August has been a blur for us. Historically low-interest rates + Low Inventory + Pent Up Demand = High Activity in the Housing Market. We have been very busy and we are not alone. The DW Slater Company and appraisers have a high demand for their services at this time. We are thankful to our clients for trusting us to continue to provide quality appraisal services in a timely manner.

The housing market in North Texas has been very active. The number of houses sold is up double digits from last year in all four counties. Prices have increased in July. This is amid the pandemic. Many are wondering how this can be. With so many job losses due to the pandemic, wouldn’t that cause the prices to go down? The pandemic has caused many to rethink their current situation. Many are anticipating and hoping those jobs come back. We are seeing many that are moving out of the cities to the suburban and more rural areas. Some are moving to different homes to better accommodate work from home space.

There are some headwinds that are troubling. As we see many jobs in jeopardy, such as the airline industry, the retail industry, and many more, this will threaten homeowners ability to pay their mortgages. We will continue to watch the numbers, particularly the number of foreclosures going forward.

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

Median Price Trends

Inventory

Price per Square Foot

Volume

Days on the Market

As you can see, there has been a lot of activity in our markets. The inventories continue to decline, sale volume has increased and marketing times decrease.

Foreclosure Sales:

At this time were are not seeing an increase in distressed sales. We will continue to watch this trend.

Riding in September

We will be riding in the Great Cycle Challenge this September. Our goal is to ride 200 miles. This ride was originally scheduled for June but was postponed. We are riding in memory of our friend, Greg Harden, that we lost this year to cancer. Please consider sponsoring our ride and helping us to fight cancer. You can also follow along with us on our page. Click here for more information.

We hope that you are doing well. If you have any questions or appraisal needs please feel free to reach out to us at https://www.dwslaterco.com/.

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We are now into the very hot months of summer in North Texas with average temperatures of 96 degrees (not factoring in heat indexes in the triple digits). The housing market has been on a pandemic pause but last month has moved upward. As this pandemic is lasting longer than many had hoped or expected, there is now a pent up demand for housing in North Texas.

After spending more time at home, the need for a home office and a desire to be in a less dense area, are making a move to different housing more appealing for many. As a result, the number of sales for the month of June has surged. Supply is down and volume is up. New home starts are up 17.9% from last year as supply is trying to keep up with demand. The more rural markets are also seeing lots of activity. We will share some of the data from the rural counties this month so make sure to scroll down for the interactive charts!

The Texas economy is still struggling but recovering some during the pandemic. According to the latest report from Texas A&M Real Estate Center:

The Texas economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The state’s economy lost 696,200 nonagricultural jobs from June 2019 to June 2020, an annual decline of 5.4 percent, smaller than the nation’s employment decline of 8.6 percent. The nongovernment sector lost 610,300 jobs, an annual decline of 5.6 percent, also lower than the nation’s employment decline of 9.1 percent in the private sector. Texas and U.S. annual job loss rates last month were both smaller than their May rates, making June the second month of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Added to the mix of factors impacting real estate, mortgage rates are at their lowest in 50 years, with rates dipping below 3 % with a 30 year fixed rate at 2.98%.

These low rates have certainly encouraged many to buy or refinance a home. However, the longer the pandemic and uncertainty exist, the more job losses will impact the purchasing power of many. Recent job losses reported in our area- JC Penney with 1,000 jobs cut and American Airlines is laying off and furloughing 25,000 jobs. Both of these companies are headquartered in North Texas and the impacts of these job losses have yet to be seen.

Let’s look at the numbers for our main four counties:

Median Sales Price

Median Price Per Square Foot

Days on Market

Months of Supply

Volume

Rural Markets

Now, let’s take a look at some of our less dense and rural market areas. We have included Cooke, Grayson, Wise, and Parker Counties. These, of course, are not all of the more rural counties around the DFW market but they are some of the counties we most often serve.

Median Sales Price

Months of Supply

Volume

These markets are seeing double-digit growth in the number of sales, as well as a large dip in the supply and an increase in the median sales price. This uptick in activity in the more rural markets has been attributed to the uncertainty in the more densely populated areas. Some are really just wanting to get away from it all and are looking to the rural areas for the respite.

Life Goes On

Although we are in the midst of a pandemic, which has cause much disruption in the world, we are reminded that life still goes on. People are still buying houses, getting married and having babies. We are proud to announce the birth of our fourth grandson! He was born this month and is doing well.

“In three words I can sum up everything I learned about life: Life Goes On”

Robert Frost

As always, if you have any questions about real estate appraising or need services, please do not hesitate to contact us. Stay safe and well!

Interesting Real Estate Related Reads & Recommendations

Two Kinds of Bedrooms and Bathrooms– Cleveland Appraisal Blog

Five Ways To Identify An Increasing Real Estate Market– Birmingham Appraisal Blog

Best Home Equity Loans of 2020 – Money

Listen Closely to the Housing Narrative– Jonathan Miller, Housing Notes

5 Excel Resources and How-To Guides for Appraisers– McKissock Blog

Wisdom of Crowds and 108 Year Old House– Scott Cullen, Working RE

5 Lessons Learned About Giving and Business– Michael Perry, Appraisal Buzz

Last month, I was complaining about how it was still so very hot and I was ready for the cooler fall weather. Well, yesterday we walked around a large 70-acre equine property when it was wet, misty and 45 degrees. I loved it! We are already getting a freeze warning for tonight. That is early in Texas. Some around here say we just skip fall and just go from summer to winter. Some days it certainly feels that way, but I have lived here my whole life and I know that it never stays hot forever and it never stays cold forever. Changes do come, just as they do in the real estate markets.

Real estate markets go and down. They fluctuate. This can really be seen in the interactive charts below when looking at the ups and downs from month to month. To look at a broader picture of our markets check out this chart of the real estate price cycles in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. You can see that we have only had two big downturns. One in the ’80s which coincides with the Savings and Loan Crisis and the second on started in 2007 with the housing crisis.

The markets also change with the seasons. If it feels slower right now, that is because the markets typically do slow month to month in the fall. Looking at our markets of Denton, Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant counties there is a slowing month to month but when compared to the same time last year they are still increasing. The pace of appreciation has slowed but prices are still up YoY. We also wanted to show you the more rapid price appreciation in our more northern and rural markets of Cooke and Grayson counties. See the Cooke and Grayson County charts below. Don’t forget to hover over the charts as they are interactive.

Median Sales Price Trends

Median Price Per Square Foot

Median Days on Market

Months Supply of Inventory

Volume- Number of Sales

Cooke & Grayson Counties

Interests have been dropping over the past year and increased slightly last week. With interest rates so low, refinances and housing purchases have been holding strong. Here is a look at the rates over the past year:

Mortgage Rates

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Happy Halloween!

We hope you have plans for a safe and Happy Halloween! As a member of the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce, the DW Slater Company will be at our local Trunk or Treat. If you are local, stop by and we will give you a treat!

Check out these great reads: 

Does the market really change every seven years? – Sacramento Appraisal Blog

5 Scary Movies that Describe and Appraiser’s Job – Birmingham Appraisal Blog

The Penny… A Classic Example of Cost Not Equaling Value– Cleveland Appraisal Blog

Chick-fil-A and Starbucks Distributor or Move California Headquarters to Texas– CoStar

Fall is officially here!– But it sure doesn’t yet feel like it in North Texas. It is still so very hot. Today David was headed to his last appraisal appointment. He looked at his device to see the temperature outside felt like 106 degrees. Whew! We are well on our way to having the record for the hottest September in North Texas. Not only is it still hot, but it also does NOT look like the picture above. Everything is still very green. As I type, the cicadas are singing their summer song which has long since lost its appeal. I need a new playlist. It is time for the weather to cool, the cicadas to end their concert and the summer wardrobe to change from summer sandals to boots & sweaters. I love the fall. I love the cooler, crisp weather. I love the fall colors and just that bit of change in the air. But, alas, I cannot rush it. It will eventually make its way here and my summer lamenting will be just a distant memory. Until then, I will keep cranking the A/C, and wait for the change. Speaking of change, do we see any change in our real estate markets?

Our markets started out the summer slowing and were almost flattening last month. However, prices are still rising- just at a much slower pace. In May we discussed the pace moving from a sports car to a tractor. We are maintaining this tractor pace as prices are still up 1-4 % YoY. This month, we are showing the seasonally adjusted charts for our main four counties. This better depicts the slowing pace of appreciation.

Median Sales Price

AUGUST 2019

Denton County
$315,000 | +0.3% 

Collin County
$339,990 | +1.5% 

Dallas County
$248,500 | +3.5% 

Tarrant County
$247,000 | +6.2%

Supply

Days on Market

Volume

Although prices are still rising, you can see the signs of slowing as days on the market are longer and supply is increasing. Volume has not declined yet. Mortgage rates continue to remain very low which has kept this train moving. Demand is still high. New construction is trying to keep up with the demand. is typical for the market to slow in the fall. We will be watching these trends for next month.

In the meantime, check out some of these interesting reads from this month:

• Differences Between A Home Inspection and An Appraisal Inspection – Cleveland Appraisal Blog

• The Brady Bunch House Renovation And Thoughts On Value- Birmingham Appraisal Blog

• When 1,000 square feet doesn’t count– Sacramento Appraisal Blog

• Supercar manufacturer McLaren is moving its U.S. base to Coppell – Dallas Morning News

• U.S. new-home sales surge in August on low mortgage rates– Housing Wire

As always, if you have a question about real estate appraisals or need appraisal services, please feel free to contact us at www.dwslaterco.com

It’s that time of year when the heat can really begin to bother you. Many parts of the country have been experiencing a heatwave. I am so very thankful to Willis Carrier, inventor of the modern-day air conditioner. I have lived in Texas my entire life but could not do it without AC! That being said, last week our AC stopped working. Yikes! Not when the heat index is over 100 degrees! Fortunately, the repairman was able to come quickly and get it up and running again. What was the culprit? What caused my AC to stop cooling? A gecko! I guess because of the more than usual rainfall we’ve had, there has been an abundance of geckos at our place. Four or five every night on our porch. Evidently, three of them decided to crawl into our outside unit and one of them crawled into a space that shorted out the system as well as himself. In fact, there were three gecko casualties found in our unit.

Just as that gecko caused problems with our AC, there are factors causing the North Texas markets to shift. The sizzling markets of rapid price appreciation, low supply and short marketing times are cooling with supply and marketing times on the rise.

What is impacting our markets? Mortgage rates are certainly not causing them to slow. Mortgage rates decreased all of throughout the month of June. But what about affordability? The demand in our area brought about by immense population growth has caused prices to rise at a pace faster than the wages have risen. A recent study reveals that only around half of Americans can afford an entry-level home. Affordability inTexas has historically been greater than the US. However, the gap has been closing in. Affordability is becoming more of an issue in many areas of Texas and especially in the DFW metroplex. Homes are beginning to stay on the market a bit longer, which is increasing the supply of homes available for buyers and in turn in bringing prices down. Sellers can no longer price to the sky and expect any and all to be able to afford it.

Today when I look at a snap snot of this area, the largest number is not the number of new listings or pendings but the number of price decreases. This means that sellers are having to come down a bit to meet the buyer. The slowing down of our markets do not indicate a crash but perhaps a more balanced market. Prices will need to match what buyers can afford.

So in our markets, median sales prices have increased nominally or are flat. Supply has increased as well as marketing times. Volume has decreased. All signs of a cooling market. Is affordability the “gecko” that is slowing down the markets? Take a look at this month’s numbers:

Feel free to click on all of the charts and get the numbers. You can see the changes that are occurring. They are not big, they are not drastic but they are enough to dampen the blazing markets that we have experienced the last five years. Of note, the Texas economy is very strong. Foreclosure rates are very minimal. People are staying in their homes longer than ever. We continue to grow as more jobs, homes, and people are headed our way. So, just maybe there is no “gecko” shorting out the system and making it unfunctional. Perhaps, home prices need to slow down and let wages catch up.

So I hope that your geckos are not shorting out your AC units and that you are able to find some great ways to cool off in the summer heat. In the meantime, if you have questions about our local real estate markets or appraisal services- reach out to us at www.dwslaterco.com

Summer is here! The summer equinox has occurred. June 21st was the longest day of the year, well it was still 24 hours, but it is the day with the most sunlight. This day was also special to us personally as we had a son marry his bride on this special day! The wedding was beautiful and they were able to capture some beautiful sunset pics. We appreciate our clients who were accommodating, understanding and sent us well wishes while we were out of the office a few days for the wedding.

So what is going on in our markets? Buyers are gaining a little more leverage in North Texas. Home prices are still rising but at a slower pace. We have been reporting this for the past few months. What is becoming apparent is that homes are staying on the market longer and the supply is increasing. Mortgage rates continue to decline. Check out the stats and interactive charts we have in the monthly market updates below.

We also wanted to share some exciting things going on in our area.

• Futuristic Flying in DFW– Did you know that Uber is going to having its first flying taxi service in DFW? The skyports are set to start flying in 2023. Are we going to be the first Jetsons?
• Blue Lagoon Time-The first crystal lagoon in Texas is now open in Denton County in the Windsong Ranch development. We will watch to see how this 5-acre pool/beach/lagoon impacts the prices in this development.
• Frank Lloyd Wright– Do you love Frank Lloyd Wright architecture? There are plans to renovate the historic Kalita Humphreys Theater in Dallas.
• Crazy Water- Speaking of renovations, the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells has plans for renovations will substantial backing. Many have dreamed of this for years but this time it looks like it may actually happen. This famous historic hotel in Mineral Wells has the most stories of any hotel in the US located outside of a metropolitan area. Years ago famous people traveled and stayed there for the spa and a chance to get into the spring water from the natural wells referred to as “crazy water”.

Monthly Market Updates

Median Sales Prices

Median Price Per Square Foot

Months Supply of Inventory

Median Days on Market

Volume

Great Cycle Challenge

Last month we shared that we are participating in the Great Cycle Challenge. We are finishing up this month but there is still time to be a part. We were honored to be featured on the Great Cycle Challenge page. The Great Cycle Challenge has 80,270 riders this year and so far we have raised $7,741,337 to go to cancer research. If you would like to help this worthy cause see below:

We wish you a great start of your summer and look forwarding to reporting back to you in July. If you are in need of a residential or commercial appraisal service please contact us at www.dwslaterco.com