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Julie Lang ABR, CRS
The Julie Lang Team
First Weber Group Realtors
Racine, WI

“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Owning a home is a keystone of wealth.. both financial affluence and emotional security”. –Suze Orman
“It’s tangible, it’s solid, it’s beautiful. It’s artistic, from my standpoint, and I just love real estate.” – Donald Trump
“The best investment on Earth is earth.”
-Louis Glickman, American business executive

P ERCEPTIONS OF
R EAL E STATE & H OMEOWNERSHIP
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It’s the American Dream
It’s a good investment
It’s safe
It is a status symbol
It is an entitlement
It’s scary
It’s a risk
A Responsibility
It’s now OK to walk away
It’s a terrible investment
Too much work
What are your perceptions?

W HY D O P EOPLE W ANT T O O WN A H OME
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Not throw money away
Build a nest egg
Decorate the way they want
Have a good place to raise a family
Fulfill a dream
Stability
Budget
Feel Grounded…Emotionally Satisfying

S OME Q UICK D EFINITIONS
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DOM – (Days on Market) the period of time a property is listed for sale prior to being sold or removed from market.
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LP/SP – (list price to sale price ratio)
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Assessed Value – the value placed on a home by a government tax assessor in order to calculate a tax base.

S OME Q UICK D EFINITIONS
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REO – (Real Estate Owned) property acquired by a lender, through foreclosure, which is held as inventory.
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Short Sale - a sales transaction in which the seller's mortgage lender agrees to accept a payoff of less than the balance due on the loan.

S OME Q UICK D EFINITIONS
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Sellers market – a very strong real estate market where sellers have the advantage because there are more buyers than properties for sale. Generally when there is less than a 5 month supply of inventory.
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Balanced market - occurs when the relative supply of homes reach a 5 or 6 month level.
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Buyer’s market – a real estate market in which the buyers have the advantage over the seller due to slow sales.
Generally this is when there is more than a 7 month supply of inventory.

S OME Q UICK D EFINITIONS
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Sales Concession – an instance where the seller will pay a cost that is normally paid by the buyer. Usually done to ensure the sale will go through.
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Price appreciation – an increase in the value of real estate. The price may increase because of a number of factors, such as shortage of supply, improved economy, favorable political environment, tax incentives, or increased profitability.
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Expired listings – when the time frame of a contract to list a property for sale passes and the home is no longer for sale. No purchase was made.

S OME Q UICK D EFINITIONS
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Sale Price – the amount of money that is paid by a purchaser to a seller for property that is bought.
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Absorption Rate - this is the measurement of current housing supply divided by the current rate of sales, expressed in months of supply.
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Multiple offers - more than one offer to purchase a property, which usually occurs in a seller’s market.
This is most likely a competitive bidding situation.

W HAT WAS IT L IKE IN 2005-2007
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People looked at few homes…they might lose out on the one they want
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Confidence was up ~ Positive feelings were up
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Lending was easy…… easy underwriting, minimal qualifications
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No down payments , interest only loans, etc…

W HAT WAS IT L IKE IN 2005-2007
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List/sale ratios…… very high 97-98%
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Average days on market…..
52 in 2005
72 in 2006
86 in 2007
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Average sale price in eastern Racine County
2007=$174,132
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Average appreciation over 5 years in city of Racine
30%

W HAT WAS IT L IKE IN 2005-2007
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Multiple offers – common
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Inspections – repairs often not negotiated
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Flippers present in the market
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Homes ALWAYS appraised
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Sense of Urgency….to list, to write an offer, to see a house…everything was urgent!!!!

T HE NUMBERS DURING THE BOOM
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Homes sold in eastern Racine County:
2005 - 1721
2006 - 1524
2007 – 1364
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How many houses expired ….. 815 in 2005
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DOM - 52 in 2005

O THER F ACTS D URING THE B OOM ……
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Mortgage rates …approx. 6%
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People financing 100% plus
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Most homes are selling well above the assessed value
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Many Realtors flooded the industry

A NNUAL A PPRECIATION FOR R ACINE
2002-2006

A HOUSE FOR SALE DURING THE BOOM
1330 Erie St. ~ Racine
4BR, 1.5BA ~ 2017 sq. ft.
Sold March 2007 for $140,900

Q1 2007

T HE B UBBLE IS B URSTING
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What was it like locally vs. nationally
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It took longer here to feel the effects
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Offering incentives …bonuses, closing costs, etc
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Homes are not appraising at purchase price
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The pool of buyers is decreasing
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Mortgages are harder to get

W HAT WAS IT L IKE IN 2008-2011
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Buyers are sitting on the sidelines
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Buyers are picky….sometimes looking at 50-100 homes
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More difficult to get loans…. Require a down payment
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Consumer confidence had dropped
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Sellers owe more than their house is worth …”upside down”
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Sellers still believe their house is worth more

2008-2011 T HE HARD TIMES
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LP/SP…… 96% in 2008 down to 92% in 2011
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Average DOM
109 in 2008
112 in 2009
107 in 2010
121 in 2011
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Average sale price in eastern Racine County in 2011= $120,703
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Number of foreclosures in the market = 40% of total sales
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Homes are selling well below assessed value….approx 60%

T HE NUMBERS DURING THE BUST
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Homes sold in Eastern Racine County:
2008 - 1111
2009 - 1120
2010 - 1013
2011 - 1134
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How many homes expired in 2011 - 1260
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DOM – 121 in 2011

O THER F ACTS D URING THE B UST ….
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Multiple price reductions are common
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Short sales are common
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Foreclosures are everywhere..in every price bracket
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The shiny penny story… you only sell if you are the shiny penny… or really CHEAP!
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Rentals are busy
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Mortgage rates – under 4%
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Good comparable properties are sometimes hard to find
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Realtors are leaving the industry for other jobs

A NNUAL A PPRECIATION FOR R ACINE
2007-2011

T HE SAME HOUSE NOW FOR SALE
1330 Erie St. ~ Racine
4BR, 1.5BA ~ 2017 sq. ft.
Sold October 2011 for $32,000

A S NAPSHOT OF W HERE WE A RE TODAY
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Many areas of the country felt the hard hit from
2008-2010
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IN Q4 of 2011, The median existing single-family home price rose in 29 out of 149 metropolitan statistical areas 1 (MSAs) in the fourth quarter from a year earlier
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Some areas of the country are starting to stabilize
However……
SE Wisconsin was slow to feel the bubble inflate…..

L OCALLY …..
W E ARE ALSO SLOW TO FEEL THE R ECOVERY !

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2012
This is by far the BIGGEST hurdle for us to cross!!

A FFORDABILITY
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Homes are now more affordable than ever!
The national affordability index
Nov. 2011 – WRA 242
Nov. 2011 – Nationally just under 200
Definition: that the family with median income can afford to buy 242 percent of the median priced home in the state, given 30 yr. fixed rate mortgages and a
20% down payment.
In some cases, homes might be starting to become undervalued

T HE T OUGH C ONVERSATIONS ..S
ELLERS
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How to sell now
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What are your options…is selling the best option
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Perception vs. Reality
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No Equity
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Many Sellers have Multiple loans
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Perception of value…some sellers still wearing rose colored glasses
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Difficult to find comps

W HAT DOES IT TAKE NOW TO S ELL
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Competitive prices
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Updated & show well
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Negotiating mortgages in short sales
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Pulling other resources to move on if you don’t have enough equity
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Know the numbers…….. How do you stay ahead of the curve when selling – get the numbers right the first time!
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No Defects….pre-home inspections, make necessary repairs, and upgrades
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Each transaction presents unique and new challenges….. Enlist professionals for help!

T HE T OUGH C ONVERSATIONS … B UYERS
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Hard to get financing…good credit is a must
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Condition of foreclosures..can you afford repairs
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What loans are available
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Loan limits
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How long do you plan to stay in this house
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What is your lifestyle…buying within your means

T HE T RICKY P ART
Finding a home…or finding a buyer - NO
Marketing a home – NO
Looking at properties – NO
Negotiating initial terms of offer - NO
Dealing with contingencies & getting to the closing
YES

W HAT ’ S I T L IKE T ODAY
For Buyers
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Money is available ….. Good news!
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Prices are at an all time low…… Good news!
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Interest Rates are at an all time low….. Good News!
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Affordability is better than ever….. Good News!
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There is a lot of inventory …. Good News!

W HAT ’ S I T L IKE T ODAY
For Sellers
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Houses are selling, # of SOLD homes is up…Good News!
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Buyers are ready to buy…. Good News!
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Interest Rates are low….. Good News!
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If homes are priced well and show well….they sell fast!

L OOKING F ORWARD
Fannie Mae:
“The housing sector will likely take incremental steps forward in 2012 …according to economists at Fannie Mae.
USA Today:
“Housing Outlook is
More Upbeat”
The Wall Street Journal:
“From Bottom Up, Signs of
Housing Recovery”

L OOKING F ORWARD
RIS Media – Feb. 22, 2012