St Louis Real Estate News - Page 62 of 109 - Daily St. Louis real estate news, market analysis, home prices, and mortgage rate updates from local industry professionals.

Mortgage Interest Rates Hit Lowest Level In Over A Year

By Dennis Norman, on August 15th, 2014

Mortgage interest rates fell to an average of 4.13 percent in July on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, marking the lowest mortgage interest rate we have seen in over a year. The last time mortgage interest rates were this low was back in June of 2013 when the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.07 percent, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac.

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Source: Freddie Mac

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St Louis Foreclosure Activity Down Fifty-Nine Percent In Past Year

By Dennis Norman, on August 14th, 2014

St Louis foreclosure activity was on the decline again in July with a total of 485 foreclosure actions taking place in the St Louis MSA during the month which equates to foreclosure activity on 1 of every 2,573 housing units, according to data released this morning by RealtyTrac. This represents a decline in St Louis foreclosure activity of 19.57% from the month before and a decline of 59.0% from July 2013. As the table below shows, with the exception of Franklin County, all of the major Missouri counties of the St Louis MSA saw a decline in foreclosure activity from Continue Reading →

Over Half Of St Louis Foreclosures Sold Are Cash Sales

By Dennis Norman, on August 13th, 2014

Cash sales accounted for more than 1 in 5 (21.7%) St Louis home sales in July 2014, a slight decrease from a year ago when cash sales accounted for 22.1% of home sales. The median price of these cash home sales in July 2014 was $162,000, 3.3% higher than a year ago when the median price was $156,810. St Louis foreclosures sold during the month of July 2014 were cash sales more than half the time (56.5%), an increase of 7.3% from a year ago when cash sales accounted for 52.7% of St Louis foreclosure sales. The median price of Continue Reading →

St Louis Neighborhoods With Largest Price Gains In Past Year

By Dennis Norman, on August 12th, 2014

The largest price gains in home prices over the past year are found in a variety of St Louis area neighborhoods however there is a concentration of them in the 40 corridor from mid-county to west county. In compiling data for this article, I looked at what I feel is the best indicator of home price change, price per square foot, and selected neighborhoods that had at least a 10% increase in home prices during the past 12 months.

There are charts below showing the price per foot for the past year for each specific neighborhood as well as our Continue Reading →

St Louis Home Prices and Sales Market Update VIDEO-August 2014

By Dennis Norman, on August 11th, 2014

St Louis home prices have increased in the past year and you can find out by how much, as well as a ton of other useful information on the St Louis real estate market, such as where the HOT SELLERS MARKETS are in St Louis, the GOOD BUYERS MARKETS (down to just 11 neighborhoods this month) and a whole lot more in our 5-Minute Market Update Video For August 2014 below.

Many areas of St Louis have become sellers markets due to increasing demand and lack of inventory. If you have considered selling, or perhaps tried and failed in the Continue Reading →

How To Avoid Problems With Homeowners Insurance

By Dennis Norman, on August 8th, 2014

Homeowners Insurance is something that most homeowners have, but many don’t necessarily understand all the nuances of their policy or, in the case of policies that may have been originally purchased years ago, may not know that they don’t have sufficient coverage today. If there are problems with the policy or with the company the policy is issued by, the time you find out is typically after a loss is suffered and the homeowner goes through the claim process. Continue Reading →

St Charles County Makes List of Affordable Housing Markets With Jobs

By Dennis Norman, on August 7th, 2014

Today, RealtyTrac released a new report which revealed that, as of the 2nd quarter of 2014, affordable housing is on the decline in one-third of the largest counties in the U.S. In compiling the report, the historical average for income to price affordability percentages were analyzed and the results showed that one-third of the counties analyzed now have higher affordability percentages than their historical average now making homes in those counties less affordable now than they have been on average over the past 14 years. On the positive side, no St Louis area counties were on that list Continue Reading →

Villa’s Gaining In Popularity in St Louis

By Dennis Norman, on August 6th, 2014

Villa’s are becoming increasingly popular in St Louis evidenced by the increase in online searches by home buyers searching for a Villa. Let’s get to the question that may be going through your mind right now, what is a “Villa”, or more accurately, what type of housing in St Louis is the term “Villa” being applied to? The term “Villa” has to be one of the most misapplied terms used in the housing industry today as it’s origin goes back to Roman times when “Villa” referred a large country estate owned by a wealthy person. Today however, Villa refers more Continue Reading →

$1,000 Increase In New Home Price Takes Over 200,000 Buyers Out Of The Market

By Dennis Norman, on August 5th, 2014

A new study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reveals for each $1,000 increase in the price of a new home (median-priced new home) forces 206,000 prospective home buyers out of the market. Continue Reading →

Missouri Ranks Third In Nation For Lowest Mortgage Closing Costs

By Dennis Norman, on August 4th, 2014

Missouri, along with it’s affordable home prices, also has the 3rd lowest mortgage closing costs according to data just released today by BankRate. According to the report, in Missouri, the average mortgage closing costs on a $200,000 home loan are $2,387.00, almost 6% less than the national average of $2,539.00. Holden Lewis, senior mortgage analyst at Bankrate, said mortgage closing costs have risen 6 percent in the past year and says “new mortgage regulations are the biggest reasons why closing costs went up“.

Texas, at $3,046, had the highest closing costs in the nation, followed by Alaska at $2,897 and Continue Reading →

St Louis Condo Sales Rising At Faster Rate Than Home Sales

By Dennis Norman, on July 31st, 2014

St Louis Condo sales have steadily grown over the past 3 years from 2,216 sales for the 12 month period ended June 30, 2011 to 3,141 sales for the 12 month period ended June 30, 2014, an increase of 41.8% in that 3 year period. I think this is the result of actually two things; one, the recovery of the St Louis housing market which we are in the midst of, as well as greater acceptance of condominiums for a residence by St Louisan’s.

During the same period, St Louis home sales, as the chart below illustrates, have increased as Continue Reading →

Rental Vacancy Rate Falls To Lowest Level In 20 Years

By Dennis Norman, on July 30th, 2014

The rental vacancy rate in the U.S. was at 7.5% for the 2nd quarter of 2014, down from 8.3% the quarter before and at the lowest level in 20 years, according to data just released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. rental vacancy rate has not been this low since the 4th quarter of 1994 when the rate was 7.4%.

Here in the Midwest region of the U.S., the rental vacancy rate was 7.5% during the 2nd quarter of 2014, the lowest rate in 16 years! The last time the Midwest Region of the U.S. saw rental vacancy rates Continue Reading →

Home Ownership Rate In U.S. Falls To Lowest Rate in 19 Years

By Dennis Norman, on July 29th, 2014

The home ownership rate in the use for the 2nd quarter of 2014 was 64.7 percent, a small decline from 64.8 percent in the previous quarter and the lowest rate of home ownership in the U.S. we have seen since the 2nd quarter of 1995 when the rate was the same, 64.7%, according to data just released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Here in the Midwest region of the country, the home ownership rate in the 2nd quarter of 2014 was 69.6%, an increase from 69.3% the quarter before. Unlike the U.S. home ownership rate which is the same now Continue Reading →

St Louis Pending Home Sales Slip In June-YTD Down From Last Year

By Dennis Norman, on July 28th, 2014

St Louis pending home sales slipped slightly in June with 2,301 pending home sales for the 5-county core St Louis market (St Louis City and the County’s of St Louis, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin), a decline of 2 percent from the Month before when there were 2,350 pending home sales. Pending home sales in St Louis in June were up 5.18% from June of last year, however, year-to-date pending home sales through June 30th of this year is at 11,606, down 7 percent from this time last year when there were 12,476 homes sold during the same period.

Below Continue Reading →

St Louis County Property With Delinquent Taxes To Be Sold At Tax Sale

By Dennis Norman, on July 24th, 2014

St Louis County will hold it’s annual sale of tax delinquent property next month on August 25, 2014, beginning at 10:00 am in the County Council Chambers in the County Administration Building in Clayton. To be eligible to bid you must register prior to bidding. Registration will begin at 8:30 am on the tax sale day in the office of the Collector of Revenue in the County Administration Building.

A complete list of all properties available for bid, as well as complete instructions on how to participate in the tax sale, can be found online here.

For more Continue Reading →

Areas With Highest Foreclosure Rates In St Louis

By Dennis Norman, on July 24th, 2014

Even though, for a while now, foreclosures have been on the decline in St Louis as well as in most parts of the country, there are still many St Louis neighborhoods that are being impacted significantly by foreclosure activity. While after the housing bubble burst in 2008 we foreclosures appeared in most every neighborhood in St Louis from areas with the lowest values to areas with the highest, there has been a concentration of foreclosure activity in a few areas of St Louis. The city of Florissant, for one, is an area that has had more than it’s fair share Continue Reading →

Will Paying A Higher Commission Rate Get Your Home Sold Faster?

By Dennis Norman, on July 23rd, 2014

During the 30+ years I have been in the real estate business I have debated this topic with my peers more times than I can possibly count and, it’s safe to say, rarely did we reach a consensus. The topic of commissions is a very sensitive one in this industry and there are strong opinions on both sides of the fence as to whether offering a higher commission rate to the selling agent will in fact get a home sold faster.

Before I go further I should pause and give some quick background info on real estate commissions and how Continue Reading →

St Louis Home Sales and Prices Increase From Year Ago

By Dennis Norman, on July 22nd, 2014

St Louis Home Sales as well as St Louis home prices have increased in the past year 3,179 homes sold in June 2014 in the St Louis core market (St Louis city and the counties of St Louis, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin) an increase of 3 percent from June 2013 when there were 3,086 homes sold. During this same period, St Louis home prices increased 5.81 percent from a median price of $155,000 in June 2013 to a median price of $164,000 in June 2014, according to the latest data available from MORE, REALTORS.

As Continue Reading →

The Importance Of Pricing Your Home Right From The Start

By Dennis Norman, on July 21st, 2014

While the St Louis real estate market is recovering from the aftermath of the housing bubble hurst, the market is still very price sensitive and therefore I cannot over emphasize the importance of pricing your home right from the outset at the beginning of the listing.

However, many sellers fear this strategy as they think no matter what price they list at the buyer will still offer less than the asking price. I will address this issue by saying that is simply not true. Buyers today, in my humble opinion, are more educated and savvy than homes buyers were during Continue Reading →

Mortgage Interest Rates Lower Today Than A Year Ago To The Surprise of Many

By Dennis Norman, on July 18th, 2014

Mortgage interest rates, in spite of predications to the contrary by many, are actually lower today than a year ago, according to the latest date available from Fredde Mac. According to Freddie Mac, the U.S. average interest rate for a 30 year mortgage was 4.15 percent on July 10, 2014, down significantly from July 11, 2013 when the average 30 year mortgage rate was 4.51 percent.

As the interactive chart below from the St Louis Fed Reserve shows, mortgage interest rates have definitely risen from the historic lows we say in 2012 and part of 2013 however are still lower Continue Reading →

St Louis Foreclosure Activity Drops Nearly 50 Percent In Past Year

By Dennis Norman, on July 17th, 2014

St Louis Foreclosure activity dropped in June to a rate of 1 foreclosure action on every 2,070 units, a decline of nearly 50 percent (49.58%) from June 2013, and down 13.11% from the month before, according to a report just released this morning by RealtyTrac. The table below shows the numbers for the St Louis metro area as a whole as well as a breakdown by county and, as the table shows, all the counties in the St Louis, Missouri core market saw declines of nearly 50% or better in the past year and all, except the city of St Continue Reading →

St Louis’ HOTTEST Real Estate Markets This Month

By Dennis Norman, on July 16th, 2014

St Louis’ Hottest Real Estate Markets for this month has a new city at the top of the Hot Markets list, Glendale! Glendale, with a market action index of 50 (anything above a 30 is a sellers market, 60 is the highest it can go) is number 1 on the list followed closely by last month’s #1 neighborhood, the 63021 zip of Ballwin with a 49.

In terms of inventory of homes for sale, the list is pretty much the same as June, with the top 9 slots all the same as last month and the top 3 having only Continue Reading →

How To Buy Homes in St Louis at a Big Discount

By Dennis Norman, on July 15th, 2014

Looking to buy a home in St Louis at a BIG Discount?

Take it from someone that has been in the business over 30 years and during that time bought and sold over 2,000 homes; there is no silver bullet or magic formula to finding a great deal on a home or other piece of property. I wish it were that easy. You can however use information and resources that are available to help identify potential good deals and then, with a lot of driving and looking at homes, cull through the pile looking for the “deal”.

RealtyTrac just did Continue Reading →

Ten Best Buyers Markets In St Louis

By Dennis Norman, on July 14th, 2014

The St Louis housing market continues to improve however, as I always say, real estate is very local so markets vary widely from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood. Not that long ago, most of the neighborhoods in St Louis were buyers markets, according to our Market Action Index however, over the past year or so, many have moved into seller’s market territory. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any buyers markets left however, and in the table below I bring you the Ten Best Buyers Markets In St Louis based upon our Market Action Index.

Search ALL St Louis Continue Reading →

St Louis Home Prices and Sales Market Update VIDEO-July 2014

By Dennis Norman, on July 10th, 2014

More than 15 neighborhoods in the St Louis area are HOT SELLERS MARKETS while more than 15 are HOT MARKETS FOR BUYERS. If you are a home buyer, seller or investor, wouldn’t it be good to know where these areas are? Or, if you are a homeowner that has considered selling your home, wouldn’t it be good to know if your neighborhood is currently a sellers market? Well, you can find out all of this and much more with just a 5 minute investment of your time by checking out our July 2014 5-Minute Market Update Video below.

Many areas Continue Reading →

Kitchen and Master Bedroom Most Important Features to Todays New Home Buyer

By Dennis Norman, on July 9th, 2014

Today’s new home buyer’s most important features are the kitchen and master bedroom, according to a survey conducted by PulteGroup. The kitchen was chosen as the most important feature in a new home by 29% of those surveyed, followed by the master bedroom with 22% picking that as their top feature. So, the bottom line is, the most important thing to new home buyers is to eat and sleep! ;)

As for kitchen features that new home buyers are looking for, 23% aid a large eat in area was the most important feature of the kitchen, followed by 22% that Continue Reading →

Consumer Confidence In Housing Market Increasing But Normal Housing Market Still In The Distance

By Dennis Norman, on July 8th, 2014

Consumers continue to gain confidence in the housing market but not enough to return us to a “normal” housing market, according to the June 2014 Fannie Mae National Housing Survey. In the survey consumers are asked, among other things, what their expectations are with regard to home prices and, while the expectation is for home values to increase 2.4% in the next 12 months, this is slightly lower than indicated in the previous few months. When asked about the expectation with regard to mortgage interested rates, 55% of the consumers think interest rates will rise in the next year, this Continue Reading →

St Louis County Deadline for Property Assessment Appeals Is Soon

By Dennis Norman, on July 7th, 2014

If you are a property in St Louis county and do not agree with the value the St Louis County Assessor, the deadline for property assessment appeals to the St Louis County Board of Equalization is July 14, 2014. You can now file online by going to St Louis County’s website here or you can download the forms by clicking here. If you are “old school” and want to go pick up the forms you can do that at the board of equalization office at 41 South Central. This is not a reassessment year, however you can still appeal the assessment Continue Reading →

St Louis’ Most Expensive Foreclosures – Slide Show

By Dennis Norman, on July 7th, 2014

St Louis’ Most Expensive Foreclosures currently for sale includes homes in St Louis, St Charles and Franklin counties and top out at $1,700,000 at the time of this article. While buying a foreclosure does generally involve more risk than buying a privately owned home that is being sold under “non-distress” conditions, the added risk is usually rewarded in a much better price and therefore a better deal. The main risks with buying a foreclosure have to do with the condition of the property both in that the property is normally being sold as is, there is not a sellers disclosure Continue Reading →

The Best Place In St Louis To Buy Rental Property

By Dennis Norman, on July 3rd, 2014

I’ll begin with a disclaimer. I realize this is a VERY subjective topic and there are about a hundred different criteria one may use to determine the best area to invest in rental property however, having said that, I attempted to do a broad brush analysis from 30,000 feet. I decided to look at which area, in general, offers the best return on investment when it comes to rental property. For the sake of my analysis, I looked at single family homes as rental properties since they are the most common investment by individual investors.

To determine the best rate Continue Reading →