Pending-home sales in March hit their highest level since April 2010, spurring the return of real-estate bidding wars.

A new development is catching home buyers off guard as the spring sales season gets under way: Bidding wars are back.

From California to Florida, many buyers are increasingly competing for the same house. Unlike the bidding wars that typified the go-go years and largely reflected surging sales, today’s are a result of supply shortages.

“It’s a little surprising because we thought bidding wars were done with,” said Andy Aley, who is looking to buy his first home in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. The 31-year-old attorney was outbid this year when he offered up to $23,000 above the $357,000 listing price and agreed to waive inspections and other closing conditions.

Competitive bidding in the current environment isn’t producing huge price increases or leaving sellers with hefty profits, as occurred during the housing boom. Still, the bidding wars caused by tight inventory provide the latest evidence that housing demand is starting to pick up after a six-year-long slump.

An index that measures the number of contracts signed to purchase previously owned homes rose in March to its highest level in nearly two years, up 12.8% from a year ago and 4.1% from February, the National Association of Realtors reported on Thursday.

“We very much believe we’ve hit bottom,” said Ivy Zelman, chief executive of a research firm, who was among the first to warn of a downturn seven years ago. Earlier this week, she raised her home-price forecast for the year, calling for a 1% annual gain, up from a 1% decline.

The Wall Street Journal’s quarterly survey found that the inventory of homes listed for sale declined sharply in all 28 markets tracked. Real-estate agents consider a market balanced when there is a six-month supply of homes for sale. At the height of the housing crisis, in 2008, there was an 11.1-months’ supply. In March, there was a 6.3-months’ supply.

Inventory levels in many markets were at the lowest level in years. At the current pace of sales, it would take just 1.5 months to sell all the homes listed in Sacramento, Calif., and 2.4 months to sell all the homes listed in Phoenix. San Francisco and Washington, D.C., each have 3.4 months of supply, while Miami has 4.1 months of supply.

Other markets have plenty of homes. Chicago, for example, has 9.4 months of supply, while New York’s Long Island has 16.1 months of supply. Even in those markets, the number of houses for sale is edging down.

Increased competition is frustrating buyers and their agents. “We’re writing a record number of offers, but we’re not seeing a record number of closings and that’s because it’s so competitive,” said Glenn Kelman, chief executive of real-estate brokerage Redfin Corp. in Seattle with offices in 14 states.

Nearly 83% of offers that Redfin agents have made on behalf of clients in the San Francisco Bay area this year and 71% in Southern California have had competing bids. Redfin represented a buyer that made the winning bid on a Gaithersburg, Md., home earlier this month after agreeing to adopt the dog of the seller, who was relocating and looking to find a new home for “Buddy,” a white toy poodle.

Inventories are declining for a number of reasons. Some sellers, unwilling to accept prices that are still down from their peak by one-third, are taking their homes off the market in anticipation of higher prices down the road. Meanwhile, investors have been outmaneuvering consumers for the best properties, often making cash offers that are quickly accepted by sellers.

In addition, some economists say that inventory levels are being held artificially low because Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the nation’s biggest banks have been slow to list for sale hundreds of thousands of foreclosed homes they currently own. The lenders slowed down foreclosure sales and repossessions after record-keeping abuses surfaced 18 months ago.

Banks and other mortgage investors owned nearly 450,000 foreclosed properties at the end of March, and another two million mortgages were in some stage of foreclosure.

Inventories could rise, putting more pressure on prices, if the banks and other lenders step up their efforts to sell their properties. Real-estate agents say they aren’t concerned. “There’s an enormous appetite for foreclosures. Release the inventory. It will sell,” said Richard Smith, chief executive of Realogy Corp., which owns the Coldwell Banker and Century 21 real-estate brands.

The declining inventory of older homes is spurring sales of new homes. New home sales are up 16% so far this year, compared with a year ago, while inventories of new homes fell in March to their lowest level since record keeping began in 1963.

Meritage Homes Corp., a builder based in Scottsdale, Ariz., reported Thursday a 36% increase in orders for the quarter ending in March versus the previous-year period.

Even though bidding wars are pushing prices higher, many homes are still selling for prices far lower than a few years ago. Increased demand is “entirely affordability driven, which tells me there will be strong resistance to price increases” by buyers, says Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group, an East Brunswick, N.J., appraisal firm.

Rents are rising at a time when mortgage rates have fallen to very low levels. The result is that the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is lower than any time since the 1990s. Freddie Mac reported on Thursday that mortgage rates fell to 3.88% for the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage, near its lowest recorded level.

Rates are “so low that we can afford a house that was out of our price range before,” said Aarthi Srinivasan, who is looking with her husband for a home around Palo Alto, Calif., one of the country’s hottest real-estate markets.

Ms. Srinivasan says she fears that prices are being bid up too quickly. She says she had her “aha moment” earlier this year while touring a 50-year-old house that needed extensive remodeling. The home, listed at $1.1 million, received nearly 10 offers and eventually went under contract for more than $1.3 million to a buyer who hadn’t even viewed the property.

“There are only so many buyers who are going to be in such a hurry, so we’re hoping it’ll top off soon,” she says. On Monday, they offered to pay more than the $1.2 million list price for a four-bedroom, bank-owned foreclosure. They haven’t found out if they made the top bid.

On the other side of those transactions are sellers like Debbie and Bill Wetherell, who had 17 offers in four days for their four-bedroom home in Danville, Calif. “I was floored. It was so fast, it was surreal,” says Ms. Wetherell. The home sold on Wednesday for $796,000, more than $50,000 above the asking price.

Still, the sale is for nearly $180,000 less than what they paid for the house in 2005. Ms. Wetherell’s husband has commuted to Reno, Nev., for five years and they have decided to relocate.

Housing markets face other headwinds. More than 11 million homeowners owe more than their home is worth. It is a big reason that the “trade-up” market has been stalled. These homeowners can’t sell their current homes, let alone come up with the down payment for their next home.

Mortgage-lending standards remain tough. Real-estate agents say an unusually high share of deals are falling apart because homes won’t appraise at the price that buyers have agreed to pay sellers.

Still, borrowers with stable jobs are looking to make deals. Kelly Pajela-Fu and her husband offered to pay the asking price of $600,000 for a four-bedroom home in Marblehead, Mass., within a day of the property hitting the market.

“We just knew this house would go quickly,” says Ms. Pajela-Fu, a 31-year-old doctor who had lost out on an earlier offer. Their strategy to avoid a bidding war paid off: The sellers accepted their offer before having an open house.

With home prices down 34% nationally since 2006 and mortgage rates at historic lows, homes have never been more affordable — but it won’t stay this way for much longer.

Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for PNC Financial Services, said he expects home prices to flatten out by the third quarter and start climbing by next year.

A number of factors will help bolster the housing market, he said, including a decline in the number of foreclosures and continued job growth. In addition, homebuyers will have better access to mortgages as they get their finances in order and improve their credit scores.

“This is a strong indicator that we will start seeing home price indexes, like the S&P/Case-Shiller, start to report home price increases this summer,” he said.

Prospective homebuyers who’ve been sitting on the fence shouldn’t worry if they aren’t quite ready to make the leap. Analysts are predicting that the initial price gains will be modest, at least, in most markets.

Shopping for a home is an exciting experience but there are many things to consider, starting with the fundamental question: which housing style is right for you?

You might be thinking, “I want to own my own home,” which translates in your mind to a single- or double- story house. However, your finances, where you live, affordability, and practicality may factor in and cause you to consider other options. So let’s explore some of them.

Single-Family Housing. When many people think of owning their own house, the single-family residence first comes to mind. This type of home is the most independent. The walls are typically not joined together with any other homes. The heating and plumbing systems are separate. And, while the house may be in a planned community that has covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) regarding what you can do to your home on the outside, there is generally the most freedom with this type of home. Some of these homes have additional fees (Mello-Roos fee) to pay for schools in the area.

These residences are usually detached houses and have land surrounding them unless they are a zero-lot-line house. Then the house sits on or very close to the property line. These houses are packed into areas and may offer extra space inside but at the compromise for little land outside.

Row houses are often situated this way. However, while the single-family home can have a little different look, the row houses are generally identical and lined up side-by-side, thus the term: row houses. Sometimes there is a small backyard area behind the row house. The row houses also usually share a wall or two with the other houses. This also makes them more affordable than the detached, single-family house.

The Duplex. This type of house shares a roof and one wall but the other side is separate from other homes. You can also choose from triplexes and quadruplexes. Some buyers decide to go for this style of housing because they can live in one of the units and rent out the others to help pay for their mortgage. This allows them to save to and, later, if they choose, to purchase another home and rent out all of the units.

Townhouse. This style of house shares a wall and common areas such as parking lots, and walkways.

Condominiums. These units often look a lot like apartments. In fact, some apartments have been part of a condominium conversion. The individual unit is owned by a homeowner. Often the homeowner purchases the unit and rents it out. Homeowners have an ownership interest in the common elements which can include halls, stairways, elevators, parking lots, open areas, and other amenities.

As with townhouses and even single-family homes that are in planned communities, there is a fee for the care of the common areas.

The Microhouse. They may be small as the name states but they can be plenty big, especially for those who are living alone or traveling frequently and simply want an easy-to-care-for home.

These micro or mini houses can be just a few hundred square feet to a thousand. Often they are vertically built and they have more living space by the use of lofts and smaller- than-usual furniture and appliances. Some have unique features such as a deck on the roof.

So whether you’re shopping for a single-family, detached home or a minihouse, having a basic understanding about what you can expect with each housing style is an optimal way to begin your search. Then let your experienced real estate agent guide you to the suitable options that can best meet your specific needs.

Source: Reality Times

The latest National Association of Realtors quarterly commercial real estate forecast indicates that all major commercial real estate sectors are seeing improved fundamentals.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said vacancy rates are improving in all of the major commercial real estate sectors. “Sustained job creation is benefiting commercial real estate sectors by increasing demand for space,” he said. “Vacancy rates are steadily falling. Leasing is on the rise and rents are showing signs of strengthening, especially in the apartment market where rents are rising the fastest.”

The rental market has undergone some dramatic changes since the real estate bubble burst several years ago. Recession conditions and continued lagging in the economic recovery have led to more renters and subsequently rising rental rates

Over the next year vacancy rates are expected to decline even further. The office sector is forecasted to see a 0.4 percent decline. The industrial real estate market is forecasted for an 0.8 percent decline and 0.9 percent in the retail sector. The multi-family rental market is expected to see a 0.2 percent decline this year.

This projection will continue to increase the role of the landlord demanding bigger rent increases.

After rising 2.2 percent last year, average apartment rent is expected to increase 3.8 percent in 2012 and another 4.0 percent next year. Multifamily net absorption is forecast at 209,900 units this year and 223,600 in 2013.

“Household formation appears to be rising from pent-up demand,” Yun said. “The tight apartment market should encourage more apartment construction. Otherwise, rent increases could further accelerate in the near-to-intermediate term.”

Vacancy rates for the multi-family market, specifically, are likely to drop from 4.7 percent this first quarter to 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013.

More Southern California homes sold in March than did a year earlier, and price declines slowed as the spring selling season got underway and more traditional home buyers entered a market that has seen record numbers of investors.

The Southland’s median home price of $280,000 was essentially flat, down just 0.2% from March 2011. Compared with February, the median price rose 5.8% for a second consecutive monthly increase, real estate research firm DataQuick reported Tuesday.

Recent home price data have shown a broad deceleration in price declines in California and the nation’s biggest metro areas. While a slowing decline may not be the most comforting news for average buyers looking to plop down their savings on a fixer-upper, it has led several economists and other observers to make hopeful calls that a bottom is approaching.

DataQuick President John Walsh doesn’t expect a sharp turnaround in the housing market soon, given the recent weak numbers. Although March’s sales statistics improved, they remain well below the historical average for the month dating to 1988.

“The results from the first big sales month of 2012 suggest the market is stuck in low gear,” Walsh said. “This remains a very gradual — not to mention fragile — recovery.”

Sales increased 2.8% year over year to 19,953 homes in the six-county region, DataQuick reported. Sales improved the most in Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties.

As is normal with the start of the spring shopping season, home sales from February to March jumped, this time 28.1%. Historically, sales have surged 37% between those two months, DataQuick said.

Sales have shown improvement recently, increasing for the last three months and for seven of the last eight months. Foreclosed homes and short sales — in which a home is sold for less than the outstanding debt on the property — accounted for about half of all sales last month.

Whether the housing market will turn around this year remains a key question among economists and policymakers. Economists see several factors working in favor of a real estate turnaround. Rents are quickly rising as prices are falling, making homeownership potentially more attractive to tenants who have steady work, can afford a down payment and have retained good credit.

In addition, while prices have trended down, they aren’t in the same free-fall that emerged after the subprime mortgage crisis and credit crunch of 2007, experts have said. The drop in prices is largely due to foreclosures, which continue to ravage certain hard-hit neighborhoods.

Other broad indicators that support a housing recovery include a growing number of households, low interest rates and a tighter supply of homes on the market. The California Assn. of Realtors reported Monday that the state’s housing inventory in March shrank to just over four months’ worth. Economists generally consider a six-month supply of homes for sale a healthy market.

“Inventory is low, and there is just a lot of stuff that is overpriced,” said Syd Leibovitch, president of Rodeo Realty. “But the stuff that is priced right is selling for much more than it would in October and November.”

Activity by speculators continued at a strong clip last month, boosting the low end of the market. Investor activity nearly hit a record for the month and cash purchases were double their historical average, DataQuick said. Absentee buyers bought 27.9% of all homes last month, while cash buyers accounted for 31.7% of homes sold.

But as long as the share of investors in the real estate market remains high, prices are likely to remain depressed, as many of these cash-rich bargain-hunters buy homes at a discount. Housing also remains stymied by persistent unemployment and the threat of more foreclosures. The difficulties buyers are having securing mortgages is also slowing down the market, real estate agents have said, and the large share of homes in the state that are underwater is keeping prospective sellers from listing their homes.

Richard Green, director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate, said he is most concerned about the weak job market.

The high number of investors buying discounted homes is probably masking a recovery in values for properties purchased by people who buy homes to live in them, said Richard Green, director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate. The real concern is the job weak job market, he said.

“Things are probably a little better than they appear,” Green said. “The only downside is the job numbers for January and February. If it weren’t for that, I think we would be on a verge of a turnaround.”

Info Source

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The real estate market appears to be rebounding after a long slump. And all market trends and economic indicators show it.

But there are also indications that what buyers are looking for — and the market itself — have changed in significant ways.

Suraya Fadel reported from Studio City Thursday — a location that is seeing a particular boom.

She profiled realtor Grace Mitnick who has sold homes and property in the San Fernando Valley and westside for the past 18 years.

“Inventory is low. A lot of buyers are out there taking advantage of interest rates and prices. Every property I’ve written has been in multiple offers since November.”

Mitnick says that is a welcome sign for buyers and anyone trying to sell a home.

“Buyers want to feel like they’re getting a lot of bang for their buck,” Mitnick says.

New buyers says the agent are eager. They are also more conservative than buyers who purchased homes during the boom years. She senses the mood is more confident and that people are more aware of what it costs to own a home. “People are looking for home they can afford…more in their comfort zone.”

Mitnick believes today’s buyer’s sat on the sidelines during the housing slump and saved more — strengthening their credit scores. “The buyers also became extremely internet savvy. They’ve done a lot of homework and research.”

Buyers are also looking for smaller, more efficient homes. Mitnick believes homes that are turn key will be easier to sell than fixer uppers. A lot of buyers also want short commutes.

For Mitnick and other realtors, lowering home prices helps the bottom line. “Prices have come down considerably. It’s given a lot more opportunities to those who could not afford to buy when prices were skyrocketing.”

This story originally appeared in the April 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter.

From the beach to Beverly Hills, a surging stock market and lower prices have inflamed bidding wars, revitalized sales and sparked activity not seen in years.

To get a sense of the state of the high-end housing market on the Westside, consider the fevered recent sale of an A. Quincy Jones-designed residence in Beverly Hills. The five-bedroom post-and-beam Modernist property hit the market March 7 at $6.499 million. It immediately attracted seven offers and was under contract eight days later at $6.625 million. The deal wrapped up March 20, with architectural property collector and producer Michael LaFetra (Night Train, Kevorkian) acquiring the North Foothill Road residence. Such aggressive sales processes have been nearly nonexistent during the past half-decade or so, when the market crashed during the economic meltdown and then floundered. “It’s probably been four years since we’ve had seven offers on one property — we are no longer bumping along the bottom,” says Prudential California Realty’s Cristie St. James, who along with husband Markus Canter represented the seller, a local businessman.

Although the information is anecdotal, several agents told The Hollywood Reporter that their business on the Westside in areas such as Brentwood and Holmby Hills exploded in March, with some saying they closed four, five and even six deals during the month (data on March sales is not yet available). But the uptick, which brokers have begun calling “March Madness,” didn’t come out of nowhere. It started the old-fashioned way: Sellers lowered their asking prices, which were down 5 percent year-over-year on the Westside and appear to be hitting a sweet spot. Agent Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland says momentum began building in January, “in February it climbed, and then in March took off.”

Agents say the paring of inventory of luxury for-sale properties has had its own effect. According to Realtor.com, in February, the median number of days a house sat on the market was 88, compared with 115 days a year earlier. “For years now, buyers have been accustomed to looking at a house and coming back six months later and seeing it is still available. But now they are coming back and seeing it is sold, and they are having to react more quickly,” says Stephen Shapiro, chairman of Westside Estate Agency.

Also playing a role in the revival are the rising stock market (up 8 percent from the start of 2012 through March 29), low interest rates and the market’s seasonal boost at this time of year. “Spring is a strong time of the year; the holidays are over, and people are planning their year,” says Fenton, who closed three deals in March and expects to complete four in April.

Other notable March dealings include the sale of Conde Nast Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff‘s North Faring Road residence in Holmby Hills to an undisclosed businessman for $11.5 million, the sale of Britney Spears‘ Mulholland Drive-adjacent Summit Circle house for more than $4 million, the listing for sale of Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov‘s 4,200-square-foot Craftsman residence in Santa Monica for $7.395 million and the listing of the $10.25 million, five-bedroom Bel-Air residence of the late television personality Art Linkletter (a bidding war is on, and one of Shapiro’s clients is in the running).

Then there’s John Nogawski, president of CBS Television Distribution, who until recently was looking to unload his house and buy another. Last summer, he quietly put his Pacific Palisades residence up for sale but didn’t register it on multiple-listing services. It received strong interest from prospective buyers but no offers. Nogawski formally listed the five-bedroom property March 10 at a slightly lower price than he was asking during the summer, with the hope of selling the house by August. Instead, he quickly received two offers and came to terms with an all-cash buyer March 17. The next day, Nogawski toured a four-bedroom contemporary residence in the Palisades and was smitten. He had an all-cash deal in place that night. Says Nogawski, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

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