Mortgage applications fell to their lowest level since 1996, with total mortgage applications dropping 0.8% from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), as higher mortgage interest rates continue to take their toll on market participants. Applications to purchase a home were 27% lower than the same week a year ago, while demand for refinances was down 31% compared to the same week last year.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 9:

• New Listings decreased 2.4% to 1,400
• Pending Sales decreased 16.7% to 692
• Inventory decreased 10.3% to 8,239

FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST:

• Median Sales Price increased 2.7% to $380,000
• Days on Market increased 18.5% to 32
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 100.0%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 15.8% to 2.2

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

The lack of existing-home inventory continues to boost demand for new construction homes, and U.S. homebuilders are ramping up production to help meet buyers’ needs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total housing starts rose 3.9% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.452 million, and were up 5.9% from the same period last year, exceeding economists’ expectations. Much of the increase was due to single-family starts, which grew 6.7% month-over-month, led by gains in the Midwest and West regions.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 2:

• New Listings decreased 2.1% to 1,185
• Pending Sales decreased 6.1% to 933
• Inventory decreased 11.3% to 8,255

FOR THE MONTH OF JULY:

• Median Sales Price remained flat at $375,000
• Days on Market increased 31.8% to 29
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.7% to 100.8%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 15.8% to 2.2

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

U.S. home equity recently hit a 4-year high, with nearly half of all mortgage borrowers considered equity rich—having a loan to value ratio of 50% or lower—in the second quarter of this year. According to ATTOM’s Q2 2023 U.S. Home Equity and Underwater Report, 49% of mortgaged residential homes were equity rich, up from 47% in the first quarter of the year, with quarterly increases found in 45 states. The highest levels of equity-rich mortgaged properties continue to be found in the West, with six of the top 10 states in the second quarter located in that region.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 26:

• New Listings increased at 1,282
• Pending Sales decreased 9.2% to 923
• Inventory decreased 12.7% to 8,178

FOR THE MONTH OF JULY:

• Median Sales Price remained flat at $375,000
• Days on Market increased 31.8% to 29
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.7% to 100.8%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 15.8% to 2.2

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

International buyers of U.S. homes purchased 14.2% fewer homes from April 2022 to March 2023 compared to the same 12-month period a year before, according to the latest data from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Foreign buyers purchased 84,600 homes, marking the fewest number of properties purchased annually by foreign buyers since 2009, when NAR began tracking this data. Although sales were down, home prices have continued to rise, with the median existing-home sales price among international buyers hitting $396,400, the highest ever recorded by NAR.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 19:

• New Listings decreased 3.1% to 1,324
• Pending Sales decreased 15.0% to 966
• Inventory decreased 14.0% to 8,117

FOR THE MONTH OF JULY:

• Median Sales Price increased at $375,250
• Days on Market increased 31.8% to 29
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.7% to 100.8%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 10.5% to 2.1

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Seller profit margins are up nationwide following three quarterly declines, according to ATTOM’s Q2 2023 U.S. Home Sales Report. Typical profit margins on medianpriced single-family and condo sales climbed to 47.7% in the second quarter of 2023, up from 43.9% the previous quarter, representing the first increase in a year. The rise in profit margins was boosted by recent growth in median single-family home and condo prices, which increased in more than 90% of the country in Q2, according to the report.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 12:

• New Listings decreased 7.4% to 1,398
• Pending Sales decreased 10.5% to 1,068
• Inventory decreased 14.4% to 8,065

FOR THE MONTH OF JULY:

• Median Sales Price remained flat at $375,000
• Days on Market increased 31.8% to 29
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 0.7% to 100.8%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 10.5% to 2.1

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

According to ATTOM’s Q2 2023 Home Affordability Report, 98% of median-priced U.S. single-family homes and condos were less affordable than their historical averages in the second quarter of 2023, up from 94% in the first quarter, with the decline in affordability attributed in part to rising sales prices, which have continued to outpace wage growth. Nationally, median single-family home values rose 10% from the first quarter to the second quarter, with residents needing 33% of their income to cover major homeownership expenses, the highest level since 2007.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 5:

• New Listings decreased 11.9% to 1,400
• Pending Sales decreased 10.5% to 1,039
• Inventory decreased 14.2% to 7,975

FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE:

• Median Sales Price increased 0.5% to $382,000
• Days on Market increased 47.6% to 31
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 1.9% to 101.3%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 17.6% to 2.0

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Single-family housing starts fell 8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.43 million in June, according to a joint report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as higher interest rates and supply chain challenges continue to impact homebuilders and slow construction activity. Despite the decline, however, single-family permits were up 2.2% month-over-month, the highest pace since June 2022, according to the report.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 29:

• New Listings decreased 9.3% to 1,340
• Pending Sales decreased 8.7% to 1,077
• Inventory decreased 14.4% to 7,972

FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE:

• Median Sales Price increased 0.5% to $382,000
• Days on Market increased 47.6% to 31
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 1.9% to 101.3%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 17.6% to 2.0

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Home prices hit a new high in May, rising a seasonally adjusted 0.7% month-overmonth, according to the latest Black Knight Home Price Index (HPI), marking the fifth consecutive monthly price increase. The report found that 27 of the 50 largest markets have seen prices return to or exceed their 2022 peaks, with many of those markets located in the Midwest and Northeast, although price gains remain weaker in the West and in areas that saw significant price gains during the pandemic.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 22:

• New Listings decreased 17.1% to 1,369
• Pending Sales decreased 13.2% to 1,017
• Inventory decreased 14.4% to 7,892

FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE:

• Median Sales Price increased 0.5% to $382,000
• Days on Market increased 47.6% to 31
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 1.9% to 101.3%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 17.6% to 2.0

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Rental prices are beginning to decline, with rents for 0-2 bedroom properties dropping 0.5% year-over-year to $1,739 per month among the 50 largest metropolitan areas, according to Realtor.com’s most recent Monthly Rental Report, marking the first annual decline since 2020, when trend data began. Despite the nationwide decline, rents continue to rise in more affordable areas such as the Midwest and the Northeast, where demand has remained especially strong due to robust job markets and limited rental inventory.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 8:

• New Listings decreased 25.0% to 1,137
• Pending Sales decreased 12.1% to 834
• Inventory decreased 12.4% to 7,547

FOR THE MONTH OF MAY:

• Median Sales Price decreased 1.3% to $370,000
• Days on Market increased 65.2% to 38
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 2.9% to 101.1%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 35.7% to 1.9

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.

Buyers everywhere are feeling the crunch when home shopping this year, but middle-income households—those earning up to $75,000 per year—are perhaps experiencing the strongest competition overall due to a shortage of homes in their price range. The National Association of REALTORS® reports the market is currently short approximately 320,000 listings priced up to $256,000, which is considered the affordability range for middle-income buyers. As a result, these buyers can afford to purchase just 23% of all listings nationwide, a stark contrast to just 5 years earlier, when the same group could afford half of all homes on the market.

IN THE TWIN CITIES REGION, FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 1:

• New Listings decreased 18.0% to 1,185
• Pending Sales decreased 6.8% to 1,187
• Inventory decreased 12.0% to 7,670

FOR THE MONTH OF MAY:

• Median Sales Price decreased 1.3% to $370,000
• Days on Market increased 65.2% to 38
• Percent of Original List Price Received decreased 2.9% to 101.1%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale increased 35.7% to 1.9

All comparisons are to 2022

Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From MAAR Market Data News.