Orlando's home-buying season starts off with a hop in sales

Orlando’s housing market took its traditional month-to-month springtime sales hop in March, with 17.28 percent more closings taking place in March than in February. “Normal” transactions led the way with a month-to-month increase of nearly 24 percent.

Buyer demand is continuing to also drive increases in the area’s median price. The overall median price (all sales types and all home types combined) for the month of March is $160,000 – a 1.27 percent increase over the February 2014 median price of $158,000.

In addition, the March median price is a 14.29 percent increase compared to the $140,000 median price in March 2013.

Orlando’s overall median price (all sales types and all home types combined) has recorded year-to-year gains for 32 consecutive months and has risen 38.53 percent since July 2011. 



Each individual sales type and home type saw a median price increase in March. “Normal” sales experienced a year-to-year 11.37 percent jump, while the median price of short sales increased 4.59 percent and foreclosures increased 9.46 percent. 



The median price of single-family homes increased 16.13 percent when compared to March of last year, and the median price of condos increased 12.83 percent. 



Completed sales

Members of the Orlando Regional Realtors Association participated in the sales of 2,342 homes (all home types and all sale types combined) that closed in March 2014, a decrease of 13.58 percent compared to March 2013 and an increase of 17.28 percent compared to February 2014. 



“Normal” home sales increased by 3.69 percent when compared to March 2013 and now make up 68.45 percent of the sales pie. Closings of short sales decreased by 68.37 percent while closings of foreclosures decreased 3.99 percent. 



Orlando Regional Realtor Association Chairman Zola Szerencses, RE/MAX 200 Realty, says the percentage of foreclosure closings is expected to rise in the near future due to a tremendous injection of foreclosures into inventory over the past few months. “For example, in March the number of foreclosures available for purchase was 125 percent more than in March 2013,” explains Szerencses. “For buyers who have struggled to find a suitable home within Orlando’s tight inventory and who have been worn down by competition and bidding wars, foreclosures represent a new avenue of opportunity.”



Single-family home sales decreased 11.56 percent in March 2014 compared to March 2013, while condo sales decreased 28.01 percent. Compared to last month, single-family home sales increased 18.75 percent and condo sales increased 6.51 percent. 



Homes of all types spent an average of 76 days on the market before coming under contract in March 2014, and the average home sold for 96.50 percent of its listing price. In March 2013 those numbers were 79 days and 96.03 percent, respectively. 



The average interest rate paid by Orlando homebuyers in March increased to 4.43 percent. Last month, homebuyers paid an average interest rate of 4.37 percent; this month last year, homebuyers paid an average interest rate of 3.65 percent. 



Pending sales

Pending sales – those under contract and awaiting closing – are currently at 7,530. The number of pending sales in March 2014 is 14.42 percent lower than it was in March 2013 (8,799), but 6.28 percent higher than it was in February 2014 (7,085). 



Short sales made up 42.46 percent of pending sales in March 2014. Normal properties accounted for 37.94 percent of pendings, while bank-owned properties accounted for 19.60 percent. 



Inventory

The number of existing homes (all sales types and all home types combined) that were available for purchase in March is 49.10 percent above that of March 2013, and now rests at 10,343. Inventory increased in number by 159 properties over last month. 



The inventory of single-family homes is up by up by 50 percent when compared to March of 2013, while condo inventory is up by 44.03 percent. The inventory of duplexes, townhomes and villas is up by 50.70 percent.

Current inventory combined with the current pace of sales created a 4.42-month supply of homes in Orlando for March. There was a 2.56-month supply in March 2013 and a 5.10-month supply last month.

Affordability

The March affordability index is 180.26 percent, a decrease from February’s index of 183.65. (An affordability index of 99 percent means that buyers earning the state-reported median income are 1 percent short of the income necessary to purchase a median-priced home. Conversely, an affordability index that is over 100 means that median-income earners make more than is necessary to qualify for a median-priced home.)



Buyers who earn the reported median income of $55,670 can qualify to purchase one of 5,180 homes in Orange and Seminole counties currently listed in the local multiple listing service for $288,418 or less.

First-time homebuyer affordability in March decreased to 128.19 percent from last month’s 130.60 percent. First-time buyers who earn the reported median income of $37,856 can qualify to purchase one of the 3,079 homes in Orange and Seminole counties currently listed in the local multiple listing service for $174,332 or less.

Condos and town homes/duplexes/villas

The sales of condos in the Orlando area were down 28.01 percent in March, with 311 sales recorded in March 2014 compared to 432 in March 2013.

Orlando homebuyers purchased 226 duplexes, town homes and villas in March 2014, which is a 4.64 percent decrease compared to the 237 purchased in March 2013.

MSA numbers

Sales of existing homes within the entire Orlando MSA (Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties) in March were down by 12.19 percent when compared to March of 2013. Throughout the MSA, 2,897 homes were sold in March 2014 compared with 3,299 in March 2013. To date, MSA sales are down 10.18 percent.

Each individual county’s monthly sales comparisons are as follows:

• Lake: 2.13 percent above March 2013

• Orange: 17.92 percent below March 2013

• Osceola: 15.47 percent below March 2013

• Seminole: 5.82 percent below March 2013

— ORRA