If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you probably want to know what’s really happening with home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and more. That’s not an easy task considering how sensationalized headlines are today. Jay Thompson, Real Estate Industry Consultant, explains:

“Housing market headlines are everywhere. Many are quite sensational, ending with exclamation points or predicting impending doom for the industry. Clickbait, the sensationalizing of headlines and content, has been an issue since the dawn of the internet, and housing news is not immune to it.”

Unfortunately, when information in the media isn’t clear, it can generate a lot of fear and uncertainty in the market. As Jason Lewris, Cofounder and Chief Data Officer at Parcl, says:

“In the absence of trustworthy, up-to-date information, real estate decisions are increasingly being driven by fear, uncertainty, and doubt.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Buying or selling a home is a big decision, and it should be one you feel confident making. To help you separate fact from fiction and get the answers you need, lean on a local real estate advisor.

A trusted expert is your best resource to understand what’s happening at the national and local levels.  I would appreciate a chance to interview for the job as your trusted expert.  No cost or obligation of course. I will debunk the headlines using data you can trust. And I will  provide context so you know how current trends compare to the normal ebbs and flows in the industry, historical data and more.

Together, we will use all of that information to make the best possible decision for you.

Here are some of the data points that can help you to make your decision,

After all, making a move is a potentially life-changing milestone. It should be something you feel ready for and excited about. And that’s where I can come in.

BOTTOM LINE

Is now a good time to either buy or sell a single family detached house in Delaware county? My answer is yes.

Here are data points about the Delaware county market which explain why I feel that way.

Delaware County, PA
Median Sales Price, 2022
Month	Sale Price
Jan	$360,000
Feb	$376,000
Mar	$404,200
Apr	$415,000
May	$427,000
Jun	$451,500
Jul	$420,000
Aug	$430,000
Sep	$385,000
Oct	$390,000
Nov	$410,000
Dec	$419,500

 

Recent price trends: Median sales price peaked at $451,500 in June. Since then prices are down to a median of $419,500 in December, decline of $32,000 or 7%. Cause for panic? Not in my opinion.  Sales prices typically peak in mid Summer when most buyers want to get their deals done before the kids go back to school. A typical decline from Juneish to Decemberish is about 5 to 10%.  This year follows that pattern.

Further, Year to date, median selling price is $410,000, up 5.1% from 2021 at $390,000. This compares very favorably with a long term trend of single family house appreciation in the United States for 3-4%.

Housing Inventory: Delaware county  inventory has been mostly between 2 and 4 months for the last two years. Below six months indicates there are more buyers than sellers which is bullish for prices.  December inventory was only 2 months. This is very bullish for prices.

Median Days on Market: This indicates how long it will probably take to get an acceptable offer on your house, once you get it on the market. 30 days is about right for a normal market. For the last two years it has been about 6-10 days. That indicates very high demand and that is bullish for prices. In December, it went up to 10 days which is still speedy and indicates high demand.

Active Listings; In December, 2021 there were 853 active listings for sale.  In December 2022, there were 379, a drop of 56%.  Not sure why this happened.

Number of Sales: December 2022 we had 222 sales, compared to 345 in December 2021. That is a drop of 36% and indicates a much slower market.

Sales Price as a % of Original Price: For the last two years, most sales prices have been above the asking price. Median ratio was 100% or higher.  In December, that dipped below 100% for the first time since at least 2020. Ratio was 98.4% which still indicates a strong buyer demand.

Why is this a good time to buy? A cross section of the key market variables tells me that price increases will still happen, but they are slowing down. That gives buyers a little more leverage.

Why is this a good time to sell? If you are needing a bigger house in a different area, I think you can still be confident that prices will continue to increase, but at a slower rate. This is not 2008 and chances of losing a lot of your equity are very small.

NEXT STEPS FOR YOU:

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No doubt, the housing market is shifting, and it can be a confusing place right now. I suggest that we connect so that I can help you make confident and informed decisions about what’s happening. Minimize the fear or uncertainty that could change your plans. If you’re unsure about how to make sense of what’s going on in today’s housing market, text or call me at 484-574-4088 or go to my web site, (johnherreid.com) and lets set up a time to meet, either on line or in person. I have the software so that we can meet virtually and make the best use of your time.