Friday, January 19, 2007

My October Challenge... January Results.. MB Home Sales


On October 27 in a post on Making Housing Decisions from Headline News..
I posed the following challenge:


So here's a thought... In Manhattan Beach there are currently 215 single family homes on the market. 70 have been listed since October 1; 23 have gone into escrow since October 1; and 18 have closed escrow in the same period. So let's say that by next week perhaps another 10 homes are in escrow and 5 new ones have been added so we are 5 down in inventory to 210 as of Nov 1. As we get closer to the holidays about 15% (30) of the homes now available will be taken off the market each month. There will be a few new listings maybe 8 added per month. So... 30-8= 22 x 2 months 44 homes off the market in November and December. Perhaps another 15 a month go into escrow.. that's 30 gone. Not a lot of sales but the inventory level would go from 210 as of Nov 1 to 136 in January. That's about a 35% change in inventory. Would a 35% change and low interest rates bring out buyers? Let's compare notes in January.


Well it's a little past mid January so what happened in Manhattan Beach since November 1, 2006?
There are 103 homes currently listed. 42 are in escrow and 60 have closed escrow since November 1, 2006. 51 homes were withdrawn from the market and have not returned active. Let assume that 30% (16)of those withdrawn return to the market by the end of this month. That would make make a total of 119 available listings which is about 55% of the number that were available October 27,2006.

In two months almost 50% of the inventory in Manhattan Beach has disappeared..... and most of the decline is due to sales not withdrawn/expired properties. Rates were very low from Mid November through the end of December. It looks as if if many people took advantage of sellers who were willing to negotiate and low rates.

I wrote this in the same article in October:
Trying to time a housing market is almost impossible and usually depends on luck more then skill. Often by the time the general public realizes a market has changed it is too late to get in at the right time.


Just something to think about over the next few months for those of you who are still waiting for prices to drop to 2000 levels.

*** These numbers are for single family homes.. but numbers are similar for townhomes.. inventory is very low and a lot of property has closed escrow.

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