Real estate prices cycle through highs and lows. Tracking the following market indicators will help you decide if it’s a good time to invest in real estate in your area.
Job Growth
People go where the jobs are, and home prices follow jobs. A strong local job market is a sure sign of a healthy real estate market. While the Wall Street Journal gives you insight into the nation’s overall economy, check your local newspapers for statistics in your area.
Housing Inventory
The housing inventory is the number of houses for sale at one time in the area. If there are more houses than buyers, prices tend to fall and if there are more buyers than houses, the opposite happens. Also look at the number of months or days it is taking to sell a home. If it’s less than 60 days the market is considered hot.
Number of Repos on the Market
A repo is a house that has been taken over by the bank because the owner failed to meet the loan payment—in other words, it’s a foreclosure. The more foreclosures in your area, the weaker the real estate market.
Number of Multiple Offers on Homes
Multiple offers are when two or more buyers “bid” at the same time for the same house. It’s a sure sign of a hot market, usually resulting from a limited inventory creating the need for buyers to compete on price for the same property.
Comments:
Post Your Comment: