We Tell it Like It Is

From the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors:

Home sales continued their recent upward streak for the week ending October 11, with pending sales posting a 21.1 percent increase over the same week in 2007. While this doesn't keep pace with the extreme increases seen throughout September, it remains a positive indicator of recent buyer demand. Almost half of the properties bought during the week in question were lender-mediated foreclosures or short sales—47.3 percent, to be exact.

On the supply side, things look decidedly different. New listings declined by 10.0 percent for the same time period comparison and are down 11.5 percent over the last three months. The total supply of active homes for sale sits at 30,495, which is 9.4 percent below this time last year. Inventory should decline through the remainder of the year as traditional home sellers take their homes off the market with greater frequency during the fall and winter months, waiting for the inherent optimism and renewed spirit of spring's thaw.