July 2019 Home Sales Report
Both Home Sales and Home Prices Increase in July
Date: August 19, 2019
MADISON, Wis. — Existing home sales rebounded in July
after a poor showing in June, while median prices continued to escalate,
according to the most recent analysis of the state housing market by the
Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). Comparing July 2019 with July
2018, home sales rose 3 percent, and median prices increased 6.8 percent to
$205,000 over that same period. The year-to-date picture still shows sales down
relative to the first seven months of 2018, although the gap has narrowed.
Year-to-date sales of existing homes were 3.8 percent lower than last year, and
the median price was up 7.1 percent to $197,000 compared to the first seven
months of 2018.
“The annual
growth in sales is due in large part to the continued strength of the economy,
combined with historically low mortgage rates,” said WRA Chairman Jean
Stefaniak. The state unemployment rate has been consistently low since
January 2018, ranging between 2.8 percent and 3.1 percent. The rate stood at 3.0
percent in July. In addition, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continued to
fall, slipping to 3.77 percent in July and down from 4.53 percent a year
earlier.
“The good economy benefited
nearly every region of the state, with home sales in positive territory
compared to last year in five of the six regions,” said Stefaniak. The
strongest growth was in the Central region where year-over-year sales were up 5.1
percent in July. The Northeast, Southeast and South Central regions grew at an
annual pace of between 3 percent and 3.8 percent, and the North region was up 1.8
percent. Only the West region failed to grow, and it was essentially flat,
falling 0.5 percent.
“We had a solid July for
sales given that inventories remained tight in the state, especially in the
larger urban areas,” said WRA
President & CEO Michael Theo. There were just five months of supply statewide
in July, but the metropolitan counties had just 4.1 months of available inventory.
“One good sign was that new
listings of homes for sale seem to be moving in the right direction,” said
Theo. New listings of homes fell 3.1 percent in May compared to a year earlier,
and they were down just 1 percent on an annual basis in June. July new listings
actually rose 1.7 percent over the past 12 months. “Hopefully this trend
continues and we will move toward a more balanced market, which would be a
welcome change compared to the last few years,” he said.
“Even though home prices
continue to grow well above the overall rate of inflation, housing remains fairly
affordable,” said Theo. The Wisconsin Affordability Index shows the percent of
the median-priced home that a buyer with median family income qualifies to buy,
assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage financing
the remaining balance. The index was at 194, similar to the level of 191
established in July last year. “The lower mortgage rates have essentially
offset the higher home prices, which kept affordability stable,” he said.
“As we move into the latter
part of the peak period for home sales, there are still good opportunities for
buyers, especially in light of such low mortgage rates,” said Theo. He noted that
pre-planning with a REALTOR® who is experienced is the key to
success in this tight market.