North Dallas/Richardson/Plano Real Estate

Sales were off by 4% in January compared to a year ago. The average sales price and median sales price both were up sharply but this was due to an atypical distribution in the price ranges. Basically what happened was that there were fewer homes selling in the lower price ranges and a few more sales in the upper ranges. Pending sales were down by 4% and the number of active listings continues to decline leaving a very small 2.9 months of inventory.

Richardson has the smallest inventory on the market of any area. If you are a buyer this leaves you with very few choices. The best homes go quickly!

Sales: 43

Average Sales Price: $183,658

Median Sales Price: $176000

Pending Sales: 55

New Listings: 91

Active Listings: 230

Months of inventory: 2.9 

Extended and Expanded Tax Credit Expires 4/30/10

For prospective homebuyers who are on the fence about making a home purchase, the next few months represent a countdown of sorts as huge tax credits are about to expire. Here are important details for you to know:

Tax Credit for First-Time Homebuyers (FTHBs)
FTHBs (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit. The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

Tax Credit for Current Homeowners
The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

What Are the New Deadlines?
In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010. Those in the military do have some special extensions on the timelines available.

What's So Great About a "Tax Credit"?
The benefit of a tax credit is that it's a dollar-for-dollar benefit, rather than a "tax deduction", or reduction in a tax liability that would only save you $1,000 to $1,500 when all was said and done. So, if a first-time homebuyer who qualified for the entire benefit were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for a tax credit of $8,000, she would owe nothing.

Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little or no income tax liability. For example, if a first-time homebuyer is eligible for a tax credit of $8,000 but is liable for $4,000 in income tax, she can still receive a check for the remaining $4,000!

Higher Income Caps
The amount of income someone can earn and qualify for the full amount of the credit has been increased. Single tax filers who earn up to $125,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, single filers who earn $145,000 and above are ineligible. Joint filers who earn up to $225,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, joint filers who earn $245,000 and above are ineligible.

Maximum Purchase Price
Qualifying buyers may purchase a property with a maximum sales price of $800,000.

It's also important to note another upcoming deadline as the Federal Reserve winds down a program that has been keeping home loan rates artificially low. The fact is that the lowest rates of 2009 were driven down to their attractive levels because of the Fed's Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) purchase program, which the Fed once again emphasized in its January 27, 2010 Rate and Policy Statement will end on March 31, 2010. As the Fed's program winds down and ends, rates could rise over time since MBS will have less support from the Fed.

Extended and Expanded Tax Credit Expires 4/30/10

For prospective homebuyers who are on the fence about making a home purchase, the next few months represent a countdown of sorts as huge tax credits are about to expire. Here are important details for you to know:

Tax Credit for First-Time Homebuyers (FTHBs)
FTHBs (that is, people who have not owned a home within the last three years) may be eligible for the tax credit. The credit for FTHBs is 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

Tax Credit for Current Homeowners
The tax credit program now gives those who already own a residence some additional reasons to move to a new home. This incentive comes in the form of a tax credit of up to $6,500 for qualified purchasers who have owned and occupied a primary residence for a period of five consecutive years during the last eight years. Single taxpayers and married couples filing a joint return may qualify for the full tax credit amount.

What Are the New Deadlines?
In order to qualify for the credit, all contracts need to be in effect no later than April 30, 2010 and close no later than June 30, 2010. Those in the military do have some special extensions on the timelines available.

What's So Great About a "Tax Credit"?
The benefit of a tax credit is that it's a dollar-for-dollar benefit, rather than a "tax deduction", or reduction in a tax liability that would only save you $1,000 to $1,500 when all was said and done. So, if a first-time homebuyer who qualified for the entire benefit were to owe $8,000 in income taxes and would qualify for a tax credit of $8,000, she would owe nothing.

Better still, the tax credit is refundable, which means the homebuyer can receive a check for the credit if he or she has little or no income tax liability. For example, if a first-time homebuyer is eligible for a tax credit of $8,000 but is liable for $4,000 in income tax, she can still receive a check for the remaining $4,000!

Higher Income Caps
The amount of income someone can earn and qualify for the full amount of the credit has been increased. Single tax filers who earn up to $125,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, single filers who earn $145,000 and above are ineligible. Joint filers who earn up to $225,000 are eligible for the total credit amount. Those who earn more than this cap can receive a partial credit. However, joint filers who earn $245,000 and above are ineligible.

Maximum Purchase Price
Qualifying buyers may purchase a property with a maximum sales price of $800,000.

It's also important to note another upcoming deadline as the Federal Reserve winds down a program that has been keeping home loan rates artificially low. The fact is that the lowest rates of 2009 were driven down to their attractive levels because of the Fed's Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) purchase program, which the Fed once again emphasized in its January 27, 2010 Rate and Policy Statement will end on March 31, 2010. As the Fed's program winds down and ends, rates could rise over time since MBS will have less support from the Fed.

After being up for the last 2 months sales fell by 20% in the month of December.  The average sales price and the median sales price increased but this looks like it was due to some sales of higher priced homes. The number of Pending Sales decreased by 7%. New listings increased but the number of active listings continues to shrink. The months of inventory is at 2.9 months. This is a very low number and if you are a buyer you have very little on the market to choose from.

Sales: 52

Average Sales Price: $189,339

Median Sales Price: $171,000

Pending Sales: 42

New Listings: 82

Active Listings: 231

Days on Market: 59

Months of Inventory: 2.9

This report covers North Dallas North of LBJ.

Sales were off by 24% in December. the average sales price was up by 15% but this was due to the sale of 4 million dollar plus homes. The median sales price showed a decline of 10%. Pending sales were up 3% and we continue to see a decline in the number of active listing leaving us with a not bad 5.1 months of inventory. We will just have to wait and see if this decline continues on into January.

Sales: 54

Average Sales Price: $462,505

Median Sales Price: $269,000 

Pending Sales: 40

New Listings: 82

Active listings: 362

Days on Market: 81

Months of Inventory: 5.1

North of Northwest Hwy and South of LBJ.

Percentage wise sales were up 54% in December but this number was coming off an extremely terrible December of 2008. The actual number of sales was 43. The average Sales price declined by 39% and the median sales price was down by 37%. These numbers  do not represent an overall decline in sales price but reflect the fact the homes in the upper price ranges continue to not sell. The number of new listings continues to decline along with the number of active listings but we still have a 12.8 months supply on the market.

Sales: 43

Average Sales Price: $651,416

Median Sales Price: $499,900

Pending Sales: 17

New Listings: 43

Active Listings: 486

Months of inventory: 12.8

North of LBJ

Sales were up 41% in November. The average sales price increased by 2% and the median sales price increased by 7%. The number of new listings increased sharply but the number of active listings continues to be very low. The months of inventory number is only 2.9 months.

With inventory levels this low, if you are a Buyer, you better have an agent who can get you in the best houses the day they come on the market!

Sales: 89

Average Sales Price: $190,913

Median Sales Price: $182,750

Pending Sales: 50

New Listings: 97

Active Listings: 238

Days on Market: 42

Months of Inventory: 2.9

Richardson continues to fair better than any other city in the Metroplex. Sales for October were up 25% and the average sales price rose 3%. The number of active listings continues to drop creating a very low supply of homes for sale. Homes in October sold on average in 36 days.

Sales: 91

Average Sales Price: $180,602

Median Sales Price: $169,500

Pending Sales: 73

New Listings: 122

Active Listings: 230

Months of Inventory: 2.9

If you are interested in purchasing a home in Richardson, you better have a good Realtor who can get you in the homes the day they come on the market because the best homes sell quickly!

North Dallas north of Northwest Hwy. and south of LBJ:

October saw a 19% increase in sales along with a 17% increase in the average sales price. The median price increased by 29%. These increases are not a general rise in sales prices but simply reflect some additional sales in the higher end of the market pulling the averages up. This is good news, if it continues, because homes in the upper end prices have not been selling very well.

Sales: 44

Average Sales Price: $930,495

Median Sales Price: $767,500

Days on Market: 127

Pending Sales: 24

New Listings: 96

Active Listings: 616

Months of Inventory: 17

North Dallas north of LBJ:

This area say a much smaller increase in sales of 5%, but its still an increase. The average sales price was down by 9% while the median sales price was down by only 1%. This indicates that the sales were concentrated in the lower price ranges in this area. This area continues to fair better than it's southern neighbor with a 5.9 months supply of homes for sale.

Sales: 78

Average Sales Price: $341,949

Median Sales Price: $275,500

Days on Market: 63

Pending Sales: 50

New Listings: 116

Active Listings: 435

Months of Inventory: 5.9

NORTH OF NORTHWEST HWY. AND SOUTH OF LBJ:

There was a pick up in sales in this area in September but the average sales price continued to erode. Pending sales picked up along with the number of new listings. The number of active listing was flat. There continues to be an over supply on the market with a 17 month supply of homes for sale. Million dollar homes make up over 1/3 of the inventory in this area and they are very slow to sell.

Sales: 48 a 17% increase

Average sales price: $889,828 a 9% decrease

Median sales price: $650,000 a 2% increase

Days on market: 135 a 41% increase

Pending sales: 39 a 39% increase

New listings: 118 a 15% increase

Active listings: 612 a 0% increase

Months of inventory: 17

NORTH DALLAS NORTH OF LBJ:

Sales were down slightly in September and we saw a decline in the average sales price while the median sales price was flat. Days on market increased. Pending sales were off along with the number of active listings. The decline in inventory of homes for sale in this area is helping to keep supply/demand somewhat in balance.

Sales: 69 a 4% decrease

Average sales price: $294,761 an 8% decrease

Median sales price: 269,750 a 0% increase

Days on market: 66 a 22% increase

Pending sales: 63 a 10% decrease

New listings: 117 a 2% increase

Active listings: 444 a 12% decrease

Months of inventory: 6.1