Redfin Reports Homebuying Conditions Improve Slightly as Mortgage Rates Decline

Rhea-AI Summary

According to Redfin's latest report, the median home-sale price is $362,750, flat from the previous period and up 18% year-over-year, marking the end of a five-month record streak. Key points include a 12% year-over-year increase in asking prices, a 3% rise in pending home sales, and a 26% decline in active listings compared to 2020. Despite lower new listings, homebuying conditions may improve as mortgage rates drop below 2.8%. The report indicates that nearly 50% of homes sell quickly, but price drops are at 4.7%, slightly below pre-pandemic levels.

Positive

• Median home-sale price increased 18% year-over-year to $362,750.
• Mortgage rates fell to 2.77%, the lowest since mid-February.
• Pending home sales rose 3%, indicating some market stability.

Negative

• Median home-sale price flat (-0.2%) from the previous period, ending a five-month streak of rising prices.
• Active listings fell 26% compared to the same period in 2020.
• New home listings down 0.2% from a year earlier, the first decline since March.

SEATTLE, Aug. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) -- At $362,750, the median home-sale price did not set a new record high for the first time since early March, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Instead, it was flat (-0.2%) from the four-week period ending July 25 and up 18% from a year earlier.

Key housing market takeaways for 400+ U.S. metro areas:
Unless otherwise noted, this data covers the four-week period ending August 1. Redfin's housing market data goes back through 2012.

• The median home-sale price increased 18% year over year to $362,750, but decreased 0.2% from the four-week period ending July 25. This ends a five-month streak of record-setting home prices.
• Asking prices of newly listed homes were up 12% from the same time a year ago to a median of $358,475, but down 1% from their all-time high posted during the four weeks ending June 27.
• Pending home sales were up 3%, the smallest year-over-year increase since the four-week period ending June 28, 2020. They were down 3% from the four weeks ending July 25 and down 12% from their 2021 peak hit during the four-week period ending May 30.
• New listings of homes for sale were down slightly by -0.2% from a year earlier, the first decrease since March. The number of homes being listed ticked up 1.9% compared to the four weeks ending July 25, a similar trend seen the last two years during this time.
• Active listings (the number of homes listed for sale at any point during the period) fell 26% from the same period in 2020—the smallest decline since the four-week period ending December 27, 2020. Active listings were up 13% from their 2021 low hit during the four-week period ending March 7.
• 49.7% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within the first two weeks on the market, well above the 44% rate during the same period a year ago. The rate has been plateauing since the four weeks ending July 11, but this was the first time it fell below 50% since the four-week period ending February 7.
• 36% of homes that went under contract had an accepted offer within one week of hitting the market, up from 31.6% during the same period a year earlier. This rate has also been plateauing since the four weeks ending July 11.
• Homes that sold were on the market for a median of 16 days—that's 20 days faster than a year ago and flat from the four weeks ending July 25.
• 54% of homes sold above list price, up from 30% a year earlier. This measure is plateauing, clocking in at 54-55% since the four-week period ending June 27.
• At 4.7%, the share of homes for sale with price drops hovered just below 2019 levels (4.9%), surpassing last year's rate of 3.7%.
• The average sale-to-list price ratio, which measures how close homes are selling to their asking prices, fell to 102.1%—still only slightly below the 102.3% peak set in the four weeks ending July 4. In other words, the average home sold for 2.1% above its asking price. This measure was 3.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Other other leading indicators of homebuying activity:

• Mortgage purchase applications during the week ending July 30 fell 1.7% week over week (seasonally adjusted) to their lowest level since May 2020. For the week ending August 5, 30-year mortgage rates fell to 2.77%, their lowest rate since mid-February.
• From January 1 to August 3, home tours were up 14%, compared to a 39% increase over the same period last year, according to home tour technology company ShowingTime.
• The seasonally adjusted Redfin Homebuyer Demand Index—a measure of requests for home tours and other services from Redfin agents—was up 8% month over month.

Trends for home prices, sales and new listings are starting to resemble the patterns Redfin typically expects for this time of year, which is news after a year of unpredictable and insatiable demand for homes. Measures of competition and home-selling speed are plateauing—at 54% of homes selling above list price and about half under contract within two weeks—as pending sales slide and new listings climb. Mortgage rates are back below 2.8%, a level that Redfin hasn't seen since the winter. If these trends continue, homebuying conditions will likely improve (relative to earlier in the summer), with more options and less competition for homebuyers.

"Although homes are much pricier than they were before the pandemic, homebuyers now have the benefit of very low mortgage rates and a little less competition than they faced earlier in the summer," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "This week a young first-time buyer with a FHA loan had her offer accepted on a home near Myrtle Beach, SC, after losing out in five bidding wars. I am hopeful that more opportunities like this will arise in the coming weeks if things continue to stabilize."

To view the full report, including charts and methodology, please visit:

https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-buying-conditions-improve/

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, instant home-buying (iBuying), rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We sell homes for more money and charge half the fee. We also run the country's #1 real-estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can take an instant cash offer from Redfin or have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 6,000 people.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

 

 

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SOURCE Redfin

FAQ

What is the current median home-sale price reported by Redfin?

The median home-sale price is $362,750.

How much did the median home-sale price change compared to last year?

The median home-sale price increased by 18% year-over-year.

What trend was observed in pending home sales?

Pending home sales were up 3%, the smallest year-over-year increase since June 2020.

What happened to mortgage rates according to the latest Redfin report?

Mortgage rates fell to 2.77%, the lowest level since mid-February.

How are homebuying conditions expected to change?

Homebuying conditions may improve as mortgage rates decrease and competition slightly eases.