October 2020 Home Sales Report
Wisconsin Housing Market Continues Robust Pace in October
Date: November 23, 2020
MADISON,
Wis. – Fueled by
record-low mortgage rates, Wisconsin’s existing home market saw another sharp
increase in sales and prices in October, according to the most recent monthly
analysis conducted by the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association (WRA). For
the seventh straight month, mortgage rates fell into record-low territory, with
the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropping to 2.83% in October. As a result, existing home
sales increased 24.9% in October 2020 compared
to October 2019, and the median price increased 16.3% to $227,324 over that same 12-month period. On a
year-to-date basis, home sales are up 4.5%
relative to the sales in the first 10 months of 2019, and the median price rose
to $220,000, which is an increase of 11.1%
compared to the January-through-October period of 2019.
“There’s
no doubt that these record-low mortgage rates are a big reason our strong sales
and growth were robust in every region of the state,” said WRA Chairman Steve
Beers. Home sales increased by double-digit margins in all regions, with closed
sales up between 13.6% and 17.3% in the Central,
Northeast and West regions. More robust sales growth was seen in the Southeast region,
up 25.2%; the South Central region, up 35.2%; and the North, up 42.1%.
“We would have sold even more homes if the supply was there,” said Beers. Six
months of available inventory is considered to be balanced, with inventory
levels below that benchmark considered a seller’s market. Every region in the
state was well below the six-month level, with the North region having the most
supply at 4.4 months and the South Central region the lowest at three months of
available supply. Unfortunately, months of supply declined in every region over
the last 12 months.
“With demand
pressure so strong, buyers are moving quickly, which means homes aren’t on the
market very long,” said WRA President & CEO Michael Theo. Average days on
the market (DOM) follows a regular seasonal pattern, typically falling through
the summer and then peaking in the winter months. Still, comparing the same
month last year, DOM fell 8.8% to just 83 days statewide. In contrast, just
five years ago, the October DOM peaked at 134 days, or 38.1% longer than today.
“This hot market
continues to push home prices up with price appreciation in the double digits
since July,” said Theo. The Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index shows the
fraction of the median-priced home that a buyer with median household income
qualifies to purchase, assuming 20% down and the remaining balance financed at
current rates with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. The index fell to 199, a drop
of 6.5% from October 2019. The loss in affordability would have been
significantly worse had mortgage rates not dropped by nearly 1%, or down 86
basis points, over the last 12 months. “Despite our increasing prices, Wisconsin
housing remains affordable compared to the national average,” said Theo. The
National Association of REALTORS® reports that the national index
stood at 159.6 in September, whereas the Wisconsin index was 194.8 for that
same month.
“Following the wild swings in real GDP in the previous two
quarters, the expectation is that the economy will once again settle into a
pattern of solid growth with low inflation for 2021,” said David Clark,
Marquette University economist and consultant to the WRA. The Philadelphia
Federal Reserve Bank conducts the Survey of Professional Forecasters, which
includes economists from business, consulting firms and academia. The latest
survey projects real GDP growth of 4% and
inflation of 2% for 2021. “Clearly there remains uncertainty but the prospect
of an effective COVID-19 vaccine should lead to sustained growth over the
foreseeable future,” said Clark.
“As we
move into the winter months, buyers should remember that this can be a good
time to buy as competition and prices tend to moderate,” said Theo. He points
out that this continues to be a great time to buy a home. “Mortgage rates are
at historic lows, which translates into lower monthly payments,” said Theo. As
the economy returns to a sustained growth path, mortgage rates will likely
bottom out. “Working with a REALTOR® maximizes your likelihood of
success in this hot market,” he said.