The following charts are ShowingTime’s Impact of COVID-9 to Real Estate Showings in Wisconsin & in North America. They reflect the physical activity of our market compared to that of the entire United States, this year compared to last. April was a hard hit month for the whole nation. The month of May seems to be off to a good start for both, but overall Wisconsin is trending more active than the overall country,right now.
Our low-point so far in this COVID-19 pandemic, appears to be April. The Metro-Milwaukee MLS(Multiple Listing Service) just released their monthly report: Market Reports: April 2020. The numbers don’t lie. In Walwoth County, new listings were down by 50.2%, and there were 30.6% less homes sold in April of 2020 compared to last year. The median sales price went up 9.4%, and days on market went down by 6%; however, that doesn’t make up for the lack of inventory and closings. April’s inactivity is reflective of the worldwide shutdown, no doubt.
I started out with the showingtime data because it is hopeful. The Safer at Home order was reversed by our supreme court here in Wisconsin, so businesses are opening back up for the first time in months. There are a handful of precautions in effect in real estate, from COVID-19 consent forms to gloves and masks. While I feel tense and anxious, I can only concentrate on my own actions. I will continue to work safely, and follow the CDC guidelines on how to protect yourself and simply trust others do the same.
In the past week, I’ve had 2 closings, wrote 3 offers (1 was accepted), and scheduled 20 showings. Spring is definitely here! Sellers are accepting offers within days of listing their property’s on the market, as per usual this time of year.
…That being said, the elephant in the room remains… There is no way to avoid the trickle-down effect of Coronavirus on the housing market. Here are how showings have been effected in Walworth County, in a side by side comparison of the last 30 days compared to the same date range (4/13 to 5/13) last year, courtesy of ShowingTime.
Here is the Market Summary from the MLS for April 2020 vs. April 2019:
Despite less showings, home sales are only down 2.7% compared to last April. What’s significant here is the drop in new listings. You know what this means? Less Competition! We are still in a “sellers’ market.” There are simply not as many homes on the market as there are ready, willing and able buyers to purchase them. This has been the case for over a decade.
POTENTIAL SELLERS: When it comes to showings & property tours, seller’s can reduce risk of covid-19 exposure by:
1) Leaving lights on so no one else has to touch switches.
2) Require all visiting parties to sign a covid-19 disclosure release form before providing access information.
3) Mandate gloves and masks to be worn by all visiting parties.
Potential Home Buyers – If this quarantine has you hating your home, and you’re ready to move: fear not! There are options:
1) Get a pre-approval FIRST! You don’t want to waste your time in a space you cannot afford.
2) Get on an automatic MLS search that sends you homes that match your criteria as SOON as they hit the market.
3) Take a Virtual Tour first, and THEN see it in person – with gloves and mask – before writing an offer. try zoom or google duo
Follow these links to see the new listings and just sold properties:
02. WHAT YOU LISTEN TO MATTERS: My favorite podcast is “Afford Anything,” by Paula Pant. Her PSA Thursday episode on May 7th had an interesting synopsis of the current state of our national real estate market. Take a listen by following this link.
I see recovery written all over the data coming out, what about you? Are my glasses too rose-tinted? I want to hear what YOU think! Reach out, let me know. Stay healthy… ❤ ALWAYS, Annie Z.
In the last 30 days, I’ve showed 41 properties. I have 2 closings on Friday, one of which is a co-listing of mine, the other is for a buyer. I have also written 2 offers, but neither made it under contract. Currently, according to the Metro-Milwauke Multiple Listing Service, there are 700 active single family and condominium homes listed in Walworth County; 164 of them are under contract, and 54 were just listed this week. Additionally, 33 homes and condos sold in the last 7 days, as well. According to ShowingTime, there were 339 showings scheduled this week, as compared to 301 showings last week.
Follow these links to see the new listings and just sold properties:
There’s no doubt things are picking up, as far as showings go; the problem that remains is lack of inventory. Buyer’s are out there – more than you would think. If you’re on the fence, I’m here to tell you the time has come! If you’re concerned about your safety, be aware that there are COVID-19 consent forms available, and you can require buyers and agents to wear gloves and masks. I have even been to a showing where I was told to wipe down anything the buyer touches with a lysol wipe – not a problem! If anything were ever a way to increase buyer demand, it’s quarantine. People are getting antsy.
Here’s a graphical breakdown of our showings, as well as a preview to the past month’s market summary, with a year over year comparison:
Like I said, clearly there are just less homes on the market (which makes sense, given everything that’s going on). In Walworth County, Active Listings are down 14.1%, and New Listings are down 15.3%. However, the number of closings/homes sold is only down 2.7%. What does this mean? It indicates buyers are still buying homes, despite there being less to chose from. We’ll see what the metro-MLS says when their Monthly Indicators report comes out in a few days.
Friday, April 24th marked 30 full days under WI Governor Evers’ Safer At Home Order, where all non-essential businesses were forced to close their doors in alignment with our nation’s efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. While real estate is considered an essential business, there’s no denying we have been impacted.
The Impact of 30 Days of “Safer at Home” in Walworth County:
From March 25th to April 24th, 2020, there have been 892 showings in Walworth County. Last year, during the same time frame, there were 1,769 showings. That’s a 50% drop in the number of property showings. Granted this number includes all types of property showings (from condos and single-family homes to commercial property and vacant land). Here’s a graphical breakdown for more clarity:
That being said, week over week, things are looking up. This past week (4/18 – 4/24) we had 242 showings, where as the previous week (4/11 – 4/17) there were 190 showings. Since a property takes anywhere between 30 to 60 days or more to close after accepting an offer, the overall effect on home sales is yet to be determined. However, so far, closings have only dropped to 92% of last years levels. Last year there were 113 single family homes sold in Walworth County from March 25th to April 24th, 2019. This year, from March 25th to April 24th, 103 single family homes have sold. Follow this link to see the listings: Sold in the Last 30 Days
On April 16th, WI Gov. Evers extended the stay-at-home order to May 26th. With that in mind, I thought it would be a great time to offer some spring maintenance tasks and projects to tackle while folks are still stuck in the house.
Springtime Home Maintenance Tasks
Clean out your gutters and downspouts
Pressure wash your siding
Inspect your roof & foundation – schedule repairs
Trim/Prune your bushes and shrubs
Schedule air conditioner cleaning
Clean your windows
Check for/repair holes in window screens
Reseal deck/porch
Paint your house – inside and out!
Switch out winter clothes for spring/summer clothes – don’t forget to make donation piles!
Spray insecticide along windows and doors, and remove bee hives!
Bonus Projects: Paint old tables, hang photos, add more greenery indoors!
Slowly but surely, things are improving. As long as we each continue to do our part to stay healthy, we will make it out of this. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything – groceries, vendor contacts, or even just someone to talk to. I’m here!!
It has been four full weeks since the President announced COVID-19 was officially a pandemic disease infecting people around the globe (see video that aired on March 11, 2020 here). The word ‘quarantine’ has officially become part of my daily vernacular, and fear of the unknown has spread like wildfire. From the economy to our school systems and interpersonal relationships: everyone’s day-to-day life has been impacted in one way or another. There are those that argue the changes taking place will be for the better in the long run, but there is no denying the pain and hardship this pandemic has caused to the majority of people.
As far as our nation goes, specifically, according to the New York Times,
“At least 316 million people in at least 42 states, three counties, nine cities, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are being urged to stay home.”
I find myself obsessing over this virus’ short and long term psychological impact. After all, that was my major in college (graduated in 2009 from Marquette University). Specifically, I recall Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. According to this theory, personality is determined by how he or she deals with life’s many crises. We should all recognize, there is one guarantee in life: change. The way in which one assesses, and subsequently deals with, the inevitable changes of life over the ceaseless forward motion of time determines a person’s personality.
His theory helps illuminate and clarify how an individual meets and processes intrinsic change and, by inference, may contribute to an understanding about whether or not an individual is able to rise to the task of making change for him-/her self in the world.
I’ve been watching the press conferences from the White House, taking vigorous notes while watching news on the stock market, and, obviously, I’m still active in the real estate market. Never before has the world been impacted like this, all at once. We’re all on the same playing field; everyone will look back and remember how they handled the Corona Virus Pandemic.
Memories of the months I spent analyzing psych research data, on behalf of Dr. Kristi Nielson, have resurfaced creating an insatiable hunger to hear how people are handling all of this, mentally and emotionally. My awesome nephew helped me create a google doc where I asked folks to tell me his/her three favorite and three least favorite things about the quarantine, anonymously. I wanted to point out a few, but I hope to get more responses (please feel free to submit your answers by following this link).
Least Favorite Things About Quarantine:
“This is very isolating for those with family issues or who depend on their friends for support.”
“Losing track of what day it is”
“craving routine & earning money”
“I do not have the patience to be a teacher”
Thank you for your honesty…
Favorite Things About Quarantine:
“More time with Online friends”
“I’m not the odd ball. Apparently my lifestyle has a name – quarantine!”
“Online school is a lot more student-led, and we can do things at our own pace.”
“seeing my coworkers MORE! due to virtual conference calls”
Submit your anonymous response here, and see what others are saying!
I sincerely hope you are being safe and staying healthy, during this uncertain time. Reach out if you need anything; I am here for you. I’d like to help in any way I can.
On that note, I’d like to point out some amazing local charities and opportunities that are rising up out of this disaster, in hopes it brings light to your day. Although we are physically separated, we are all in this together.
If there are any other organizations/opportunities that deserve a mention, please feel free to mention them below. Let’s finish this fight strong! And, again, please don’t hesitate to ask me for help – be it groceries, prescriptions, or just a phone call. I want to hear from you. I want to be there for you, in whatever way I can.
Wishing you and yours a safe and healthy Weekend in Wisco, across this great nation, and beautiful planet… ❤ , Annie Z.
The Metro-Milwaukee Multiple Listing Service gathers real estate stats for each month; they compile data points into graphs and highlight recent events to provide a comprehensive Local Market Update. The following is from their latest report, released Tuesday, March 10th***, regarding our hyper-local, Southeastern Wisconsin area for the month of February 2020.
“As we progressed through February, the actual and expected impacts of COVID-19 continued to grow, with concerns of economic impact reaching the stock market in the last week of the month. As the stock market declined, so did mortgage rates, offering a bad news-good news situation. While short term declines in the stock market can sting, borrowers who lock in today’s low rates will benefit significantly in the long term.
[…]
The recently released January ShowingTime Showing Index® saw a 20.2 percent year-over-year increase in showing traffic nationwide. All regions of the country were up double digits from the year before, with the Midwest Region up 15.7 percent and the West Region up 34.1 percent. As showing activity is a leading indicator for future home sales, the 2020 housing market is off to a strong start, though it will be important to watch the spread of COVID-19 and its potential impacts to the overall economy in the coming months.”
Take a second and re-read that; I don’t think anyone truly could see how fast and vast the corona virus pandemonium would arrive. The following charts echo the positive trend we were riding:
Showings were up, more homes were coming onto the market, and median sales price continued to climb. When this virus hit pandemic status, Americans were told to stay home and jobs were lost. Our country has endured a massive blow over these past two weeks that has reverberated down to our local community and economy, including the real estate market.
It is definitely too early to tell. However, from March 1st to March 11th, a total of 76 single family homes were listed and 27 single family homes closed. Since then, from March 12th through March 23rd, only 54 single family homes have been listed, but 25 single family homes have still sold, regardless.
February seems so long ago. I’ll be curious to see the pandemic’s overall impact on the real estate market, once it’s all over. Primarily, I just want an end to COVID-19! Don’t forget: be prepared, not scared. Stay home if you can, be safe if you can’t. We will bounce back!!
Sellers and Buyers: there are still options during this unprecedented time, stay tuned!
Upcoming Posts:
Effects of Quarantine on Local Real Estate Market
Restrictions, Options & Opportunities for Sellers & Buyers
Honorable Charity Mentions
Home Décor Projects & Spring Cleaning
How are you doing? How has this virus infected your life and/or loved ones? Let me know how I can help. Shoot me a quick email here (anniezrealty@gmail.com) or give me a buzz (262-215-1982) and keep me posted, please.
Looking for a reliable source of market information, aside from real estate? Check out Paula Pant’s Afford Anything, with special coverage during this official Bear Market.
Let me know if you found this helpful in the comments below, or shoot me a message on my socials!
Weekend in Wisco | February 6th, 2020 | Annie Z Realty | Keefe Real Estate
Mother Nature has put her own touches on the snow sculptures from last weekend’s Winterfest, but the original artwork was stunning (follow the link for photos)!
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Here’s what’s happening locally this weekend; I’ll see you out and about!
But wait, there’s more! As per usual, there are plenty of other options of activities going on this weekend. These are just my fav’s… what are you up to?! Leave a comment ~ let me know! I’ll see ya around!
Downtown LG Cocoa Crawl on Fri., Jan. 31st from 4 to 6:30 pm (P.S. I will be serving up some hot cocoa at the downtown office with the rest of the Keefe ‘Krew’)!
Who’s excited for all the local winter festivities happening over the next month?! I sure am! Here are the events that peaked my interest for this weekend:
Check out the Lake Geneva House of Music’s Winter Concert Series: January Edition. Tomorrow’s concert, starting at 7 pm, will be featuring The Belle Weather of Sheboygan!
Saturday
Ice Party Gone Wild! Hosted by Fontana Fire & Recue from 12 – 6 pm at the Abbey Yacht Club.
Packers vs. 49ers Playoff Party at The End Zone Bar & Grill in Delavan sounds like fun, but I won’t be there! Due to the universally known Law of Sports Superstition***, I will be at my folks house (again, as I have been the last 2 games), eating the same pizza by Ol’ Man Zambo, sitting in the same spot on their couch and wearing the same outfit, so we win 😊. You’re welcome. ***I made this Law up
Artsy Folk: Gallery 223 has opened a new Winter Show Exhibit. Come take a look Jan 9th through February 23rd in Downtown Lake Geneva.
But wait, there’s more! As per usual, there are plenty of other options of activities going on this weekend. These are just my fav’s… what are you up to?! Leave a comment ~ let me know! I’ll see ya around!
C: Downtown LG Cocoa Crawl on Fri., Jan. 31st from 4 to 6:30 pm – P.S. I will be serving up some hot cocoa at the downtown office (703 Main St.) with the rest of the Keefe ‘Krew,’ so stop by & say hi!
Which of these Winterfest events are you most excited for? Let me know!
Here are some cool things happening this weekend:
Friday
Specialty Cocktail Tasting at the Abbey Resort’s 240 West in Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake from 5 to 7 pm on Fri., Jan 10th
90’s Throback Party at Thumb’s Up in Lake Geneva starting at 9 pm on Fri., Jan. 10th.
Saturday
Rock the Barns: AC/DC Tribute *back by popular demand* at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn at 5 pm Sat., Jan. 11th
RAR Live starting at 5 pm on Sat., Jan. 11th in Lake Geneva at Studio Winery.
Sunday
Sunday Champagne Brunch at the Baker House in Lake Geneva from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm every Sunday, has been lauded by the USA TODAY as the area’s Most Beautiful Restaurant delivering Victorian grandeur overlooking scenic Lake Geneva. Unlimited Champagne, traditional breakfast delights, a broad array of lunch entrees, fresh salads and delicious desserts; reservations recommended.
ALERT: If you haven’t yet, be sure to reserve your the Igloo Experience before it’s too late! Located at the Ridge Hotel in Lake Geneva, with a special appetizer and drink menu, Thursdays through Sundays from 11 am to 9 pm!
But wait, there’s more! As per usual, there are plenty of other options of activities going on this weekend. These are just my faves… what are you up to?! Leave a comment ~ let me know! I’ll see ya around! 🙂
Looking out onto the snow-covered streets of Main & Center in Lake Geneva, as the plows pass by, I smiled into my steaming coffee mug in hand and thought, “tis the season…”
For the better part of the past decade, I spent most of the winter just complaining – about the cold, the snow, the ice, the salt, etc. – but not this year!
Proactive Positivism
Potentially defined as, “Purposefully choosing to see things – people, places, things, events, etc. – in a positive way.”
(…let me know if you find a definition, because I may or may not have just made it up…)
Yesterday, on the way home from a property tour, I parked on Wrigley Drive & grabbed my camera. The sun peaked through the clouds just long enough to get some amazing shots with my Nikon.
Check these out, let me know which is your favorite:
It was cold, the wind had a bite to it, but the view was so worth it! Red-nosed or not, these shots turned out breathtaking, and I’m glad I stopped.
This journey has just started, for me, but here are some supplemental articles that support this concept of positive thinking:
