Business & Tech

Is the Housing Bubble Back on the Rise? Local Real Estate Agent Says 'Yes'

Data shows 2012 to be the year that the housing bust finally levels out. A few more foreclosed homes are expected to hit the market, but conditions are right for them to be snapped up.

It was a burst that turned the U.S. economy upside down, but could the housing bubble be filling up once again?

Shorewest Realty agent says all signs point to “yes.”

As a Sussex native working at Shorewest Realtors’ “Office of the Year” in Menomonee Falls, Mazza has a first-hand grasp on housing trends in Waukesha County. Between the data reported by the Federal National Mortgage Association and county trends, she thinks 2012 could be the year home values begin to level off.

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Mazza began her career in what could be considered the worst year for a real estate agent: 2008, the height of the market crash. Experiencing that, however, has led her to believe the area is on the cusp of normalcy.

“Right when I started, it was really the downfall of the market, but I can see really significant improvements in this area, especially when it comes to foreclosure properties and short sale transactions,” Mazza said. “Now getting into 2012, we’re still seeing the those transactions, but there’s less and less mortgage holders going into default. We’re starting to see that level off, so that’s where we’re hoping to see our home values get back to normal.”

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"Right now we’re in a complete buyer's market... It’s affecting home prices."

Mazza said a major contributor to lower home values is "shadow foreclosures." When a bank forecloses on a home, there’s no homeowner maintaining the property and it brings the market down overall.

Banks are holding on to these foreclosed properties, Mazza said, because if they flooded the market with these homes, the entire market drops significantly. Though banks are expected to put out more on the market in 2012, according to her data, a healthier appetite for buying homes should level out home values when they’re finally sold.

“Do we know exactly what’s going to happen? No, we don’t,” Mazza said. “But we’re getting predictions from the CEOs and the CFOs and the lenders and the private investors like Fannie Mae. It’s their prediction of the housing market, along with other factors like the job market. Are people employed? Can they afford a home? Employment is a big factor, and it all plays a part in our home values coming back up.”

National unemployment has continued a rapid drop from 9.9 percent almost two years ago to 8.3 percent today. Wisconsin's rate has fallen from 9.1 percent in February 2010 to 7.1 percent in December 2011.

"An average Waukesha County home dropped in value by more than $10,000 compared to the year before, while the average home in Sussex dropped in value by more than $60,000..."

And Shorewest’s data proves there’s been a massive peak in interest. By tracking the number of interested visitors on its website, the realtor group saw double the amount of traffic in 2011 compared to 2009.

The company also sold almost 300 additional homes in 2011 compared to the previous year. And while official numbers for 2012 are just rolling in, Mazza expects even more sales this year.

However, there’s no disputing the drop in home value in the last year. In 2011, an average Waukesha County home dropped in value by more than $10,000 compared to the year before, while the average home in Sussex dropped in value by more than $60,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

“Right now we’re in a complete buyer's market, which means there’s more buyers, there’s more inventory out there for them to choose from and the interest rate is so historically low,” said Mazza. “It’s affecting home prices. The rates are so low in fact, that this is probably the best time to buy that we’ve seen in ages, in lifetimes honestly. It’s just that low.”

However, with the expected sale of the foreclosed homes hitting the market this year, Mazza says her data shows it’s only a matter of time before home values level out.


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