Latest Ranking

CoreLogic produces one of the most respected and widely-used home price index reports in the United States.

They track home price appreciation in the largest markets across the Country.

Here are the highlights from their most recent report:

  • Home prices are up 9.2% Nationally
  • This is the highest increase since February, 2014
  • Denver ranks fourth among the largest 10 cities
  • Denver’s appreciation was 8.8% over the last year
  • Phoenix was first at 13.7%

 

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Job Bounce

“How could the real estate market be so strong in the middle of a pandemic?”

That is a fair question and one we hear frequently from our clients.

There are several reasons for this but two stand out.

  • Interest rates
  • Jobs

Employment has bounced back much quicker than most people expected.  When COVID first showed up, the expectation was that many industries would be hit hard for a prolonged period of time.

The reality is that only a few industries were severely impacted by COVID and the rest were able to get back to a near-normal level of business relatively fast.

Additionally, what we find along the Front Range is that our ‘job bounce’ is even better than the national average.

 

Here are the numbers…

The COVID-peak unemployment rate for the Front Range looked like this:

  • Larimer County = 11.1%
  • Weld County = 10.1%
  • Metro Denver = 12.3%

Today it looks like this:

  • Larimer County = 5.2%
  • Weld County = 5.2%
  • Metro Denver = 6.4%

 

Nationally, unemployment peaked at 14.8% and now stands at 6.7%.

So, a main reason why demand is high now is because jobs have bounced back, and the bounce is even higher than the average across the country.

Bounce

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Bubble Talk

A hot topic of conversation these days is the prospect of another real estate bubble.  People wonder if prices can continue at their current pace and some fear a repeat of 2008.

 

Because we get asked about this topic so often from our clients, we thought it would make sense to ask our in-house expert, Matthew Gardner.

 

Matthew is our Chief Economist and was our Keynote Speaker at the Windermere Annual Market Forecast.

 

During the Forecast presentation, he discussed the bubble concerns and laid out his reasons why he sees no potential of prices bursting along the Front Range.

 

Quite the opposite actually, he sees that prices will continue to go up, but just not as fast as they have been.

 

His reasons for no bubble bursting are as follows:

  • Record-low inventory – prices cannot crash without a glut of supply on the market
  • Highly-qualified buyers – lending guidelines are more stringent today than they have been in our lifetime
  • Growing jobs – job growth in Colorado is projected to far outpace the national average this coming year

So, we project a healthy real estate market in 2021.

To see a replay of the Forecast presentation, simply reach out to us, we would be happy to send you the recording.

blowing bubbles

At Windermere Real Estate we are taking Safer at Home and Social Distancing very seriously.  Our people are following our Safe Showings protocol, staying connected to their clients, and providing help wherever needed.

The post Bubble Talk appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

Bubble Talk

A hot topic of conversation these days is the prospect of another real estate bubble.  People wonder if prices can continue at their current pace and some fear a repeat of 2008.

 

Because we get asked about this topic so often from our clients, we thought it would make sense to ask our in-house expert, Matthew Gardner.

 

Matthew is our Chief Economist and was our Keynote Speaker at the Windermere Annual Market Forecast.

 

During the Forecast presentation, he discussed the bubble concerns and laid out his reasons why he sees no potential of prices bursting along the Front Range.

 

Quite the opposite actually, he sees that prices will continue to go up, but just not as fast as they have been.

 

His reasons for no bubble bursting are as follows:

  • Record-low inventory – prices cannot crash without a glut of supply on the market
  • Highly-qualified buyers – lending guidelines are more stringent today than they have been in our lifetime
  • Growing jobs – job growth in Colorado is projected to far outpace the national average this coming year

So, we project a healthy real estate market in 2021.

To see a replay of the Forecast presentation, simply reach out to us, we would be happy to send you the recording.

blowing bubbles

At Windermere Real Estate we are taking Safer at Home and Social Distancing very seriously.  Our people are following our Safe Showings protocol, staying connected to their clients, and providing help wherever needed.

The post Bubble Talk appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

Rate Heading

Interest Rates

 

Rate Heading

Where are interest rates headed?

This question was one of many which were addressed during our annual Market Forecast yesterday.

Our Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner, provided insight on rates, prices, inventory and many other fascinating topics.

Matthew’s prediction is for rates to creep up to 3.07% by the end of 2021.  They are currently at 2.79%.

The image below shows how his prediction compares with predictions of his economist colleagues.

If you would like a recording of the presentation, simply reach out to your Windermere Broker or reply to this email.

Graph

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Inverted

Home for Sale

Typically, in the Front Range Market, the number of new listings will exceed the number of closings on a monthly basis.

Meaning, the amount of properties that hit the market in a given month will be higher than the amount of properties that sell in that month.

It is normal to have the ‘inflow’ exceed the ‘outflow’ because some properties never sell for a variety of reasons.

As a result, the market remains stocked with inventory.

Starting about 5 years ago, we saw months where the number of new listings was roughly the same as the number of closings.

Then, in late 2020, these numbers inverted.  Closings started to exceed new listings.

This culminated in December 2020 when we saw the most drastic difference we have ever seen.

Here are the specific numbers for December:

  • Larimer County = 267 New Listings / 426 Closings
  • Weld County = 293 New Listings / 530 Closings
  • Metro Denver = 3028 New Listings / 4807 Closings

What this means is the market needs new listings.  This also means that your home is likely worth more than you might think.  If you want to see your home’s current value, even if you aren’t thinking of selling soon, we would be happy to show you.

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14 Times

Microscope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the 14th time this year, 30-year mortgage rates set a record and hit an all-time low.

Based on data just released by Freddie Mac, rates are now at 2.71%.  Their weekly survey of the 30-year mortgage rate dates back to 1971.

Just one year ago rates were at 3.68%.

So, what does this mean for buyers?

Based on a $400,000 loan, current rates result in a monthly payment that would be $212 less than one year ago.

The post 14 Times appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

14 Times

Microscope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the 14th time this year, 30-year mortgage rates set a record and hit an all-time low.

Based on data just released by Freddie Mac, rates are now at 2.71%.  Their weekly survey of the 30-year mortgage rate dates back to 1971.

Just one year ago rates were at 3.68%.

So, what does this mean for buyers?

Based on a $400,000 loan, current rates result in a monthly payment that would be $212 less than one year ago.

The post 14 Times appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

Remodeling Impact

Remodel

Americans spend $400 billion per year remodeling their homes.

So, which remodeling investment gives the best return when it comes to resale value?

It should come as no surprise, especially leading up to Thanksgiving, that the best money to spend upgrading your home is in the kitchen.

It’s the place where most homeowners spend most of their waking hours.

According to the research from the National Association of Realtors, it’s where remodelers will see the biggest return on investment.

Here is the ranking of various projects in terms of the value it adds to the home:

  1. Complete kitchen remodel
  2. Kitchen upgrade
  3. HVAC replacement
  4. Owner’s suite renovation
  5. Bathroom renovation
  6. Finishing a basement
  7. Adding a bathroom

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A Little Perspective

House

Here’s a little perspective on the inventory of homes for sale in today’s market…

First we’ll look at Metro Denver:

  • The average number of residential listings for sale at this time of year is 15,577
  • The highest-ever for this time of year is 29,722 which occurred in 2006
  • The number of listings right now is 4,821
  • So, inventory in Metro Denver is roughly one-third of the average and 25,000 fewer than the highest-ever.
  • DMAR is the source of the stats listed above

 

Now, Northern Colorado:

  • Larimer County has 802 active listings today
  • Based on 10 years of data, this is the lowest it has ever been
  • The high in Larimer County occurred in 2010 with 2608 listings so today’s inventory is one-third of what it was 10 years ago.
  • Inventory today in Weld County is 727 which isn’t the lowest-ever.
  • The lowest during the last 10 years was 2017.

The highest was 2010 with 1791 properties so today there are roughly 1,000 fewer properties to choose from.

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