By Dennis Norman, on November 19th, 2013 All 10 of the St Louis neighborhoods where homes are selling the quickest are found in St. Louis County, according to the latest data available from MORE, REALTORS. As the table below shows, the 63040 zip in Grover has the lowest median time homes for sale have been on the market at just 35 days.
The chart below the table shows the number of homes that were sold during October 2013 in each of these zip codes that made the top ten list for fastest selling St Louis neighborhoods. Ballwin saw the most home sales with almost 70 in the Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on November 15th, 2013 St. Louis foreclosure activity shot up in October from the month before for the metro area as a whole with foreclosure actions occurring on 1 of every 923 housing units, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. Even with the increase, October’s foreclosure activity rate for the St Louis metro area was down over 20% from a year ago. Foreclosure activity varied widely across the St Louis metro area with St Louis county seeing a 77% month over month increase and St. Charles and Franklin county both seeing declines in month over month as well as year over year rates.
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By Dennis Norman, on October 24th, 2013 Cash Home Buyers in St Louis were responsible for 50 percent of the home sales in September 2013 in the St Louis Metro area, according to a new report just released today by RealtyTrac. The report showed that state-wide, cash buyers accounted for 48 percent of home sales in Missouri during the month. As the table below shows (a St Louis Real Estate News Exclusive), in the city of St Louis 69 percent of the home sales in September were cash sales.
Cash sales are often associated with investors and, as the table shows, there is no lack of investor Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on October 21st, 2013 The foreclosure rate in St Louis fell to 1.04 percent for the month of August, a decline of 33.5 percent from a year ago when the St Louis foreclosure rate was 1.55 percent, according to a report just released by CoreLogic. The national foreclosure rate for August at 2.36 percent was over twice as high as the St Louis rate. Other good news for the St Louis real estate market contained in the report was that the St Louis mortgage delinquency rate (90 days or more late) was 3.78 percent, a decrease of 16.6 percent from a year ago when Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on October 20th, 2013 A new Rasmussen Reports survey just released reveals that most Americans (51%) believe buying a home is a good investment. The results of this survey are in line with what similar survey’s by Rasmussen have revealed throughout 2012 and 2013, however is down from May 2009 when 67% of Americans Surveyed said it was a good time to buy, marking an all-time high.
Thinking of buying a home? Search St Louis homes for sale here.
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By Dennis Norman, on October 17th, 2013 House flipping in St Louis is on the rise according to the 3rd quarter house flipping report just released this morning by RealtyTrac, the foreclosure tracking gurus. What is “house flipping”? Well, back when I entered the real estate business (1979) and began buying and selling homes, a “flip” was referred to as a house we sold and would close the our purchase, as well as our resale, on the same day. Today, “flipping” is applied to a home that is bought and then resold within a short period, for the purposes of the RealtyTrac report, 6 months.
The RealtyTrac Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on October 9th, 2013 Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), cautioned today that, given the fact the U.S. Government spends one dollar for every 75 -80 cents it takes in, if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, the government will have to decide where to cut its spending. Should the government choose not to pay its interest obligations, “we can expect interest rates on Treasury bonds to rise…and if that happens, mortgage rates will rise, because mortgage rates follow Treasury rates.”
Yun went on to say that if mortgage interest rates do rise we can expect home sales to drop Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on October 8th, 2013
It’s a fickle market…
The government shut-down and economy that is, at best, somewhat unstable, continues to keep home buyers somewhat timid. As the data shows in our just-released 5 minute market update, St Louis home prices and St Louis home sales have both increased in the past year, but the market is fairly fragile at this point.
Thinking of selling and want to know if your neighborhood is a seller’s market? Contact us and we’ll answer that question for you.
You can now subscribe to our ITUNES Podcast Channel to receive our updated market videos via podcast automatically Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on October 7th, 2013 As we enter the 7th day of the government shut down, concern grows among home buyers and sellers as to how this may affect the transactions here in St Louis. The short answer is that, fortunately, it appears the impact will be minimal for the most part. This morning at a meeting of the St Louis Industry Forum, which I chair, this topic was discussed and from the input of the real estate-related professions represented, it appears the impact of the government shutdown on real estate transactions here will be minimal.
Shelly Clark, President of Cardinal Surveying, said that there Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on September 20th, 2013
St. Charles county is a “hidden gem” for real estate investors wishing to buy rental property, according to RealtyTrac’s newly published “List of Top 25 Hidden Gem Single Family Rental Markets“. St. Charles County was the only Missouri county that made the list and it came in at 21 on the list with a gross yield on rental property of 9.4 percent. The gross yield is determined by taking the annual median rent for a county and divide it by the median price of home in that county. In the case of St Charles county, the median Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on September 16th, 2013 Eleven of the 12 fastest selling St. Louis neighborhoods are found in St. Louis County with the lone exception, which also happens to be #1 on the list, found in the city of St. Louis, according to the latest data available from MORE, REALTORS.
The fastest selling neighborhoods list is ranked based upon the median time current listings have been on the market. At the top of the list, with a median time on market of 25 days, is the 63101 zip area of the city of St Louis, followed by the 63040 zip area in Grover at 29 days. Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on September 11th, 2013
It’s still a seller’s market but it’s losing a little steam…
Most of the St Louis area finds itself in a sellers market still however a few more neighborhoods slipped back into a buyer’s market this month, according to the St Louis Market Update from MORE, REALTORS. The St Louis real estate market is definitely volatile, making it more important than ever to be aware of current market conditions if you are in the market as a buyer or seller and the 5 minute market update video for September below can do just that for you!
Thinking of selling Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on September 4th, 2013
St Louis home sales, for the 12 month period ending August 31, 2013, increased 13.9 percent from the same period a year before. In the five county area that makes up the bulk of the St Louis real estate market (city of St Louis and the counties of St Louis, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin) there were 26,436 homes sold during the period, up from 23,208 the year before.
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By Dennis Norman, on August 16th, 2013
Bidding wars for homes in St Louis cooled in July as the number of home sales where the final sales price exceeded the list price at the time of sale was 14.7 percent of all home sales in the St Louis 5-county core area (City of St Louis and Counties of St Louis, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin), according to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS. This is down 8.7 percent from June, when 16.1 percent of the homes sold in St Louis were sold at a price in excess of the list price. Nationally, in July almost half Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on August 11th, 2013
Ok, so you’re a guy, you went to church this morning with the family, came home and did a couple of “honey do” projects, played with the kids and walked the dog. Now it’s time for a little “ME TIME”, right? But…how do you get your peace and quiet to kick back and watch the game and yet still be at home with your family? The answer is simple…you need a MAN CAVE! What? No room in the house for one as the family has taken over? No problem! Here’s the answer, a Man Cave Shed! Best I can Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on August 9th, 2013
It’s a seller’s market in 60 St Louis Neighborhoods!
That’s right, according to the latest market data from MORE, REALTORS. 60 St Louis neighborhoods are experiencing a seller’s market while only 8 have a buyer’s market. Which ones you ask? Invest 5 minutes of your time watching my market up date video below and you will find out!
Thinking of selling and want to know if your neighborhood is a seller’s market? Contact us and we’ll answer that question for you.
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By Dennis Norman, on July 25th, 2013
St Louis distressed home sales have fallen substantially in the past year with distressed home sales in June making up less than 1 in 5 home sales (18.3 percent) for the 5 county core area of the St Louis MO market (St Louis City and County, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin Counties), according to the latest data from MORE, REALTORS. REO sales (bank and government-owned properties) accounted for just 15.8 percent of St Louis home sales in June (5 county core), down from 22.6 percent in June 2012. Short sales (where sellers sell for less than they owe) accounted Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on July 23rd, 2013
The St Louis foreclosure rate fell in May to 1.16 percent, down 33 percent from a year ago when the St Louis foreclosure rate was 1.75 percent, according to newly released data from Corelogic. More good news in the data is the fact that the St Louis mortgage delinquency rate declined in May as well, falling to 3.88 percent of all mortgage loans, down 17 percent from a year ago when the St Louis mortgage delinquency rate was 4.7 percent.
Search St Louis Foreclosures HERE
For Advice on How to Buy St Louis Foreclosures From A 2000+ Home Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on July 18th, 2013 St Louis’ most expensive housing can be found in Ladue today where the median price of homes for sale, as of today, is $1,318,731, according to data compiled by MORE, REALTORS. Closely behind Ladue is Clayton, with a current median price of $1,149,788, then Town & Country at $897,308 and Des Peres (63122) at $864,169. As the chart below shows, all four areas have seen median home prices fall from their peak during the past year, but all four areas are still reporting home prices above where they were a year ago.
The list below shows the current median list Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on July 12th, 2013
St Louis Real Estate Home Prices On The Rise!
It’s still a seller’s market in St Louis, according to the latest market data from MORE, REALTORS. The inventory of homes for sale remains low while home sale and prices are increasing.
Thinking of selling and want to know if your neighborhood is a seller’s market? Contact us and we’ll answer that question for you.
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By Dennis Norman, on July 3rd, 2013
Yes, I know how to spell “facts” and am aware that “fax” machines have went the way of the dinosaurs and therefore would never advise someone to get one, so what exactly am I talking about in my post title? Actually, my recent discovery of a company that was launched in 2012 called Housefax prompted me to do this post, hence “fax”, however, I also mean to suggest that you should get all the “facts” you can (about the house and market) before you buy a home.
First, about Housefax. The company was launched last year and it’s top Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 28th, 2013 Over the past few months we have seen St Louis home prices rise as the inventory of homes declines and buyers snap up the best deals about as fast as they hit the market. The question now is, “will home prices rise much more in the next year” and, if so, will they continue at the current pace? Well, 70 percent the agents surveyed during the month of June by Redfin say they expect home prices to rise “a little” over the next 12 months and just 16 percent said they felt prices would rise “a lot” (down from 44 Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 27th, 2013 St Louis home sales peaked around the midpoint of June at the same time our Market Action Index (MAI) for the St Louis MSA peaked as well. The week of June 14th saw 1,964 homes leave the market in the St Louis MSA, most as a result of sale) and during the same week our Market Action Index (the black line on the chart below) hit 42, well into “seller’s market” territory (above 30 up to a max of 60). Since that peak, both the number of homes for sale that have left the market as well as our Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 25th, 2013
St Louis Foreclosures fell in April to 1.2 percent of all St Louis homes with a mortgage, a decline of 33 percent from a year ago when the rate was 1.78 percent and is now at the lowest rate in well over 3 years, according to a report just released by CoreLogic. This puts St Louis foreclosures less than half the national rate for April of 2.65 percent.
In addition, the report reveals that St Louis mortgage delinquencies are also down significantly for April 2013 which 3.96 percent of St Louis mortgage being 90 days or more delinquent, a Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 24th, 2013 There are St Louis Housing markets on the rebound with prices and demand on the rise and inventories down. For the 9 areas of St Louis where the real estate market is on the rebound listed below, I have charts showing what home prices have done over the past 3 years (the red line) as well as what our Market Action Index is for the area (an index that rates an area based upon supply and demand – the Olive colored line). As the data shows, these markets are seeing home prices on the rise and the market heating up!
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By Dennis Norman, on June 21st, 2013 A survey by LendingTree reveals that now is the time to buy a home if you want to beat the coming higher home prices and interest rates. According to the survey of individuals that say they are considering buying a home in the coming year, 68% say they feel home prices will rise and 64% think interest rates will rise in the next 12 months.
Of the would-be home buyers surveyed, 57 percent are first-time home buyers and 45 percent said they are “actively” shopping for a home while the remaining 55 percent said they are “casual” shoppers.
Click here Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 19th, 2013
It has only been recently that economists started using the word “recovery” in the same sentence as “housing market” and now there is talk about a possible housing bubble? CoreLogic, in it’s June MarketPulse report, citing a 12.1 percent increase in their home price index from April 2012 to April 2013 cautioned that the double-digit home price gains “prompt caution” and makes some ask “are we witnessing a new housing bubble?”
The CoreLogic report encompasses the largest metro areas in the U.S. so I decided to look at the St. Louis area specifically to see if what we are Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 13th, 2013 If you want to buy a St Louis foreclosure, you will have to be prepared to move quick, and pay up to be successful! Over the past 60 days, there were 929 new foreclosure listings (bank and government owned homes) in the St Louis core market area (St Louis City & County, St Charles, Jefferson and Franklin Counties). These new St Louis foreclosures for sale have an average listing price of $84,467 and almost 50 percent of them are already sold (48%), selling in a median time of 11 days and for an average of 106 percent of the list Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 12th, 2013 There were 88,367 St Louis homeowners with negative equity during the first quarter of this year, according to a report just released by CoreLogic. This represents 15.7 percent of the St. Louis homeowners with a mortgage and is a decline of 10 percent from the prior quarter when there were 98,365 St Louis homeowners with negative equity, or 17.5 percent of all St Louis homeowners with a mortgage.
For the State of Missouri as a whole, there were 120,056 homeowners, or 15.3 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage, with negative equity during the first quarter of this year. On Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on June 11th, 2013 Over three of every four people (76 percent) say now is a good time to buy a home according to the National Housing Survey for May just released by Fannie Mae. Would be sellers are also feeling better about the housing market with 40 percent saying now is a good time to sell a home.
When it comes to financing that home purchase, American’s are getting more optimistic as well, with 46 percent saying it would be easy to get a home loan today, however 50 percent believe it would be difficult to obtain a mortgage.
Thinking of Continue Reading →
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