USA rents accelerate, rising 6.3% annually. Asking prices rose 7.8% year-over-year. At the local level, asking prices rose year-over-year in 96 of the 100 largest U.S. metros.
Demand for apartments is seemingly insatiable. Low vacancy, an improving economy and labor market, and lots of newly completed Class A properties coming online with rents higher than the market average will push asking and effective rents up by roughly 3.3% next year.
A new survey shows that while London was one for foreign investors, the rest of the top five cities were all in the USA. The survey said the U.S. is the “stable and secure” country for real-estate investment “by a wide margin.” The U.S. is also the top market when it comes to capital appreciation and for future real-estate purchases.
A majority (85 percent) of the 382 metros covered in August experienced annual home value appreciation. Among the 30 largest metro areas covered by Zillow, 20 saw annual appreciation of 10 percent or more.
Redfin today released its Real-Time Home Price Tracker for September 2012, showing an annual price gain of 5 percent across 19 major U.S. markets…. The reported 29.3% year-over-year decrease in inventory is similar to other sources and is a key driver for the year-over-year price increase.
A jump in sales of previously occupied homes and further gains in home construction suggest the U.S. housing recovery is gaining momentum… “The U.S. housing recovery is for real,” said Sal Guatieri, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, in a note to clients. “Great affordability, pent-up demand and strong investor interest in rental units are driving the market.”… New-home sales are up, builder confidence is at its highest level in more than six years and increases in home prices appear to be sustainable… “Housing is clearly in recovery mode,” Sullivan said.
To be sure, the real-estate market hasn’t come close to recovering from its worst slump in modern times. Sales of new and pre-owned homes and construction on new units are still far below the historical norm. Yet like the turtle in the tale of The Tortoise and the Hare, the market continues to inch forward.
Southern California home sales reach six-year high
Posted by kpanchuk on 9/13/12 at 1:48pm
Investors, cash buyers and low mortgage rates are turning Southern California into a turnaround market, research firm DataQuick said Thursday…. “August was the strongest month for home sales so far this year, and the strongest for an August in six years. That’s really saying something given the drop in low-end sales, especially foreclosure resales,” DataQuick said. “Much of the pickup in activity reflects a continuation of trends we’ve seen for months, like the unleashing of pent-up demand in move-up markets and high levels of cash and investor buying.”
Indicators of market distress in Calirornia continue to move in different directions. Foreclosure activity is high, but not increasing. Financing with multiple mortgages is low, down payment sizes are stable, cash and non-owner occupied buying is flat at a high level, DataQuick reported.