Davidson Realty, Inc.

Northeast Florida Real Estate Market Update

December 16, 2021

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

“God goes to those who have time to hear him—and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.” Max Lucado

 

 

At this holiday season, the Northeast Florida real estate market is still looking bright. The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) market statistics show continued price increases and decreasing availability of homes.

 

The median sales price in November 2021 is $325,000 for all property types in all 6 counties. This is a 23.6% increase year over year and 4.8% higher than October 2021. In St. Johns County the median price is $450,000 for a 26.8% increase year over year. All predictions I have seen are for price increases to slow to single-digit increases next year.

 

There are 3,915 properties available in November 2021 which is down 31.4% year over year and down 14.7% from last month. There is 1.3 months supply of inventory which is down 33.9% year over year and 7.2% from last month. A balanced market is 5 to 6 months of supply.

 

Of the closings in November, 28.8% closed over list price. This number peaked at 40.6% of properties in July and has been dropping, but there was a slight increase from 28.3% last month.

 

There are many opinions on mortgage interest rates since the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday they will be shrinking their monthly bond purchases at twice the rate previously announced and forecasting to raise interest rates three times next year.

 

Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist and Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors said, “When inflation rises, lenders ask for higher interest rates as compensation for the decrease in purchasing power. Thus, if inflation remains elevated for a longer period, that will drive up mortgage rates.” She expects rates to rise to 3.5% next year. I have seen others predict 3.6% to 3.7%.

 

The supply of homes is expected to increase slightly in 2022; however, the demand should remain strong. More than 45 million millennials will be prime homebuying age, between 26 and 35, entering 2022 plus downsizing baby boomers and Generation Z buyers. We will have to see what effect rising mortgage rates has on demand.

 

For now, inventory remains low, demand is high and prices keep creeping higher. Please let us know if there is anything real estate-related we can help you with.

 

Happy Holidays and New Year! Thank you so much for your support and referrals during 2021.

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Northeast Florida Real Estate Market Update

November 19, 2021

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

“Gratitude can turn common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” -William Arthur Ward

I rely on the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) market statistics in my analysis each month. NEFAR has changed the company providing the statistics and the information is now interactive and allows you to choose property type, County, or region. Go to NEFAR.com and click on the market stats tab to check it out.

 

The median sales price of $310,000 is up 17.8% from last October, but unchanged from last month. Of the closings in October, 28.5% closed over list price. This is up 103.2% from last October, but down 7.3% from last month.

 

The inventory of homes for sale continues to be extremely low. There were 4,270 active properties for sale which is down 31.1% from last October and 7.9% from last month. The 1.4 months of inventory available is also down 25.8% year over year and 9.5% from last month.

 

The Northeast Florida real estate market may see smaller price increases and fewer multiple offers, but there is still a strong imbalance between buyer demand and homes available. It is still a seller’s market.

 

I wanted to share some interesting information from the 2021 National Association of Realtors (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights at NAR, says both buyers and sellers “have been driven by the desire to be close to family and friends, as well as the need for a larger home” during the pandemic.

 

Of the sellers who also became buyers, many traded up to bigger, more expensive, and often newer homes, with 46% purchasing a larger home and 28% one of the same size. In the past years, convenience to work and affordability had ranked as top factors for reasons to move.

 

The pandemic likely spurred occupants to shorten their homestay, as tenure in the home decreased to eight years from 10 years, according to the report – the largest single-year change in home tenure since NAR began collecting such data. Historically, tenure in the home has been six to seven years, but it increased to nine to 10 years following the Great Recession.

 

It will be interesting to see how remote work opportunities play out in the future. It seems like employees and companies are still figuring out the new rules and how that will affect home sizes and locational choices.

 

I want to express my gratitude for your friendship and support in 2021. Davidson Cares raised $75,000 at our Clay Day thanks to all the generous people in northeast Florida. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

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Real Estate Market Update

October 19, 2021

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

“In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing.” – Hank Aaron

 

A lot of wisdom from Hank Aaron. I hope you are enjoying watching the MLB playoffs.

 

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats for September show similar trends to the last few months. Prices are still rising at double-digit rates, with plenty of buyer demand, and a small supply of homes available.

 

The median sales price in September is $307,230 setting a record. This price is $7,000 more than August and $50,000 more than January 2021. This is an increase of 19.7% over last September.

 

The average sales price in September is $370,751 which is up 16.9% over last September. Numbers don’t always tell the human impact. We are seeing so many buyers on the sidelines right now because the homes they would like to buy between $300,000 and $400,000 are very difficult to find and get an offer accepted.

 

Our local buyers are competing with the strong influx of out-of-town buyers who consider our local area home prices more affordable compared to their previous market. The buyers wanting to use VA or FHA financing are also struggling because most sellers prefer cash or a conventional loan.

 

Affordability has impacted pending sales which were 3,201 in September, down 5.1% from last September, but up 10.9% year-to-date. Also, closings of 2,945 down 12.5% from last September, but up 12.9% year-to-date.

 

We are still seeing multiple offers, with 35.5% of homes selling over list price but that is down from 44.3% in July and 40.6% in August. Homes are still selling quickly with days on market at 30 days down 51.6% from last September when it was 62 days.

 

The market has calmed a little and possibly more buyers that have been sidelined will be able to find the home they want. I am very optimistic about the Northeast Florida real estate market. It is a great time to sell. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.

 

Thanks for all the support of Davidson Cares Clay Day! We sold out for the first time ever.

 

A group of Davidson Realty agents are participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, November 6th at UNF. My mother and so many others suffered from this horrible disease. We would love to have you join us!

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Real Estate Market Update

August 23, 2021

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Posted by in News, Northeast Florida Market Trends

“Your reputation is what people say about you. Your character is what God knows about you.” Bobby Bowden

 

Whether an FSU fan or not, most people respect and love Bobby Bowden.

 

The Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market stats for July have a few interesting twists. Prices continue to rise, pending and closed sales are down compared to July 2020, and new listings are up.

 

New listings of 3,915 are up 6.9% month over month and 5.3% year to date. The inventory of homes for sale of 4,668 is up slightly from the June number of 4,586. It is still down 40.6% from last July. The months supply of inventory is at 1.4 months which is the same as June but down 50% from last July. Since 5 to 6 months supply of inventory is a balanced market, we are still in a seller’s market.

 

There were 3,287 pending sales in July down 10.6% from last July. However, pending sales are up 13.4% year-to-date. There were 3,149 closings in July down 16.2% from last July but we are up 16.7% year-to-date. The month-to-month comparisons are difficult to interpret because last June and July were the two highest months for sales last year and July was the highest month for closings as a result of the slowdown in April and May 2020 due to Covid.

 

NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun is predicting interest rates to increase to 3.3% by the end of the year on 30-year fixed rate mortgages and average 3.6% in 2022. He predicts existing-home sales will decline marginally from 6 million in 2021 to 5.99 million in 2022.

 

Dr. Yun also predicts housing starts will improve to 1.65 million in 2022 from 1.565 in 2021 and existing-home prices will increase at a slower pace of 4.4% in 2022 compared to 14.1% in 2021.

 

The July median sales price is $303,600 up 15% month-over-month and 13.7% year-to-date. The average sales price is $381,499 up 18.4% month-over-month and 18.6% year-to-date. An amazing 45.6% of listings sold for an amount over list price.

 

It does appear the speed of the market is slowing a little and there may be more opportunities for first-time homebuyers and buyers using FHA or VA loans. Sellers were seeing so many cash offers and conventional loans, that many didn’t want to accept government backed loans because of their inflexibility. The market calming down a little will be good for everyone.

 

Please take a minute to go to DavidsonCares.com and sign up for Clay Day on October 21st or buy a ticket to one of our raffles. We have our YETI cooler full of alcoholic beverages and tickets for 8 people at Concerts for a Cause which is an amazing event watching live music outside.

 

Have a great Labor Day holiday and enjoy the rest of your summer. Please let us know if we can help you with any real estate questions.

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Davidson Cares Continues to Grow in Size and Impact

August 20, 2021

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Posted by in Community Involvement, News

Since 2012, Davidson Cares has tirelessly supported local youth-based programs in Northeast Florida. Through various fundraisers, events, raffles, and grants, Davidson Cares is committed to strengthening children. The efforts of Davidson Cares is overwhelmingly supported by the gracious and generous community in Northeast Florida. 

 

 

 

Davidson Cares is proud of the dedicated and talented members of its board. “Davidson Cares recently welcomed four new board members to form a team of twelve incredible members. Together, we look forward to continuing to support local programs that benefit both children and their families,” shares Sherry Davidson, President of Davidson Realty.

 

Steve Canty

Steve Canty is currently the principal (owner) of Shillburn Risk Advisors. Prior, for fourteen years Steve was the owner of The Canty Insurance Agency (Brightway) in Jacksonville. The agency was sold to VyStar Financial Corp in January of 2021. Steve is also a former Senior Vice President of Main Street America Group. Steve is married to Rita B. Canty, a father of three, and a grandfather to two. Steve and his wife reside on the beautiful St. Johns River in St. Augustine, Florida.

 

 

Jim Wheeler

Jim Wheeler is a Program Director for Investing in Kids (INK!), the foundation supporting public schools in St. Johns County.  After retiring from a twenty-six-year banking career in 2014, Jim has worked in education.  He has led the Take Stock in Children- St. Johns County scholarship and mentoring program since 2017.  He has previously served as co-founder of the Community Alliance Funding Education, as Chair of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council, and as an eight-year member of the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency.

 

 

William Li

William Li has been a practicing attorney for more than twenty years in Northeast Florida. He started his career at a boutique law firm in Jacksonville, Florida specializing in real estate development and representing clients in raw land acquisition, due diligence, development, and disposition. After rising to shareholder, William pursued an opportunity with the General Counsel’s office for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, handling all of the University’s legal matters in real estate, finance, and contracts. However, the lure of private practice brought William back to Jacksonville, where he now practices law again.

 

William is a member of the Florida Bar and is a member of numerous lawyer associations and charities. He is a graduate of the University of Florida (BS) 1996, University of Florida (Masters in Real Estate Finance) 2000, and University of Florida College of Law (JD) 2000. He is a husband and father to twin boys and enjoys spending time with his family, good food, and sports.

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