Market Update – February 2013

Wow! What a roller coaster of a year! Looking back, the Jackson real estate market had an extremely quiet spring and picked up in July with consistent activity through December. Frankly, we have been waiting a LONG time to say that. Average sales prices overall for 2012 are showing a 22% increase over 2011 proving that the Jackson Hole real estate market is on the re-bound.

In residential sales over $1.5M, volume swelled to 54% and the number of transactions increased by 39%.  In properties selling below $1.5M, the gain was less dramatic with volume remaining relatively flat and number of transactions increasing only by 11%.  Land sales have seen a dramatic increase, especially large acreage parcels which increased by 115% in number of transaction over last year. Residential condo sales saw the least improvement with only a 6% gain in unit sales over 2011 – nevertheless, these numbers should improve dramatically as inventory shrinks and interest rates remain low. Days on market remained steady and actually increased as some inventory remains on the market from previous years bringing most properties listed on the market for over a year or longer. Taking a closer look at our absorption rate – the average time to sell a property in Jackson Hole is just over 2 years.  This number should drop significantly as buyers start to regain interest in our market and the economy improves.

Overall, buyers are showing confidence in investing in real estate.  Interest rates remain low and our favorable tax climate has been attracting many buyers from areas like California and New York which has been driving our upper end sales. As early 2013 continues to unfold, expect to see inventory shrink, number of transactions to increase and sales prices remain steady.

We hope this analysis gives you some insight into our market and for 2013 we will keep doing what we do best – selling real estate. If you or anyone you know needs assistance with real estate please have them give us a call. We would be honored to have your referrals.

Investment and Vacation Homes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole has many Vacation / Second Homeowners and we are seeing an increase in these type of buyers.  This graph was put together by the National Association of Realtors and the Wall Street Journal.  The graph explains that Vacation Home sales increase 7% from 2010 to 2011.  The Jackson real estate market mirrored this increase as properties priced over $1,000,000 had an increase of 7% over 2010 (100 in 2011 verse 97 in 2010). 

As for the increase in investment type properties I believe Jackson lagged this market in 2011 and we are seeing that increased action in 2012.  We have 40 pending transactions at the moment of properties listed under $500,000.

There are a good amount of second homes for sale in today’s market so we can only hope that this summer provides a flurry of activity for the second home seller.  The Jackson Hole Experts – Christy and Garth Gillespie – specialize in assisting the second home buyer.  More than 50% of our transactions take place “log distance” so if you would like more information on second homes in Jackson Hole please contact us at 307-413-5243 or by email at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

New Flights to Jackson Hole!

Jackson Hole, Wyo.
United will add service to Jackson Hole from both its San Francisco and Houston hubs. The Houston service begins June 8 and will feature two weekly flights on Boeing 757 jets. The San Francisco service starts July 1 and will be operated daily by United Express partner SkyWest on Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jets. Both routes run through Aug. 27. In its release, United notes Jackson Hole’s proximity to both Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. United also flies to Jackson Hole from its hubs in Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.

To learn more about flight schedules coming and going to Jackson Hole please feel free to contact the Jackson Hole Experts – Christy and Garth Gillespie – at 307-413-5243 or email us at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com.

Is it time to buy a Vacation Home in Jackson Hole?

A recent Wall Street Journal article suggests the clouds may be lifting over the national vacation home market, especially in the luxury segment of the real estate market. Overall, the second-home market is down 11% from 2009 and roughly 25% from 2006, compared to a 22% drop in the overall housing market, according to the article. However, the higher end of the vacation home market ($5 million and up) has held up much better. Douglas Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae explains “At the top of the market, particularly luxury homes, prices have proven very elastic, and have sprung upward quickly”.

Markets such as Palm Beach Island, FL, the Hamptons, NY and Aspen, CO have been experiencing an uptick in inquiries and real estate sales. This is not to say the boom is back, however. Overall, properties that are in prime locations, such as waterfront or ski resort properties, are selling, but homes in less desirable locations are still a bit sluggish. In addition, areas that were able to avoid over building and therefore keep inventories at a manageable level have also seen an improvement in sales.

What’s interesting is that most vacation home buyers aren’t looking to make a big profit. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), more than 80% of second home buyers surveyed reported that they purchased for consumption reasons – to live in the house and enjoy it – not for investment. Additionally, many second home buyers are cash buyers (36% of vacation home purchases last year were all cash deals, according to NAR) and they can therefore sidestep many of the restrictions placed on second home purchases by lending institutions.

In Jackson Hole, inventory levels remain high, creating many opportunities for second homebuyers in Teton Village, The Aspens, Teton Pines, and Shooting Star Golf Community. If you are interested in a link of available second home properties in Jackson Hole, please email us at garth.gillespie@jhsir.com — The Gillespie Real Estate Team at Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty.

For a full copy of the Wall Street Journal article, click here.