On the MOVEThe Helen Adams Realty Monthly Market Update

December 2015

Residential real estate is experiencing its best year since the recession. Housing demand is healthy, and that is expected to continue until the end of the year. Home sales are actually set to have their best national showing since 2006. More of the same is anticipated in 2016, but inventory and affordability challenges coupled with mortgage rate increases will likely keep any sort of monster growth in check. This should be a good thing for keeping home prices from increasing too rapidly to maintain economic stability.

New Listings in the Charlotte region decreased 4.7 percent to 3,042. PendingSales were up 18.1 percent to 3,000. Inventory levels fell 22.5 percent to 11,666 units.

Prices Continue to Gain TractionReprinted from November 2015 CRRA Monthly Indicators

P2 Vital Signs

P3 In Memory of our Founder, Helen Adams

P4 Residential Closings & Beth’s Bits

InthisIssue

Prices continued to gain traction. The Median Sales Price increased 9.4 percent to $197,000. List to Close was down 7.3 percent to 115 days. Sellers were encouraged as Months Supply of Homes for Sale was down 34.0 percent to 3.3 months.

Unemployment rates across the nation changed little last month, which bodes well for an increase in buying activity. The national jobless rate was 5.0 percent in October, which was 0.7 percent lower than the year prior. Although housing and employment data are quite positive at this juncture, it is still certainly possible for listings and sales to be down in year-over-year comparisons. Bad weather and the mix of housing available to buyers tend to have a greater effect on trends at the end of the year than during the midsummer months.

www.helenadamsrealty.com

Ballantyne Office15235-J John J. Delaney Dr.

Charlotte, NC 28277

Beth HaemmerleinBROKER/REALTOR®

Cell: 704.243.8773 beth@helenadamsrealty.com

The Vitals:A look at Charlotte’s Overall Real Estate Market

• Inventory continues to shrink, with the

change in new listings in the Charlotte region

decreasing year over year 4.7% to 3,042 and

total inventory down 22.5% from last year.

• The price range with the strongest sales was

$200,001-$300,000.

• Months supply of homes for sale has shrunk

to 3.3 months. This means that inventory

remains low and it remains a very competitive

market for buyers.

• Condo sales seem to be more popular this

month and are ahead, up 26.2% since this

time last year.

• For the 12-month period spanning December 2014 through November 2015, Pending sales in the Charlotte

region were up 16.1 percent overall.

Change in Closed Sales

PendingSales

Change inNew Listings

AverageSales Price

Total Active Listings

Average DaysList to Close

Months Supply of Homes for Sale

-3.3%

2,439

-4.7%

3,042

-7.3%

115

+18.1%

3,000

-22.5%

11,666

+5.8%

$240,663

-34.0%

3.3

(1)

(1) Data Represents change in data since this time last year. (2) Data Represents the most recent month’s data for CMLS.

(2)

Monthly Market Snapshot

Charlotte, NC and the Surrounding Areas

Market Updates

Monthly Average 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Ratesas reported by www.freddiemac.com

4

3.86

3.67

3.71

3.77

3.67

3.84

3.98

4.05

3.913.89

3.8

3.94

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

Nov. 14 Dec. 14 Jan. 15 Feb. 15 Mar. 15 Apr. 15 May. 15 Jun. 15 Jul. 15 Aug. 15 Sep. 15 Oct. Nov. 15

Monthly Market Snapshot

In Memory of Our Founder, Helen Adams

Two thousand fifteen marked a monumental year for Helen Adams Realty. Perhaps most noteworthy was the celebration of our 40th year in business. The company celebrated by establishing the Helen Adams Realty scholarship fund at UNC Charlotte and has succeeded in providing financial aid to its first candidate. Internally, the company continued to celebrate its commitment to providing the highest level of customer service. This foundation of giving and giving back was laid by the company’s founder, Helen Adams.

While the year provided many wonderful moments and accomplishments, it also brought sad times for the Adams family and the company. On November 25th, 2015, Helen passed away.

At the service for Helen, held at Christ Church Charlotte on November 28th, 2015, her family stood up and, fitting for Thanksgiving weekend, spoke about how thankful they had been to have her in their lives. Jeff Adams, current President of Helen Adams Realty and Helen’s son, had this to say about his mother at her service:

“She was a true real estate pioneer and entrepreneur and saleswoman extraordinaire. And in her heyday she sold the lion’s share of some of the finest homes in town.

So a word about her real estate acumen: I can remember sitting outside of her office and listening to her negotiate a deal. Her delivery was always eloquent and up-front. She had a great sense of timing and she could always figure out how to put a deal together – no matter the circumstances. I realize now that her intuition had a lot to do with her knowledge of the market and the strong relationships she developed with her clients, peers and colleagues.

She had a passionate belief that she would make the deal happen in their best interests. Her clients knew this about her and they trusted her advice… and this is her legacy.”

Helen will be missed, but her values live on, in her family, her company, and in all of those that knew her.

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Nov. 14 Dec. 14 Jan. 15 Feb. 15 Mar. 15 Apr. 15 May. 15 Jun. 15 Jul. 15 Aug. 15 Sep. 15 Oct. 15 Nov.15

$234,351ASP

Residential Closings for the Entire CMLS AreaNovember 2014 - November 2015

$228,085ASP

$228,080ASP

$227,104ASP

$229,437ASP

$233,505ASP $218,673

ASP

$241,176ASP $245,197

ASP$255,125

ASP $240,169ASP $237,646

ASP$240,663

ASP

Beth's Bits:Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year and one of the best things about Christmas is Christmas tree decorating! It’s truly an annual event that involves visiting a dozen or more tree vendors or tree farms to find the perfect tree, then walking down memory lane as we put up ornaments gathered over the years. Then, we sit back and enjoy it until after “Little Christmas,” which happens to be my birthday, January 6th (12 days after Christmas). But then what? What do you do with your Christmas tree after Christmas? In-stead of just throwing it out, here’s some ideas of other things to do with your tree this year:

Mulch With Needles: Pine needles dry quickly and decompose slowly, making them an excellent moisture- and mold-free mulch for ground-covering crops, such as strawberries, to rest on.

Make Coasters and Trivets: Cut thin slabs off the trunk, sand them smooth, and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to keep the sap off tables and glassware.

Chip It: Rent a chipper (get a few neighbors together to split the cost) and feed the tree through it. Next spring, spread the wood chips under shrubs; they’ll suppress weeds and, as they decompose, add nutrients to the soil.

Feed a Fire Pit: It’s fine to use a few of the quick-to-ignite branches to start an outdoor fire pit—but never in an in-door fireplace, where creosote build-up is a hazard.

Stake Your Plants: Strip small branches and use the remaining twigs to support indoor potted plants or stake leggy seedlings.

Create a Bird Sanctuary: Place your tree in its stand outdoors. Fill bird feeders and hang them from the boughs, or drape the tree with a swag of pinecones coated with peanut butter.

Insulate Perennials: Cut off boughs and lay them over pe-rennial beds to protect them from snow and reduce frost heaving.

Edge Your Borders: Cut the trunk into 2-inch discs and set them into the soil to edge flower beds or walkways.