Tight Home Inventory Levels Affecting Buyers & Sellers
While more and more positive real estate news trickles in,
we examine some of the direct causes of these seemingly endless, yet favorable
outcomes.
Housing inventory has waned over the last year.
So much so, that we have seen the amount of homes available on the national
level drop by about 1.8 million units. At a more local level, Tampa,
Florida has seen a dramatic decrease of 68% in home inventory!
So we ask, why so low?
Well, about 22% of homeowners remain underwater with their
mortgages. Sellers are usually deterred from listing their home if they have to
bring cash to the table or embark on a short sale. Now that home values are
finally bouncing back, both home values and the amount of sellers who owe more
than their property is worth are two factors that will continue to have an
impact on home inventory.
Investors are always trying to grab the best deals that
produce the highest returns. This usually involves paying cash for real estate
purchases. The rental market has seen an uptick in activity; so many investors
are holding their real estate inventory while turning higher profit with
rentals. Being that Tampa, Florida is a hot spot for international investors;
we live this wave of activity daily.
So while some sellers continue to wait until their homes
value is closer to what is owed on mortgages; and a large volume of
investors snatch up bank owned properties and short sales, we may continue to
see housing inventory fall both in Tampa, Florida and on a national level.
One thing is for sure, the longer sellers wait, the more
chance they have of mortgage rates ticking back up, which will restrict some
buyers from entering the market.
Qualified buyers may choose to rent, but can warned that
they may be missing the most opportune time to own a home ever!
About us:
SI Real
Estate offers highly personalized, multilingual, full-spectrum real estate purchase
and sales
services. We are a boutique for sophisticated investors, select owners or renters who may be
upgrading locally, or those making traditional relocations. We
also provide turnkey landlord and tenant management. Blending comprehensive
insight into the Tampa Bay area with international perspectives for a worldwide
clientele, we like to think that “SI Real Estate is Global Real Estate in Every
Way!”
Comments