** Data in this report reflect market activity from April 2020 compared to the previous month and year.  Information is gathered from the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors® (RSAR) for the Greater Reno-Sparks region via Northern Nevada Regional Multiple Listing Service (www.nnrmls.com).  Data accounts for single-family resale residences only, and excludes townhouses/condos, manufactured/modular and new construction.

Here is the market overview:

And here is the breakdown for a couple of interesting statistics from April 2020:

• At $416,500, the April 2020 Median Sales Price for single-family re-sale properties in Reno-Sparks combined for the month was $416,500, a slight 0.4% increase from March 2020, and up 10.5% April last year.

• As seen in the chart above, the # of Closed Sales at dropped from 507 in March 2020 to 374 in April.  This marks a 26% decline in closed sales month-over-month, and nearly 30% fewer closed sales compared to last year.

Months Supply of Inventory (MSI) in April 2020 jumped back up 31% compared to March, recording 2.2 months supply.  This measure of inventory is also about 6% higher than in April 2019. MSI accounts for the time it would take to “sell out” of the Reno-Sparks inventory at the current rate of sale.  A balanced market is around 5-6 months of supply.  Therefore, this the low 2.2 months supply, we are still very much considered to be in a Seller’s Market.

The average # of Days from Listing to Contract in April 2020 was 39 days.  This is still quite a short period of time when looking back over the last few years.  The # of Days to Contract is about 7% lower than April 2019.  These averages account for all price ranges.

With Seller’s receiving an average of 98.9% of asking in April 2020, we have continued to see no significant change for this statistic overall.

One may wonder if coronavirus is having an effect on the percentage of distressed sales in Reno-Sparks.  At this time, the answer appears to be “no.”  In April 2020, Distressed Sales (short-sales and foreclosures) are nearly 50% lower than the same time last year.

Here is what is happening now… The Week Ending May 9, 2020:

After 4 straight weeks of an increase in New Contracts, the week ending May 9 saw a relative leveling out of New Contracts, with just a slight 2.2% decrease from the previous week.  Overall, the number of new Contracts for this week last year is down about 10%.

# of New Listings to hit the market the week ending May 9 increased 25% compared to the previous week.  The Reno-Sparks real estate market saw nearly 42% fewer new listings than the week ending May 11, 2019.

SUMMARY:

• Real Estate in Nevada continues to be an “essential service.”  Governor Sisolak’s mandate to eliminate in-person open houses for all properties, and in-person showings of tenant/renter-occupied properties has been extended to May 30, 2020.   All owner-occupied and vacant properties may still be shown to prospective buyers with practice of social distancing, use of personal protective equipment and frequent 20-second hand-washing &/or hand-sanitizing.
• Starting May 4, California Bay Area agents were allowed to show occupied properties and to stage vacant properties once again. The allowance for such activities could potentially mean an increase of activity in Nevada, a place where many Californias are expected to call their “new home.”
• Lending qualification parameters have tightened, but the Mortgage Interest Rates are staying low!  For a super reputable, local lender recommendation, contact me.  I will be happy to connect you with the best!
• Looking more closely at the last full week of activity (ending May 9) the # of New Contracts has leveled week-over-week, and the # of New Listings rose slightly.
• While the sales volume took a hit in April, the Median Sales Price has held steady, largely due to buyer-demand keeping pace fairly stable rate of sale and continued low inventory.
• Nationally acclaimed economist and author of the Blog “ECON 70” Elliot Eisenberg, PhD checked in again with the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors.  This month, Elliot stands by last month’s assertion that the current recession is very different from previous recessions, and that it will be deep but relatively short.  Click HERE to watch the April 2020 “Monthly Economic Minute.”

** Data in this report reflect market activity from March 2020 compared to the previous month and year.  Information is gathered from the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors® (RSAR) for the Greater Reno-Sparks region via Northern Nevada Regional Multiple Listing Service (www.nnrmls.com).  Data accounts for single-family resale residences only, and excludes townhouses/condos, manufactured/modular and new construction.

Here is the market overview:

MEDIAN SALES PRICE

• At $415,000, the March 2020 Median Sales Price for single-family re-sale properties in Reno-Sparks combined is recorded as 12.5% higher than March of last year, and up 6% from February 2020.

# OF UNITS SOLD

• As seen in the chart above, the # of Closed Sales at 502 increased from February approximately 10% and increased 9.6% from March 2019.

MONTHS SUPPLY OF INVENTORY

Months Supply of Inventory (MSI) in March 2020 was substantially lower than March of 2019, a drop of 31.1%.  MSI accounts for the time it would take to “sell out” of the Reno-Sparks inventory at the current rate of sale.  A balanced market is around 5-6 months of supply.  March 2020 posted MSI of 1.5 months, suggesting we are still in a Seller’s Market.

# OF NEW CONTRACTS

The number of listed homes that have gone int0 contract (accepted offer) has decreased about 7% since February 2020.  This statistic is also down 13% from the same time last year, and is likely due to the shutdown of many of our industries in the US due to COVID-19.  Spring is typically the beginning of the “selling season” with new contracts increasing into June-July each year.

#OF NEW LISTINGS

The biggest surprise…  # of New Listings actually rose 19.4% from February to March 2020.  There was no significant change in the # of New Listings compared to March 2019, indicating that in March, Sellers were still needing to list in order to sell, even during the pandemic.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW??

CLOSED SALES THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 11, 2020

Let’s take a closer look at what is happening more recently … As a result of the drop in new contracts about 1 month ago, and some cancelled escrows (likely many due to Coronavirus), the # of Closed Sales the week ending April 11 took a nose-dive 50% since the week ending March 28.  Only 66 single family residences in the Greater Reno-Sparks region closed escrow the week ending April 11.

NEW CONTRACTS THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 11, 2020

Though sales volume overall was down the week ending April 11, 88 single-family homes went into contract, an increase of 6% from the previous week.

NEW LISTINGS THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 11, 2020

The # of New Listings has been bouncing around the last several weeks.  From the week ending April 4 to the week ending April 11, volume of New Listings has dropped roughly 21%.

SUMMARY:

• Real Estate in Nevada is an “essential business.”  Though Governor Sisolak has mandated that open houses and showings of tenant/renter-occupied properties cease, owner-occupied and vacant properties may still be shown to prospective buyers.  Social distancing, along with use of face masks/coverings, hand sanitizing wipes, gloves, 20-second hand-washing and removal of shoes/use of painter booties are being exercised by Realtors and their clients.
• Santa Clara County, and other Bay Area counties have imposed additional tighter restrictions such as no showings of ANY occupied properties.  This is significantly impacting the real estate market in these areas, resulting in a drop in home sales volume there.  Many prospective CA sellers are Nevada’s buyers.  We look forward to when CA government lightens the restrictions on the real estate industry, allowing more completion of transactions that then flow into Nevada as purchases.
• Though Mortgage Interest Rates are the lowest they have been in the last year, mortgage lenders have tightened their qualification parameters.  New purchase and refinance conditions have changed through the course of the pandemic due to economic and employment issues, and jumbo loans (those valued above the conforming loan limit of $510,400.) have been pulled back.  Learn more at CNBC.com.
• A decline in the # of New Contracts in March is an indicator of decrease sales volume in the next couple of months.  As the number of new coronavirus infections decreases, the economy and employment recover, and we return to more “normal” activity, many economists predict that the housing market will make a quick recovery and housing prices may not be affected.
• CLICK HERE to hear nationally acclaimed economist and author of the Blog “ECON 70” Elliot Eisenberg, PhD.  Elliot shares his thoughts about the current recession, the recovery of the economy and what should happen in real estate.

Due to an increase in questions and concern regarding the economy and real estate market as a result of COVID-19, INTERO RENO will be reporting market statistics on a weekly basis.  We hope this will provide you with the knowledge to make informed decisions during this unprecedented situation.  The following are highlights from real estate activity in the Greater Reno-Sparks region, including the North Valleys.  These graphs represent activity for single-family residences and excludes condos/townhouses and new construction.

The Median Sales Price held steady at roughly $399,000 from the week ending 03/21/2020 to the week ending 03/28/2020.  This statistic is reflective of properties that went into contract roughly 30 days ago (the common length of escrow for properties obtaining financing).

# of Closed Sales dipped about 4% between the week ending 03/21/2020 and the week ending 03/28/2020.  Again, this statistic is reflective of properties that went into contract roughly 30 days ago.

Of the properties that went into contract approximately 30 days ago, these 123 Sellers received 99.3% of List Price, 0.3% greater than the prior week’s activity.

# of Days from Listing to Contract dropped from 36 days to 29 days, suggesting that approximately one month ago, demand for properties appeared to be increasing as indicated by more rapidly received and accepted offers.

In the week ending 03/28/2020, the Active Inventory dropped 2.7% from 899 to 875 available properties for sale.  This inventory includes properties of all price ranges.

# of New Contracts/Pending Sales declined about 8% the week ending 03/28/2020 compared to the week ending 03/21/2020.  Is this the beginning of a new trend in the market over the coming weeks?  We’ll keep an eye on it.

# of New Single-Family Listings has dropped 17.8% from the week ending 03/21/2020 to the week ending 03/28/2020.  During this time of year when new listings are typically ramping up, the decline last week could likely be a reflection of COVID-19’s reduction in business activities.  Will we see further drops in new listings in the coming weeks?  Will the median sale price be affected by a further drop in inventory?  Buyer demand will be the key factor.

Summary: 

• Real Estate in Nevada is still deemed an “essential business.”  Properties are being showed by private appointment only, with strict adherence to the social distancing guidelines set forth by the federal government.
• We may start seeing an impact on the length of time from “Contract to Closing” as availability of inspectors, appraisers, mobile notaries, insurance brokers, lenders, etc may change as a result of COVID-19.
• While mortgage interest rates have been fluctuating over the last few weeks, it is important to consult with a reputable loan officer for more information about locking your rate when purchasing.  Contact me for local lender recommendations.
• Will we continue to see a large movement of residents from other states to Nevada as we progress through the effects of the virus?  We will be keeping a close eye on, and reporting what is happening in our local real estate market weekly for the next several weeks.
• For more information about specific property values and to search real estate for when you are ready to purchase/sell, please do not hesitate to call me at 775-233-0682 or email dhallerbach@intero.com.

** Data in this report reflect market activity from February 2020 compared to the previous month and year.  Information is gathered from the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors® (RSAR) for the Greater Reno-Sparks region via Northern Nevada Regional Multiple Listing Service (www.nnrmls.com).  Data accounts for single-family resale residences only, and excludes townhouses/condos, manufactured/modular and new construction.

Here is the market overview:

• February 2020 Median Sales Price for single-family re-sale properties in Reno-Sparks combined dipped from $405k in January to $390k (-3.7%).  The Median Sales Price is up 4.8% from this same time last year. 

• As seen in the chart above, # of Closed Sales at 443 increased from January by 14.4% and increased nearly 23% from last year.

• Reno-Sparks Absorption Rate is only 1.3 MSI (Months Supply of Inventory).  What exactly does this mean?  It means that if the rate of sales continued as it did during February 2020, and if no listings were added to the market, the entire Reno-Sparks inventory would be sold out in a matter of 1.3 months.  5-6 MSI is considered a “balanced market.”  We are still very much in a Seller’s market.  See chart above.

• Likewise, the Active Inventory at 598 is down 19% from January to February 2020 and down 41.2% from this same time last year. See chart above.

• # New Contracts was on the rise in February 2020 (+12.3% from January 2020, and +31.1% from last year).  Will this result in a spike in March sales?  Will the trend continue with March statistics with the historic low interests rates we just experienced?  We shall see!

• Also following the seasonal trend, February 2020 brought 11.2% more New Listings than January 2020.  505 homes were brought to the market throughout the month!  The majority of new listings in February were in the $300k-$399k range (163). See chart above.
• Want to talk more about what’s happening in the Reno-Sparks market?  If you need me, I’m here to assist with your purchasing and selling needs.   Email me (dhallerbach@intero.com) or call me directly at 775-233-0682.

** Data in this report reflect market activity from January 2020 compared to December 2019 and January 2020 compared to January 2019.  Information is gathered from the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors® (RSAR) for the Greater Reno-Sparks region via Northern Nevada Regional Multiple Listing Service (www.nnrmls.com).  Data accounts for single-family resale residences only, and excludes townhouses/condos, manufactured/modular and new construction.

• January 2020 Median Sales Price for single-family re-sale properties in Reno-Sparks combined increased from $393,000 in December 2019 to $405,000 (+2.8%).  The Median Sales Price is up 12.2% from this same time last year.
• Below is the breakdown of stats for both Reno and Sparks separately as well.

• “Months Supply of Inventory” (MSI) is defined as the time it would take for the current inventory to be completely sold out if sales remained at their current rate.”  But do remember that this inventory supply does not factor in NEW home construction that is offered throughout the region.  A “balanced inventory market” is about 6 MSI.  The MSI in January 2020 was 2 MSI in Reno and only 1.4 MSI in Sparks, most definitely a Seller’s market.  The MSI for Reno-Sparks combined is nearly 50% lower than this same time last year!
• 377 Listings of single-family, stick-built homes sold in Reno-Sparks combined during January 2020.  Only 10 of these homes sold over the $1M pricepoint,  As usual, the bulk of properties sold in January were between $300k and $399k.

• January 2020 brought 67% more New Listings than December 2019.  444 homes were brought to the market!  Don’t get your heart set on a single family home priced under $200k.  Only ONE was listed in January.

SO WHERE IS NORTHERN NEVADA HEADED? 

According to the Economic Development of Western Nevada, the Economic Planning Indicators Committee (EPIC) reports that “The forecast for the next 5 years is for continued job growth of 51,585 with population growth of 54,470 for a five county region.  Housing for all of these new Nevadans will be needed more than ever and our real estate market is showing NO signs of slowing down.  Take a look at the EPIC report by clicking HERE.

• Want to talk more about what’s happening in the Reno-Sparks market?  If you need me, I’m here to assist with your purchasing and selling needs.   Email me (dhallerbach@intero.com) or call me directly at 775-233-0682.