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Real Estate Update-“Nearly half of home buyers pay cash”

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By NANCY J. SEMON STAFF WRITER “Charlotte Sun Newspaper”

Homes sales strong despite holidays
January traditionally is a slower month for real estate sales, and although closed sales were down from December, the market shows no sign of slowing.
“There is a 30-day lag and due to the holidays in December, Realtors were not writing as many contracts; January is even lower than the summer months,” said Sharon Neuhofer, president of Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port-DeSoto, Inc.
She said in some parts of the nation, rising interest rates might be attributed to slowing home sales, but not in our area.
Many buyers in Southwest Florida are paying cash, so the mortgage interest rates do not affect them, she pointed out.
In January, when there were 323 closed sales of single-family homes in Charlotte County, 46.4%, or 150 buyers, paid cash.
Neuhofer said beside January’s traditional slowdown in sales, Realtors “have buyers we don’t have houses for.”
She said current low inventory levels means would-be buyers do not have a lot to choose from, and when they do find a house, often there are multiple parties interested.
“You can’t sell what we don’t have,” she said.
The same scenario held true for townhomes and condominiums. Of the 66 closed sales, 47 buyers paid cash, or 71.2% in January.
But while the median and average sale prices of single- family homes in January was lower than in December, the median and average price of townhomes and condos was higher.
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES
The median sale price in January was $346,500, compared to $350,000 in December. The average sale price of $407,678 was also lower than December’s $450,671.
For 11 consecutive months, sellers were getting 100% of the original listed price.
The median time to sale was 57 days, and time to contract was 12 days. There were 370 homes in inventory in January, which represented a 0.9 month supply.
The inventory level from a year ago was down 30.8%.
TOWNHOMES AND CONDOS
The median sale price in January stood at $287,000, up from $269,950 in December.
The average sale price was $312,069 versus $296,717 in December.
The median percentage of the original listed price was 100% in January, continuing a nine-month trend.
Inventory stood at a 0.6 month supply, the same as it was in December. The inventory level was down 77.8% from a year ago.
Those wanting to sell should “know what you’re going to buy, or you could wind up homeless,” Neuhofer said.
QUICK SALES
She said with cash buyers coming to buy in Southwest Florida, homes are being bought up quickly.
The median time to contract for single family homes in Charlotte County was 12 days, and the median time to sale was 57 days — under two months.
But in some cases buyers will offer incentives — such as a higher price — if sellers agree to move in 30 days.
The median time to contract for townhomes and condos was similar — 10 days, and 53 days for the median time to sale.
January saw 671 single family homes about to come onto the market in February, and 119 townhomes and condos.

Lessons Learned As We Relive History

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With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, it would be easy to get caught up in the festivity associated with a day where we all consider ourselves Irish regardless of our heritage. However, with the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, I would be remiss not to share the life lesson it means to me.
For several years in writing these newsletters, I’ve reflected many times on my extraordinary childhood and the memories I’ve held dear to this day. I think of my diverse group of friends where the color we talked about was in our box of crayons, not the color of our skin. You were Italian if your last name ended in an “a,” an “i,” or an “o,” and if your hair was red, you were Irish for sure. We celebrated the things we had in common and laughed at our differences for the most part. While our parents bore the scars from a tough early life, they rarely talked about those times and often told us their goal was to give us a better life than theirs.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve also mentioned that I’ve become increasingly fascinated and more appreciative of those who fought so hard to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. Through countless articles and documentaries, I’ve tried to envision what it must have been like to be in the heat of the battle and the unquestionable sacrifice and bravery it took to leave loved ones behind and answer the call to serve their country. However, as much as I tried to grasp the intimacy of that experience, once I closed the book or came to the end of that documentary, I was safely home again, and my only scar was the bad dream I had just experienced.
Maybe it is because most of my generation didn’t have to fight a war, and unwittingly we’ve passed a certain naiveté and complacency down to the next generation. We don’t hear about sacrifice but more about entitlement. We don’t celebrate our similarities but focus on our differences. The teams we picked in dodgeball are far different from those we choose today, where color, political beliefs, and “my way is better than yours” are the deciding factors.
I’m amazed at how fast our world seems to be spinning out of control, and the values we held so dear have been tossed aside as antiquated thinking and no longer relevant. I’ve often prayed that God would get us back on track with some wake-up call before it is too late, and perhaps he finally has gotten our attention.
Those close to me know I start each day reading my devotionals and reference those readings with stories in the Bible. I find it amazing the stories in those pages I’ve been reading for decades appear to be playing out in front of us today. Sacrifice, persecution, bravery, and love of fellow man are on full display. It is as if we’ve been thrust back in time when those were qualities to be admired rather than avoided and taken for granted.
The tragedy we are seeing unfold in Ukraine is not much different than the story of David and Goliath. Who would ever think a comedian named Volodymyr Zelenskyy could rally his country and harness that resolve into a national battle cry. He sounds more like a character out of a Harry Potter novel, yet this unlikely hero is fighting alongside his fellow citizens against this mighty foe. And who would have thought countries throughout the world would be inspired to set aside their differences and rally around this outclassed nation of people whose only desire is to live in peace?
I’ve often said, “Men make plans, and God laughs,” and in an extraordinary way, God not only has a sense of humor in choosing the person he has but a plan no one could have expected. Sound familiar? Anyone who has played a team sport knows you leave your differences in a locker room, but you go out on the field as one. Is this our wake-up call and our last opportunity to come together as a nation ourselves? Is this our opportunity to resolve our differences instead of being so galvanized in our opinion and thought? I hope the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine will make us better as individuals and stronger as a nation before the lesson must be learned again. We have so much to be grateful for, and I hope that we not only rekindle what we have taken for granted for so long, but we can be an inspiration to others as the people of Ukraine and their president have been to the world.
We know many deserving charities are in dire need; however, at this time, the people of Ukraine desperately need our support. Listed are some of the organizations supporting their plight.
BStrong– Bstrong’s mandate is getting refugees out and aid into Ukraine #refugeesoutaidin Bstrong and Global Empowerment Mission have established a Welcome Center in Medyka, Poland/Ukraine border.
Expansion into Hungary & Romania: Your donation is scaling outside of Poland to partners in two other Ukrainian border countries to provide aid.
Airbnb.org Sign up to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees or donate to their stays.
Care.org The international humanitarian group is providing food, water and other items to families fleeing violence in Ukraine.
Project Hope The global health and humanitarian relief organization is on the ground in and around Ukraine delivering medicines and medical supplies. It has teams in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and Romania.
-Gary Cardillo

February 2022 Real Estate Update

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Taking a quick peak at the real estate market, it is no secret the market remains very strong with buyers competing for limited inventory. Well priced properties continue to garner multiple offers however, there is a little bit of a change in the buyer’s thought process where they are now not making offers on properties well in excess of their perception of market value. In short, the days of paying whatever a seller wants I personally feel is winding down.
New construction has been an option for many willing to wait 18-24 months for a new home to be built however, builders are including escalation clauses in those contracts should there be a rise in material costs from when the contract was originally signed. Typically many builders will order materials after the permitting process which can take 3-4 months to approve. Once permitting has been approved, the builder will then order the materials. This is when the increase in price usually surfaces from the original estimate to build. Many builders will charge a fee or the buyer may lose their deposit should they cancel the purchase agreement at this time.
When it comes to new construction in many of the new communities being developed, the developer will release a small percentage of lots for bid. Sometimes there are upwards of over 100 people bidding for the lot which drives the lot up significantly. Then you have to go through the building process where there can be additional costs as material costs rise. All this being said, I am finding many people not wanting to go through the feeding frenzy created in this format and start reconsidering the purchase of an existing home knowing that it may not be ideal, and remodeling will have to be performed to get something closer to what they like.
The thing to keep in mind is you are coming to a beautiful state, and even a home that needs a little TLC will make you feel much better than sitting up north, cooped up for a significant period of time wishing the winter away.

True Confessions and a Life Well Lived

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Wasn’t it just yesterday when we made our New Year’s Resolutions? I know I put them around here somewhere in my start to the New Year promise to myself. Is it me, or did someone misplace January? That seems to be missing as well; however, my calendar says it’s going to be Valentine’s Day in a few days. Is it possible for me to get a do-over?
I don’t know about you, but I’m not doing well with those resolutions. It seems the days and weeks are passing by more quickly, and life is becoming like that preverbal snowball gaining more speed as it goes downhill. So one of my New Year’s resolutions was to slow that snowball down and take some time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life that I’ve been having a hard time permitting myself to do. Somehow along the way, I became like my dad, who always wanted to “take care of one more thing” before heading out for a fun family day.
Having lost several close friends since Thanksgiving, it has been a bit of a wake-up call and a bit of a nudge not to take life for granted and to give some thought into pursuing some of those resolutions sooner than later. To be honest, it has even made me look a bit more deeply into those resolutions and how they can be used to help the lives of others.
I’m a firm believer that people are brought into your life to teach you life lessons. It could be struggles they overcame that have become a source of inspiration, while others have taught us not to take ourselves too seriously in a world where it seems division has become rampant. Two such people are Sidney Poitier and Betty White. Upon their recent passing, I was intrigued by the lives they led and how they seemed to touch the hearts of so many. Poitier had a certain refinement and broke many barriers in the entertainment world as a young black man from a very humble Bahamian childhood. While he rose to enjoy success garnering awards for his illustrious career as an actor, film director, and diplomat, his 2002 Honorary Academy Award recognizing his “remarkable accomplishments as an artist and human being” spoke volumes to me of a life well-lived.

Then you have Betty White, who has touched the hearts of so many with her sense of humor and ability to teach us not to take ourselves too seriously. She became more like that family member or confidant you knew you could trust through her many roles. To me, she was that little bit of sugar that gave us a respite from the negativity we are bombarded with each day.
Then you have others that come into your life that touch you in ways you can’t put into words. To me, that person I’ll refer to as “Howard,” a client who became a good friend.
Howard and I shared almost nothing in common, and he had a strong opinion on everything. He could sound like Archie Bunker at times, other times just an old curmudgeon. Politically we couldn’t have been further apart, although he often said to me, “I can’t figure out what side of the aisle you’re on.” He hated phonies and often would say Realtors were like snake oil salesmen, but he always ended his comment with, “but I like you.” He started his day with his vodka and orange juice which he kept flowing throughout the day, yet kept up with the stock market and loved his sports and passion for sailing. I often would tease him that one day I was going to find he embalmed himself on his couch with a cocktail in hand, to which he would reply, “then you’ll have another house to sell.” However, despite living by himself with his cat and only having a few close friends, there was something about him I liked. Maybe it was our fun verbal sparring sessions or just his unabashed outlook on life, but somewhere under his crusty exterior was someone special. Over the years, he spoke of a few loves in his life, but mostly it was just a recounting of a simple life that seemed ordinary at best. However, it wasn’t until his recent passing that another life lesson was about to unfold. Unbeknownst to me, Howard had a passion for children with terminal illnesses and left most of his healthy financial portfolio to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. When I heard this news from one of his close friends, I thought to myself, “without any mention or desire for the recognition, he made a lasting impact on the life of others.” I was stunned by this man’s passion for something he never spoke about.
I started to reevaluate my New Year’s resolutions and thought there is always more we can do just by being ourselves as much as we give. Sure it is great to get into better shape, finish that book you started writing years ago, or take time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer. Still, I’m learning there are many ways we can impact the lives of others as they have to me, even if it is just putting a smile on someone’s face who’s having a challenging day.
As we approach Valentine’s Day, I think it isn’t only a day to share your love with that special someone in your life, but a day when you can let others know how much they mean to you as well.
-Gary Cardillo

Do you think the market is going to crash and should I wait before buying something now?

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I get this question a lot. Unlike the real estate crash that occurred from 2007-2009, where the thriving market was built on speculation and buyers getting sub-prime mortgages, this market is much more sound from the perspective that it hasn’t been investor driven, and most buyers have either paid cash or taken out a smaller percentage of financing. As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, people found they could work remotely, and having sold homes up north at significantly higher prices, decided there was no reason to wait until their retirement years to move to Florida. However, with prices having risen due to high demand and low inventory levels it would appear more likely that the meteoric rise may become more gradual and that buyers will become more patient, waiting for there to become more of a balance in the market than the buying frenzy that has occurred the past two years. Where I do see signs that inventory levels could remain low stem from sellers who would like to take advantage of the market, but don’t want to jump into the pond of other buyers desperately looking for a home. The feeling the profits attained could be offset by the increased price they would be paying for their next home, may not be worth putting their home on the market for sale. Could that limit new listings coming on the market, resulting in fewer homes available for sale? Possibly, but natural disasters, epidemics and the loss of loved ones can put what is important in life in a different perspective. The desire to downsize, travel more, or moving back closer to family will continue to bring new inventory on the market and the willingness we are seeing from buyers looking for a better quality of life I feel bodes well for the market to remain strong this new year.

About The Gary Cardillo Group

Gary Cardillo, Realtor While most people would like to talk about themselves, Gary and Gail have always put their clients first, and their diverse backgrounds have provided their clients an unparalleled level of service and knowledge throughout the past years.
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