Buy or Sell Homes in South East Valley of Arizona

Inventory is the story for the greater Phoenix real estate market in July.  Active listings were down 4.1% to 15,442.  The median price continues to rise, up 4.1% to $279,000. Lack of inventory continues to squeeze buyers, especially below $200,000. And now buyers looking for something between $200,000 and $250,000 are having a difficult time too, as new listings in this price range were down a whopping 15.1%! Fortunately, interest rates are still favorable, with 30-year loans at 3.75% with .5 points, down .78% from one year ago (Freddie Mac, 07/11/2019). In their July/2019 report, Freddie Mac says: “The recent stabilization in mortgage rates reflects modestly improving U.S. economic data and a more accommodative tone from the Federal Reserve to respond to the rising downside economic risk from trade tensions and soft global economic data. On the housing front, the latest weekly purchase application data suggests homebuyer demand continues to rise, which is co...

Residential real estate in greater Phoenix continues to see price appreciation, driven by modest personal pay increases and falling interest rates.  Current 30-year conventional loans are 3.82% with .5 points. (Fannie Mae, June 2019)    Further, the Federal Reserve is now forecasting a drop in rates through next year with many Wall Street analysts predicting three reductions of ¼ point each over the next 12 months.   Why the change in rate forecast? Late last year, signs of a significant slowing in the U.S. (and global) economies began to emerge.  The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had slowed, and forecasts were predicting continued slowing over the next several months.  Also, the U.S. found itself in a significant trade dispute with China (and for a brief time, Mexico), and trade disputes are almost never good for global economic growth.  With the economy significantly slowing, the Fed announced its intent to change its forecast of approximatel...

After a slow start in 2019, home sales and their corollary “listings under contract” continue their rise into early April, now slightly exceeding the sales and listings under contract for this same period in 2018.  Most of the improvement in sales and buyer interest can be attributed to our continually falling interest rates. Interest rates have declined throughout 2019 since peaking in early November of last year at 4.94% (Freddie Mac).  As of April, rates are down almost a full point from that high, to 4.08% (Freddie Mac, April 4, 2019). The monthly median sales price for greater Phoenix is up 4.6% year over year to $266,000, so buyers and sellers should still expect a relatively competitive market.  However, since much of what is driving our current market can be attributed to falling interest rates, buyers and sellers would be wise to keep an eye on rate changes (and their drivers), as any significant change in rates and rate direction would likely directly and qui...

February finds our real estate market still leaning in the seller’s favor but with definite and continued movement toward a buyer/seller balance. Home supply is still below average, and demand for homes is well below this same time last year. That said, comparing to this same time last year, the number of active listings is up  10.6%  and the monthly median sales price of  $262,000  is up  6.9%. Our continued price appreciation on housing, combined with higher interest rates, naturally makes for less demand, and listings under contract are down  13.9%  from last year. Many buyers are sitting on the sidelines, apparently uncomfortable with current pricing and interest rate uncertainty. The flux in the stock market is also a factor in buyer uncertainty.   On the interest rate front, the Fed has recently announced that it will pause its planned interest rate hikes for 2019 and instead more closely monitor the U.S. and other world economies. Th...