Fort Collins Investment Specialist

More and more sellers are having to reduce their listing price.

Nationally, 37% of all home sellers have recently had a listing price reduction. This is according to a recent report from Altos Research.

This is up from 30% in May and is now at the second-highest level since 2018. The highest it has been in the last five years is November 2022 when it stood at 41%.

A “normal” range is between 25% and 30%. Today’s number is a result of softening demand based on higher interest rates.

Proper pricing is always important for a seller and is especially so now as we enter a typically slower time of the year with added challenges related to interest rates.

The most notable change in the market, in terms of a specific statistic, is months of inventory.

This statistic measures how long it would take to sell all of the current inventory at the current pace of sales.

Months of inventory has jumped to three along the Front Range.

One year ago, it was two months. Two years ago, it was three weeks.

The jump is a result of decreased demand driven by higher interest rates combined with slightly increasing inventory.

We expect months of inventory to continue to increase and imagine it could be at four months by this winter.

Have you ever wondered how much all of the residential real estate in the U.S. is worth?

It’s $44.5 trillion.

That’s 44 with 12 zeroes after it.

This data comes from the Federal Reserve’s Quarterly “Z.1” report.

The total valuation increased by $2.4 Trillion over the last quarter and is essentially flat compared to one year ago.

In total, liabilities on residential properties (mortgages, equity loans, etc.) is $12.9 trillion.

So, collectively, residential property owners in the U.S. have a 71% equity share and owe 29% of the value.

Here is a look at how the market performed in August versus August 2022

Prices:

Larimer County Up 4%

Weld County Up 8%

Metro Denver Up 6%

Transactions:

Larimer County Down 18%

Weld County Down 31%

Metro Denver Down 15%

Inventory:

Larimer County Up 18%

Weld County No Change

Metro Denver Down 4%

New Homes are where it’s at.

By ‘it,’ we mean inventory.

Given low supply of existing homes, home buyers have figured out that new homes offer an effective place to find homes for sale.

Here are the stats…

Inventory of existing homes is down 7.7% year over year. And, last year’s inventory was historically low.

Meanwhile, sales of new homes rose 4.4%. This increase was much more than most analysts expected.

New Homes are where it is at.

To see the resilience of the Front Range market, look no further than Larimer County.

The average price for closed single-family homes in the month of July was $724,000.

This is only the third time in history Larimer County has exceeded $700,000 for average price in a month.

July’s average price is a whopping 12% higher than February’s average price which was $646,000.

A 12% difference in just a few months is significant in any market.

What makes this increase especially significant is that interest rates have been above 6.5% the entire time.

Higher rates did not keep prices from going higher.

The number of protests filed with Colorado’s 64 county assessors increased 300% in 2023 compared to the average number of protests from the previous three assessment cycles.

Property owners filed at least 308,298 protests with Colorado’s 64 county assessors this year, which compares to an average of 103,000 annual protests in the last three assessment cycles in 2021, 2019 and 2017.

The increase was due to the amount values increased from this valuation period versus the last one. This was because the time frame considered for comparable sales, July 1 2020 to June 30 2022, was arguably the most robust real estate market in our lifetime.

How many showings will a property have before it sells?

In Northern Colorado, the answer is eight.

This is according to our local MLS system called IRES which tracks the median number of showings a property has before going under contract.

This information is valuable to sellers so they can have realistic expectations while starting the process of selling their home.

It is also a useful guideline to gauge if a property is priced correctly. If a home has had more than eight showings but is not under contract yet, there may be an issue with the price and/or condition.

Counterintuitively, this statistic is lower today than it was in the hot market of 2021. Back then the median was 12 in Larimer County and 10 in Weld County.

The reason why it was higher then, even though the market was stronger, is because there were many more buyers looking at properties. Back then there were so many buyers that many homes only allowed 15-minute showing windows in order to accommodate all of the people who wanted to see homes.

The higher-end market in Northern Colorado, in terms of number of closings, is faring better than the overall market.

When we look at the number of homes selling today and the price point of those homes, properties priced above $1,000,000 are performing better than the market as a whole.

The number of closings occurring now compared to this same time last year is down 30% overall. But, the high-end market is only down 19%.

When we look further back in time, the data gets even more interesting.

Compared to 2021, Closings today are down 55% overall, but high-end sales are up 26%.

And compared to 2020, there are 59% fewer closings and 160% more high-end sales.

We believe there are two reasons for this dynamic.

First, because of price increases over the last few years, the stock of inventory today includes more $1,000,000- plus homes than the past.

Second, the high-end buyer is less affected by higher interest rates than the general population. And, certainly less affected than first-time buyers.

Good news! Selling a home is not a solo endeavor. Your goal in selling your home is to get the best price in a timeframe that meets your needs. To do that, you’ll enlist a team of professionals. So, who are the parties involved in a real estate transaction? Let’s review ten important people in the home selling process so you can be prepared once you’re ready to sell your home. And to understand the process from the buyer’s side, check out 10 Important People in the Home Buying Process.

10 Important People in the Home Selling Process

Real Estate Agent

We’re starting this list with your real estate agent for a reason. The agent representing you is known as a listing agent, and they will be your personal MVP of the selling process. Not only will they conduct a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to set a competitive price for your home, but they also know how to market it effectively, they’ll negotiate on your behalf, and they’ll guide you through the process of finalizing the transaction. When searching for an agent, find someone whose professionalism you respect, someone who knows the local market, and most importantly, someone who cares about your goals.

Remodeling Contractors

Having your home in tip-top shape when you sell will help you boost its value and get the best price. If you’re thinking about selling, it’s a great time to complete remodeling projects that will help your home stand out amongst the competition. Yes, you have a significant pay day coming when you sell your home, but you want to focus your attention on high ROI remodeling projects that will get you the most bang for your buck. Talk to your agent about which home renovations are drawing buyer interest and strategize accordingly.

Home Inspector

Another important aspect of preparing your home for sale is being aware of what repairs it needs, which is why some sellers conduct a pre-listing inspection. Getting the information in this report before you hit the market will help you schedule repairs quickly and shows buyers a level of transparency that informs their buying process. Even if you don’t get a pre-listing inspection, a home inspector will enter the fold eventually. But hiring your own professional early on will give you a better understanding of your property’s condition.

Home Staging & Real Estate Photographer

We’re combining a couple professionals in real estate marketing here, but both are critical to successfully selling your home. Home staging can boost home value and helps buyers more easily imagine themselves living somewhere new. And in today’s world, it’s more important than ever to represent your home well online. High quality real estate photos maximize your home’s appeal and differentiate it from other listings. Both a professional home stager and real estate photographer will help you attract buyer interest. And for the do-it-yourself crowd, consider our 7 Tips for Staging Your Home Yourself.

The Right Buyer

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the party on the other side of the transaction—the buyer! To find the right offer, it’s important that you communicate with your agent regarding your goals. There are multiple layers to a buyer’s offer beyond the price, so the better your agent understands what meets your needs, the quicker they can identify it and the better they can negotiate on your behalf. For more, read How to Negotiate as a Seller.

Mortgage Broker and Mortgage Lender

Whereas a buyer’s agent helps them find and make an offer on your home, their mortgage broker assists them in securing substantial financing to actually purchase it. Once the buyer gets approved for a loan, their mortgage lender takes over the home financing process. Buyers may choose to work directly with a mortgage lender.

Home Appraiser

During the process of selling your home, the buyer’s lender will hire a professional appraiser to evaluate your home’s location, size, and condition along with recent sales of comparable listings to determine its appraised value. This is to ensure that the buyer isn’t overpaying for the property and that you’re not underselling it. Knowing the difference between appraised value and market value will help you understand how a home’s eventual sales price comes to be.

Title Company

A home sale isn’t official until ownership has been transferred from the seller to the buyer. To do this, you’ll meet with a title officer during the closing process to sign paperwork and transfer the deed. The title company will conduct a search of the property’s records to make sure it’s in good legal standing and is fit to sell.

Escrow Company

So, how does the buyer’s money actually make its way to you? That’s where escrow comes in. Escrow in real estate is a third-party company responsible for holding the funds while the deal is in motion and disbursing them once it goes through. Though you may not meet the person responsible for routing the money for your home sale, they’re a key part of the closing process.

Moving Company

Congratulations, you’ve sold your home! Whether it’s arranging utility service or updating your banking information, there are a thousand little things to do during this exciting time. Keep track of your moving timeline with our comprehensive Moving Checklist.

Thinking about selling your home? Start by finding the right agent, one of the most important people in the home selling process. Connect with a local Windermere agent to get answers to all your questions from list to closing.

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: SolStock

Increasing Reductions

Jump to Three

Ups and Downs

Where It’s At

Larimer Resilience

Protesting!

Showings to Sell

Higher Better

10 Important People in the Home Selling Process

10 Important People in the Home Selling Process