Colorado Economy

Stat of the Month

by Rondi duPont

We just completed a review of the September numbers in our market.

Here is the one number that is standing out to us – average price.

Prices are way up over last year. Here are the specific average price increases in each of our markets compared to September 2019:

Metro Denver = 13.2%
Larimer County = 16.9%
Weld County = 7.4%

This change in prices has of course generated questions from our clients.

To help our clients answer questions about prices and other real estate topics, we have set up a private online event with our Chief Economist Matthew Gardner.

The event is set for Tuesday from 9:00 to 10:00.

Simply reach out to me to receive your registration link.

Matthew will be addressing these questions as well as many others:

What effect will the election have on the economy and on real estate?
How long can interest rates stay this low?
Can prices keep appreciating at their current pace?

This online event is for the clients and friends of Windermere. If you would like to register, please contact me.

Ranked!

by Rondi duPont

The latest report from the Federal Housing Finance Authority is hot off the press. They rank 241 major metropolitan areas across the U.S. for yearly home price appreciation.

They show that, nationally, home prices have gone up 4.99% over the last 12 months.

Here’s how the major cities rank in Colorado among the 241:

#22 Greeley = 7.94%

#27 Colorado Springs = 7.64%

#63 Fort Collins = 6.34%

#133 Denver = 4.83%

#188 Boulder = 3.41%

** Interesting fun fact: In the WORST economy of our lifetime (2008 recession), home appreciation in Fort Collins only went down 2.2%. Compare that to places like Las Vegas that went down by over 35%! Now that’s a stable economy.**

Get Real

by Rondi duPont

We’ve seen some headlines recently that suggest home prices along the Front Range have peaked and are starting to decline.

When we dig in and do the research, this is what we find…

Home prices are still going up, just not as fast as they have been.

We’ve known that the double-digit appreciation that we’ve seen for the last several years could not be sustained and we expected the pace of appreciation to slow down.

So far in 2019, this is the case. Prices still going up, just not as fast.

It’s like running up stairs. Eventually you will get tired and you will need to start walking (but you’re still going up).

Headlines that suggest that prices have peaked and are falling create unrealistic expectations for buyers and give sellers a skewed perspective on the market.

Here are the numbers…

Average Price:

Up 1.53% in Metro Denver
Up 6.1% in Larimer County
Up 5.1% in Weld County

Months of Inventory:

5 Months in Metro Denver
5 Months in Larimer County
4 Months in Weld County
(Remember that 4-6 months of inventory represents a balanced market)

There has been an increase in Days on Market which means that homes are taking longer to sell. But the increase is measured in days, not months.

Here are those numbers…

Days on Market:

Up 4 Days in Metro Denver
Up 11 Days in Larimer County
Up 3 Days in Weld County

So, be mindful of headlines that can be sensationalized and might suggest that the market is falling.

Bottom line, the market is going up, just not as fast as it was.