State of the Real Estate Market 2010
As a lifelong Norwalk resident and a realtor for over twenty years I decided to start my own company – Bondi Realty Group LLC. I felt that I wanted more flexibility in marketing and wanted to provide a more personal service & experience. We are a hometown family run business with many satisfied clients. We embrace each and every client with extraordinary customer service.
I am taking this opportunity to give you my professional opinion about our local real estate market. Through a series of articles I will bring you important information you should know. This will enable you to make an educated decision when the time comes to buy or sell your home.
The real estate market has shown its sign of vulnerability over the last few years.
But right now is a perfect opportunity to buy. You have your $8000 first time home buyers credit, fabulous mortgage rates under 5% and bottom of the market prices.
There is also an incentive program for homeowners as well. If you have owned and occupied your home for at least five consecutive years you may be eligible for up to a $6500 tax credit. As long as you purchase another home and have a signed contract by April 30th and close by June 30th, 2010.
I already see a trend of the bottom end of single family home prices starting to creep up ever so slowly. Some of these homes consist of foreclosures and short sales. There are so many homes to choose from at this time. Foreclosures and short sales unfortunately are still depressing the market, not only in Norwalk, but in surrounding towns as well. What this means is that if you have a property for sale at this time, your home values are in competition with those distressed properties. The realtors and appraisers are doing their comparatives not only on non foreclosed sales but on foreclosed sales and short sales as well.
Everyone wants to know what is really happening out there in our local real estate market. I believe our current local real estate market has faired better then the rest of the country. Here are a few statistics from Consolidated Multiple Listing system.
In 2007 sales were at an all time high. There were more buyers than sellers and properties were selling for over asking price. Supply, demand and lending incentives fueled the market resulting in 602 single family homes and 482 condo sales in Norwalk.
Norwalk showed a dramatic decline in home sales from the buying frenzy of 2007. In 2008 fueled by fears of the status of the economy people just didn’t come out to purchase homes. The marketplace amidst these fears showed a decline in 2008 sales tumbling to a total of 416 single family and 282 condos.
At the end of 2009 Norwalk’s housing market was showing signs of stability but the banks are still being cautious with their lending. Currently as of December 2009 there are 331 single family homes on the market and 251 condominiums for sale. 428 single family homes and 217 condos sold this year.
As we start the New Year the housing market is on track with its seasonal winter slow down. I feel that in the coming months we will see the local market start to build momentum. Homes will start to sell again. First time homebuyers will find the dream home that they have been looking for and people will realize that the home values were prematurely inflated over the past few years.
Betty Bondi
Owner/ Broker