Monthly Archives: April 2023

The Orlando Housing Market in 2023: Here’s What Reports Say

The Orlando housing market had fewer than 5,000 homes on the market at the end of the year. That’s a record low of half what we normally see. We’ll go over inventory, interest rates, inflation, and all the factors shaping the Orlando-Kissimmee housing market in 2023.

From Orlando home prices to how inflation and interest rates are shaping home buying, we’ll dive into five reports that explain it all. Think of this as your go-to guide to the Orlando real estate market. Let’s get your Orlando real estate sold.

Is a fear of recession affecting the Orlando housing market?

Buyers and sellers in Orlando and across the country fear a recession is looming. Many experts feel that instead of a recession, we’re almost at a standstill, according to a report from WESH 2. Everyone is waiting for prices to drop or for more homes to come on the market. Many buyers are also hoping interest rates go down.

As a seller, it can be intimidating not knowing how many buyers can afford to move and where you can afford to move next. In time, interest rates and inflation will go down again. This will likely cause a refinance boom and a new uptick in home sales.

For now, buyers shouldn’t expect to see home prices drop anytime soon. Sellers still have the advantage of low inventory. If you’re looking to downsize, rent a home next, or unload a second or inherited home, this could be a great opportunity to seize the standstill.

If you’re willing to sell to a cash buyer, you can also avoid the interest rate hike and mortgage costs. There’s no waiting around for a buyer who needs financing. With an all-cash buyer, you don’t have to wait for fearful buyers who need to pay more for their mortgage.

Construction plans for the future

New construction is also shaping the 2023 Orlando market outlook. A new 42-acre hospitality and residential community is planned to break ground in 2023, according to reports from Rebusiness Online. This development will feature single-family homes, townhomes, and condo hotel portions.

Their partnership with the Disney Good Neighbor and Disney Vacation Home Rental also bodes well for the future of this development. Any uptick in new construction will help with the housing supply, the construction job market, the tourism and vacation rental market, and more.

Another boost to the new construction market in the Orlando area comes in the form of tiny homes, according to Click Orlando. Tiny homes have been approved for developers and homeowners. A tiny home is defined as a dwelling of less than 500 square feet.

Orlando sales bounce back despite rates increasing

The number of homes for sale is at its lowest since 2009, according to Biz Journals. Despite this and mortgage rates continuing to increase, Orlando home sales increased in February. This is a great sign that movement is happening.

As a seller, these stats show just how in demand your home is. There hasn’t been this low of an inventory in over a decade. Buyers need more homes to buy. The housing shortage is being felt all over the Orlando area, with buyers facing fewer homes to see.

With mortgage rates increasing, the fact that sales have increased is a great sign for sellers as well. This shows that buyers are out there and looking to buy homes. Many of these buyers do so despite rates which could be a sign that more and more are cash buyers.

What does the Orlando real estate market mean for buyers?

As a buyer, you may be fearful that there aren’t enough homes for sale in the market. Fewer homes mean fewer homes to look at, fewer to tour, and fewer options to choose from. This is understandable and nerve-wracking for someone looking for a new home.

With interest rates and inflation rising, it’s also difficult to afford the same house you could have just a year before. Interest rates have almost doubled, which means your potential payment has also increased. For some buyers, this could decrease what you qualify for.

If you have patience, however, and are in good financial standing, there are homes for sale for you. This is also a great opportunity to pay in cash if you’re able or to put more down to keep your mortgage payments lower or non-existent.

This is also a great opportunity to seek out a distressed property. You may find a deal on a home that you can later turn into your dream home. Refinancing later when mortgage rates go down is another option to save money in the future.

Selling your Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford home on the traditional market

Selling your Orlando home on the traditional market is tougher these days. Many buyers want to see more options than they are. Buyers are spending a lot of money on real estate and interest rates. This means buyers are picky.

If you’re selling your home on the traditional market, you’ll want to make it show as well as it can. This means some repairs, proper staging, professional photos, great marketing, and more.

You may also need to deal with buyers who are facing tough financial times. Interest rates are high, and lenders are making it more difficult to achieve financing. This is where an as-is or cash offer may make this process simpler.

Why sell in today’s Orlando real estate market?

This is a great time to be a home seller in the Orlando area. With home inventory at an all-time low, buyers need your home. There is a shortage of homes for sale, giving you the upper hand.

If you’re nervous about selling in today’s market, the shortage of homes is a real advantage. You will also find that an as-is or cash offer is a great option to avoid the struggles from inflation and mortgage interest rates at this time.

An all-cash offer means no waiting for buyers to get approved by their lender and no mortgage red tape. All cash offers from an as-is buyer also mean a quicker close with less stress. This is a great opportunity to sell your home quickly and cash in on the low home inventory.

Buyers today can also be picky. They are facing tough times, and this means they want to see perfect homes. If your home needs work or will require a lot of tender love and care to show, an as-is offer is just what you need.

How selling to a cash buyer works in the Orlando housing market

Selling to a cash buyer is easier than you may think. With a professional as-is, cash-buying company, there is no need to sell your home on the traditional housing market. There is no need to stage your home, take pictures, and wait weeks or months for someone to make an offer.

You don’t have to have open houses, hundreds of showings, and worry that mortgages or buyers will fall through. There is no lender to wait for, long closing, or a long list of to-do items for you. A cash buyer is able to give you cash quickly, and you can close fast. This is great for those in financial distress, looking to relocate, going through a divorce, having medical issues, or those who are just looking to cash out quickly.

You can accept a cash offer on your primary residence, help an aging parent sell this way, sell an inherited home, or even a second home. You can get the cash you need quickly, without all the fuss of selling with a realtor and waiting for long closings.

Your home is evaluated quickly, you’ll receive a cash offer for your home, and you can choose a closing that works for you. You can take your cash quickly and move on to the next chapter in your life.

Sell your Orlando-Kissimmee home quickly

With interest rates at an all-time high, will houses ever become affordable again? Will inventory pick up? The Orlando housing market is full of questions like these. Thankfully, as a seller in Orlando, you have an advantage.

With a cash offer for your home, however, now is a great time to sell. The turmoil of interest rates and inventory is on your side as a seller. The professionals at iBuyer, can help tell you what your home is worth and help you sell your home quickly.

Discover your home’s worth online for free in minutes!

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    The Los Angeles Housing Market in 2023

    The population of Los Angeles is around 3.92 million as of 2023. It is the second largest city in the United States, and there are many reasons why people want to move here. But what is the state of the Los Angeles housing market?

    Is the Los Angeles real estate market about to go through a big change? Is it a good time to buy or sell anything according to the current Los Angeles home prices? These are all important questions to ask yourself if you live in this city or are thinking about moving.

    House prices are more expensive than they have ever been before. It is important to stay on top of the state of Los Angeles real estate if you want to get a deal on a piece of property. If you own a Los Angeles home, should you sell now or wait?

    Is now a good time to sell? How does all this compare with different Los Angeles neighborhoods? Processing all these questions can be difficult if you don’t know much about real estate.

    But this article will guide you through four important reports that address these questions. Learning more about changing Los Angeles housing prices will help you make better decisions with your property.

    This will make it easier to gain money on your real estate investments rather than lose it. Keep reading and learn more about the most prominent Los Angeles housing trends below.

    Most cities still falling behind affordable housing mandate, state numbers show

    This report highlights what a good job Los Angeles is doing to create houses for people of all income levels. The writer, Jeff Collins of Dailynews.com, explores why affordable housing is important for several reasons.

    Cities across the United States have been having trouble creating houses available for those at lower income levels. This creates a housing crisis, or rather, a crisis due to a lack of housing for everyone. House prices have been rising across the United States.

    This problem started in 2020 and has gotten worse over the years. Many houses are so overinflated that many people can’t even think about buying a house. Many small and old homes are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars when they used to be listed for far less than a few years ago.

    Many people have a hard time keeping up with these price changes. Many people are left without homes because they can’t afford to buy one. Others have turned to friends or family members to live with so they can afford a place to live.

    But Los Angeles is far ahead of many of these problems. While Los Angeles is a very expensive place to live, the city also has plenty of options for affordable housing. California has state-mandated housing goals that urge cities to create houses for those at low-income levels.

    The details

    Most cities have failed to meet these goals, and many more haven’t even come close. Los Angeles is one of the few exceptions. It got an A+ rating from the Southern California News Group.

    The group rated a variety of cities in California based on how many opportunities for affordable housing they had. Los Angeles was one of the top rankers on the list. Many other cities got F ranks because they had few to no opportunities for affordable housing.

    This makes it difficult for many people to live in those cities. Some people might not have any choice but to move to a different location or be homeless. Most cities across the state got a C-minus rating.

    The biggest losers in L.A.’s fast cooling housing market

    This report emphasizes that the housing market in Los Angeles is starting to cool down. This might be hard to believe since the house prices in this area are still very expensive. The writers, Josephine Tassoni and Michael Walker, explore the reality of this issue.

    These prices are indeed more expensive than they were a few years ago. But these prices have started experiencing some recent drops. Some house prices have gone down by as much as 20%.

    This might not sound like much when you’re considering houses that are millions of dollars. But 20% still means that the property owner is losing hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. This report also explores a variety of properties that have lost the most value recently.

    California market report

    ManageCasa.com has a variety of informative housing reports, and this is only one example. Gord Collins, the writer, explores the overall housing market in California. Many changes have affected the housing market in March of 2023 alone.

    Home sales have increased recently, but these numbers are not as high as they were a year ago. While the housing market is still booming, it isn’t as productive as it was before. This is not necessarily a sign that the housing market is cooling down.

    It is rather a sign that the housing market may be entering a small slump. It is not known how far this slump will go, but it isn’t too much of a problem at the moment. There is still significant demand for houses throughout California, especially in the Los Angeles area.

    Single-family house prices have also experienced a drop. This drop isn’t very significant, but it is good news for anyone looking to buy a house for their family in this state. Single-family homes fell by much more in February.

    Some dropped by tens of thousands of dollars. Some of these housing changes may be fueled by changes in banks in the area. This is because both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have recently gone bankrupt.

    This has caused a sense of instability in the region, which has affected housing prices.

    What to know

    One piece of good news is that mortgage prices in California seem to be declining. This is important because mortgage prices were previously very substantial.

    This made it difficult for people to buy a house. When people had the chance to buy a house, they found that making monthly mortgage payments was almost more than they could handle. Such high payments can make it difficult to afford other important aspects such as gas, clothes, food, and medical bills.

    There is also the question of the housing supply in California. California is currently experiencing a housing shortage, as is most of the United States. When there is a housing shortage, this causes the prices of available houses to shoot up.

    This makes it difficult for most people to find a house within their budget. While there have been thousands of new house listings, these are not enough to solve the housing shortage. Several tens of thousands more houses would be needed to solve this problem.

    The Los Angeles housing market predictions and forecast for 2023

    This report explores many aspects of the current housing market and makes predictions about what might happen in the near future. The current median house price in Los Angeles is around $900,000.

    This is quite a bit higher than the average home price in the United States. The writer, David Bitton, describes how this year alone, house prices in Los Angeles have gone up 16.7%.

    This may not sound like a lot, but this is not the only important housing statistic.

    You should also know that the increase in home prices has increased by 114.2% over the last 5 years.

    This is one of the many reasons why it is so difficult for people to find housing in this city. While there are affordable housing options for those at low-income levels, not everyone fits the criteria to get these homes.

    Some buyers are middle-class families who can’t apply for low-income housing but can’t afford million-dollar homes either. This makes it next to impossible to find a nice home in Los Angeles. The price of rental units has not changed as much as housing prices.

    The future

    Rental prices have increased by around 11%. The average price for an apartment per month is around $2,644. This is still very expensive for the average person.

    This is especially true when considering that this price is for relatively small apartments, such as those with one or two bedrooms. The major problem is that the median income for people who live in Los Angeles is $62,142. This number doesn’t match up with the housing prices or rent prices.

    This is one of the many reasons why it is so hard for people to afford to live in this city. Housing and rental prices keep rising, but the average income does not. This is also one of the reasons why the homeless population in Los Angeles is growing.

    Some people are moving out of the city because it is so expensive. This report predicts that the housing prices in the city will continue increasing. Interest rates will start rising as well.

    There is still a huge demand for houses in Los Angeles, which is one of the factors driving up the price. There are also not many homes for sale in the area. When a house pops up for sale, people will be willing to pay anything for it, which is also why house prices will keep increasing.

    All about the Los Angeles housing market

    The Los Angeles housing market has been experiencing many changes in recent months and years. Los Angeles has many affordable housing options for low-income individuals and families. But ordinary housing options have prices that are through the roof.

    This is because there is a serious housing shortage in the area. This increases demand and makes house prices increase to outrageous levels. But people are still willing to pay these high prices to get a spot in the city.

    Rent prices are also very expensive because there aren’t very many rental units available. Some reports predict that housing prices will continue to increase along with demand. While this makes it difficult to buy houses, it is a great time to sell a house.

    Discover your home’s worth online for free in minutes!

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      The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Housing Market in 2023

      The median home price in Washington, DC is $475,000 in January 2023.

      This is up by just 0.5% from this time last year. However, it’s notable to keep in mind that the median home price is down around 3% from December 2022. This is a clear indication that the Washington DC housing market is cooling off.

      The entire Washington DC real estate market experienced a boom in the last few years. This ensured massive gains for property investors in the region. If you take a look back at the median home price in 2020, you’ll find that the price is under $400,000.

      Prices continued to rise in 2021 but reached a peak in the first half of 2022. Home prices in the region have steadily been on the decline ever since. This is why real estate investors are thinking about selling their property before prices fall any further.

      A similar trend is appearing in the Arlington, VA housing market. Could this be a clear sign that it’s time to sell? While it’s important to keep an eye on the data, there are additional insights that you should take into consideration before making any big decisions.

      This will help you understand the current state of the housing market so that you can make more informed decisions for your portfolio.

      Continue reading to see what these three insightful housing reports have to say about the future of the housing market in this region.

      1. Housing market cools down at the beginning of the year

      The beginning of 2023 saw the housing market in Washington DC fall by 3%. While prices are still up slightly since January 2022, the trend is clear.

      Paige Hopkins did a deep dive on this for Axios and noted that the interest rate is the leading cause of home prices cooling off. This puts both sellers and buyers on the same playing field.

      Higher interest rates mean there’s less competition in the housing market. Since there are fewer buyers, sellers may have to drop their prices to find a buyer for their property. Sellers are forced to drop their prices if they want to remain competitive in the market.

      Many signal that this is a transition from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. As home prices cool off, Axios predicts that more homes will come on the market soon. This is because real estate investors will want to sell their homes now to secure pandemic profits.

      Jeff Clabaugh wrote for wtop news and noted that home prices may stabilize this year in the DC area. This is primarily due to the fact that interest rates don’t seem to be going up anytime soon. This encourages people to hold onto their homes and enjoy a conservative 1% gain for the year.

      While a 1% gain may have been impressive in the past, the real estate market in DC has grown used to much more impressive gains. This is why the median home price shot up from under $400,000 in 2021 to over $550,000 in the middle of 2022.

      2. New construction might revive city’s population

      When it comes to the demand for housing, the population of a city is the most important figure to keep an eye on. This is why the Mayor of Washington DC plans to boost the population within the metro.

      In simple terms, if there are more people in DC, more people will need to look for housing. This means that there are more buyers in the market. This also means that real estate investors will enter the market to buy property and rent it out to people moving to Washington DC.

      Either way, a rising population is bound to make home prices rise. The Mayor of Washington has announced an initiative to bring people to DC. This was outlined by Cuneyt Dil and Paige Hopkins for Axios.

      This plan includes converting office buildings into new apartments. The entire investment is not just to add more real estate to the market as it plans to create additional jobs in the region. It’s important to remember that Metro doesn’t plan to covert office buildings themselves, but would rather launch incentives for real estate companies to do this.

      This will repurpose office space that’s not being used in the area. Additionally, this will encourage additional investment in the city itself. More people means more stores, shops, malls, and schools.

      Hope Hodge Seck also wrote about this trend for the Washington Post. Here, she outlined how reinventing buildings and spaces can help encourage investment in the area. This is the approach that seems to be working all around the world.

      New buildings

      Private companies are also looking to invest in the region. Amazon is one of the biggest investors as they’re looking to open a 22-story building in Pentagon City. Cuneyt Dil noted that there are a number of developments that investors should keep an eye on in the area.

      These new buildings offer a unique opportunity for both buyers and sellers. If you own property in that area, you can sell it for a profit as new developments are planned to rise up. Investors can also double down in the area to expand their property portfolios.

      This makes it a win-win situation for everyone in the region.

      3. Office, the new future of housing

      The Mayor of DC has noted that there are a few notable developments coming up in the region. These developments include housing but also incorporate economic development through new jobs.

      The local government seeks to incentivize development in downtown DC through tax relief for real estate investors. This will help encourage investors to invest in all kinds of property and economic initiatives in the area. This is all in the hopes of creating a vibrant, 24/7 economy.

      Offices to apartments

      When it comes to creating space for these new developments, it seems like offices are going to be phased out. These office buildings are being converted into multifamily homes and apartments. It aims to redesign the entire downtown area so that the entire economy can benefit.

      Keith Loria outlined this trend in the Commercial Observer. Turning office blocks into apartments is the most innovative post-pandemic idea. This is because offices have suffered and continue to suffer in the modern economy.

      Since people moved to work from home, getting back into the office has been a struggle. The convenience of working from home is notable and resulted in businesses saving on their overheads.

      This left much of downtown DC empty and unoccupied. Real estate companies that operated in the area took significant hits. This impact is still being felt by real estate investors in other markets as well.

      The Alexandria housing market has also taken hits in the commercial sector. Converting these properties into residential housing repurposes the space. This helps make the most of the real estate that’s already there.

      Key takeaways

      All three housing reports conclude that the general economy is having an impact on home sales in Washington, Arlington, and Alexandria. There are a few common causes for this. The biggest factors include inflation and federal interest rates.

      These interest rates have cooled off and there’s no clear sign that they will increase any further. This does give the impression that the housing market may stabilize in 2023. However, the effects of higher interest rates have made the cost of everything more expensive.

      This means that the cost of living has increased all over the country. Even if interest rates remain the same, homes are still more expensive to finance today than in the last few years. Many experts agree that prices may rise again only when interest rates drop.

      It’s not clear when interest rates may begin to drop. This is why real estate investors are considering selling their homes before prices fall any further. Whether you have a second home in the area or an entire portfolio of properties, it may be time to sell and lock in your profits.

      The Washington DC housing market in 2023

      When you take a closer look at these housing reports, you’ll notice that inflation and interest rates play a major role. Rising interest rates are making homeownership more expensive for the everyday person. The lack of buying pressure is causing home prices to fall.

      If you’re looking to lock in your profits, now is the perfect time to sell. With the help of platforms like iBuyer.com, you can get a home valuation in the blink of an eye. Visit our website for more information on how we can help you sell your home.

      Discover your home’s worth online for free in minutes!

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        The Philadelphia Housing Market in 2023: Here’s What 3 Reports Say

        The Philadelphia housing market continues to feel the impact of the pandemic and a boom at the same time in home and rent prices.

        Signs of growth in Philly are popping up, yet the housing market is showing signs of slowing and leveling prices.

        What impacts the housing market and prices for Philadelphia real estate? How do the job market and the economy of Philadelphia impact the overall health of Philadelphia?

        Read on to learn more.

        Philadelphia’s recovering economy

        In the article ,How Philadelphia’s Economy Is Recovering, the Pew Charitable Trusts took a close look at the economy of the city of Philadelphia. They look at five factors that are indicators of the health, or lack of health, of an economy.

        They did this two years into the pandemic, which had a significant economic impact in cities across the US, including Philadelphia.

        In their evaluation of the city, they used five questions. This helped shape the perspective on the city’s economic health. The questions centered around:

        • Jobs
        • Levels of remote work
        • Size of the workforce
        • Strength of the housing market
        • Philadelphia’s implications for equitable recovery

        As you’ll see, the report highlights some bright spots for the city. Yet Philadelphia still has areas where the city continues to face hardship.

        Let’s look at the questions used to evaluate Philadelphia’s economy and what Pew Trust learned when asking them.

        Philadelphia’s employment sector

        The report began with the question of jobs in Philadelphia. While many areas evaluated in Philadelphia’s economic health looked promising, others seemed sluggish. The jobs sector remained mostly in that sluggish category.

        They looked at the third quarter of 2021 through the same period in 2022 and found only limited job growth in the city. While the city gained 31,000 jobs, it does not have employment levels back to where they were before the pandemic.

        This sluggish job recovery is consistent with what’s happening in other large Mid-Atlantic cities like Washington DC and New York.

        Remote workers in the city

        Next, the report looked at the levels of workers returning to their office locations versus those remaining as remote workers. Of course, when the city considers economic recovery, bringing workers back into the city is key.

        It seems that some levels of remote work are here to stay for the near future, especially for white-collar jobs.

        Researchers found that some workers were returning to their offices some of the time, but not on a permanent or full-time basis.

        All the data considered shows a slight increase in in-office work and office space occupancy. Yet it still had not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

        Research suggests the outlook for office and commercial real estate isn’t good. As leases expire, they aren’t likely to be renewed, with fewer workers coming into the city full-time to do their jobs.

        City government revenue

        The report found a bright spot when considering revenue for the city government.

        Local taxes came in much higher in 2022 than in 2021. The city reported a fund balance of $775 million in June of 2022.

        A few factors contributed to better city revenues, including better-than-expected economic activity. The city also has many unfulfilled positions, so they aren’t paying salaries and benefits.

        Workforce

        Another part of the report considered the size of the workforce in Philadelphia. Coming out of the pandemic, there was widespread concern about worker shortages.

        Simply the number of people looking for work had decreased and was more prevalent in Philadelphia than in other areas of the country.

        Concerns about the volume of the workforce have eased as time has gone on for Philadelphia. The workforce grew to 727,000 Philadelphians in the third quarter of 2022. This was up from 718,000 six months earlier.

        City housing market

        The housing market in Philadelphia, like many areas around the country, saw a rapid increase in both home prices and rent prices post-pandemic.

        There was widespread concern that many felt city residences would be priced out of the real estate market if those increases continued.

        The report suggests that the Philadelphia real estate market concerns are softening as the interest rate rise has slowed housing cost increases.

        Research in the article cites the Zillow Observed Rent Index that rent prices in the last quarter of 2022 also leveled out.

        Philadelphia suburbs

        In the article, The Philly Suburbs Are Bigger Than Ever, Sandy Smith grapples with urban sprawl or, more specifically, the sprawl of suburban Philadelphia.

        Anne Mosher has spent the brunt of her career studying urban historical geography. Her focus includes how cities and their suburbs have grown and competed for relevance and resources.

        Philadelphia is no exception. Where suburbs used to be separate entities from the city, now you can move from the city to a suburb and not notice any definitive boundary.

        Driving through one of the major highways in Philadelphia, the landscape looks much different than even a decade ago. What used to be farmland and cow pastures is now suburbia with house after house.

        Towns like Allentown, Reading, and Lancaster used to be separate entities but are now interconnected because of the city’s massive growth.

        She references how New York and Philadelphia used to be in close proximity but separate. Their individual growth now overlaps along the Delaware River in Trenton and parts of Bucks County.

        Mosher even went back historically to the time of William Penn in 1682. Since then, she contends that Philly has been consistently spreading its tentacles with growth in all directions since then.

        She suggests that this is what cities figured out to do early on. Lay claim to land around the central part of a city for trade, production, and growth.

        Philadelphia, at its onset, needed more agricultural resources, which pushed its metropolitan expansion early on.

        Philadelphia’s metropolitan expansion is driven by business development and population growth. Initially, though, business economics drove growth.

        Companies look for lower-cost places for data centers, warehouses, and distribution facilities. Once these go in, the workers follow, and growth ensues.

        Sandy Smith cites many developers for suburban Philadelphia, discussing exactly how the growth from Philadelphia has affected their growth and even blurred the suburban lines.

        Areas that once focused on rural character are slowly shifting to a more suburban focus.

        Now developers in these urban communities want to create unique living places and attract homebuyers to move outward.

        Interestingly, the article addresses some of the differences between cities and those spreading from them. The area is more and more like one giant metropolis. This is especially true as New Yorkers move into Bucks County and beyond.

        Development grants

        In a press release from Pennsylvania Democrats, State Senator Sharif Street (Philadelphia-D) announces $4.5 million for infrastructure improvement and community development in North Philadelphia and the northern Senatorial District.

        The Local Share Account (LSA) and Multimodal Transportation programs award the grant. It intends to invest in ways to make North Philadelphia a better place for all to live.

        That might mean the grant money is used for medical equipment for improved health equity and monies to fight the growing opioid epidemic in these communities.

        Monies were also set aside to improve transportation infrastructure in the area.

        As a part of this grant, several specific projects received funding. The programs included:

        • City of Philadelphia ($400K) for a playground
        • Called to Serve CDC ($240K) for the renovation of the Zion Annex Building as part of the plan to create the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center
        • Nueva Esperanza Housing and Economic Development ($350K) for a mixed-use property
        • Black Doctor’s Consortium (It Takes Philly: Encouraging and Empowering Our Children to Aim High) ($282K) for the purchase of radiology equipment
        • Chipping Hill Micro Farms ($50,160) for an advanced learning center for young children
        • The Behavioral Wellness Center ($100K) for the purchase of a recreational vehicle (RV)
        • Philadelphia City Rowing ($171,535) for youth development rowing and competing programs for Philadelphia City public school students

        This grant money is highly focused on programs that will impact the population of Nothern Philadelphia. The goal is those that will have an almost immediate impact.

        Growth and growing pain in Philadelphia

        Like many large American cities after the pandemic, some parts of Philadelphia show real promise while others remain stagnant or struggling.

        This is good news for Philadelphia. The city itself is showing promising signs of recovery. The suburbs continue to sprawl and become almost interconnected with each other.

        Investments in areas of the city struggling offer a chance to improve the lives of residents and children going forward.

        The Philadelphia housing market in 2023

        The Philadelphia housing market is evolving like that in many cities. In some ways, there is growth. In other ways, soaring Philadelphia home prices coming out of the pandemic continue to level out.

        Philadelphia real estate across the greater Philadelphia area continues to be in demand.

        If you live in Philly and hope to sell your home, we can help. Let us provide a home valuation for your home so you can achieve a quick sale. Check out our free home value estimator today.

        Discover your home’s worth online for free in minutes!

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          Underneath the Landscape of iBuying and What 2023 Holds

          Before 2014, people who wanted to sell their homes for cash would typically turn to independent cash buyers rather than institutional buyers. These cash buyers were individuals, not companies, and often advertised through signs placed around town that read “We buy houses for cash.” In contrast, instant buyers—now referred to as “iBuyers”—are real estate companies that purchase homes from owners in a quick cash transaction, make necessary repairs or improvements and resell the property.

          Benefits of using an iBuyer include a fast and easy sale without the need for a realtor, no realtor fees, no home preparation and the ability to sell without listing the home on the market. Homeowners can also close on their own terms, making the process more convenient.

          Disrupting the Traditional Model: Tracing the Origins of iBuying

          The term iBuyer was coined by Stephen Kim, an equity research analyst at Evercore ISI (International Strategy & Investment) on May 29, 2017, in a report to clients titled “The Rise of the iBuyer.” In this report, Kim introduced the term “iBuyer” to describe companies and investors that use technology and data analysis to quickly make cash offers on homes with the intention of reselling them for a profit. The term “iBuyer” has since become widely used in the real estate industry to describe this type of business model.

          Leveraging Data Analytics to Achieve Accurate Valuations 

          Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) have been around since the late 1980s and early ‘90s, although they have become more widely used in the last decade with advancements in technology and data analysis. The first AVMs were developed by companies such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to help them automate the mortgage underwriting process. 

          Essentially, AVMs are computer algorithms that use data analytics and machine learning—taking into account a variety of factors such as the property’s location, size and recent sales prices of comparable properties—to arrive at a valuation. ATTOM AVM (attomdata.com) is a prime example. They play a critical role in the iBuyer market, where speed is often a critical factor in securing deals, because they can analyze a wide range of data points that help iBuyers quickly make informed decisions about which properties to buy and at what price.


          “Currently, there are approximately 20 commercially available AVMs, and their unit costs range from about $1.50 to more than $12 per property valuation.”

          Mike Casale, Machine learning specialist


          AVMs are not foolproof, however, and their accuracy can be impacted by a range of factors such as changes in the housing market or inaccurate data. To ensure the precision of their valuations, iBuyers typically use a range of methods in addition to AVMs, such as human appraisals and property inspections. These complementary methods can help iBuyers identify any potential issues with a property and provide a more comprehensive picture of its value, ensuring the likelihood of an accurate offer. 

          Machine learning specialist, Mike Casale, made these seven points about the automated valuation models: 

          1. There are different types of AVMs, including distressed, contemporaneous, lender-grade, marketing-grade, and others.
          2. AVM reports can be used by a wide variety of individuals, including real estate lenders, real estate professionals, and government agencies, as well as individual researchers.
          3. Currently, there are approximately 20 commercially available AVMs, and their unit costs range from about $1.50 to more than $12 per property valuation.
          4. AVMs can be enhanced with assistance from local appraisers, which can improve accuracy, especially in more remote or rural areas.
          5. AVMs fall short in some areas, including the quality of data used to generate estimates and the lack of innovation in the outputs delivered to customers.
          6. AVM vendors can differentiate themselves by adding more value to the outputs they provide to customers, including reason codes, statistically derived confidence intervals, and explanations of the underlying data source used to generate the AVM estimates.
          7. The regulatory environment for AVMs is currently under review, with a focus on streamlining and simplifying the process while still ensuring consistency with safe and sound banking and valuation practices.

          Meeting iBuyer Demand: Companies See a Need, Strive to Fill It

          In 2014, Keith Rabois—a venture capitalist, entrepreneur and former PayPal and Square executive—founded Opendoor, an online home buying company that allows homeowners to receive a cash offer on their home at a fair price with just a few clicks of a mouse. 

          Within months the startup had raised $9.95 million, much of which came from fellow VCs and Silicon Valley A-list investors. Initially launched in Phoenix, Opendoor soon expanded into several other U.S. markets, including Portland and Dallas. The company charges a 5% commission or “convenience fee” and covers most closing costs, including half of the escrow charges. “If you are considering selling your home, we instantly provide an offer at a fair price and give homeowners the freedom to move on their timeline,” said Rabois in a statement around the time of the company’s launch. As of 2023, Opendoor operates in more than 50 markets across the country.

          Real Estate Market’s Pandemic Challenges Affect iBuyers in 2022

          The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the housing market, leading to a surge in house flipping and residential real estate investing. According to real estate analytics firm CoreLogic, investors purchased a record high 28% of all single-family homes in Q1 2022.

          The iBuyer trend was first initiated by Opendoor and its fast-following competitor Offerpad, and later it was adopted by major players in the real estate industry, such as Redfin and Zillow.

          Zillow entered the iBuyer market in 2018 with the launch of Zillow Offers. The program allowed homeowners to receive cash offers from Zillow for their homes, with the option to sell directly to Zillow if they chose to accept the offer. Initially started in Phoenix, Zillow Offers rapidly expanded into other markets across the United States. In fact, it experienced such rapid growth that it overwhelmed the company and ultimately lead to its abrupt shutdown. 

          In Q3 of its final year in operation, Zillow purchased more homes than in the previous 18 months combined, signifying the tremendous growth of the iBuyer business. By November 2021, however, Zillow announced that it would be exiting the iBuyer market after racking up over $1 billion in losses over the course of 3.5 years. This move was predicted to disrupt the iBuyer market and force other companies in the space to reevaluate their business models.

          That prediction proved true when Redfin made the decision to shut down its RedfinNow iBuyer division in November 2021. This move reduced its workforce by 13% and impacted as many as 264 employees from RedfinNow, along with 218 additional jobs from other departments. The company’s decision to exit the space reflected the challenges and post-pandemic uncertainties the industry as a whole was facing. Both Zillow Offers and Redfin Now used AVMs to determine the value of homes and offer competitive prices to homeowners.

          An article published by The Motley Fool in September 2022 claimed that the iBuying industry was facing significant challenges due to fluctuations in the housing market. Furthermore, Opendoor Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: OPEN), which was previously regarded as the dominant iBuyer in the market, was facing losses similar to Zillow. According to a report by YipitData, Opendoor experienced losses of 42% on homes sold in August 2022. 

          A closer look at the company’s year-end financials shows that Opendoor’s performance during the fourth quarter of 2022 was not as strong as it was during the same period in the previous year. In 4Q22, Opendoor reported revenues of $2.9 billion, reflecting a decline of 25% compared to the same quarter in 2021. Additionally, Opendoor’s sales figures for 4Q22 showed a decline of 23% from the previous year’s fourth quarter, with a total of 7,512 homes sold during this period.

          Similarly, Offerpad Solutions Inc. (NYSE: OPAD) was facing challenges and not faring much better. Offerpad’s revenue declined by approximately 21.94% from the previous year’s fourth quarter, dropping from $867.5 million in 4Q21 to $677.2 million in 4Q22.

          These figures have led to concerns about the future of not only Opendoor and Offerpad, but also the broader iBuying business model. Don Mullen, CEO of New York-based real estate investment firm Pretium Partners, has expressed concerns regarding the business models of both Opendoor and Offerpad. However, he was unequivocally bullish about the prospects of the single-family residential rental (SFR) industry.

          Looking Ahead: What’s Next for iBuyers in 2023

          The iBuyer model has emerged as a permanent fixture in the real estate industry. While many people associate iBuying with companies like Opendoor and Offerpad, it’s important to remember that other players, such as Tricon Residential Inc. (TSE: TCN) as well as the privately held Amherst Holdings and First Key Homes are also significant players in the space. These companies, with their focus on data analytics and technology-driven solutions, are poised to become major players in the iBuyer market in the years to come despite the challenges faced by others in the industry.

          Fundamentally, iBuyer.com leverages its extensive technical expertise and well-established record of digital customer acquisition to connect individual homeowners with leading iBuyers (i.e., cash buyers) across the country, streamlining the home selling process for these homeowners and providing them with a fast and hassle-free option to sell their property

          Discover your home’s worth online for free in minutes!

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