Aloha,

The inventory crunch continues for yet another month as new homes for sale dropped during the month of March by 6.2% for single-family homes and .1% for condominiums/townhomes. The jaws of demand continue to eat up the properties on the market, causing the inventory of condominiums/townhomes to drop by a whopping 26.9%.

Apparently, the rise in mortgage interest rates which began earlier this year has not slowed purchases just yet. This is illustrated by the rise in pending sales last month. Pending sales are the residential units for sale which have an accepted offer but have not closed just yet. Those sales were up by 3.8% (single-family homes) and 5.3% (condominiums/townhomes) compared to the same month last year.

What could be causing the continued demand for houses? Factors include the lack of newly constructed housing units over the past 2 decades, residents continuing to shelter-in-place during the pandemic (rather than selling), or maybe it is the buyer’s fear of missing  out (FOMO) during this market. Whatever the reason, the real estate market continues to speed forward.

Over the past 11 years, home values have steadily increased in value due to demand driving prices up. In March of 2022, that trend continued as the average sales price for single-family homes exceeded $1.5 Million ($1,570,688) and condos drove well past half a million dollars ($515,500). What does that mean for the buyer and seller? If the market remains the same, sellers can quickly sell their property and negotiate record prices. Buyers have to be prepared to act quickly and be decisive, all while waiting for something they like to hit the market for sale.

Read the full report from the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® here.

About Earnest Money Deposits

When a buyer and seller agree on a purchase price and terms, the buyer shows the seller a sign of good faith in the form of earnest money. This money, typically 1% to 3% of the sales price or whatever is customary for the local market, is deposited with an escrow agent or title company, a neutral third-party that serves to finalize the transaction for both sides.

Earnest money is designed to protect the seller. It shows the buyer is serious, but if the buyer doesn’t follow through with the contract, the seller could lose valuable marketing time if the transaction doesn’t close. They’ll have to start all over again to market the home. There are also opportunity costs – the seller could have possibly sold the home to a different buyer and perhaps for better terms. For that reason, the seller can keep the earnest money.

This also protects the buyer. The buyer can get out of a sales contract and get their money back if contingencies outlined in the purchase agreement aren’t met. Typical contingencies are that the buyer’s lender agrees to make the loan, the appraisal meets or exceeds the sales price of the home, the home passes inspection or that the buyer sells their current home before closing on the seller’s home.

Earnest money paid upfront in the transaction means the buyer has to come up with less money at closing or the deposit can be used as part or all of the down-payment. 

Blended Paint Shades for 2022

Paint color palettes for 2022 seem to lean toward soothing neutrals or bright, cheerful tones. Gone are the dark, moody colors of the past few years, as people cope with COVID and its variants, rising inflation, and political uncertainty. The trend this year is blended colors that offer serenity and good cheer in one perfect shade.

The most-watched Color of the Year is Pantone, the leader in digital, industrial and graphic design color mixtures. Instead of choosing a hue from its vast library, Pantone created a new color called Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri – a blend of soothing blue and exciting red that stimulates individuality and creativity and is a welcome antidote to neutrality.

Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year for 2022 is October Mist 1495, a grayed green that’s the central hue composed of vibrant neutrals inspired by nature in the brand’s 2022 Color Trends. Sherwin-Williams' Color for 2022 is called Evergreen Fog SW 9130, a deeper gray-green statement shade the company calls a “chameleon color” that’s both versatile and calming. Better Homes and Gardens introduced Laurel Leaf as the company’s first entry for Color of the Year. Laurel Leaf “mimics the soothing hues found in nature such as dusty green eucalyptus.

As consumers try to strike the right decorative note as they spend more time at home, these colors for 2022 are serene, natural and easy to pair with cozy neutrals or they can be popped with cheerful accents like oranges and gold.

Decreasing Demand or Supply Constraints?

In 2021, existing-home sales rose 8.5% during 2020, the highest level since 2006, as supplies of homes for sale fell to an all-time low of 910,000, equivalent to 1.8 months of available inventory.

In December 2021, housing sales declined 7.1% over December 2020. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) explained that the dip was likely due to supply constraints over decreasing demand from homebuyers. Employment in December rose by nearly 200,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.9%. Also, homebuyers, salaries rose 4.7% year-over-year, even while those gains were countered by the highest rate of inflation since 1982, a 7% increase from 2020.

The cost of housing, including owner-occupied and rented homes, rose 4.1%, the fastest rate since 2007. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that building costs rose nearly 19% in 2021 which slowed construction, along with materials and labor shortages. For these reasons, the housing industry is unlikely to increase supplies of new homes by only 2% in 2022, which will make existing homes more coveted.  

Homeownership is an excellent hedge against inflation, primarily because buying a home at a fixed price and interest rate where it applies. While home prices and interest rates continue to rise, the cost of housing decreases as long as the homeowner retains the property.

With positive signs that housing demand will continue, NAR predicts that mortgage interest rates will stay under 4% and that home prices will rise 3% to 5% by the end of 2022.