February Real Estate In South Lake Tahoe Review

The inventory of active single family homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe remained relatively low in February. There are now 401 houses listed on the South Lake Tahoe MLS, 298 of the homes are active and 103 of the homes are in escrow. Distress sales are still the most active part of the real estate market in South Lake Tahoe. Out of the 103 houses in escrow, 51 are short sales and 22 are bank owned foreclosures.

There were 23 single family homes that closed escrow in February, down from 29 in February 2009, and also down from 32 in January. The difficulty with getting short sales closed is one of the reasons that the number of houses sold was down in February. There are currently 51 short sales that are in escrow, and only 4 short sales closed escrow last month! Each monthmore short sales go into escrow, and only a few end up closing. In January there were 40 short sales in escrow, and in December 2009 there were 38. With 51 short sales tied up in escrow, the number of closings is going to be negatively affected. As soon as some of the short sales that are in escrow start closing, the number of sold houses should get back on track.

February Statistics for the South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Market

• There were 23 single family homes in South Lake Tahoe that sold in February, down from 32 in January, and down from 29 in February 2009.
• The average sales price of the homes sold was $405,461, up from $348,328 in January, and down from $411,156 in February 2009.
• The Median sales price of the homes sold was $312,500, down from $317,250 in January, and down from $319,000 in February 2009.
• The average price per square foot was $213, up from $209 in January, and down from $231 in February 2009.
• The average days on the market was 176, up from 162 in January, and up from 167 in February 2009.
• The median days on the market was 119, up from 127 in January, and down from 125 in February 2009.
• There were 11 bank owned foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe that sold, there were also 11 foreclosures sold in January, and there were 12 foreclosures that sold in February 2009.
• There were 4 short sales that closed escrow in February, down from 8 sold short sales in January, and up from 1 sold in February 2009.

The percentage of distress sale closings has also continued to increase. In February 65% of the houses sold in South Lake Tahoe were either foreclosures or short sales. This percentage is up from 59% in January.

The foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe that sold in February had a very low average price per square foot of $171. The average sales price for the 11 foreclosures sold was $334,100 and the median sales price was $258,000. The foreclosures had an average days on the market of 79 including the escrow period.

When looking to purchase a foreclosure in South Lake Tahoe, the best advise that I have for home buyers is to act quickly. Most of the foreclosures go into escrow very quickly and have multiple offers in on them. There are many investors and home buyers that are currently in the market looking for deals. There are also many buyers looking to take advantage of the home buyer tax credit  that expires on April 30th. If you see a foreclosure on the South Lake Tahoe MLS that  you are interested in, make sure to call me before it is too late!

South Lake Tahoe Foreclosure News

Foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe still seem to be the target for investors, speculators, and home buyers looking for good deals. There are currently 49 foreclosures listed on the South Lake Tahoe MLS and 26 of them are currently in escrow. Out of the 56 homes sold so far this year on the South Lake Tahoe MLS, 22 were bank owned foreclosures. With the recent steady incoming inventory of foreclosures, buyers have been ignoring most of the non-distress sale listings.

DIstress sales (foreclosures and short sales) currently account for 74 of the 104 single family homes that are currently in escrow. There may be some relief in sight for the non-distress sellers. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association the end of the foreclosure crisis may be near.

 ”The continued and sizable drop in the 30-day delinquency rate is a concrete sign that the end may be in sight,” says Jay Brinkmann, MBA’s chief economist, in a published statement.

Brinkmann said that normally there is a large spike in short-term mortgage delinquencies at the end of the year because of high heating bills and holiday expenditures. This year, there was not only no spike, but the 30-day delinquency rate actually fell from 3.79 percent to 3.63 percent.

Thirty-day delinquencies have historically been a leading indicator of serious delinquencies and foreclosures, Brinkmann said.

“[This] gives us growing confidence that the size of the problem now is about as bad as it will get,” he said.

The decrease in the delinquency rate is not the only sign that the foreclosure crises in ending. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by James R. Hagerty (02/23/2010), home buyers that are looking for a steal on a foreclosure is not as easy as it used to be.

 ”Home buyers hoping to snag a really good deal on a foreclosed home are finding it increasingly difficult because supply is shrinking.

The number of foreclosures that are available for sale nationwide fell to 617,000 in December, down from 845,000 in November 2008, reports Barclays Capital.

Not only have attractive homes in popular neighborhoods already been snapped up, but also government help for distressed buyers is delaying more foreclosures.

Demand is driving up prices. Investors say typical prices have climbed from 75 percent of appraised value to 85 percent or higher when there are bidding wars.”

Home buyers in South Lake Tahoe are also finding that it is more difficult to find a bargon on an under priced foreclosure. In most cases, the foreclosures that have been listed on the South Lake Tahoe MLS are attracting multiple offers. Many buyers are getting beaten out of deals 3 or more times before they are able to purchase a foreclosure. If the inventory of foreclosure listings follows the decrease in delinquencies, it will only get tougher to find a steal on a foreclosure.

Mortgage Rates and the Real Estate Market in South Lake Tahoe

There are many South Lake Tahoe home buyers taking advantage of the currently low mortgage interest rates and the homebuyer tax credit that expires on April 30th. According to an article written by Carolyn Said on SFGATE.com, the currently low mortgage rates will soon be on the rise.

After the credit crunch in 2008 when investors stopped buying mortgage-backed securities the Federal Reserve stepped in to ensure that money would keep flowing to home purchasers. The Fed began buying securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae in January 2009 and had planned to conclude the program at the end of the year. The program that has pumped more than $125 trillion into the mortgage market has been extended to March 31.

Experts agree that the expiration of the Fed’s program will cause interest rates to climb, but the amount of the rate increase is still in question.

According to Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance said “There is no question that interest rates have been kept artificially low by the Fed’s buying. My opinion is that rates will go up a full percentage initally.” That means that the current 30-year fixed rate mortgages that are around 5% will go up to 6%.

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which compiles mortgage data, thinks that rates will slowly rise to 5.75% when the Fed withdraws.

Julian Hebron, branch manager at RPM Mortgage’s San Fransisco office thinks that rates will bump up to about 5.5% with volatility all summer long.

I am optimistic that the Fed’s will see that if they stop buying mortgage backed securities it will decrease the housing affordability index percentage and make it harder for many home buyers to purchase homes. I would be surprised if the program is not extended again.

The low interest rates and the home buyers tax credit has been great for the South Lake Tahoe real estate market. The numer of homes sold in 2009 was up 22% from 2008 showing that home buyers are out there taking advantage of the current market conditions. For those home buyers that are on the fence about purchasing a home in South Lake Tahoe, now may be the best time before interest rates increase and the tax credit expires!

Make sure to see my current list of foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe that are listed on the South Lake Tahoe mls.

Bank Owned Properties in South Lake Tahoe

In 2009 foreclosures accounted for 137 of the 440 single family homes sold in South Lake Tahoe. Considering that over 31% of the homes sold were foreclosures, there is no doubt that bank owned properties have changed the South Lake Tahoe Real Estate market.

Looking at the South Lake Tahoe Real Estate statistics for 2009, the foreclosures lowered the median sales price, average sales price, average price per square foot, and the days on the market of the homes sold in 2009.

The median sales price was down 22% in 2009 from what it was in 2008. The median sales price of the homes sold in 2009 was $318,000. The median sales price of the foreclosures sold in 2009 was $274,900. If we take the foreclosures out of the statistics, the median sales price goes up to $366,500.

The average sales price was lowered significantly by the foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe. The average sales price for all of the homes sold was $404,364. The average sales price for the foreclosures was $296,076. Taking the foreclosures out of the statistics brings the average sales price up to $453,826.

The average price per square foot for all of the homes sold in South Lake Tahoe in 2009 including the foreclosures was $230. The average price per square foot of the foreclosures that sold was only $190 per square foot. If you take the foreclosures out of the picture, the average sales price per square foot would have been $248.

The median days on the market for all of the homes sold in 2009 was 114 days. The median days on the market for the foreclosures was 70. The median days on the market goes up to 149 if the foreclosures are taken out of the equation.

Just taking the foreclosures out of the statistics changes the prices dramatically, but if you consider that regular sellers also needed to lower their sales prices to compete with the foreclosures, the effect becomes even greater.

Foreclosure sales occured in almost every area in South Lake Tahoe. Here is a list of how many single family home foreclosure sales there were in each area on the South Lake Tahoe MLS in 2009.

• Al Tahoe had 8 foreclosure sales
• Bijou 1 had 18 foreclosure sales
• Bijou 2 had 3 foreclosure sales
• Black Bart had 3 foreclosure sales
• Christmas Valley 1 had 2 foreclosure sales
• Christmas Valley 2 had 3 foreclosure sales
• Echo View Estates had 1 foreclosure sale
• Country Club Estates had 5 foreclosure sales
• Gardner Mountain had 4 foreclosure sales
• Hevenly Valley had 5 foreclosure sales
• Highland Woods had 5 foreclosure sales
• Meyers had 7 foreclosure sales
• Montgomery Estates had 11 foreclosure sales
• North Upper Truckee 1 had 5 foreclosure sales
• North Upper Truckee 2 had 3 foreclosure sales
• Poineer Trail area had 5 foreclosure sales
• Sierra Tract had 13 foreclosure sales
• Sky Meadows had 1 foreclosure sale
• Stateline had 2 foreclosure sales
• Tahoe Island Drive had 5 foreclosure sales
• Tahoe Island Park had 7 foreclosure sales
• Tahoe Keys had 5 foreclosure sales
• Tahoe Paradise had 10 foreclosure sales
• The Y Area had 6 foreclosure sales

Here is what the foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe sold for by price range.

• Under $100,000= 1 sold foreclosures
• $100,000 to $139,999= 3 sold foreclosures
• $140,000 to $159,999= 6 sold foreclosures
• $160,000 to $179,999= 6 sold foreclosures
• $180,000 to $199,999= 10 sold foreclosures
• $200,000 to $249,999= 27 sold foreclosures
• $250,000 to $299,999= 36 sold foreclosures
• $300,000 to $349,999= 20 sold foreclosures
• $350,000 to $399,999= 9 sold foreclosures
• $400,000 to $449,999= 5 sold foreclosures
• $450,000 to $499,999= 4 sold foreclosures
• $500,000 to $549,999= 1 sold foreclosure
• $550,000 to $599,999= 3 sold foreclosures
• $600,000 to $649,999= 2 sold foreclosures
• $700,000 to $749,999= 1 sold foreclosure
• $750,000 to $799,999= 2 sold foreclosures
• $800,000 to $849,999= 1 sold foreclosure

With the number of foreclosures for sale in South Lake Tahoe  so far in 2010, the South Lake Tahoe real estate market should supply some great deals for home buyers in 2010. For more information on foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe, call South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Agent Brent Johnson today!

South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Review for January

Bank owned foreclosures and short sales dominated the South Lake Tahoe Real Estate market in January 2010. Distress sales accounted for 59% of the single family home sales reported on the South Lake Tahoe MLS.  There were 32 homes sold in January, 11 were bank owned foreclosures and 8 were short sales. This is the first time that the sale of foreclosures and short sales have out numbered regular sales since I have been keeping track of real estate statistics in South Lake Tahoe.

Although the number of homes sold was down from 48 in December to 32 in January, this is a big improvement from January 2009 when only 18 homes were sold. The number of short sales in South Lake Tahoe that are closing escrow also continues to improve. There were 8 short sales that closed escrow in January, up from 6 in December, and and 2 in November. That is good news for the 40 other short sales that are currently in escrow on the South Lake Tahoe MLS.

January South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Statistics

• There were 32 single family homes in South Lake Tahoe sold in January, up from 18 in January 2009, and down from 48 in December 2009.
• The average sales price for the South Tahoe homes was $348,328, up from $345,350 in January 2009, and down from $472,453 in December 2009.
• The median sales price for the South Tahoe homes was $317,250, up from $310,000 in January 2009, and down from $346,500 in December 2009.
• The average price per square foot was $209, down from $261 in January 2009, and down from $220 in December 2009.
• The average days on the market was 162, up from 123 in January 2009, and up from 155 in December 2009.
• The median days on the market was 127, up from 94 in January 2009, and up from 110 in December 2009.

The foreclosures in South Lake Tahoe that sold in January sold for an average price per square foot of $195, non-foreclosures had an average price per square foot of $228. The foreclosures that closed escrow also sold quickly, the average days on the market was 65, and the median days on the market was 60. The average sales price for the foreclosures was $269,818 and the median sales price was $215,000.

Short sales in South Lake Tahoe were on a much slower pace than the foreclosures. The average days on the market for the short sales that closed escrow was 239 and the median days on the market was 229. The average sales price for the short sales was $399,438 and the median sales price was $375,750. The average price per square foot for the short sales was $198.

Currently there are 384 active homes on the South Lake Tahoe MLS and 80 of them are in escrow. Short sales account for 40 of the current escrows and foreclosures account for 19. With 59 of 80 of the current escrows being distress sales, February should yield similar statistics to what we saw in January.

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