SI Real Estate Tampa and The Beaches

An interesting thing is happening in the Tampa Bay real estate market. Have you tried to put a contract out on a house that is unbelievably priced only to find that there are already several offers on the table? If so, you are not alone. Housing inventory is drying up. The drastic dip in supply is due to several factors. With fewer foreclosures, bargain basement prices on homes for sale, and incredible tax incentives being offered, investors and first-time home buyers are gobbling up Tampa housing inventory. Current demand has definitely reduced available housing supply. The National Association of Home Builders article Slow Recovery May Be Leading to Serious Housing Shortages addresses this saying “NAHB economists project that the industry will need to deliver 16 million homes over the next 10 years to keep pace with the demand. As the excess inventory is worked off, which is likely by the end of 2012, the long-run demand for new housing – based on population growth, immigration an...

Excellent news - the U.S. real estate market is rebounding faster than expected. For the first time in five years, existing home sales have increased for four consecutive months., the National Association of Realtors announced today. Existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhouses, condos, and co-ops rose 7.2 percent to a total if 5.34 million in July. An NAR survey showed that 30 percent of the homes purchased in July were by first-time home buyers, as buyers have started to come off the fence to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index reached 18 this month, its highest level since June 2008. The numbers show that confidence among home builders is continuing on a steady rise. This increase can be contributed to buyers taking advantage of the dramatically discounted home prices, with nationwide housing affordability continuing to hover near its highest level in more than 18 year and the $8,000 ...

June saw a rise in pending home sales for the fifth straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors. This increase of 3.6 percent to 94.6 is an encouraging sign for the U.S. housing market as it makes its way toward recovery. According to an article by Inman News , the increase in pending home sales marks the first five consecutive months of gains since July 2003. The largest jump was seen in the South, where pending home sales rose 7.1 percent. All regions saw at least a minimal increase with the smallest seen in the Northeast, at just .4 percent. Almost all regions were significantly higher than in June of 2008. "Historically low interest rates, affordable home prices and a large selection are encouraging buyers who've been on the sidelines. Activity has been consistently much stronger for lower prices homes." said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. In addition to the increase in pending U.S. home sales, home resales have also risen for three months in...