Blog • Economy • Fun Facts • October 19, 2018

A History Lesson

by Windermere Windsor

One of the most common questions we hear from clients is “Where do you think interest rates are going?”

Virtually all of the experts we follow put rates above 5% going into next year and some see rates approaching 5.5% by the middle of 2019. What’s certain is that there are economic forces at work that are pushing rates higher.

So, how about a little history lesson? How do today’s 30- year mortgage rates compare to this same date in history going all the way back to 1990?

• Today = 4.85%
• 2017 = 3.94%
• 2015 = 3.82%
• 2010 = 4.27%
• 2005 = 5.98%
• 2000 = 7.84%
• 1995 = 7.75%
• 1990 = 10.22%

While today’s rates feel high only because they are higher than 2017, they are quite a bit lower than at many times in history.

Eaton Real Estate • Windermere Real Estate • October 4, 2018

Charming Bungalow in Eaton

by Windermere Windsor

This sweet bungalow at 420 Park Ave located in picturesque Eaton! Much updating has already been done, with fresh paint and newly refinished original hardwoods in living room and front bedroom. All new quality stainless appliances await a kitchen update which has already been started. Storage is abundant with vintage built-ins in the converted entry/office and cabinets in the mudroom and enclosed porch. Great landscaping with alley access, no HOA! Treasure the joy of old town living at an affordable price! Contact Casey Brown for more information or click below to view the photos and details, including price.

http://windermerenoco.com/listing/87272051

Laporte Real Estate • Virtual Tour • October 4, 2018

Beautiful End Unit Condo in Laporte!

by Windermere Windsor

This beautiful end unit condo at 3201 W County Road 54G is located in a quiet, scenic location, yet close to Old Town Fort Collins. Vaulted ceilings, and large deck overlooking green belt. Walking distance to Cache La Poudre schools, Laporte Pizza, Swing Station and bike trails. New flooring, washer/ dryer, light fixtures, updated bath. A 2 year high efficiency hot water and radiant floor heat means there is no furnace to maintain! Don’t miss this beautiful condominium in charming Laporte! Contact Julie Maxwell for more information or click below to view the photos and details, including price.

https://www.windermere.com/listing/CO/Laporte/3201-W-County-Road-54G-F-3-80535/85044394

Blog • Fun Facts • September 28, 2018

What’s Starting?

by Windermere Windsor

Here are some interesting stats from our friends at Metro Study who study new home activity along the Front Range.

• New home starts are up 14% compared to last year – this is really good news and is helping to relieve the shortage of housing inventory

• Every product type saw an increase in starts compared to last year (single family, town-home and condominium)

• Condominiums saw the largest increase in starts by a long shot, up 112% over last year- this is excellent news for first time buyers and those looking for product in lower price ranges.

Blog • Fun Facts • September 21, 2018

How We Rank

by Windermere Windsor

Here’s how the largest Colorado cities rank on the most recent Federal Housing Finance Authority’s quarterly report. They study the appreciation rate in 245 metropolitan areas all over the country.

City Rank Appreciation

Boulder 65th 8.76%

Colorado Springs 15th 11.54%

Denver 30th 10.16%

Fort Collins 85th 7.51%

Grand Junction 58th 9.01%

Greeley 45th 9.51%

Fun Facts • Northern Colorado Real Estate • September 7, 2018

The Cost of Waiting

by Windermere Windsor

It’s true, certain parts of our market are cooling off. We are seeing fewer multiple offers, fewer bidding wars, and fewer inspection concessions.

However, homes that are priced right and in great condition are selling, and in many cases, selling quickly.

As buyers feel the market cool a bit, it may cause them to want to wait. They sometimes feel like it’s a better choice to ‘wait and see what happens.’

The reality is, there is a real cost to waiting given two specific facts.

1. Interest rates will continue to rise
2. Prices will continue to rise

Interest rates are a little more than 0.5% higher than a year ago and experts predict them to be another 0.5% higher by this time next year.

Prices have been appreciating at roughly 10% per year for the last four years. Based on the numbers, we see that appreciation could be 5% per year for the next two years.

So, let’s look at a house priced at $450,000 today. If prices go up “only” 5% for the next 12 months, that home will cost $22,500 more in a year.

And, if rates go up another half percent, the monthly payment will be $206 higher. That’s an 11% increase!

In an environment of rising prices and rising rates, there is a real cost to “wait and see.”

Fort Collins Real Estate • Virtual Tour • August 30, 2018

Charming Home in the Heart of Fort Collins

by Windermere Windsor

This beautifully remodeled home at 515 10th Street is located in the heart of Fort Collins provides easy access to Old Town Fort Collins, breweries, CSU, I-25 and the Poudre Trail! This home sits on a spacious lot with a recently finished privacy fence, storage shed and beautiful landscaping in the back yard. Featuring stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite counter tops, sliding barn door, private driveway, as well as mature trees and landscaping. This home surely won’t last long! Contact Meaghan Nicholl for more information or click below to view the photos and details, including price.

http://windermerenoco.com/listing/83346480

Fun Facts • Northern Colorado Real Estate • Windermere Real Estate • August 17, 2018

Did You Know?

by Windermere Windsor

Did you know the average price appreciation over the long term, according to the Federal Housing Finance Authority (who’s been studying this for 40+ years) is…

· 5.63% per year for Metro Denver

· 5.35% per year for Larimer County

· 4.5% per year for Weld County

If you want to be totally clear on all the stats, facts and trends in Colorado real estate so that you know what the future value of your home looks like, watch this video.

This is a complimentary service for our clients and friends.

Virtual Tour • Windsor Real Estate • August 6, 2018

Unique Opportunity on Main Street in the Windsor Central Business District!

by Windermere Windsor

This home at 212 10th St is a phenomenal value as zoning allows for conversion to commercial. Close to schools and shopping. All brick ranch 4 bed 3 bath with attached garage. This home features a large living area and covered back porch. Freshly painted interior and new hardwood floors. Central A/C is not currently working. Contact John Taylor for your private showing at 970-541-1003 for more information or click the link below for more details.

https://windermerewindsor.com/listing/82387370

Economy • July 31, 2018

Colorado Real Estate Market Update

by Windermere Windsor

The following analysis of the Metro Denver & Northern Colorado real estate market (which now includes Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Park Counties) is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere agent.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Colorado continues to see very strong job growth, adding 72,800 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months—an impressive increase of 2.7%. Through the first five months of 2018, the state added an average of 7,300 new jobs per month. I expect this growth to continue through the remainder of the year, resulting in about 80,000 new jobs in 2018.

In May, the state unemployment rate was 2.8%. This is slightly above the 2.6% we saw a year ago but still represents a remarkably low level. Unemployment remains either stable or is dropping in all the markets contained in this report, with the lowest reported rates in Fort Collins and Boulder, where just 2.2% of the labor force was actively looking for work. The highest unemployment rate was in Grand Junction, which came in at 3.1%.

HOME SALES ACTIVITY

In the second quarter of 2018, 17,769 homes sold—a drop of 2.4% compared to the second quarter of 2017.
Sales rose in 5 of the 11 counties contained in this report, with Gilpin County sales rising by an impressive 10.7% compared to second quarter of last year. There were also noticeable increases in Clear Creek and Weld Counties. Sales fell the most in Park County but, as this is a relatively small area, I see no great cause for concern at this time.
Slowing sales activity is to be expected given the low levels of available homes for sale in many of the counties contained in this report. That said, we did see some significant increases in listing activity in Denver and Larimer Counties. This should translate into increasing sales through the summer months.
The takeaway here is that sales growth is being hobbled by a general lack of homes for sale, and due to a drop in housing demand.

HOME PRICES

With strong economic growth and a persistent lack of inventory, prices continue to trend higher. The average home price in the region rose
9.8% year-over-year to $479,943.
The smallest price gains in the region were in Park County, though the increase there was still a respectable 7%.
Appreciation was strongest in Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties, where prices rose by 28.9% and 26%, respectively. All other counties in this report saw gains above the long-term average.
Although there was some growth in listings, the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand persists, driving home prices higher.

DAYS ON MARKET

The average number of days it took to sell a home remained at the same level as a year ago.
The length of time it took to sell a home dropped in most markets contained in this report. Gilpin County saw a very significant jump in days on market, but this can be attributed to the fact that it is a very small area which makes it prone to severe swings.
In the second quarter of 2018, it took an average of 24 days to sell a home. Of note is Adams County, where it took an average of only 10 days to sell a home.
Housing demand remains very strong and all the markets in this report continue to be in dire need of additional inventory to satisfy demand.

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s real estate market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

For the second quarter of 2018, I have moved the needle very slightly towards buyers as a few counties actually saw inventories rise. However, while I expect to see listings increase in the coming months, for now, the housing market continues to heavily favor sellers.

Matthew Gardner is the Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, specializing in residential market analysis, commercial/industrial market analysis, financial analysis, and land use and regional economics. He is the former Principal of Gardner Economics, and has more than 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.