November 28, 2017
Values are Up! Inventory is low and demand is still high!
New-home sales rose in October
New Home sales are up in part because inventory of existing homes is low! If you have thought about selling in the Atlanta area then now may be the best time! The median home price in the Atlanta market remains one of the most affordable among large metro areas in spite of recent increases. See this recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
According to RIS MEDIA – “New-home sales rose in October with sales of new, single-family homes up 18.7 percent to 685,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The average new-home sales price was $400,200, while the median was $312,800. New-home listing inventory was 312,800—4.9 months supply.
“In the strongest year-over-year growth we’ve seen since 2017’s first quarter, increasing sales in all four regions drove U.S. new home sales up strongly in October—6.2% from September and 18.7% from one year ago,” said realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Although there are more new homes for sale, a strong increase in demand favors suppliers, not new home buyers. The month’s supply of new homes for sale is 4.9 months, lower than both September and October 2016 (5.2 months), and substantially lower than the nearly six months of supply we saw in new homes in July and August.Sold Home For Sale Real Estate Sign and Beautiful New House.
“The pick-up in new home sales should improve builder confidence and lead to more home construction, offering home buyers additional options and creating opportunities for current owners to trade into new homes, potentially unleashing existing home inventory,” Hale continued. “The number of existing homes for sale according to realtor.com data are down 8 percent from a year ago in October and increasing availability of homes for sale would be welcomed by home shoppers.”
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)“