MRED Blog

There has been a general slowdown in sales across the country, and this cannot be blamed on negative economic news. Unemployment remains low and wage growth, though nothing to overly celebrate, has held steady or increased for several years in a row. There is strong demand for home buying, emphasized by higher prices and multiple offers on homes for sale in many submarkets. As has been the case for month after month – and now year after year – low inventory is the primary culprit for any sales malaise rather than lack of offers.

New Listings in Chicagoland were down 0.9 percent for detached homes but increased 6.5 percent for attached properties. Listings Under Contract increased 11.4 percent for detached homes and 4.9 percent for attached properties.

The Median Sales Price was up 4.9 percent to $257,000 for detached homes and 5.1 percent to $208,000 for attached properties. Months Supply of Inventory decreased 18.2 percent for detached units and 18.4 percent for attached units. With job creation increasing and mortgage rates remaining low, the pull toward home ownership is expected to continue. Yet housing starts have been drifting lower, and some are beginning to worry that a more serious housing shortage could be in the cards if new construction and building permit applications continue to come in lower in year-over-year comparisons while demand remains high.

Home builder confidence suggests otherwise, so predictions of a gloomy future should be curbed for the time being.

MRED real estate professionals can log into MREDLLC.com and click on the Statistics tab to get the latest Lender Mediated and Monthly Market Indicators Reports.  You can also click on the Local Market Updates choice under the Statistics tab and use our Interactive Market Analytics map for the latest local market metrics.

Any questions?  Please contact MRED’s Help Desk at 630-955-2755 or help.desk@MREDLLC.com.