CHICAGO REAL ESTATE STATS PACK – JANUARY 14 2008

CHICAGO REAL ESTATE STATS PACK – JANUARY 14 2008

Good Morning Everyone!

The proposed sale of Countrywide Financial the nation’s largest residential mortgage lender and servicer to Bank of America may solve one problem relative to the recent sub-prime market struggles. But is it the right answer? Click on our post on BlogChicagoHomes.com for some thoughts and comments including links to two relevant articles in Saturday’s Chicago Tribune and financial consultant Brian Brady’s comments in the Bloodhound Blog from January 11th.

Here is a look at our Chicago Real Estate Stats Pack for Monday Morning January 14 2008. We cover single-family small-multi family and condos in Downtown Chicago and the entire Chicago IL area.

Communities and clients we serve reside or plan to reside in the Chicago Neighborhoods of The Chicago Loop The Gold Coast River North Lincoln Park Lakeview Uptown Edgewater North Center Lincoln Square Albany Park Ravenswood Wicker Park and Bucktown.

Also these Great Chicago Neighborhoods: Logan Square Rogers Park West Ridge Portage Park Jefferson Park Norwood Park Sauganash Edgebrook and Edison Park. Plus All Chicago Suburbs.

SINGLE FAMILY CONDOS AND SMALL MULTI-UNIT PROPERTIES – NORTH SIDE OF CHICAGO NORTH OF ADDISON STREET WEST OF ASHLAND AVENUE

ACTV LISTINGS JUST SOLD CLOSED EXPIRED

w/e January 13th 4186 28 34 42

w/e January 6th 4089 26 53 274

% CHANGE +2.4% +7.7% -35.8% -84.7%

CLOSED PROPERTIES DATA

AVG SALE PRICE AVG DAYS ON MKT TOTAL VOLUME

w/e January 13th $350460 157 DAYS $11915665

w/e January 6th $327074 134 DAYS $17332285

% CHANGE +7.2% +17.2% -31.3%

SOURCE: MLSNI AREA MARKET SURVEY DATA

OBSERVATIONS

In order of my concern: Sales Volume number fluctuations mid-month January may not show a true trend – let’s compare to late month numbers to see if new sales are really trending downward in the first month of the year. Concerned as Average Market Time continues running so high and very few new Just Sold listings are posted on the north side each week. Active Listings have not increased as much as I thought they would have for second week in January. The Average Sales Price and Number of Closed Listings may represent a mid-month blip as well – again we’ll have to examine later month trends to better compare.

RATE AND MARKET CHECK

Rates are down considerably this week! Average 30-year Fixed Mortgage rates fell 0.2% for the week ending January 10 2008 to 5.87%. The average rate for the last week was 6.07% Exactly one year ago rates average 30 year fixed rates – 6.21%. Interest levels appear not to be the factor in the current mortgage market weakness – rather the culprit continues to be extremely high home inventory coupled with tight underwriting scrutiny for new borrowers resulting in a smaller stream of ready willing and able buyers available.

"The latest employment report showed that the economy added 18000 jobs in December the smallest gain since August 2003 and the unemployment rate jumped to a two-year high of 5 percent. In addition the Institute for Supply Management’s index of non-manufacturing business activity showed that the service sector had the slowest expansion in nine months during December" said Frank Nothaft Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist.

"The National Association of Realtors also indicated a drop in its pending home sales index for November signaling a possible slowdown in December sales. These weak economic reports renewed concerns about economic conditions in the near future. As a result mortgage rates came down across the board with 30-year fixed mortgage rates at their lowest level in more than two years.

For daily news hot information and trends view our Real Estate Update newsletter. Also visit our National Real Estate News link via our Web Center – dean-team.com.

Call us if you would like to discuss trends for homes and properties in YOUR neighborhood!

DEAN MOSS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Posted: Sunday January 13 2008 10:19 PM by Dean’s Team