As a homebuyer in today’s market, you’re no doubt at your wit’s end trying to find your dream home.

And when you find a home you love, you’re competing with all cash offers and bidding wars driving the sales price above what it’s listed for, and many times, even above what the home is actually worth!

While there is nothing you can do to create more homes for sale, you can certainly arm yourself by understanding the trends and patterns in the areas you’re trying to buy in.

While it’s not quite rocket science, there is definitely a significant competitive advantage to those that understand the trends of a real estate market.

Sometimes, being competitive means not looking in the most competitive price ranges in the most competitive markets.

Analyzing Market Trends and Statistical Data

Understanding the nature of the market, and preparing yourself for the journey (or battle) is probably the most critical step for managing your expectations.

One tool that all Agents/Brokers of The Cascade Team Real Estate  have access to is the  “Market Snapshot” tool. This tool is also made availiable to the public on www.TheCascadeTeam.com website and is located HERE

Let’s take a look at a Market Update Report for the city of Issaquah, Washington for the date of May 7th, 2013.

• The median list price in Issaquah, WA this week is $535,000. The 127 properties have been on the market for an average of 81 days. However a deeper look will show that most “New” listings are selling in an average of 5 days, with the over-all total for days-on-market being driven by lingering short sale inventory
• The report shows (0) homes selling at asking price. By Clicking on the report, you see that is becaus ethe average home in Issaquah, WA is now selling ABOVE asking price.
• Inventory is tightening and days-on market is falling. The market is giving strong up signals from this data, meaning buyers are finding strong competition and are often facing multiple offers. This is a sellers market.
• As the market heats up, prices are likely to continue an upward climb.

 Price Per Square Foot:

The market appears to be placing an increasing premium on homes. When list prices and price per square foot consistently increase in tandem, as they’re doing now, you can often find short-term investment opportunities.

Use the Free Market Snapshot Tool to look for persistent changes as a leading indicator for these trends to flatten or drop.

Inventory of Properties Listed for Sale

Inventory has been falling in recent weeks. Note that declining inventory alone does not signal a strengthening market. Look to the Market Snapshot Index and Days on Market trends to gauge whether buyer interest is changing with the available supply.

There are many other sources of housing statistics and trend reporting that your local real estate agent can provide you. Market Snapshot is just one of those tools.

If you’re in the market to buy a home in this crazy market, contact your real estate agent and ask them what resources are available to help you understand the competitive nature of your local real estate market.

Want to do a little research on your own Washington, Southern California, or Arizona city?  Below you can sign up to receive free, bi-weekly market report updates.

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