Real Estate Market - St Louis Real Estate News

Number Of Foreclosures in St Louis During 2018 Drops To Lowest Number In Over 12 Years

By Dennis Norman, on January 18th, 2019

As evidence of just how much the St Louis housing market has improved since the housing bubble burst a little over a decade ago, as well as a testimony as to the strength of our economy, the number of St Lous homeowners that lost their homes to foreclosure last year dropped to the lowest level in over 12 years.

As the tables below show, during 2018, 6,882 homeowners in the St Louis metro area received a notice of a foreclosure filing from their lender on their property, a decline of 6% from the prior year when 7,323 homeowners received a Continue Reading →

Cheaper To Buy Than Rent A Home In Six Out Of Eight St Louis Areas Counties

By Dennis Norman, on January 10th, 2019

According to a report just released this morning by ATTOM Data Research, it’s cheaper to buy a home than rent in 6 of 8 St Louis metro area counties covered in the report. The data reported also shows, however, that home prices are rising faster than rents in all of the counties, a trend that, if it continues, could make buying a home a less affordable option in the future. The data also shows, on a postiive note, that in 6 of 8 counties wages are rising faster than rents. The counties are split when it comes to wages vs Continue Reading →

Top 10 St Louis Areas Where Homes Sold The Slowest Last Month

By Dennis Norman, on January 9th, 2019

While we still have muncipalities and neighborhoods throughout the St Louis metro area where homes are selling very quickly, there are some areas where it does take longer to sell a home. The list below shows the 10 slowest selling cities in the St Louis MSA based upon the time it took homes to sell that closed within the last month.

At the top of the list is Herculaneum in Jefferson County Missouri where the average time to sell was 154 days, nearly 5 times the median time of 32 days for the St Louis MSA. Of the remaining 9 Continue Reading →

Top 10 St Louis Cities Where Homes Are Selling The Fastest

By Dennis Norman, on January 5th, 2019

It may be the slow season for real estate but there are still plenty of areas in St Louis where homes are selling fast! As the table below shows, the cities where homes have sold the fastest in the past 30 days are scattered throughout the St Louis metro area. From number 1 on the list, Wright City in the far western area of the metro area in Warren County to number 2 on the list over on the east side of the Mississippi River in Waterloo Illinois.

Search St Louis Homes For Sale Search St Louis Upcoming OPEN Continue Reading →

After Christmas Sale On Real Estate! Lowest Prices Of The Year!

By Dennis Norman, on December 27th, 2018

Early Christmas evening, the commercials began for “after Christmas” sales by anxious retailers that couldn’t even wait until after Christmas to tell everyone what great bargains can be had. Well, the same holds true for residential real estate in terms of bargain prices at this time of year. It’s no secret that the number of homes sold, as well as prices, decline during this time of year, but I don’t know that would-be home buyers realize just how much they can save if they buy a home during this slow season.

As the STL Market Chart (exclusively from MORE, REALTORS) Continue Reading →

St Louis Home Sales Remain Steady But Trending Downward

By Dennis Norman, on December 21st, 2018

In the last week, I’ve seen several reports indicating declining home sales on both a nationwide basis as well as for the St Louis market. The reports vary widely but one local report indicated single family home sales were down 6 percent from a year ago, which, of course, should cause some concern for both agents as well as consumers since a 6 percent decline is significant. However, this is why, for this very reason, MORE, REALTORS® developed their own proprietary software to analyze and report the market data (the same MLS data as the aforementioned report was based upon) Continue Reading →

Forecast Says Eighty Two Percent Of St Louis Listings Will Sell Below List Price

By Dennis Norman, on December 18th, 2018

A report released by Knock, a company that buys homes, forecasts that, nationally, 77% of current listings will sell below the original list price during the first quarter of 2019 and in St Louis, 82.61% of the listings will sell below list price. The report goes on to forecast that, on average, during the first quarter of 2019 homes in St Louis will sell for 5.2% less than the original list price and will take an average of 22 days to sell.

70% of St Louis Listings Sold For Less Than Original Price During Past 3 Months…

As our exclusive Continue Reading →

Houses and Condos for Christmas Presents?

By Dennis Norman, on December 17th, 2018

Every year around this time is when many homeowners that have their homes listed for sale discuss with their agent whether they should just take their home or condo off the market as Christmas approaches, then come back on the market after the beginning of the new year. Many homeowners that are thinking of selling contemplate the same thing trying to decide whether to come on the market before the holidays or wait until after.

It is a well-known fact this is a slower time of the year for the St Louis real estate market, but does that mean it’s Continue Reading →

St Louis Home Mortgage Originations Drop Five Percent In Third Quarter

By Dennis Norman, on December 12th, 2018

There were 9,983 home purchase mortgage loans originated in the St Louis metro area during the 3rd quarter of this year, a decline of 5% from the prior quarter and a decline of 3% from a year ago, according to a report just released by ATTOM Data Services. This is the lowest number of home purchase loan originations for the 3rd quarter since 2015 when there were 9,731 home purchase mortgage loans originated. As the historical table below shows, the peak for loan originations in St Louis was in the 3rd quarter of 2005 when there were 17,698 purchase mortgage Continue Reading →

St Louis Real Estate Market Update VIDEO – December 2018 – Months Supply On the Rise

By Dennis Norman, on December 9th, 2018

The St Louis real estate market is lagging a little behind last year in terms of home sales and the inventory of homes for sale is on the rise. While some of this is, of course, seasonal, perhaps some of it could be related to home prices increasing over the past year or so at a higher rate than the historical “norm” as well as may be reflective of the higher interest rates we are experiencing now versus last year.

While it’s still a seller’s market in some areas of St Louis and in some price ranges, Continue Reading →

Nearly 1 In 5 St Louis Home Sales In Past 12-Months Were Cash Deals

By Dennis Norman, on December 7th, 2018

There were 37,721 homes sold in the St Louis metropolitan area during the past 12 months as reported by MORE, REALTORS. Of those, as the chart below illustrates, conventional financing made up the lion’s share of the sales. Conventional mortgages accounted for 18,967 home sales (50.3%), followed by cash transactions with no financing that accounted for 7,109 sales (18.9%), then 6,353 (16.8%) sales with FHA loans, 2,333 (6.2%) with VA loans, and 770 (2.0%) sales financed with USDA financing. The remaining 5.8% of the home sales were financed with one of roughly 30 other lessor popular financing methods.

Search St Louis Homes For Sale Continue Reading →

The Number of Flipped Houses In St Louis Drops, As Do Profits On Them

By Dennis Norman, on December 6th, 2018

There were 752 home “flips” in the St Louis metro area during the third quarter of this year, representing 6.5% of the homes sold during the period, according to data just released by ATTOM Data Research. This is a decline of 7.4% from the prior quarter and a decline of 2.0% from the same quarter last year.

What is meant by “flipped” home?

ATTOM Data considers any home or condo that was sold during the third quarter of this year in an arms-length sale that had previously had an arms-length sale within the prior 12 months as well as a Continue Reading →

Fastest Selling Cities in St Louis

By Dennis Norman, on December 5th, 2018

It’s no secret that home sales slow down this time of year in St Louis however, there are still plenty of cities in St Louis where homes are selling quickly! As the table below shows, Rock Hill is at the top of our Fastest Selling Cities list with the current supply of homes for sale being on the market for an average of just 29 days. Of the 10 cities on our list, all but one are in St Louis County and, of the 9 in St Louis County, 5 are in North County.

Search St Louis Homes For Continue Reading →

Strong Economy’s Impact On Housing Market Shows In REALTOR Survey

By Dennis Norman, on November 26th, 2018

The impact of the strong economy the U.S. is currently experiencing can be seen in the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) 2018 Member Profile. In the NAR report when agents were asked about the most important factor limiting potential home-buyer clients from completing a transaction, the answers given in the most recent survey show a strong improvement in economy-related issues from the 2015 survey. For example, below are some highlights from the survey for the most important factor limiting potential buyers in completing a transaction:

Difficulty in obtaining financing dropped from 26% in 2015 to just 12% in 2018 Low Continue Reading →

Median Price of Homes Sold in Franklin County In Past 12 Months Remain Flat And Sales Fall

By Dennis Norman, on November 25th, 2018

The median price of homes sold in Franklin County during the 12 month period ended October 31, 2018, was $150,000 according to the STL Market Report™ from MORE™, REALTORS®. As the STL Market Report™ below shows, this is exactly the same as during the prior 12-month period. During the most recent 12-month period, there were 1,282 homes sold in Franklin County, a decrease of 2.29% from the prior 12-month period. There is currently a 4.13 month supply of homes for sale in Franklin County and listings have been on the market a median time of 98 days.

STL Market Continue Reading →

Median Price of Homes Sold in Jefferson County In Past 12 Months Hits $169,000 – Sales Down Slightly

By Dennis Norman, on November 24th, 2018

The median price of homes sold in Jefferson County during the 12 month period ended October 31, 2018, was $169,000 according to the STL Market Report™ from MORE™, REALTORS®. As the STL Market Report™ below shows, this is an increase in the median price of homes sold of 2.42% from the prior 12-month period. During the most recent 12-month period, there were 3,407 homes sold in Jefferson County, a decrease of 0.7% from the prior 12-month period. There is currently a 2.78 month supply of homes for sale in Jefferson County and listings have been on the market a median Continue Reading →

Median Price of Homes Sold in St Charles County In Past 12 Months Hits $230,000 – Sales Up Slightly

By Dennis Norman, on November 23rd, 2018

The median price of homes sold in St Charles County during the 12 month period ended October 31, 2018, was $230,000 according to the STL Market Report™ from MORE™, REALTORS®. As the STL Market Report™ below shows, this is an increase in the median price of homes sold of 4.55% from the prior 12-month period. During the most recent 12-month period, there were 6,081 homes sold in St Charles County, an increase of 1.11% from the prior 12-month period. There is currently a 2.52 month supply of homes for sale in St Charles County and listings have been on the Continue Reading →

Median Price of Homes Sold in St Louis City/County In Past 12 Months Hits $185,000 – Sales Flat

By Dennis Norman, on November 21st, 2018

The median price of homes sold in St Louis City and County combined during the 12 month period ended October 31, 2018 was $185,000 according to the STL Market Report™ from MORE™, REALTORS®. As the STL Market Report™ below shows, this is an increase in the median price of condos sold of 5.11% from the prior 12-month period. During the most recent 12-month period, there were 16,841 homes sold in St Louis City and County combined, just 6 sales more than the prior 12-month period. There is currently a 2.67 month supply of condos for sale in St Louis City Continue Reading →

Number of Equity-Rich St Louis Homeowners Increases In 3rd Quarter

By Dennis Norman, on November 12th, 2018

According to a report just released by ATTOM Data Solutions, 16.9% of the homeowners in St Louis with a mortgage are “equity-rich”, meaning their loan balance is 50% or less of their home’s estimated value. As the table below illustrates, this is an increase from 15.8% during the 2nd quarter as well as the 1st quarter of this year.

St Louis increase in equity surpassed the U.S. average but fell behind Kansas City and Chicago…

As the table below shows, during the past 2 years, the percentage of equity-rich homeowners in St Louis increased from 16.0% to 16.9%, an increase Continue Reading →

Number of Underwater St Louis Homeowners Falls To Lowest Level Since Last Year

By Dennis Norman, on November 10th, 2018

During the 3rd quarter of this year, 14.4% of the homeowners in St Louis with a mortgage were “seriously underwater”, meaning they owe at least 25 percent more than the estimated value of their home, according to a report just released by ATTOM Data Solutions. This is the lowest rate this year, down from 15.6% in the 2nd quarter and down from 14.7% in the first quarter of 2018. For the last quarter of 2017, St Louis homeowners that were seriously underwater had fallen to 13.8%.

Kansas City and Chicago have fared better over the past 5 years…

As the Continue Reading →

St. Louis’ 10 Fastest Selling Cities In October 2018

By Dennis Norman, on November 3rd, 2018

Not only did the beautiful fall weather of October draw St Louis area families to the popular apple and pumpkin picking festivities at Eckert’s Millstadt Farm, it also brought out home buyers putting Millstadt, IL at the top of our fastest SOLD cities in the St Louis metro area for October. As our table below shows (an exclusive feature of MORE™, REALTORS® feature), homes in Millstadt took just an average of 8 days to sell in October. The next nine cities on the list were all in Missouri with 5 of those in St Louis County, 2 in Jefferson County, Continue Reading →

New Home Prices Have Increased At Higher Rate Than Overall Housing Market Over Past 15 Years

By Dennis Norman, on November 2nd, 2018

I had lunch yesterday with a long-time friend who is a St Louis home-builder who shared with me the continually rising costs of construction he faces. Our conversation was consistent with conversations I’ve had with other builders as well, who cite a variety of things responsible for the ever-increasing costs of new home construction. The areas most often mentioned relate to regulatory and compliance issues, material prices as well as rising labor costs. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the average cost to build a new home has inreased 56% over the past 15 years. According to Continue Reading →

Will Zillow Put Real Estate Agents Out of Business?

By Dennis Norman, on November 1st, 2018

It would be an understatement to say that Zillow® has many real estate agents nervous about their future. It’s not just Zillow® though, it’s Amazon, big banks, and dozens and dozens of new real estate start-ups and changing business models.

A true dysfunctional family…

The most common name that comes up in real estate agent circles when discussing the impact of the internet on the real estate profession topic is Zillow®, and usually in the context of “the enemy“, so to speak. It seems to me the biggest fear among agents about Zillow® is that they want to eliminate real Continue Reading →

Homeownership Rate In U.S. Hits Highest Rate Since 2014

By Dennis Norman, on October 31st, 2018

The homeownership rate in the U.S. hit 64.4 percent during the third quarter of this year, according to data just released from the Census Bureau. This is the highest rate of homeownership in the U.S. since the third quarter of 2014 when the rate was also 64.4%.

As the chart below shows, homeownership rates increased in the Northeast and West regions during the 3rd quarter, from a year ago, but declined slightly in the Midwest and the South.

Search St Louis Homes For Sale Search St Louis Upcoming OPEN HOUSES Homeownership Rates By U.S. Region – 3rd Quarter Continue Reading →

Real Estate Agents Are In The Goldilocks Zone – What Does This Mean For Their Future?

By Dennis Norman, on October 30th, 2018

Will technology send real estate agents into near extinction like it did with travel agents and may be doing with taxi-cab drivers today? This is a topic of frequent conversation in our industry, especially with dozens of new, well-funded startups, many with new and different business models, all gunning for a piece of the residential real estate industry.

I don’t like Kool-Aid® and don’t drink it..

Before I start, for the naysayers out there that may think since I’ve spent my entire adult life in real estate that, of course, I’m going to come to the conclusion that real estate Continue Reading →

St Louis Real Estate Market Holding Steady

By Dennis Norman, on October 23rd, 2018

In contrast to reports from around the country of a cooling housing market and even a possible bubble in some markets, the St Louis real estate market continues to hold steady. As our exclusive, STL Market Report for the St Louis 5-County core market below shows, during the past 12-months homes have sold at about the same pace as the prior 12-month period, prices are up a little over 5 percent and the supply, while up, is still at a rather low 3 months.

St Louis 5-County core market home sales and prices

(click on table for Continue Reading →

Mortgage Bankers Forecast Five-Percent Mortgage Rates Next Year

By Dennis Norman, on October 20th, 2018

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), in their Mortgage Finance Forecast released this week predicted that interest rates on home mortgages will continue to rise this year and will hit 5% early next year. According to the report, the interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is expected to come in at an average of 4.6% for the 3rd quarter, which just ended and then rise to an average of 4.9% during the last quarter of this year. Interest rates are then forecast to hit 5.0% during the 1st quarter of 2019, rise to 5.1% by the second quarter, then Continue Reading →

Are Homes Going To Become ATM’s Again?

By Dennis Norman, on October 18th, 2018

During the housing bubble that peaked around 2006 and then burst in 2008 one of the things that got many homeowners in trouble was using their home’s as ATM’s. They did this by using, in most cases, home-equity loans to take advantage of the equity they had in their homes to give them access to tax-free cash to make improvements on their home, pay for vacations, buy cars, boats, whatever. This was fine until the value of homes began declining which resulted in many of these homeowners becoming “underwater“ meaning they owed more on their homes than they were worth.

Continue Reading →

Homeowner’s Equity Hits Record High

By Dennis Norman, on October 17th, 2018

Homeowner’s equity (the difference between current home value and the total amount of debt against the home) has risen to a record level in the U.S. at $15.189 Trillion as of the 2nd quarter of this year, according to reports from the St Louis Fed Reserve. As the chart below illustrates, this level is even higher than the previous peak in 2006 at the tail-end of the housing bubble when equity was at $13.417 Trillion.

Homeowner’s Equity In Real Estate

(Click on chart for live, interactive chart with current data)

Search St Louis Homes For Sale Continue Reading →

St Louis Real Estate Market Update VIDEO – October 2018 – Home sales down but higher than 10 years prior to 2017

By Dennis Norman, on October 14th, 2018

St Louis home sales continue to lag a little behind last year, however, through the end of September, year-to-date St Louis home sales are higher than they were for the ten years prior to last year! In fact, the YTD total home sales of 21,043 for the St Louis 5-County core market, falls just 130 home sales short of the 21,173 homes sold at this time back in the banner year of 2006. For the St Louis area, YTD home sales through September for this year are just 5.8% below the all-time high in 2005 when there were 22,344 homes Continue Reading →