Mobile County Real Estate Activity - 1st Quarter Statistics

Here is a snapshot of the Real Estate activity for Mobile County according to the Mobile Association of Realtors data. This analysis is for all residential sales in Mobile County comparing this year's January through April transactions against last year's transactions for the same time period.

	# of Sold Transactions	Total Dollars for Closed Transactions
1st Quarter 2009	998	$141,746,356
1st Quarter 2008	1372	$205,004,371
% Change	-27%	-31%

:: The Barrie spring Real Estate market

The weather in the first week of April is as confused as the Robins and those optimistic drivers who took their snow tires off in March.

The Real Estate market has been about as predictable as the weather has been over the past year. Finally the buzz around my office has returned and my cohorts can once again look you strait in the eye without their voices going up two octaves when they reply on being asked "how's things going?"

It is getting busy once again.

Buyers have left the den, seen their shadows, yes and more importantly they are seeing mortgage rates are at record lows and the neighbourhoods are thick with an abundance of listed properties containing anxious vendors waiting for an offer to come to them.
Average prices are down over last spring and this spring's market is the first one in a dozen or so years where the buyer is in control at the negotiating table. (click links below for detailed statistics)

Now is the time to begin the hunt if you are planning a summer time change of address. If you are serious about a move, go to HotBarrieListings.com and start receiving instant updates on newly listed properties that match your custom search criteria.

After a long hibernation I am well rested and ready to help you buy your new home. Give me a call.

MLS® Statistics

Employment Trends

Interest Rate Changes

Consumer Confidence

Migration

February MLS Trends and Statistics

Please click on the title link about to go to the Gulf Region Properties Team blog on Active Rain. We have posted the latest statistics from the Gulf Coast MLS (Mobile Association of Realtors) and Baldwin County Association of Realtors MLS data. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Mobile County and Baldwin County Real Estate Statistics

We have tabulated the monthly statistics for November 2008. The information for the statistics was gathered from the 2 MLS systems that we belong. We saw a tremendous drop in the number of sales of exisiting homes in both Mobile and Baldwin County.

Please check out the data by click on this link - Active Rain Blog

Monthy Real Estate Statistics for Mobile and Baldwin County Posted

The monthly analysis of real estate statistics from sold homes in Mobile and Baldwin County have been tabulated and posted on our Active Rain Blog.

The activity in Mobile is suprisely better than one would think. The number of sales rose slightly in September from the number of sales in August. The median sales price of a home has increased 10% in the past year.

There was a drop in both number of sales and the median sales price in Baldwin County.

Please click here to view details. Please let us know if you have any questions.

August 2008 MLS Trends and Statistics

We have posted the latest spreadsheets and charts of the MLS statistics from Baldwin County Association of Realtors and Mobile Area Association of Realtors data.

Please click on following link to view - Mobile Real Estate and Balwin County Real Estate statistics.

Please let us know if you have any questions. We will be happy to analyze your particular neighborhood or a neighborhood that you may consider purchasing a home in.

Mobile and Baldwin County April 2008 Real Estate Statistics

The monthly reat estate statistics and trends are now available on our Active Rain blog. The summary MLS statistics are also available on our web page.

The Mobile Real Estate market showed an increase in activity though the numbers are down compared to last year. Mobile County has shown a 1% appreciation rate over the last year.

The Baldwin County numbers show that there is definitely a buyer's market with many homes to choose.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

:: Single women represent a significant and growing portion of Canadian home buyers ::

Although traditionally considered less inclined to buy homes than other demographics, single women of all ages are continuing to knock down barriers by purchasing real estate and tackling home repairs in droves.

According to a Female Buyers Report, 30% of single, never-before married women own their own home. For divorced or separated women that proportion is 45%, and for widowed women it’s 64%.

Poll results found that of the single, never-before married women who are not yet homeowners, 31% say they will potentially purchase their next home within three years. More than half (56%) of women who intend to purchase in the next three years are shopping for a property in the $150,000 to $350,000 price range, while 10% have slightly fatter pocket books and are looking for a property priced above $350,000.

Women today are earning higher salaries than ever before, and are much more financially independent than has been the case in the past. So it’s not surprising that women are distancing themselves from traditional patterns, like looking for a man to buy a home with, and are not intimidated by the home buying process. Of the women polled who intend to purchase a home in the next three years, 56% are willing to participate in bidding wars, in comparison to only 49% of men.

What’s more, the survey found that, of women intending to buy in the next three years, 25% said they are looking to purchase a ‘fixer-upper’ and plan to renovate it themselves. Only 9% intend to hire a contractor. Research shows that women in Toronto, Halifax and Regina are the most likely to undertake renovations.

According to the survey, the biggest factor driving women to buy homes is that it makes more sense to them than renting. Of women who own a home, 36% gave that as the reason they bought property. Other important factors include making a good investment, cited by 22% of female homeowners surveyed, and pride of ownership, cited by 13%. Simply put, women today are more financially astute than previous generations, and appreciate real estate as a long-term investment.

Women are eagerly learning all they can about real estate. When asked, “What methods will you use to educate yourself about home purchasing?” the top three responses were speaking with a real estate agent (83%), speaking with friends and relatives (78%) and using real estate and financial websites (64%).

The survey also found that 34% of women would forego a wedding reception in order to put a larger down payment on a house, as would 27% of men. Women and men are both moving away from tradition, as a 2004 survey found only 30% of women and 15% of men likely to forego a wedding reception in order to invest in a home. (CREA 17/04/07)

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie vs. Toronto ::

Barrie, a city of just over 125000 people situated around a clean swim-able bay just under 60 minutes north of Toronto and within 20 minutes of dozens of golf courses, ski hills and parks has long been a popular lifestyle alternative for Toronto residents who wish to escape the smog, crime and congestion that is part and parcel with a metropolis of over 3 million people. It comes at a price though, an affordable price.

Have a look at these pictures of listings in Barrie available for sale on this day and priced between $200k and $210k. When you're done, click on the link to a story in the Toronto Star a friend emailed to me from his 18th floor perch overlooking the concrete and flashing lights of Hog Town this morning.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/194213

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Barrie News -Barrie one of two best investment regions in Canada ::

More and more experts point to the Barrie area as being a region of Canada most likely to see a prosperous future ahead of it. Here are some stories I read this week in the news that support this prediction.

:: Ontario is best place to invest
Rakshande Italia, National Post
Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Even as Alberta leads Canada's growth, analysts predict that Ontario is the place for long-term investment, with its up-and-coming cities predicted to break real estate records.
"If I were to invest in the country, I'd say Barrie and the Kitchener- Waterloo region would be my two top choices," said Don R. Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network and author of several books.
Mr. Campbell, who has studied Canadian markets for 15 years, said, "There is a short term slowdown in the [Ontario] economy but the fundamentals are strong and investors should invest today so they can benefit from good returns in 2008." click to continue


:: Families flock ever faster to vital cities on the edge
DAWN WALTON , RACHEL DE LAZZER and JAMES RUSK
Click to continue


:: Growth figures released by nation's number crunchers
Author: Julie DeBruin
Date: Mar 13, 2007

Barrie still has what it takes to bring in new residents, lots of them.
In fact, according to the latest Statistics Canada numbers released Tuesday, the city and its immediate surrounding area are the fastest growing click to continue


:: Canadian census sees cities surging
TENILLE BONOGUORE
Globe and Mail Update

Canadians are officially city folk, with four out of five people living in urban centres.
The first data from the 2006 Census puts Canada's national population at 31.6 million, a rise of 5.4 per cent since the 2001 census.
And most people are living in a metropolis. click to continue

:: Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden calls for Action ::

The Inter-Governmental Action Plan (IGAP) is a study developed by a think tank formed in 2004 and made up of municipal and regional representatives from within Simcoe County along with representatives from the Province.

This group was set up to study and develop a growth/action plan for the area that will best accomodate the inevitable urban growth the region will see over the coming years. Consideration for density management, infrastructure requirements and ecological impact are the cornerstones of the study.

As far as Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden is concerned, enough study has been done and what is needed now is action. He believes that conclusions have been drawn and any further study will only rehash that which we know and at further expense to the taxpayers.

Mayor Aspen agrees with many of the conclusions and recommendations of the IGAP study but not the idea of a two tier governing system between the City of Barrie and the County as recommended by the study.

In a release from City Hall Mayor Aspden said, “The City of Barrie strongly believes that the time to act on the IGAP recommendations is now. We support the principle of long-range land use and infrastructure planning for the region but reject any further consideration of two-tier service delivery involving the City. We do not support more government, additional taxation, and red tape. As a separated City, Barrie operates the most efficient and effective type of government for our residents.”

Barrie currently has the physical space to accommodate another 45,000 residents but the IGAP research forecasts the need to accommodate a further seventy thousand beyond that by the year 2031. Additional land resources will be needed to meet these numbers not just for residential growth but to provide economic opportunity to support the increased population.

Attracting and implementing opportunities for existing commercial and industrial lands are concerns for present day Barrie. Hopefully action is what we do in fact see from Mayor Aspden and his council in the coming months.
gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: Younger Canadian Mortgage holders sited as most fiscally aware ::

Results from a survey conducted by CMHC in the latter part of 06 revealed that 75% of Canadian home owners put paying off the mortgage as soon as possible to the head of the to do list. At least half of those surveyed said the cash surplus when available was put toward paying down the mortgage. Younger home owners were sited as being the most fiscally aware when it came to the mortgage.

Also revealed was that 86% of Canadians prefer their lender to be a Canadian Institution and that 84% were satisfied with the mortgage product they had chosen. This is reflected by the fact that the majority of mortgage holders who have renewed recently stayed with the same lender although the number of people making use of a mortgage brokerage when renewing and refinancing continues to rise.

71% of Canadian mortgage holders who refinanced, did so prior to the scheduled renewal time mainly to free capitol for home renovation and debt management.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com

:: January Real Estate Stats show promise for a good year in Barrie

MLS® sales in the region served by the Barrie and District Association of REALTORS® increased this January compared to both the previous month and the same month last year.
Click to continue

:: Canadians spending more on housing: study ::

Canadian Press

OTTAWA -- A new study reports that Canadians are spending a greater proportion of their incomes on housing than they used to.

The Statistics Canada report says the vast majority of households live in suitable and adequate housing, but 1.7 million -- or 14 per cent -- spent 30 per cent or more of their budgets on shelter costs in 2004.

Traditionally, affordability has been based on a ratio of housing costs to total household income, with a household paying 30 per cent or more of its pre-tax income for housing considered to have affordability problems.

The study found 12 per cent of those spending more than the traditional limit spent between 30 and 50 per cent of their incomes on housing, and two per cent spent 50 per cent or more on housing.

The study found that people who rented were more likely to experience affordability problems.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of people who rented spent 30 per cent or more of their budgets on shelter compared with only six per cent of those who owned their homes, and most of them were living alone, relying on government assistance, or had low incomes.

The average shelter cost in 2004 was $9,400, about 15 per cent of the average household budget.

gimmeshelter.ca HotBarrieListings.com BarrieHomeworth.com mikemontague.com