Skip to main content

April 2010 Sales Best In Over Four Years

Property sales in April in the Sarasota market hit the highest total in almost five years, while pending sales were the highest in four years, likely fueled by the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit on April 30. Median sale prices continued the steady pace reflected in recent months.

The 757 sales exceeded the March 2010 total of 753. It was the highest total since December 2005 and 50 percent higher than April 2009.

Pending sales were once again strong, hitting 1,160 – better than March 2010’s total of 1,060. It was the highest total in the past four years.

“There was clearly a sense of urgency in April, reflected in higher closed sales as well as contracts written, as buyers attempted to purchase properties before the expiration of the homebuyer tax credits,” said 2010 SAR President Erick Shumway. “There is a lot of enthusiasm and optimism among local real estate agents that the trend will sustain in the months to come.”

Members of the Sarasota Association of Realtors® sold 529 single family homes and 228 condos in April 2010, a huge jump over April 2009, which saw only 367 single family homes and 138 condos sold. Pending sales, at 1,160, were about 18 percent higher than last April, when only 981 were reported. This statistic is a strong indicator for the next two or three months of sales, as pending sales reflect current buyer activity.

The median sale price for a single family home was steady at $165,000, up from last April’s figure of $160,000. For condos, the median price was $193,975, higher than last April’s figure of $182,750. Both figures were slightly lower than March 2010. For the last 12 months combined, the median sale price for single family homes was $163,800, while the median sale price for condos was $192,000.

The level of distressed property sales (foreclosures and short sales) dropped again in April 2010 to 38 percent of the overall market, from 41 percent in March 2010. The downward trend is a sign that the market is returning to health after topping 48 percent in late 2009. The downward trend in the percentage of short sales and bank-owned foreclosure sales in the Sarasota market, if it continues, would be a harbinger of a market in full recovery, and should bring greater appreciation for the overall median sale prices.

The property inventory level remained steady in April 2010 at 6,160, the lowest level since late summer of 2005.

The months of inventory for single family homes in April 2010 was 7.3 months, the number of months it would take to sell all available homes at the current pace. This was a huge drop from April 2009 – 15.2 months – and very near equilibrium. For condos, the figure was 9.9 months, much lower than last April’s figure of 19.1 months. Once the market reaches the 6 month level it is considered to be in equilibrium between a buyers and sellers market.

For information about the Sarasota Real Estate Market, visit PremiumPropertiesSarasota




Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Basics of Buying Real Estate Short Sales

Over the last several years, short sales have received a substantial amount of attention. This type of transaction is done when the seller owes more on his or her mortgage than the value of the property. The lender essentially agrees to accept less than the balance owed as an alternative to foreclosure . On the surface, a short sale (SS) seems attractive for all parties involved. The buyer is able to purchase a property for a price that is below market value ; the seller is able to sell their home without losing it to foreclosure; the lender is able to recover a portion of the mortgage that would otherwise be lost. However, these deals are often more complex than they seem. Some require up to six months to close, and often fall through beforehand. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of buying real estate short sales, starting with the importance of working with an experienced real estate agent . We’ll describe the process and explore some of the factors you shou

SAR Monthly Statistics Released for May 2010 - Sales Again At Highest Level in Almost Five Years!

Sarasota real estate market at highest level since 2005 Property sales in May 2010 in the Sarasota market once again hit the highest total since 2005 and median sale prices continued the steady pace observed in recent months. The 766 sales were the highest for the year, topping the April 2010 total of 757, and were the highest total since December 2005, and 51.3 percent higher than the May 2009 total of 506 sales. Pending sales were once again strong, hitting 857, but were slower than April 2010. The March and April pending sales figures both topped 1,000, and reflected a last minute rush to beat the federal homebuyer tax credit deadline. "The May 2010 statistics continued to show that the Sarasota real estate market is continuing a steady recovery," said 2010 SAR President Erick Shumway. "We saw a slight dip in the pending sales, which will likely be reflected in the sales numbers over the next 30 to 60 days. But median sale prices are higher