Home Sellers Compete for Well-Heeled Buyers Amid Rising Inventory

Coachella Valley Home Market Year-Over-Year Comparison, January 1—September 30, 2019 vs. Same Period 2018

On average, three-quarters of the year into 2019, Coachella Valley’s major cities continue to experience lackluster home sales compared to the same period in 2018.  The year started out with low inventory as a potential reason why home sales were dragging, but now with the number of Active Homes on the market having increased, the Number of Homes Sold and Pending for the most part, are still in negative territory.

In a nutshell:

  • Indian Wells and Palm Springs are the only cities selling more homes this year than last.
  • Pending Sales are slipping in 5 of the 8 cities indicating a potential slowing of future sales in those cities.
  • Average Home Sales Prices are up in all but two cities, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage.
  • The Number of Homes on the market are increasing, as sales are decreasing creating a buyers market.

Buyers Paying More for the Crème-de la Crème

All year, I’ve been saying that today’s home buyers are willing to pay more for homes that have a little something special to offer. That said, nothing has changed, and in fact, as more homes continue to enter the marketplace, competition for those fussy buyers will only heat up.

Expectations from the buyers I talk to daily, are high. Perhaps, it has something to do with the many celebrities known to own homes and vacation here. Certainly, the Kardashian family has done a lot for La Quinta by showing off their new home at The Madison Club, during Coachella Fest.  In fact, Kim Kardashian, family and friends were here this weekend celebrating her 39th birthday.

Trilogy La Quinta, and City of La Quinta 3Q Single Family Home Market in Lock-Step

More Homes for Sale; Fewer Sold; Average & Median Prices Up

Q3 single family home market statistics for 2019 versus the same period 2018, reveals a parallel universe for both Trilogy La Quinta, and the City of La Quinta.

Average and Median Sales Prices are trending upwards and that’s a good thing. In TLQ, much of the increase in prices can be traced to more homes selling in the higher price ranges in 2019 versus 2018. Roughly 25% more $500,000+ homes sold in 2019 versus 2018.

  • Number of Homes for Sale stayed the same 121 year-over-year, Jan-Sep.
  • Number of Homes Sold decreased by (-14%), 78 vs. 91 in 2018.
  • Number of Homes Pended decreased by (–14%), 81 vs. 94 in 2018.
  • Average Sold Price increased by (+10%), $484,471 vs. 441,801 in 2018.
  • Median Sales Price increased by (+9%), $467,500 vs. $430,000 in 2018

All-in-all, when selling your home, it helps to give it a little something special, and there are many ways to do it, without spending a lot of money. 

I have more than a dozen years experience selling homes to wealthy clients in the Bellevue-Redmond-Seattle area (some of our best customers), and I know how to make your home appeal to them.  It is especially important in places like Trilogy where the same model home is vying for the attention of only a handful of buyers. When you are ready to sell, give me call for a free consultation on how to prepare your home to beat the local competition.

Fun facts About Trilogy Sales, Jan 1—Sep. 2019

Trilogy Homes at Trilogy La Quinta were built in 2003-2011. As expected, the majority of homes sold in 2019 so far, are the earlier built homes. To compete in today’s market, these homes will require a bit of updating to make them more competitive in our slower market.

Just as a matter of interest, here is a chart totaling the number of homes sold by model between Jan. 1 and Sep. 30 this year.  If you are curious about what these floorplans look like, you can find them on my website. Click Here.

Fall is One of the Very Best Times of the Year to Sell Your Home.  And with Interest Rates at All Time Lows, Now, Might be the Best Time for You!

For a Free Home Estimate, call today!

If you’ve been putting off selling, because your home needs a little love, I have all the maintenance, landscaping and other resources you need to get your home ready for sale, and at a Top Dollar Price!