The Housing Market May Be Hitting Bottom

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From April to May, pending home sales rose 8% according to the National Association of Realtors. Economists had projected a !% decrease. The housing marking is attracting buyers due to falling mortgage rates, which fell below 3%. All regions of the country saw an uptick in sales. Economists predict that the market will slowdown in the 2nd half of 2021, citing the flattening in mortgage demand over the past couple months. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s data backs up the prediction. Buyers are facing challenges with the average loan size increasing. Many first-time homebuyers are squeezed out of the market due to entry-level homes for sale.

 

 

 

Eviction Moratorium Continues Through July

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The pandemic-inspired nationwide ban on evictions is hanging around for a while longer. The Supreme Court rejected pleas by landlords to end the moratorium with a 5-4 vote to keep the pan in place. The ban is due to expire at the end of July and another extension isn’t expected. In addition, the Treasury Department issued guidance encouraging a streamline distribution of the near $47 billion available for emergency rental assistance. The government is attempting to blunt the impact of the end of the eviction moratorium.

 

Outdoor Living Spaces Tip the Scales

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Outdoor living spaces are a tipping point for homebuyers. Buyers are looking to entertain family and friends in pandemic-proof ways. Home owners want access to golf courses, larger yards, attractive landscaping, and outdoor rooms. Previously buyers may have bought a cabin in northern Michigan, but now they want everything just steps away.  People are focusing on updating and upgrading their outdoor spaces as much as their indoor spaces. Lakefront property is hot right now. Listed lakefront houses and condos are on the market for about 18 days.

 

Buyers Continue Bidding Wars

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It continues to be a “dog-eat-dog” world for home buyers. Brokers advise clients to get pre-approval, save, and have some cash to bring to the table. Many home buyers are waiving home inspections, bidding before seeing the home, paying cash, and paying thousands over the asking price to get to the closing table. With more buyers than sellers, the competition is vicious with the average home going for $10,000 over the asking price. Appraisal guarantees are deal-makers, and buyers will have a hard time winning a bid without one.

 

 

Study Takes Aim at Home-Grown Marijuana Market

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Much of Michigan’s marijuana industry is outside mainstream retail outlets. The Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association commissioned a study says that millions in taxes and fees could be captured from illicit marijuana markets. While there is no current legislation concerning home cultivation, the information from the study will be used to inform legislators in Lansing. It’s speculated that the MCMA may seek to change the state law passed in 2018 in order to upend the home cultivation rules. The interest is in bulking up the legal retail market and tax revenue.

 

Weekly Brief – June 28, 2021

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As the summer residential sales season starts to wind down, we are finally starting to see some signs that the inventory logjam is starting to break. Home sales volumes are dipping, which is an indication that we may start to see a correction between the imbalance of buyers and sellers.

Also, as the COVID-19 pandemic starts to slowly recede, the hesitancy of sellers is starting to likewise recede.

Finally, we are starting to see the rapid rise in residential prices begin to slow down.

All of these are signs that the number of homes listed may start to rise. Couple that with the (now) 2022 lifting of the foreclosure moratorium, and I firmly believe that 2022 will be more “normal” than 2020 and 2021. This may be bad news for those who were able to sell without worrying about buying a replacement home. But it will be good news for the majority of the residential real estate marketplace.

Cannabis Company Opens in Saugatuck Township

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The New Standard cannabis company has moved into a newly built retail store in Saugatuck Township. The new site is the company’s 6th dispensary in West Michigan and seventh store across the state.  Located at 6406 Blue Star Highway, it carries more than 275 products for retail and curbside service. The company opened its first location in Hazel Park in April 2020. New Standard recently acquired Agri-Med LLC which was operating three dispensaries in Muskegon, Edmore and Nunica.

Detroit’s Eastern Market Area Gains Office Space

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Detroit’s Eastern Market and its food-centric footprint is the target of a $24 million office redevelopment plan. Developer Christos Moisides has big plans for a former cold storage building at 2529 Orleans St. The 63,400 square-foot building would included 55,000 square feet of office space. The remainder would be commercial space that would included a brewery and restaurant. Moisides paid $4.1 million for the building and will spend over $17.4 million on construction and other costs. He is seeking a 12-year tax abatement from the city.

Harper Woods Shopping Mall Proposed for Industrial Development

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Harper Woods’ city planning commission is considering a proposal that would turn the struggling Eastland Center shopping mall into a new industrial/warehouse development. NorthPoint Development LLC is asking for a planned unit development that would raze the enclosed mall and build about 1.03 million square feet of industrial/warehouse space across three buildings on the site.  A 514,000 square-foot building would be built on 36 acres of the site. Another 310,000 square feet would be built on 24.1 acres, and 207,000 square feet would be built on 18.8 acres. 15 acres would remain undeveloped.

Investors Add to Competitive Housing Market

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With limited housing inventory, homebuyers are already over a barrel when shopping for a new home. But add investors into the mix and the market becomes even tougher. Nationally, Metro Detroit has experienced the second-highest increase in the number of investor-purchased homes year over year. Investors are cash buyers who can close more quickly which makes it even harder for buyers getting a mortgage. But for the seller, cash is king and a cash sale allows a seller to move on with their future.