Hawkins-Poe Monthly Market Report October Newsletter September 2022 Real Estate Market Data

Posted by Hawkins-Poe on October 18, 2022

Hawkins-Poe Monthly Market Report October Newsletter September 2022 Real Estate Market Data

Frank Hawkins of Hawkins-Poe Real Estate, Fircrest, WA, along with the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) provide insight on current market trends.

Average days on the market, (the period of time from when a property goes on the market and the date it goes under contract), and the average months of available inventory are both on the rise. They are still less than a third of the way toward indicating a shift from a sellers’ market to a buyers’ market.

Days on the market today are approaching one month, while a more normal market is 3 to 4 months. It is also a general industry standard that inventory numbers from 4 to 6 months are considered neutral. Less inventory than that is considered a sellers’ market and greater inventory than that is considered a buyers’ market.

NWMLS reports: “Measured by months of supply, there are only two months of inventory, an improvement from one year ago when there were only about three weeks (0.75 months) of supply, but still well below the four-to-six months of inventory real estate analysts use as a measure of a balanced market. King County has 2.02 months of supply, but the other counties in the Puget Sound region have less than that. There is 1.61 months of supply in Kitsap County, 1.63 months in Snohomish County and 1.84 months in Pierce County.”

The crazed increase in home prices has slowed. Prices are stabilizing with a chance of seeing them decline from the unsustainable growth we saw in 2021 and the first half of 2022. In 2021, Pierce County home prices increased by nearly 20%, while in the first half of 2022 Pierce County home prices increased by over 25%. This is a market correction. This is not the market capitulation we saw in 2008.

The underpinnings of the Real Estate Market—homeowner equity, local employment numbers, population growth, and business expansion are all on solid ground and expanding.

NWMLS reports: “Brokers reported 7,504 closed sales during September, down 27% from a year ago when they notched 10,289 completed transactions. The median price on last month’s sales across the 26 counties in the report rose about 5.1% from a year ago, increasing from $570,000 to $599,000. Prices are down slightly from the August median of $600,000 and from this year’s peak of $660,000 that was reported in May.”

All this is good news for home buyers. With reduction in real estate price inflation, higher interest rates are the home buyer’s only remaining headwind.

Frank Hawkins, President of Hawkins-Poe, Inc., summarized market conditions by saying, “I firmly believe that this will only be a short period of correction. Homeowners in the Puget Sound area shouldn’t be too concerned, especially given that 64% of them are sitting on over 50% of home equity. The local economy remains strong, AND motivated sellers are seeking corrected pricing in order capture buyers who are currently in the marketplace as increasing mortgage rates are reducing buyers purchasing power.”

 

Hawkins-Poe Real Estate Services

Hours:
Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm
After hours by appointment

(253) 229-1414

(253) 229-1414

Locations

(253) 274-8981 Real Estate

Fircrest
1215 Regents Blvd, Suite 1A
Fircrest, WA 98466

Chambers Bay
3560 Bridgeport Way W., Suite 2A
University Place, WA 98466

Gig Harbor
7620 Pioneer Way
Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Follow Us


Top

About

As a premiere Real Estate Brokerage Firm, Hawkins-Poe, Inc. Real Estate Services is a solid regional leader in the industry and continues to attract and retain the most successful Broker Members. Formed in the post-war era in the tiny City of Fircrest, founder Jack Hawkins insisted upon integrity and lived by a simple rule: “folks will make good decisions if I give them good information.” Certainly, he remains profusely proud knowing his simple motto has not only survived through three generations, but it is the driving focus to the company’s success today

Learn more about Key2See Team

© Copyright 2024 - All Rights Reserved - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - DMCA Notice

Please report web issues to: Urban Analog