Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Real Estate Sales - Just the Facts



Information Sources Used in Home Search
Real estate agent - 90%
Yard sign - 71%
Internet - 77%
Newspaper Home book/magazine - 37%
Open house - 52%
Builders - 41%
Television - 24%
Relocation company - 16%


For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics Did you know? . . .

the typical FSBO home sold for $198,200 compared to $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales.
FSBO Methods Used to Market Home:

Yard Sign . . . 61%

Friends/neighbors . . . 46%

Newspaper ad . . . 37%

Open House . . . 29%

Internet . . . 17%


Most Difficult Tasks for FSBO Sellers:

Getting the right price . . . 14%

Understanding paperwork . . . 17%

Preparing/fixing up home for sale . . . 16%

Attracting potential buyers . . . 9%

Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale . . . 8%


Home Buyer & Seller Statistics Active home search (median):

Number of Weeks Searched - 8

Number of Homes seen -9

Method of Home Purchase: Agent/Broker - 77%

Builder - 12%

Direct from previous owner - 9%

Definitely would use same agent again: 66%


Actions taken as result of using Internet site:

Drove by/viewed a home - 75%

Walked through a home viewed online- 57%

Found agent used to search/buy home - 21%

Prior Living Arrangement Owned previous residence- 46%

Rented an apartment or house - 41%

Lived with parents, relatives or friends- 10%

Source: 2005 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers

America's Housing Sector and the Economy

In 2001, existing home prices appreciated at a rate of 6.3%, the largest increase in over a decade. The majority of studies indicate that households spend 30-40% of their disposable income on housing-related expenses. These expenditures assist in supporting other sectors of the economy. Nearly 70% of all tax revenues raised by local governments in the US derive from property taxes. Homeowners contribute roughly 43% of property taxes, and commercial property taxes contribute the remaining 57%. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that the construction of 1,000 single-family homes generates 2,448 full-time jobs in construction and related industries, $79.4 million in wages and $42.5 million in combined local, state and federal revenues and fees.

Source: The Importance of America's Housing Sector to the Economy. On Common Ground, Winter 2003.
In 1995, just 2% of home buyers used the Internet to look for a home. Last year, 77% of home shoppers went house-hunting online, and nearly one-fourth of buyers first found the property they bought on the Internet, according to the National Association of Realtors. Traffic on real estate websites jumped 8% in the past year — double the growth rate of Internet traffic overall, according to comScore Media Metrix.
*****************************************************************************