rent in 2025. So, how does the St. Louis metro stack up? Let’s break it down.

The data highlights three key counties in our area—St. Charles, St. Louis County, and St. Louis City—and in all three, buying is still the better financial move. However, affordability varies significantly:

St. Charles County Median Home Price: $358,698 Home Affordability: 40.6% of income Rental Affordability: 45.9% of income Weekly Wages: $1,115 With solid wages and better affordability, St. Charles Continue Reading →

Austin’s MLS Opens to Non-REALTOR® Agents—Could It Happen in St. Louis?

By Dennis Norman, on February 6th, 2025

Big changes are coming to Austin’s real estate market, and while they might seem far away, they could signal future shifts in St. Louis. The Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR), which owns and operates Unlock MLS (formerly ACTRIS), has announced that starting in June 2025, real estate agents will no longer be required to be REALTOR® members to access the MLS. This means agents in Austin can now choose whether or not to join the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) while still being able to list homes on the MLS. Could something like this happen in St. Louis? Not without Continue Reading →

Franklin County Update: January 2025 Real Estate Market Report

By Dennis Norman, on February 6th, 2025

The real estate market in Franklin County, Missouri continued its upward trend in January 2025, with a median sold price of $280,000. This represents an impressive 18.64% increase from the same time last year, when the median sold price was $236,000. The chart below, available exclusively from MORE, REALTORS®, illustrates this significant jump in home prices.

Not only did home prices increase year over year, but they also saw a 13.15% increase from the previous month. In December 2024, the median sold price was $247,450, making January 2025 the third consecutive month of double-digit price growth. This is great news Continue Reading →

What’s Driving Home Insurance Increases—and Why St. Louis Is in a Good Spot

By Dennis Norman, on February 5th, 2025

Homeowners in the St. Louis metro area might be hearing about skyrocketing insurance premiums, but there’s some good news—our region is in a much better position than many others. A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shows that while homeowners insurance costs are up 33% nationwide since 2020, much of that increase is hitting high-risk disaster zones and areas heavily reliant on reinsurance. Unlike coastal states dealing with hurricanes and wildfires, Missouri and Illinois have far less exposure to these risks, and insurers here aren’t nearly as dependent on expensive reinsurance policies. That means while we’re Continue Reading →

How Many Homes Are Agents Really Selling?

By Dennis Norman, on January 27th, 2025

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently released its 2024 Member Profile, offering valuable insights into the business activity of REALTORS®. One of the most compelling findings is in Chapter 2, particularly Exhibit 2-6, which sheds light on the number of residential transaction sides completed by agents. Here’s what the data reveals and why it matters.

Residential Sides: A Snapshot of REALTOR® Activity

In 2023, the median number of residential transaction sides completed by REALTORS® was 10, a decline from prior years, reflecting the challenges of the current housing market. The breakdown of residential sides highlights the disparity in activity Continue Reading →

Is Your St. Louis Home Protected from Fire? Essential Insurance Tips for Homeowners

By Dennis Norman, on January 24th, 2025

What homeowners insurance covers in the case of a fire to a home in St. Louis?

As wildfires devastate parts of Los Angeles, it’s a sobering reminder to St. Louis homeowners to assess their own fire insurance coverage. While wildfires aren’t a concern here, house fires caused by electrical malfunctions, kitchen accidents, or lightning strikes are an ever-present risk. Ensuring you have the right coverage in place can make all the difference in protecting your home and your financial future.

What to Know About Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

Fire damage is typically covered by most homeowners insurance policies, but understanding the details of your coverage is critical:

Policy Limits: Are the coverage limits sufficient to rebuild Continue Reading →

Broker Challenges NAR’s MLS Control: “They Keep Overreaching”

By Dennis Norman, on January 23rd, 2025

The real estate industry’s relationship with the National Association of Realtors faces mounting challenges as multiple lawsuits emerge nationwide. Texas broker Lou Eytalis recently joined others in challenging NAR’s mandatory membership requirements for MLS access (see lawsuit complaint below), with similar cases in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. These suits coincide with controversy over NAR’s Standard of Practice 10-5, which has sparked First Amendment challenges from both brokers and agents who argue the rule improperly restricts speech by banning hate speech and discriminatory language on personal social media accounts.

These legal challenges come amid a turbulent Continue Reading →

Are Home Prices Really Soaring? A Look Behind the Numbers

By Dennis Norman, on January 22nd, 2025

When it comes to understanding home prices, many consumers focus on the dollar amounts they see in headlines. However, these numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A fascinating perspective emerges when we compare home prices not just in U.S. dollars but in terms of gold, a historical store of value. The chart below reveals that when measured in gold, home prices have remained relatively stable since the late 1980s, with the exception of the housing bubble and its subsequent crash.

While the dollar-based chart shows an upward trajectory in home prices, surging over 250% since the year 2000, the Continue Reading →

High St. Louis Home Prices: What Buyers and Sellers Should Expect Next

By Dennis Norman, on January 22nd, 2025

Recent data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) charts below reveal interesting insights about St. Louis home prices in relation to the M2 money supply. Over the last several years, St. Louis home prices, represented by the red line, have steadily risen, reaching their current index value of 302.78 in Q3 2024. At the same time, the M2 money supply, shown by the blue line, has seen a more dramatic fluctuation, particularly during and after the pandemic, with a current value of over $21 trillion.

Historically, as the M2 money supply increases, home prices tend to rise as well, Continue Reading →

St. Louis Housing Inventory: Where Buyers and Sellers Can Win

By Dennis Norman, on January 21st, 2025

The latest months supply data for the St. Louis metro area reveals a tale of two markets: cities with high inventory signaling better opportunities for buyers and areas with low supply creating an advantage for sellers. For homebuyers and investors flexible on location, cities like Breckenridge Hills and Gerald, each with 8 months of inventory, could offer more negotiating power. In contrast, fast-moving areas like Webster Groves and Ballwin, with less than one month of supply, reflect strong demand and competition.

For sellers, being in a low-supply market is good news. A tighter inventory means fewer homes for buyers to Continue Reading →

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy: A Commitment to Fair Housing in St. Louis

By Dennis Norman, on January 20th, 2025

Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Fair Housing St Louis Realtors

Today, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a visionary who championed equality, justice, and the inherent dignity of all people. His fight against systemic injustices extended to housing discrimination, a battle that continues to shape communities across the nation, including right here in St. Louis.

Fair housing has been a cornerstone of efforts to ensure everyone has access to safe, affordable homes without fear of discrimination. Landmark legislation like the Fair Housing Act of 1968 is part of Dr. King’s enduring legacy, prohibiting discriminatory practices based on race, color, national origin, religion, and other protected classes. Continue Reading →

St Louis County Real Estate Market Update as of January 2025

By Dennis Norman, on January 19th, 2025

The St Louis County real estate market continues to show strong growth as we enter the new year. According to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS®, homes in the St Louis County update sold for a median price of $260,000 in December 2024. This represents a 15.56% increase from December 2023, when the median sold price was $225,000.

Despite this significant year-over-year increase, last month’s median sold price of $260,000 actually saw a slight decrease of 3.70% compared to November 2024, when the median sold price was $270,000. The median list price for homes in St Louis County also saw Continue Reading →

Court Rules Floor Plans Can Be Used in Marketing, Protecting Sellers’ Interests

By Dennis Norman, on January 17th, 2025

Designworks vs House of Brokers Floor Plan Lawsuit

A recent lawsuit that reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and concluded with a ruling on January 14, 2025, sheds light on a significant issue for homeowners and REALTORS® alike regarding copyright infringement and the use of floor plans in marketing homes. The case, Designworks Homes, Inc. v. House of Brokers Realty, Inc., involved Columbia, Missouri-based House of Brokers Realty and other defendants, and revolved around whether real estate agents and brokers could use floor plans in marketing properties without infringing on copyrights. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the defendants, citing the fair use Continue Reading →

Demand for Homes Shows Stability Even as Mortgage Rates Exceed 7%

By Dennis Norman, on January 16th, 2025

Based on the chart provided, the Purchase Index, which tracks mortgage applications for home purchases, has shown slight fluctuations over the past year. Notably, the trend reflects a stabilization in demand despite the persistent upward trajectory of mortgage rates, which now hover near 7%. This indicates resilience among homebuyers, who continue to pursue purchases despite rising costs.

Higher interest rates typically discourage borrowing, but this data suggests that the housing market is finding ways to adapt. If you’re navigating today’s market, working with an experienced brokerage like MORE, REALTORS® can help you identify opportunities that fit your goals.

The Continue Reading →

Discover the Hottest Real Estate Markets in the St. Louis Metro Area

By Dennis Norman, on January 16th, 2025

Are you in the market to buy or sell a home in the St. Louis metropolitan area? Look no further! According to recent data, the fastest selling zip codes in this region are 63630 in Washington, MO, 63044 in St. Louis, MO, and 62095 in Madison-IL, IL. These zip codes have an average of 8-11 listings on the market for just 25-30 days, making them prime locations for buyers and sellers alike.

If you’re a potential home buyer, these zip codes offer a competitive market with a variety of options to choose from. And for sellers, the fast turnover rate Continue Reading →

Jefferson County Real Estate Market Update as of 2025-01-15

By Dennis Norman, on January 15th, 2025

The latest data from the jefferson county update real estate market shows a continued upward trend in home prices. According to the chart below, which is available exclusively from MORE, REALTORS®, the median sold price for homes in Jefferson County during December 2024 was $265000, a 3.92% increase from the previous year. This also marks a 2.32% increase from November 2024, when the median sold price was $259000.

The median list price for homes in the jefferson county update remained steady at $259900, showing no change from December 2023. However, there were 170 home sales in December 2024, a slight Continue Reading →

Supreme Court Clears Way for DOJ Investigation into REALTOR® Policies

By Dennis Norman, on January 14th, 2025

Legal Counsel Behind Billion-Dollar Verdict Vows to Enforce NAR Settlement Strictly

The Supreme Court yesterday declined to review the National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR) appeal to block the Department of Justice (DOJ) from resuming its antitrust investigation. This decision allows the DOJ to reopen its probe into NAR’s practices, including the Clear Cooperation Policy and the Participation Rule, both of which have been criticized for limiting competition in the real estate industry.

The Clear Cooperation Policy requires listing brokers to submit a property to their Realtor-affiliated MLS within one business day of marketing it publicly. This policy was intended to ensure transparency but has faced allegations of reducing competition and restricting Continue Reading →

Discover the Top 3 Fastest Selling School Districts in St. Louis Metro Area

By Dennis Norman, on January 12th, 2025

Are you looking to buy or sell a home in the St. Louis metropolitan area? If so, you’ll want to pay attention to the latest data on the fastest selling school districts in the area. According to recent statistics, the top three districts with the shortest average time on the market are Wood River-Hartford DIST 15 in Wood River, IL, Kingston K-14 in Unincorporated, MO, and Pontiac-W Holliday DIST 105 in , IL.

With only 6 active listings and an average of 19 days on the market, Wood River-Hartford DIST 15 takes the top spot. This district boasts a diverse Continue Reading →

St. Louis Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Hold Negligent Property Owners Accountable

By Dennis Norman, on January 10th, 2025

St. Louis Lawmakers Push for Accountability on Vacant Property Violations

St. Louis lawmakers have introduced three significant bills aimed at increasing accountability for owners of vacant and deteriorated properties, building on the recent approval of Proposition V, which lifted a decades-old cap on fines for ordinance violations. With nearly 14,000 city properties having outstanding code violations and over 24,000 vacant properties in the city, these bills seek to address issues that have long plagued St. Louis neighborhoods.

The proposed legislation includes Board Bill 169, introduced by Alderman Michael Browning, which raises fines for vacant and deteriorated properties from $25 for the first violation to $100, with repeat offenses escalating to Continue Reading →

St. Louis County Sees Sharp Decline in New Home Permits, While Lincoln County Booms by Nearly 82%

By Dennis Norman, on January 10th, 2025

St Louis MSA Building Permits for New Homes Data for November 2024 compared with year ago

During the 12-month period ending November 30, 2024, a total of 3,756 building permits were issued for new single-family homes in the St. Louis area. This marks a 2.47% decrease from the previous 12 months, which recorded 3,851 permits. According to the latest data from the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri (St. Louis HBA), four of the seven counties covered in the report experienced an increase in permits. Lincoln County continues to show great growth in new construction with an increase nearly 82%.

Search St Louis Homes For Sale Search St Louis New Homes For Continue Reading →

Off-Market Listings: A Curious Conflict in Real Estate Practices

By Dennis Norman, on January 10th, 2025

Off Market Listings - Broker or Office Exclusive Listings

In the world of residential real estate, there’s an interesting contradiction that’s worth exploring. Investors spend significant time, money, and effort targeting homeowners before their properties ever reach the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Why? Because off-market properties often yield the best deals, allowing investors to avoid competition and negotiate favorable terms. Yet, at the same time, we see a growing trend among listing agents—professionals with a fiduciary duty to act in their clients’ best interests—choosing strategies that keep properties off the MLS as well. This curious alignment of methods raises important questions about the motives and implications of such practices.

Continue Reading →