According to the Pacific Business News Home sales on Oahu were up in January 2010, compared to January 2009. There were 162 single-family homes sold, compared to 122 homes sold last January… a 33 percent increase. Great news, but then again, everything is relative… according to a Star Bulletin article published a year ago, experts called January 2009 “very weak” for single-family home sales.
Here’s how the numbers stack up over a 3-year span:
For the first time in almost a decade, Hawaii home prices are the highest in the nation. According to experts, this is a sign that Hawaii’s real estate market is stable, compared to those on the mainland. In California’s Bay Area, the median price of single family homes dropped more than 40% compared to 1st quarter 2008 (Hawaii’s median price dropped 8% in the same period).
Luckily, we didn’t see the huge swings in our market, but economists warn that increasing interest rates may lower demand.
According to the Hawaii Board of Realtors residential resale statistics for Oahu, median home prices dropped in the month of May.
The median home price dropped from $585,000 in April, to $550,00 in May (compared to $649,000 May 2008).
Condo prices fell from $310,000 in April to $305,000 in May (compared to $337,000 in May 2008).
According to Honolulu Board of Realtors president Sandra “Sam” Bangerter, our housing market may be showing signs of bottoming out “Single-family home sales rebounded a bit in May and the sales speed of 49 days was faster than at the same time last year. While prices were lower for single-family dwellings, the condominium median price has been holding quite steady at just over $300,000. These are just some of the signals that our housing market may be starting to return to normalcy.”
Hawaii’s foreclosure activity increased a staggering 503 percent in March from the same period last year according to this Star Bulletin article. However, almost half the active foreclosure filings in the state were at rentals or vacation homes, according to data released today by RealtyTrac.
Hawaii is being hit hard by troubled investors and second home owners… About 46 percent of all active foreclosures in Hawaii have owner mailing addresses that do not match the property address, which indicates they are rentals or vacation homes
Despite this huge jump in foreclosures, Hawaii’s 2009 first quarter statistics dropped marginally compared to the same period in 2008. According to the Hawaii Board of Realtors, the single family home median sales price was $570K compared to $620K last year. The condo median sales price was $300K compared to $330K last year.
Hawaii Realtors weigh in on Economy.com’s prediction. In this story by KGMB, realtors agree that a 30% drop is too drastic. It’s predictions like these that destroys consumer confidence and creates unrealistic expectations for potential buyers.
The Honolulu Advertiser article cites a national research study by Economy.com. The headline illicited response from Hawaii realtors who think this is overly pessimistic. Honolulu’s median price fell just 3% last year, and according to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, Hawaii’s inventory has remained stable. I think the most telling stat of all… In 2007, Economy.com forecast a 0.6 percent decline to Honolulu’s median home price. Instead, the median rose 2.1 percent that year.
According to Freddi Mac, the national average of interest rate last week has dropped to the lowest ever since 1971. This historical low interest rate is sparking a big refinancing boom among homeowners trying to lower their monthly payments, shorten the life of their loans, or convert from adjustable rate to fixed rate mortages. It’s expected that more people will refinance as word of the low interest rates spread. Check out the Honolulu Advertiser article.
Ofcourse… when rates are this low, it’s also a great time to buy.
According to Honolulu Board of Realtors, the Oahu home prices in 2008 were fairly stable. If you compare the median price for single-family homes in 2008 and 2007, the median price in 2008 ($624,000) dropped only by 3 percent from 2007 ($643,500). When you do the same comparison by month, December’s median price in 2008 ($626,500) has actually risen by 3 percent from December 2007 ($610,000). Read Pacific Business News article
Based on the information from the Multiple Listing Service of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS active listings last updated on .
Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.