sellers market

Real Estate Review: Spring 2018

The spring 2018 real estate market was extra hot in Columbus! A strong seller's market with low inventory and aggressive buyers in multiple offers scenarios dominated the closings in the first half of the year. 

I was able to get my buyers in contract by being very strategic in our approach to the process, preparing them as much as possible, communicating effectively with the other side and negotiating hard! Price isn't everything! Some deals were won with creative possession clauses, flexible closing timelines, lender reassurances and more.

Even though inventory is low, sellers absolutely still need to be represented by the right Realtor who knows how to price, position and market their home properly to as many people as possible. Did you know "FSBOs earn an average of $60,000 to $90,000 less on the sale of their home than sellers who work with a real estate agent, according to the National Association of REALTORS®."?

IMG_20180302_162953.jpg

In March, I helped very close friends buy their wonderful new home and simultaneously sell the condo they had done an awesome job renovating. When their condo in Worthington Glen sold in one day, it was the highest selling price EVER for the subdivision!! They just finished renovating their new place as well, stay tuned for a before/after blog coming soon!

For those of you who followed my Flip House journey on social media, you know that we successfully sold that fully renovated Clintonville home in June! So proud of the work my investor client did and happy for his first of many investment properties to have closed. Check out some before and after highlights below and view the full reno on my Instagram @Columbesthomes

I had the opportunity to work with many first time home buyers this spring! As exciting as that time can be, it's so important to make sure they understand each decision as they make it since things can move very quickly. Sometimes the pressures of the timelines in this market can put clients in a difficult spot, it's my job to guide them through that and keep them thinking of the big picture. Congratulations to all of my clients so far in 2018!!

ColumbusMarket.jpg

Even with historically low inventory keeping home sales down, sales prices in Columbus set new records in the first half of 2018! The lack of inventory proved frustrating for home buyers, but when they were pre-approved, working with an agent and prepared to move quickly they were able to secure homes. February marked the 85th consecutive month of year over year declines in inventory and left central Ohio with 1.2 months supply of inventory at the current sales pace, according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. 

“The lack of inventory in central Ohio is a major obstacle for home buyers in today’s market,” said Walsh. “If you look at the number of homes sold in the first two months of 2018, it’s clear that buyers need to be prepared to move very quickly!”
— 2018 Columbus REALTORS® President Sara Walsh.

March brought the first uptick in inventory with a significant increase of 41.6% more in closed sales than in February! Columbus buyers ate the new inventory up with an average of only 39 days on market for the whole MLS. In April, Columbus was ranked the 4th Hottest Housing Market in the nation by Realtor.com! Inventory continued to increase by 9.1% from March to April with closed sales up 8.8%. 

“In this hectic market place, as professionals, it is our job to take care of all the details, construct a clear contract, and calm the emotional storm that is part of the buying and selling process,” said 2018 Columbus REALTORS® President Sara Walsh. “As REALTORS®, we are finding ourselves in nearly daily communication with our clients who are committed to finding a home or preparing to sell.”

The average sales price in May 2018 was $253,133 which set a record high for the Columbus Multiple Listing Service! Inventory was up 18.8% from April and up 8.2% from May 2017. With all of these buyers ready to purchase and sellers getting motivated by hearing about the great market, spring took off with an incredibly high number of sales especially given the low inventory. The average days on market for May was 27 which tied with August 2017 for the lowest ever on record. 

spring2018.jpg

If you want a free, no pressure analysis of what your home's current market value is, please click here. Any questions about real estate, becoming a REALTOR or the facts presented please reach out to me at pfjohnson@kw.com or 614-638-5817 - Priscilla Johnson | Columbest Homes


Article shared and all information sourced via the Columbus Board of Realtors. To view the original and for more info see below: 

http://www.columbusrealtors.com/stats/default.aspx

Real Estate Review: April 2017

Columbus is on the rise in many ways - technology, development, the housing market, population and more! We are officially the #14th largest city in the nation, trailing San Francisco by just 10,000 residents. In the rankings for Ohio's largest cities these Columbus communities dominated the top of the list:

 

#1 COLUMBUS, up 9.3 percent to 860,090.
#2 Hilliard grew by 6,470, or 22.8 percent, to 34,905.
#3 Grove City grew by 4,146, or 11.7 percent, to 39,721.
#4 Delaware grew by 3,890, or 11.2 percent, to 38,643.
#5 Dublin grew by 3,817, or 9.1 percent, to 45,568.

 

It's such an exciting time to be in Columbus, Ohio! My husband Jesse, who is a local business owner STORE 5a, and I are very involved in the community and love supporting other business owners and organizations. In April, we celebrated Rowe Boutique's 10 Year Anniversary in the Short North, attended Startup Storytellers at CMA, Impact Social for Stonewall at Venue 614, Buckeye Lifestyle's launch party for their latest issue featuring Shawn Cunix at The Toybarn and The Short North Gala!

Here are the national real estate statistics for April 2017:

The number of projected home sales dipped to 5.5 million, however the national median home price had an increase of .5% to $228,400, which is up 7.7% from April 2016. The national average for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is up slightly to 4.23% still considered historically low and helping to incentivize buyers in this sellers' market! For specific questions on how these statistics affect you, please get in touch with me!

The median list price of new listings for central Ohio homes and condos during the month of April was $199,950, an 8.1 percent increase over April 2016 and a 1.0 percent increase from March. This is a new record high according to according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

infographicApril.jpg

There were 3,543 central Ohio homes and condos added to the market in April, which is a 5.1 percent increase over March, although a 10 percent decline over the same month a year ago.

This left inventory at 4,338 which was almost three percent higher than the previous month, but is still just over 19 percent lower than a year ago and has fallen year-over-year for 75 straight months. Unsold inventory is at a 1.6-month supply at the current sales pace (unchanged from the last three months).

The 2,479 central Ohio homes and condos sold during the month of April slipped 2.1 percent from the previous month, and 10.9 percent from April 2016.

Last month marked the first dip in home sales in nine months,” Gordon said. “There’s little doubt that the number of home sales would have been higher had we had more inventory.
— 2017 Columbus REALTORS® President Mic Gordon

Homes spent an average of 40 days on the market in April, which is 6 days fewer than March and 12 days less than April 2016.

The averages sale price of a home in April was $215,246, an increase of 7.1 percent over the same month a year ago and 5.6 percent above March.

If you’ve considered putting your home on the market, now is the time to do so as the warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours stimulate even greater buyer activity,” added Gordon.

During the month of March, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average of 46 days on the market, which is 6 days fewer than February and 13 days less than March 2016.

When asked about reasons transaction haven’t closed in the past year, 53 percent cited inspection issues and 30 percent cited issues rising from appraisals.


Article shared and all information sourced via the Columbus Board of Realtors. To view the original and for more info see below: 

Current housing report – April 2017
All housing reports

Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 7,600 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more.

The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties.

Real Estate Review: March 2017

The real estate market is insane right now and Columbus is NO exception! Don't just take my word for it, Columbus made the Forbes list of Where to Invest in Housing 2017 and was #5 on Realtor.com's list of Top 10 Cities Where Downtown Is Making a Comeback not to mention the statistics I've compiled for you below.

Low inventory is still the biggest issue in the market, if you have been thinking of selling there COULD NOT BE a better time. Not sure what your home is worth? I've got you covered, click here for a complimentary, no pressure, personalized estimate. If you are planning on buying, I'll be honest it can be tough right now. However, with the right planning and real estate agent in can be done and with low interest rates it's still a great time!

My client testimonial for this blog is extra personal and I'm very excited to share that my husband Jesse and I purchased our first home in Clintonville! The journey to buy our own home is actually how I met my wonderful mentor Bruce Dooley and became a REALTOR®. After helping so many other people find their homes, I was ecstatic to finally be the buyer. We put in many offers along the way and beat out 8 offers to get in this particular home, but it was SO worth it!

Here are the national real estate statistics for March 2017:

The number of projected home sales rose from 5.5 million to 5.7 million! The national median home price had a slight decrease of 1.9% to $228,900 which is great for buyers. Thinking of selling? The great news for you is that the median home price is up 7.1% from this same time last year, so if you've been waiting now is the time! The best news for everyone is that the national average for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is down from 4.19% in February to 4.15% making it an excellent time to get a loan and keeping the market moving. For specific questions on how these statistics affect you, please get in touch with me!

There were 2,531 central Ohio homes and condos sold during the month of March, a solid 50.8 percent increase over February and a 3.9 percent increase over the same month a year ago. 

This was the highest number of home sales on record for the month of March as well as the highest sales for the 1st quarter according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

infographicMarch.jpg

The average sale price of a home in March was $203,924, up 6.8 percent from one year ago and 7 percent from February. The median sales price was $170,000 a 4.3 increase over March 2016. 

The average sales price is the total volume divided by the number of homes sold. The median is the midpoint -- half the homes sell for less, while half sell for more.

The record home sales that we’re seeing is a direct reflection of the strong job growth here locally as well as low interest rates for mortgages. Home sales could have been even stronger, but inventory limited growth.
— 2017 Columbus REALTORS® President Mic Gordon

There were 3,372 central Ohio homes and condos added to the market in March, which is a 4.1 percent decrease from March 2016 and the lowest number of new listings recorded for the month of March, when inventory traditionally begins to climb. 

We keep thinking the inventory couldn’t get any lower – but it continues to decline,” Gordon said. “Even with the addition of new listings, inventory dropped to just over 4,200 at the end of March making it the 74th straight month of year over year decreases.

During the month of March, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average of 46 days on the market, which is 6 days fewer than February and 13 days less than March 2016.

“The tight supply of for-sale homes is helping to push prices upward,” said Gordon. “Homeowner should give serious consideration to selling under these advantageous conditions.”


Article shared and all information sourced via the Columbus Board of Realtors. To view the original and for more info see below: 

Current housing report – March 2017
All housing reports

Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 7,600 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more.

The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties.

Real Estate Review: February 2017

Inventory is down is Columbus, but the amount of homes in contract went up 11.4% since January! Buyers are still motivated to secure a home in this seller's market and with the national average for a fixed rate mortgage still low they have extra incentive. I'm still securing homes for buyers with two closings scheduled next week in Clintonville and Merion Village. If you are thinking of selling PLEASE don't miss the opportunity to benefit from this market and give these wonderful buyers something to celebrate! Call, email or text me today for more info 614-638-5817 pfjohnson@kw.com For a free Comparative Market Analysis done by me personally click here to find out what your home is worth in this market!

I'm a numbers girl and I love a good spreadsheet (I know, nerd) so I like to keep my clients as informed as possible. Please see the market rundown below complete with KW video and custom infographics from yours truly :) 

Here are the national real estate statistics for February 2017:

arrowdown.jpg

The number of projected home sales dipped to 5.5 million and the national median home price had a slight decrease of .09% in January to $232,000. However, the median home price is up 4% from this same time last year. Down isn't always bad as the national average for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is down 4.3% last month to 4.19% in February!

There were 2,528 central Ohio homes and condos added to the market in February, which is a 16.5 percent increase over January, although a 3.6 percent dip from February 2016. This leaves inventory at 4,286, which is a whopping 21.1 percent decrease from the same month last year according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.
 

If you thought inventory couldn’t possibly get any lower, it definitely did,” Gordon said. “However, spring is just around the corner and there are bound to be more homes hitting the market as the temperatures begin to rise.”
— Mic Gordon, 2017 President of Columbus REALTORS®

There were 1,678 central Ohio homes and condos sold during the month of February, a 5.3 percent increase from January and a .5 percent rise over the same month a year ago.

Central Ohio saw 2,754 homes go into contract during the month of February, up 11.4 percent from the previous month although down 9 percent from February 2016.
 

infographicfeb.jpg

A pending sale or a sale “in contract” is when the buyer and seller agree on terms of the sale of a home and have a signed purchase and sale agreement, but have yet to close and be recorded as such.  

The average sales price of a home in February was $190,659, up 3.4 percent from last year. The median sales price was $161,900 a 5.1 percent increase over February 2016.

The upside down or under water remnants of the Great Housing Recession are fewer and fewer with each passing month as values continue to climb and mortgage balances continue to be paid down over time,” Gordon said. “If you were in that position with your home and want to know if this market has changed your circumstance, call your REALTOR® and find out!
— Mic Gordon, 2017 President of Columbus REALTORS®

During the month of February, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average of 52 days on the market, this is eight days fewer than a year ago and just two days longer than January.

Seventy-five percent of central Ohio REALTORS® said they’re noticing a slight to substantial increase in the number of millennials expressing interest in purchasing a home, according to the latest Housing Market Confidence Index by the Ohio Association of REALTORS

When asked specifically about the low number of entry level homes available for sale, 33 percent said it’s a slight hindrance and over half (54 percent) said the low inventory is substantially hindering the millennials’ ability to purchase a home.

“Millennials are a large segment of the population and, if they don’t have an adequate selection of affordable housing to choose from, that’s definitely a problem we need to focus on solving,” Gordon said.


Article shared and all information sourced via the Columbus Board of Realtors. To view the original and for more info see below: 

Current housing report – February 2017
All housing reports

Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 7,600 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more.

The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties.

Columbest Year In Review - Happy Holidays!

shortnorthpole.jpg

The Columbus market is finishing the 2016 year strong and "is proving to be one of the best years ever for the Central Ohio real estate market" said 2016 Columbus REALTORS® President John Royer. 

We continue to have record numbers of home sales each month and the demand for homes continues to be exceedingly strong.
— Columbus REALTORS®

There were 2,227 central Ohio homes and condos sold during the month of November, a 15.8% increase over the previous year, according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. Year to date (January through November), home sales are up to 29,196 which is 7.1% above the same period in 2015. 

As the cold weather and holiday frenzy sets in, inventory naturally decreases. 2016 was dominated by a seller's market due to low inventory and low interest rates for buyers. Even though interest rates are starting to come up they are still historically low making it a great time to purchase! For all of my sellers out there, 2017 will be a great time to list with all the buyers the new year will bring and the buyers that were unable to find their dream home last year and are still hunting. 

Real estate offers flexibility, financial freedom and the ability to work as hard as you want to achieve your goals! There are no limits to your success and many different ways you can work and run your business. If anyone has questions about the industry as a client or potential job please reach out so we can talk and I'll help in any way that I can. Keller Williams is a fantastic brokerage and I've been very happy with the support, training, technology and events that are available to me. In addition to residential I am pursuing my KW Commercial designation to be mentored and learn more to better serve all of my clients. I have also joined the Keller Williams Young Professionals and helped them officially launch their Columbus Chapter! 

2016 has been a great year full of learning, open houses, happy hours and helping buyers find their dream homes! Here are some fun highlights below. From my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To keep up with the exciting things happening in 2017 follow @columbesthomes