Where Are Home Prices Headed in Our Area?


Due to a lack of inventory, home prices are increasing again.

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Due to lack of inventory, home prices are increasing again. This year, prices in the Midwest are up 5.7%. They are also up across the board over the entire U.S.

For homes priced under $100,000, sales have dropped by 8.7%. That’s because there aren’t as many short sales and foreclosures as there used to be. Five years ago, short sales and foreclosures made up 40% of the market; now, distressed sales make up less than 8% of the market. In every other price point of the market, though, sales are up.

The latest Case-Shiller report confirms that we are not headed toward another housing bubble and that the numbers remain strong. Every month since last September, prices are 5% higher than they were in 2015. That is a good appreciation rate.

Will prices continue to rise? According to CoreLogic, home values in the state of Michigan should go up 6.4%, while prices across the country will continue to rise.


Prices across the country should continue to rise.


However, since home values have been appreciating so well, many home sellers are facing challenges with the appraisal. Compared to homeowner estimates, appraised home values are off by 2% for a $250,000 house. That means appraisals are coming in $5,000 short. This has been a common issue with many of our deals over the past 90 days, so it’s definitely something to be aware of.

If you have any questions about home prices or current market conditions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

An Update on Michigan Real Estate


A lot of great trends are starting to take hold in our market. Days on market is down and home sales are up. That’s great news for sellers.

Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search
Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

We’ve got a short and sweet update for you today on the Michigan real estate market. Here’s what we have been seeing lately.

In terms of the average days on market, most homes in the country are on the market for less than 90 days right now. Here in Michigan, our average is less than 45 days. The listings we have at Kime Realty are selling even faster, usually under 30 days.

Home sales are up this month in every single region but the west, where a lack of inventory is causing this rather than a shortage of buyers.

We expect 2017 to be even better.

So far this year, we have exceeded the number of existing home sales in 2015 each month. Yes, 2015 was great, but 2016 has been even better. We expect 2017 to follow suit and improve on these already great numbers.

If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Avoid Undermining Your Home’s Equity


Buying in Southeast Michigan? Perform a full home search
Selling in Southeast Michigan? Get a free Home Price Evaluation

Currently, our marketplace needs more listings. Inventory is low. Many homeowners don’t realize they’re in a positive equity position. If more people understood this, I think they’re more prone to sell and find their dream home.

Here’s what we like to call PEAR: Professional Equity Analysis Review. How much equity do you have? Reach out by phone or email if you’d like to know. We need to know your what your current mortgage balance is. We’ll conduct a quick CMA with that information. This brings you to understanding what your home is actually worth!

72.6% of Americans have 20% or more in home equity.

Let’s look at the percentage of homes with positive equity, ranked by state. The vast majority of the country experiences great home equity. 30% of homes don’t even have a mortgage. In a graph of the country’s homes with significant equity, we notice home values on the rise compared to just a few years ago.

Sellers can use that equity for a variety of different reasons, but many don’t even know they have it. In a recent study, 37% of Americans believed they had 20% or greater in terms of home equity. In reality, the latest numbers reveal 72.6% of Americans have 20% or more in home equity.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a Southeastern Michigan home, give me a call or send me an email! I’d be happy to help you.