Last month we saw active inventory shoot up 13.98%, a welcome sight for many weary buyers. Due to increasing mortgage rates, the Denver Metro Area saw an average and median close price reduction, if only slightly. Unfortunately, it's still a very tough market for buyers - not only in terms of competition, but in the actual cost of housing here in Colorado. According to NAR's Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, purchasing a home now is 55% more expensive than it was a year ago.

The sun is out, the birds are singing - it's been a welcome relief. I hope everyone has had a chance to go out and enjoy the beautiful scenery that Colorado has to offer. As seasons change, the housing market makes its shifts as well. We saw a sharp spike in inventory last month, however prices continued to rise. It should be a busy Spring and Summer ahead!

Spring is right around the corner and will be such a welcome sight after a cold and muddy past few weeks. With the promise of longer and warmer days, the housing market will start its annual warming as well. Just last month we saw a 3.55% increase in inventory, a +5.36% increase in closed homes, and drop in average days in MLS. Average and median close price also sharply increased, although this is also an expected change as we head towards a robust Spring and busy Summer.

PMI, or Private Mortgage Insurance, is financial protection for your lender that is typically required by larger financial institutions for home loans where down payments are less than 20%. This cost is often built into your monthly payments. Once your home equity hits 20% of your home purchase price, you may be eligible to remove PMI insurance from your mortgage altogether. While your PMI may disappear automatically in some circumstances, as detailed in this Forbes article, there are a few ways in which you can quicken this process.

2021 saw interest rates remain low and buyer demand stay high. We saw many records broken last year and 2022 could be more of the same. At the start of 2022 the Denver metro area only had 1,477 active properties on the market, 11,175 fewer houses than normal. According to the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Housing Report, the Denver Metro Area had only 0.5 months supply of inventory at the end of November 2021, meaning that if homes sold at the current rate and no new houses went on the market, we would run out of homes to sell in half a month. Historically, the metro area hovers around 2 full months of inventory.

We saw a sharp decrease in month-end active inventory from October to November, dropping to 2,248 (including both attached and single-family homes). Despite the low inventory, we are still seeing a large amount of homes close as we transition from Fall to Winter, so while inventory is low, there are still plenty of houses listed each day and many opportunities to find yourself the home you've been looking for. November broke more than a few records, including Average Close Price (Residential: $629,479 - November 2020 was $545,031), Median Days in MLS (5 days, previous record low November was in 2020 at 6 days), and Months of Inventory (Residential: 0.46 months, compared to November 2020 at 0.71 months).

t finally feels like Fall here in Denver! While I think we all enjoyed the extended Summer the past few weeks, it's been nice to feel a cooler breeze each day. As I've mentioned many times before, this cool down affects the housing market each year as well. Inventory and closings all dropped between September and October, an expected change that will continue into Winter, and we also saw average closing prices level. With prices remaining relatively consistent and days on market rising, this is an excellent time for buyers to hop back into the market and feel less pressure to find their dream home.

Active inventory jumped 10% in September, and with more homes on the market, buyers have more options available to them. Average days on the market also increased to 13 days, signifying that buyers also have a little more time to make their decisions. While promising, Denver's housing market is still incredibly competitive and buyer's should remain vigilant and aggressive. Although the number of closed homes was down 12% last month, a significant number of homes went under contract as well. As seasons change, the market will continue to cool slightly and allow more buyers to enter the market - but it's not time to relax just yet.

Although the average close price for homes in the Denver-metro area has risen 14% year-over-year, we have seen the rise in prices stabilize the past few months with another 1% decrease last month. This is consistent with historical seasonal trends, where prices reach a peak and days on market starts to increase at the end of Summer. This is GREAT news, as it demonstrates that while the current Housing Market is unique and challenging, it's still subject to the traditional market shifts. We can expect the housing market to cool a touch as Fall arrives later this month. Low inventory, however, will likely be a pressure point for many months ahead.

Inventory increased almost 30% last month in the Denver metro area. Coupled with a 12% decrease in closings, buyers are finally finding a bit of breathing room this month. With average days in the MLS still in the single digits, however, competition remains high. Those looking to purchase a home but have been anxious about the market may find luck this month as more homes are available to view. It's not unusual for inventory to peak in July or August, but the dramatic 30% increase in inventory from June to July is noteworthy. Could this be a return to normal expectations for purchasing and selling homes? For now, we expect the Seller's Market to continue throughout the year, but home buyers having more options is always a good thing.