Existing Home Sales Sales of existing homes in December were up 1.0% from November, but 0.6% lower than December 2012, according to NAR. On a year-over-year basis, prices rose 9.9% and inventory rose 1.6%. Read the entire NAR press release. The RE/MAX National Housing Report found the December median home price was up 11.9% over December of 2012. And sales were up 0.7% year-over-year. Read the RE/MAX National Housing Report. Pending Home Sales Pending home sales measurably dropped in December, with abnormal weather partly inhibiting home shopping in much of the U.S., according to NAR. Declines were experienced in all four major regions. Read the NAR press release. Industry, Technology & Competitor News Industry: Real Estate Crystal Ball: What s on the Horizon for 2014 U.S. Real Estate Prices Reach More Normal Levels Huge Money Manager Buys RMAX Real Estate's Least Sexy Sector is Red Hot Obama Renews Call for Housing Overhaul Home Flipping in U.S. Up 16% in 2013 Housing Recovery to Prompt Upswing in Independent Living Target Data Breach Could Affect Real Estate Transactions Technology: Twitter Ads Can Now Be Targeted Through Email, User IDs 5 Tech Resolutions for Real Estate Agents Fotonotes App Does More Than You Might Think Interest Rates Bankrate.com: 4.31% for 30-year fixed mortgage Federal funds rate: 0.25%
National Housing Stats Existing Home Sales (seasonally adjusted annual rate by month) 5,400,000 5,300,000 5,200,000 5,100,000 5,000,000 4,900,000 4,800,000 5.39M 5.39M 5.29M 5.14M 5.12M 5.06M 4.9M 4.94M 4.95M 4.94M 4.97M 4.82M 4.87M 4,700,000 4,600,000 4,500,000 Source: NAR Months Supply of Inventory 6.0 5.0 4.5 4.3 4.6 4.7 5.2 5.0 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.1 4.6 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 Source: NAR
National Housing Stats Existing Home Median Sales Price (in dollars) 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 Source: NAR U.S. Monthly Foreclosure Filings 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Source: RealtyTrac
Real Estate Crystal Ball: What s on the Horizon for 2014 The past few years in real estate have been somewhat unpredictable. Between high foreclosures one year to low inventory in some major markets the next, it s hard to tell where the market is going to go. Experts have some insight for the year ahead, including a tip for buyers: if you re looking to buy a second home or buy a first one without it turning into a bidding war, 2014 may be your year. Read the Forbes story. U.S. Real Estate Prices Reach More Normal Levels Property prices in the United States have normalized and future rates of growth will be more in line with historical trends, according to the latest analysis report from data provider Clear Capital. Growth in 2014 is likely to be between 3% and 5% and peak prices may not be seen until 2021. Read the Property Wire story. Huge Money Manager Buys RMAX Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold via 13F filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks. Columbia Wanger Asset Management has a reportable stock portfolio totaling $26.1 billion and it s buying RMAX. Read the complete Motley Fool story. Real Estate's Least Sexy Sector is Red Hot Industrial warehouse space, once a dud in real estate, is now closing in on prom queen status, as more retail goes online and as the housing market recovers. Warehouses are the strongest prospect for both investment and development in 2014, according to the latest PWC Investor Survey. Two thirds of respondents deemed warehouses a "buy. Read the CNBC story.
Obama Renews Call for Housing Overhaul President Barack Obama renewed his call to wind down mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and revamp the housing finance system to include a more limited government backstop. In his State of the Union address, Obama urged Congress to pass legislation that rebuilds the mortgage market. Read the Reuters story. Home Flipping in U.S. Up 16% in 2013 RealtyTrac released its year-end 2013 Home Flipping Report, which shows single family home flips where a home is purchased and subsequently sold again within six months was up 16% from 2012 and up 114% from 2011. Homes flipped in 2013 accounted for 4.6 percent of all U.S. single family home sales during the year. Read the Realty Trac report. Housing Recovery to Prompt Upswing in Independent Living The senior living sector is experiencing a boom on the heels of the housing downturn and recovery, with assisted living and memory care leading the charge. While independent living isn t expected to meet the pace of its counterparts, it s still expected to gain ground. Read the Senior Housing News article. Target Data Breach Could Affect Real Estate Transactions The numbers of affected consumers are as yet impossible to predict, but mortgage credit experts warn that the recent massive data breaches at Target, Neiman Marcus and other retailers could have significant effects on some real estate transactions in the coming months. Damaged credit files and depressed credit scores could jeopardize loan applications and home sales. Read the Los Angeles Times story.
Twitter Ads Can Now Be Targeted Through Email, User IDs Advertisers bringing their campaigns to Twitter can hone in on their audiences through knowledge of items as simple as email addresses and user IDs. The social network announced some new methods being made available for tailored audiences for connecting businesses with potential customers that have demonstrated interest in a given product through activity outside of Twitter. Read the ZDNet story. 5 Tech Resolutions for Real Estate Agents Is 2014 the year you will become a paperless agent? Or the year you will connect with more potential customers by hosting virtual open houses? If becoming a tech savvy agent is part of your 2014 selling strategy, here are the top five technology resolutions you should set and the apps to help you stick to them. Read the REAL Trends article. Fotonotes App Does More Than You Might Think FotoNotes is a mobile-first solution for real estate field services, including property and facilities management, property preservation, broker price opinions (BPOs), construction estimates and more. It s a tool that allows you to collect and share real estate information like photos, voice notes and text in the field. Read the Tech Savvy Agent review.
Economic Indicators National 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate www.bankrate.com 4.50% 4.16% 4.39% 4.39% 4.47% 4.28% 4.15% 4.38% 4.31% 4.00% 3.50% 3.38% 3.61% 3.61% 3.67% 3.43% 3.00% 2.50% 2.00% 1.50% 1.00% 0.50% 0.00% Gross Domestic Product (% change from preceding period) 4.5% 4.1% 4.0% 3.5% 3.0% 2.5% 2.0% 1.5% 2.3% 1.3% 1.8% 3.0% 2.0% 1.3% 3.1% 1.1% 2.5% 3.2% 1.0% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.0% Q4-10 Q1-11 Q2-11 Q3-11 Q4-11 Q1-12 Q2-12 Q3-12 Q4-12 Q1-13 Q2-13 Q3-13 Q4-13 Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Jobs Created 8.0% 7.9% 7.8% 7.6% 7.4% 7.2% 7.0% 6.8% 6.6% 7.7% 7.6% 7.5% 7.6% 7.6% 7.4% 7.3% 7.2% 7.3% 7.0% 6.7% 6.6% 6.4% 6.2% 6.0% 5.8% Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Rate 350,000 332,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 148,000 142,000 199,000 195,000 195,000 162,000 238,000 200,000 203,000 175,000 113,000 100,000 74,000 50,000 0 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Data and News Release Dates NAR Existing Home Sales: Released on or about the 20 th of each month Next release date: February 21, 2014 www.realtor.org NAR Pending Home Sales: Released the last week of the month www.realtor.org U.S. Monthly Foreclosure Filings: Released around the middle of the month www.realtytrac.com 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates: Released several times during the month www.bankrate.com GDP: Generally released during the third week of the month www.bea.gov Inflation Rate: Generally released during the first week of the month www.inflationdata.com Unemployment Rate: Generally released during the first week of the month www.bls.gov