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March 17, 2022
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage exceeded four percent for the first time since May of 2019. The Federal Reserve raising short-term rates and signaling further increases means mortgage rates should continue to rise over the course of the year. While home purchase demand has moderated, it remains competitive due to low existing inventory, suggesting high house price pressures will continue during the spring homebuying season.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
(March 15, 2022) – According to new data from Minneapolis Area REALTORS® and the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®, buyer activity in the Twin Cities metro showed its first month-over-month gain since August 2021. As the Covid reshuffle continues to temper, sales are down compared to February of 2020 and 2021, but up from 2019 levels.
LISTINGS & SALES
Buyers signed 10.5 percent fewer purchase agreements than last year and closed on 15.3 percent fewer homes. Since 2020, seller activity has remained especially sluggish—the 4,427 new listings are 18.2 percent fewer than February 2020. While the seasonal uptick toward spring market has begun, it may prove challenging to match activity levels from the prior two years, as the pandemic and the prospect of rising rates shifted activity up from 2022 and 2023 into 2020 and 2021 to accommodate working and learning from home.
“Homes sold more quickly last month than they did last February, and prices rose over 8.0 percent,” said Denise Mazone, President of Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. “While we may not reach the heights of 2020 and 2021, the market remains competitive, homes are still selling rapidly often with multiple bids, and buyers and sellers need to be prepared to move quickly.” Market times have been falling for years, but today’s listings spend even less time on the market. Two years ago, half of the listings went under contract in under 40 days, but last month, half of the listings spent fewer than 19 days on the market. That’s more than a 52.0 percent drop.
HOME PRICES & INVENTORY
The median sales price in the Twin Cities rose 8.3 percent from last February to $340,000. That’s exactly half the 16.6 percent year-over-year rate of price growth seen in May 2021. Rising prices are expected to continue in a persistently undersupplied market with historically strong demand. The Twin Cities presently has about three week’s supply of inventory (0.8 months), where a balanced market would supply four to six months’ worth of homes given recent demand.
Inventory levels dipped 19.0 percent from this time last year. Compounded with a 38.2 percent fall from 2020 to 2021, the metro is facing an inventory shortage that should keep prices strong, market times fast, multiple offers fairly commonplace and some sellers getting above asking price. “Homeowners have gained significant equity, particularly over the last few years,” according to Mark Mason, President of the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS®. “Having a knowledgeable advisor to navigate a fast and complex process can help buyers be more competitive and successful.”
LOCATION & PROPERTY TYPE
Market activity varies by area, price point and property type. New construction sales fell 15.5 percent compared to only a 12.2 percent dip in sales of previously owned homes. Single family sales tumbled 9.8 percent while condo sales were down an even 10.0 percent. Between Minneapolis and St. Paul, the latter took the harder hit in sales losses. Saint Paul’s sales were 24.8 percent down compared to Minneapolis’ loss of 15.1 percent. Hastings, Delano and Rush City all had more than double the sales from last year while Hugo, Little Canada and East Bloomington weren’t far behind. Sales fell by around 50.0 percent in Prior Lake, New Hope, Big Lake and Golden Valley.
February 2022 by the numbers compared to a year ago
February 2022 housing charts
From The Skinny Blog.
For Week Ending March 5, 2022
The U.S. median listing price rose 12.9% year-over-year to a new high of $392,000 in February, exceeding the previous peak set in July 2021, according to Realtor.com’s Monthly Housing Trends Report. Despite rising sales prices, homes are disappearing in record time, with the typical U.S. home selling more than two weeks faster last month compared to the same period last year, and more than a month faster compared to February 2017 – 2019.
IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 5:
FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY:
All comparisons are to 2021
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
March 10, 2022
Following two weeks of declines, mortgage rates rose this week as U.S. Treasury yields increased. Over the long-term, we expect rates to continue to rise as inflation broadens and shortages increasingly impact many segments of the economy. However, uncertainty about the war in Ukraine is driving rate volatility that likely will continue in the short-term.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
For Week Ending February 26, 2022
Nationally, pending home sales decreased 5.7% as of last measure, marking the third consecutive month of declines according to the National Association of REALTORS®. With housing supply at a record low, buyers are finding fewer and fewer homes for sale, while rising mortgage rates and increased housing costs have priced out marginal buyers. Inventory levels are expected to improve gradually as the weather warms; in the meantime, economists say buyers should expect a challenging spring market.
IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 26:
FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY:
All comparisons are to 2021
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.
March 3, 2022
Geopolitical tensions caused U.S. Treasury yields to recede this week as investors moved to the safety of bonds, leading to a drop in mortgage rates. While inflationary pressures remain, the cascading impacts of the war in Ukraine have created market uncertainty. Consequently, rates are expected to stay low in the short-term but will likely increase in the coming months.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
