Colorado Real Estate Market Update

This analysis of the Metro Denver and Northern Colorado real estate markets is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Colorado added 45,300 non-agricultural jobs over the past 12 months, a growth rate of 1.7%. Although that is a respectable number, employment growth has been trending lower in 2017 as the state reaches full employment. Within the metropolitan market areas included in this report, there was annual employment growth in all areas other than Grand Junction, where employment was modestly lower. There was solid growth in Greeley and Fort Collins, where annual job growth was measured at 4% and 2.7%, respectively.

In November, the unemployment rate in the state was a remarkably low 2.9%, down from 3% a year ago. The lowest reported unemployment rates were seen in Fort Collins and Boulder, where only 2.5% of the labor force was actively looking for work. The highest unemployment rate (3.7%) was in Grand Junction.

The state economy has been performing very well, which is why the wage growth over the past year has averaged a very solid 3.3%. I expect the labor market to remain tight and this will lead to wages rising at above-average rates through 2018.

HOME SALES ACTIVITY

  • In the fourth quarter of 2017, there were 14,534 home sales—a drop of 2.0% compared to a year ago.
  • Sales again rose the fastest in Boulder County, which saw sales grow 17.9% versus the third quarter of 2016. There were also reasonable increases in Weld and Larimer Counties. Sales fell in all other counties contained within this report because there is such a shortage of available homes for sale.
  • As I discussed in my third quarter report, sales slowed due to the lack of homes for sale. The average number of homes for sale in the markets in this report is down by 8.2% from the fourth quarter of 2016.
  • The takeaway is that sales growth has moderated due to the lack of homes for sale.

HOME PRICES

  • With continued competition for the limited number of available homes, prices continued their upward trend. Average prices were up 9.8% year-over-year to a regional average of $431,403, which was slightly higher than the third quarter of 2017.
  • There was slower appreciation in home values in Boulder County, but the trend is still positive.
  • Appreciation was strongest in Weld County, which saw prices rise 14.3%. There were also solid gains in almost all other counties considered in this report.
  • The ongoing imbalance between supply and demand persists, which means we can expect home prices to continue appreciating at above-average rates for the foreseeable future.

 

DAYS ON MARKET

  • The average number of days it took to sell a home rose by two days when compared to the fourth quarter of 2016.
  • Homes in all but three counties contained in this report took less than a month to sell. Adams County continues to stand out, where it took an average of just 21 days for homes to sell.
  • It took an average of 29 days to sell a home last quarter. This is up nine days over the third quarter of 2017.
  • Housing demand remains strong in Colorado and this will continue with well-positioned, well-priced homes continuing to sell very quickly.

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s housing market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

For the fourth quarter of 2017, I have chosen to leave the needle where it was in the previous quarter. Listings remain scarce, but this did not deter buyers who are still active in the market. As much as I want to see more balance between supply and demand, I believe the market will remain supply-constrained as we move toward the spring, which will continue to heavily favor sellers.

Matthew Gardner is the Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, specializing in residential market analysis, commercial/industrial market analysis, financial analysis, and land use and regional economics. He is the former Principal of Gardner Economics, and has more than 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

Posted on February 1, 2018 at 9:20 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Loveland Real Estate, Northern Colorado Real Estate, Windsor Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Short vs. Long

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There are short-term questions about real estate and there are long term questions about real estate.

Clients often have short-term questions like…

How much will prices go up next year? Should I sell my house this Fall or next Spring? Will interest rates go up next week?

We encourage our clients to evaluate those questions in the context of the long-term. There are decades of data on the Northern Colorado market which reveal certain patterns.

When we show our clients these patterns they feel confident and secure in the investment they have made into their home and their rental properties.

For example, the long-term appreciation rates based on up to 41 years of research are as follows:

  • Larimer County = 5.36%
  • Weld County = 4.25%
  • Metro Denver = 5.56%

So over the course of a year prices may go up a lot or go up a little, but in the long term they will stay true to these long term averages.

To see an update as to what is happening in the Northern Colorado market, contact us to receive our quarterly “Scoop” report.

We have justimage completed a comprehensive report for anyone thinking about selling their home. The Insider’s Guide to Selling Your Home (without any stress or surprises) is now available for you.

It is hot off the press and you can grab a copy by clicking HERE.

Claim your copy immediately so you can see everything you need to know to sell your home in today’s market.

 

Posted on October 27, 2017 at 4:02 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fun Facts, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Inventory Is Up

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Inventory Is Up

For the past few years the hot topic in Northern Colorado real estate is inventory, or more specifically, lack of inventory.

Based on our current research, it looks like this trend is reversing.

Let’s look at the increase in inventory in our major markets versus a year ago…

  • Fort Collins up 28%
  • Loveland up 4%
  • Windsor up 37%
  • Greeley up 5%

This increase in is very good news for prospective buyers as now there are more homes to choose from.

To see an update as to what is happening in the Northern Colorado market, contact us to receive our quarterly “Scoop” report.

imageWe have just completed a comprehensive report for anyone thinking about selling their home. The Insider’s Guide to Selling Your Home (without any stress or surprises) is now available for you.

It is hot off the press and you can grab a copy by clicking HERE.

Claim your copy immediately so you can see everything you need to know to sell your home in today’s market.
Posted on October 20, 2017 at 5:53 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Fun Facts, Loveland Real Estate, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Homecoming

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It’s homecoming weekend at CSU which means that alums from all over the Country will be back to visit Northern Colorado.

So how does their real estate market stack up versus the place where they went to college?

Odds are, it’s not as good!

It turns out that there are only 9 metropolitan areas out of about 270 that have higher appreciation than Larimer County.

Interestingly, 3 of the 9 are in Washington and 2 of the 9 are in Oregon. So if they are visiting from the Pacific Northwest they probably have an even stronger market than here.

But pretty much everywhere else is below our market.

This is all according to the Federal Housing Finance Authority who tracks the nation’s real estate markets. They show that Larimer County has appreciated 12.08% in the last year which ranks 9th in the nation.

First place belongs to Mount Vernon, Washington at 15.14%. Last place is Atlantic City, N.J. which had a decrease of 0.77%.

So best of luck to CSU in their homecoming game and cheers to a healthy real estate market!

Today is our annual Homecoming weekend Tailgate Party. You are invited to attend. Click HERE for more info. You can bring family and friends to our office at 400 E. Horsetooth in Fort Collins. We’ll have taco trucks, beer, wine, margaritas, bouncy houses, pony rides and a live band! See you there!

We have jusimaget completed a comprehensive report for anyone thinking about selling their home. The Insider’s Guide to Selling Your Home (without any stress or surprises) is now available for you.

It is hot off the press and you can grab a copy by clicking HERE .

Claim your copy immediately so you can see everything you need to know to sell your home in today’s market.
Posted on October 13, 2017 at 7:37 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Fun Facts, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , , ,

THE GARDNER REPORT – 2ND QUARTER 2017
The Gardner Report | Metro Denver and Northern Colorado Q2 2017

The following analysis of the Metro Denver and Northern Colorado real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Colorado added 62,000 new jobs over the past 12 months, an increase of 2.4% over this time last year. All of the metropolitan markets included in this report saw annual employment growth, with substantial growth in Boulder (4.7%) and Fort Collins (+4.1%), and more modest growth in Grand Junction (0.3%).

In May, the unemployment rate in the state was 2.3%, matching the prior month and down 3.4% from a year ago. The lowest unemployment rate was in Fort Collins at just 2.0%. The highest rate was in Grand Junction, though it was still a relatively low 3.3%. It is reasonable to expect these markets will see above-average wage growth given the tight labor market.

HOME SALES ACTIVITY

  • There were 17,581 home sales during the first quarter of 2017, a solid annual increase of 3.9% over the first quarter of 2016.
  • Jefferson County saw sales grow at the fastest rate over the past 12 months, with a 9.4% increase. There was also an impressive increase in Douglas County (+6.3%).  More modest sales growth was seen in Denver and Weld Counties.
  • Even with the rise in sales, listing activity is still running at well below historic averages, with the total number of homes for sale in the second quarter 7.6% below a year ago.
  • Sales growth continues to trend higher, but inventory levels remain well below where they need to be to satisfy demand.
Annual Change in Home Sales

HOME PRICES

  • Due to solid demand, home prices continue to rise with average prices up by 8.5% year-over-year to an average across the region of $438,980.
  • Boulder County saw slower appreciation in home values, but the trend is still positive.
  • Appreciation was strongest in Denver and Weld Counties, where prices rose by 12.4% and 10.6% respectively.
  • Economic growth is driving job growth, which is driving housing demand. Given the relative shortage of homes for sale, expect to see home prices continue to appreciate at above-average rates at least through the rest of the year.
Metro Denver and Northern Colorado Heat Map
Annual Change in Home Sale Prices

DAYS ON MARKET

  • The average number of days it took to sell a home dropped by three days when compared to the second quarter of 2016.
  • Homes in all counties contained in this report took less than a month to sell. Adams County stood out as it took an average of only 11 days to sell a home.
  • During the second quarter, it took an average of just 17 days to sell a home. This is down by a substantial 13 days compared to the first quarter of this year.
  • The takeaway here is that demand remains robust as evidenced by the remarkably short amount of time that it is taking to sell a home.
Average Days on Market

CONCLUSIONS
This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s housing market using housing inventory, price gains, home sales, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

After the second quarter of 2017, I have moved the needle even farther in favor of sellers. Mortgage rates remain very competitive and, with the specter of lending standards easing a little, demand will remain robust, which will be reflected in rising home values.

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

Matthew Gardner is the Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, specializing in residential market analysis, commercial/industrial market analysis, financial analysis, and land use and regional economics. He is the former Principal of Gardner Economics, and has more than 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.
Posted on July 31, 2017 at 8:10 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Loveland Real Estate, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

The Wellington Explosion

What if we told you there is a real estate market that has seen a 300% increase in sales volume in only 5 years?

What if we told you that market was right in our back yard?

The market is Wellington and what is happening there is extraordinary.

Because price increases in Fort Collins have eliminated virtually all options for the sub $300,000 buyer, Wellington has become a very popular place to buy a home.

In June of 2012, the average price there was $185,000. Today it is $300,500!

In 2012 there were 222 residential sales in Wellington. This year is on pace to ecliplse 500.

Yes, Wellington has exploded and we don’t see it slowing down any time soon!

To see homes that are for sale in Wellington, just click here: www.WindermereNoco.com/WellingtonHomesForSale

Fun fact about Wellington:

The Town of Wellington was an oil, coal and agricultural hub throughout the 1800s and became a stopping location for wagon trains, travelers, and military movement between Cheyenne, Wyoming and Fort Collins, Colorado. The town was founded in 1902, incorporated in 1905 and named after C.L. Wellington, an employee of the Colorado and Southern Railroad. 

Around the same time the population began to grow in Wellington, woolly mammoth remains were discovered by a construction crew while digging foundations for new homes. The remains were carefully excavated by a University of Colorado team while residents watched with excitement. Unfortunately, after being taken back to the University for further examination, the tusks were dropped and shattered on a floor. In recognition and remembrance of this event, the subdivision where they were found named a street Mammoth Circle.

Wellington maintained a population around 500 throughout the 20th century and grew to about 1,000 until the early 2000s. Today, Wellington is home to a population of nearly 8,300 residents.

Fun Facts & Image Source: www.townofwellington.com

Posted on July 7, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fun Facts, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , ,

Are Home Prices Approaching Bubble Territory?

Thanks to Gateway Mortgage Group: http://www.gatewayloan.com/
Are Home Prices Approaching Bubble Territory? | Simplifying The Market

As home values continue to rise, some are questioning whether we are approaching another housing bubble. Zillow just reported that:

“National home values have surpassed the peak hit during the housing bubble and are at their highest value in more than a decade.”

Though that statement is correct, we must realize that just catching prices of a decade ago does not mean we are at bubble numbers. Here is a graph of median prices as reported by theNational Association of Realtors (NAR).

Are Home Prices Approaching Bubble Territory? | Simplifying The Market

We can see that prices rose during the early 2000s, fell during the crash and have risen since 2013.

However, let’s assume there was no housing bubble and crash and that home prices appreciated at normal historic levels (3.6% annually) over the last ten years.

Here is a graph comparing actual price appreciation (tan bars) with what prices would have been with normal appreciation (blue bars).

Bottom Line

As we can see, had there not been a boom and bust, home values would essentially be where they are right now.
Posted on June 26, 2017 at 7:36 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Loveland Real Estate, Northern Colorado Real Estate | Tagged , , , , ,

All About Rates

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All About Rates

Most likely you read the news that the Federal Reserve raised their discount rate by 0.25% this week.

You may not have read the news that average 30-year mortgage rates went down this week.

What gives?! How could this be?!

What you need to know is that 30-year mortgage rates are not directly tied to the Federal Funds rate. Mortgage rates follow the 10-year treasury rate

You also need to know that rates today are essentially half of thier long-term avereage.

The average rate on a 30-year loan today is 3.91%. The 40-year long term average is a little above 7%.

Even though rates are higher than one year ago, they are incredibly low when looking at the long term.

We frequently are asked “when do you think rates will go up?” We made a short video which shows you our answer.

To watch the video, click HERE

Welcome to Friday Fun Facts!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Friday Fun Facts!

These little nuggets of information are designed to inform, education and entertain you. I promise to give you some solid takeaways, based on real life with information that will keep you up-to-date.

You can expect an entertaining short video or article once a week.. If you really like it, share it with your friends!

*If this isn’t your thing, no worries – just click the unsubscribe link below.*
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Free Investor Resource

Learn the 5 essential steps to real estate investing in Northern Colorado. See how to create monthly residual income. Gain clarity and confidence in the Northern Colorado investment market. Avoid common investing pitfalls.

Click below for your free access to the one hour online lesson; plus enjoy additional resources.

Unsubscribe

Windermere Real Estate 400 E Horsetooth Rd., Suite 100 Fort Collins, Colorado 80525 United States (970) 232-4364
Posted on June 16, 2017 at 9:47 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Blog, Colorado Real Estate, Fun Facts, Uncategorized | Tagged ,

Luxury Spotlight

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Luxury Spotlight

So how’s the luxury market? Let’s look…

Today there are 88 single family homes for sale in Larimer and Weld County priced at $1 Million and above.

Over the last year, 63 of these properties have sold.

This means it would take 17 months to sell all of these luxury properties at the current pace of sales.

Where do most of these sales occur? The most active city is Fort Collins with 18 luxury sales followed by Loveland with 13.

The most active neighborhood in all of Northern Colorado for luxury properties is the Harmony Club in Timnath with 8 sales.

Windermere Real Estate is proud to have represented the most expensive home to sell in Northern Colorado in the last two years – a $2,800,000 property in the Harmony Club which featured a gourmet French Kitchen, reclaimed barnwood floors and handmade peg wood beams.

Contact us to learn more about our Premier Properties program which is custom designed to sell luxury homes.

Welcome to Friday Fun Facts!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Friday Fun Facts!

These little nuggets of information are designed to inform, education and entertain you. I promise to give you some solid takeaways, based on real life with information that will keep you up-to-date.

You can expect an entertaining short video or article once a week.. If you really like it, share it with your friends!

*If this isn’t your thing, no worries – just click the unsubscribe link below.*
image

Free Investor Resource

Learn the 5 essential steps to real estate investing in Northern Colorado. See how to create monthly residual income. Gain clarity and confidence in the Northern Colorado investment market. Avoid common investing pitfalls.

Click below for your free access to the one hour online lesson; plus enjoy additional resources.

Unsubscribe

Windermere Professional Development – 5424 Sand Point Way, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States (800) 381-3850

In our March issue of the Windermere Report, we will take a close look at what’s happening in Larimer and Weld County real estate.

If you’re not already receiving this monthly printed newsletter designed to keep you informed, educated and entertained on real estate, I will put you on our list!

Simply Email me and I will get one in your hands right away. Meagang@windermere.com

Posted on March 8, 2017 at 5:46 am
Meagan Griesel | Category: Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Fun Facts, Northern Colorado Real Estate, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , ,

The Next Boulder?

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The Next Boulder?

The hottest question we get in Northern Colorado is this “do you think Fort Collins is the next Boulder?”

Let’s look closely at that question and start with what is similar. They are both beautiful college towns nestled against the foothills. They both have affordability issues which push real estate buyers to satellite communities (what is happening in Wellington is not unlike what happened in Louisville).

Yet there are differences at a fundamental level that will forever keep these two places very different from each other. For example, the average Household Income in Boulder is 60% higher than Fort Collins. Here is another big deal: Boulder is only half the size of Fort Collins (25 square miles versus 57 square miles). And get this, the City of Boulder owns 71 square miles of open space in and around the City.

Essentially Boulder is a small island surrounded by an ocean of open space inhabited by very high income-earners. That is why the average price of a single family home in Boulder is now over $1 million.

We put together a short video which shows you more detail about this hot question. You can watch it here:

Welcome to Friday Fun Facts!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Friday Fun Facts!

These little nuggets of information are designed to inform, education and entertain you. I promise to give you some solid takeaways, based on real life with information that will keep you up-to-date.

You can expect an entertaining short video or article once a week.. If you really like it, share it with your friends!

*If this isn’t your thing, no worries – just click the unsubscribe link below.*
image

Free Investor Resource

Learn the 5 essential steps to real estate investing in Northern Colorado. See how to create monthly residual income. Gain clarity and confidence in the Northern Colorado investment market. Avoid common investing pitfalls.

Click below for your free access to the one hour online lesson; plus enjoy additional resources.

Unsubscribe

Windermere Professional Development – 5424 Sand Point Way, Seattle, Washington 98105 United States (800) 381-3850

In our March issue of the Windermere Report, we will take a close look at what’s happening in Larimer and Weld County real estate.

If you’re not already receiving this monthly printed newsletter designed to keep you informed, educated and entertained on real estate, I will put you on our list!

Simply Email me and I will get one in your hands right away. Meagang@windermere.com

Posted on February 28, 2017 at 8:19 pm
Meagan Griesel | Category: Colorado Real Estate, Fort Collins Real Estate, Fun Facts, Loveland Real Estate, Northern Colorado Real Estate, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , ,

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