Homes for sale in Door County, Real estate, waterfront property for sale in Sturgeon Bay, Southern Door, Fish Creek, Sister Bay, Algoma, Kewaunee

February 2022 Newsletter

February 15, 2022 by Kathy M

As always, January gives us little indication on how the real estate markets in Door and Kewaunee Counties will evolve. The first couple months of any new year are typically the slowest and activity is minimal. With this being the case, this newsletter will be a more in-depth summary of the residential housing market and how it has evolved over the last several years.

Last month we summarized residential values comparing 2021 to 2020. This month we will review median price changes over the last three years and focus on the rather dramatic increase in values in the last two years.

Door County Residential Inland Home Sales: Median prices 2019 to 2021 were $190,000, $226,500 and $300,000 respectively. That’s an increase of 58% in 3 years!

City of Sturgeon Bay: $158,000 (2019), $182,000 (2020) and $223,500 (2021) for an increase of 41%.

Kewaunee County: $129,000 (2019), $145,200 (2020) and $157,500 (2021) – a 22% increase in median price.

Prior to 2020, increases in value were generally under 10 percent. Starting in 2020, we have watched values jump in double figures for pretty much all types of properties. Here are some of the property types which showed double digit increases:

Residential Waterfront up 16% to $608,750

Vacant Land up 16% to $50,000

Residential Condos up 17% to $349,900

Hotel Condos up 52% to $127,000

To say this is a crazy market is an understatement! That is why sellers and buyers need the help of professional Realtors when considering their real estate needs. We at ERA Starr Realty review the market on a daily basis and are prepared to assist you. We Are Always There For You!

January 2022 Newsletter

January 21, 2022 by Kathy M

2021 Real Estate Market – A Year In Review

December continued the very robust real estate market for the Door-Kewaunee County Multiple Listing Service (MLS) members. There is no sense of “cooling off” as we look forward to 2022. Following is a summary of the December activity with a quick rundown on values of residential properties.

There were 135 December sales registered in the MLS, up 23%, compared to 2020 with 110 sales. Median Price continued its strong growth, moving from $180,000 in 2020 to a year-end number of $185,000 in 2021.

Residential homes showed the most activity and value increases for the year. Here is a summary:

Door County residential inland sales in 2021 were actually down from 426 in 2020 to 377 in 2021, mostly because of limited inventory. Median price skyrocketed 33% from $226,500 to $300,000.

City of Sturgeon Bay experienced an increase in number of sales moving from 93 to 114. Median price jumped 23% from $182,000 to $222,500.

Kewaunee County went from 66 to 94 sales and showed an 8% increase in median price from $145,200 to $157,500.

Residential Waterfront was also strong. Number of sales was relatively the same, down just 1 from 133 sales in 2020. Median price was up 19% to $608,750.

The outlook for 2022 remains very positive. There is little indication demand has been satisfied. Interest rates, although up from historic lows, are still well below rates we are used to. Keep an eye on the Fed!! Stock market needs to be watched! Profit taking has financed many home sales in the last two years. Inventory likely will continue to be problematic.

Here at ERA Starr Realty, we keep our eyes open to identify market factors. We are “Always There For You”.

November 2021 Newsletter

November 17, 2021 by Kathy M

With fall in the air and temperatures cooling down, you might think that this “red hot” housing market might be taking a rest. Well, the statistics for October show that just isn’t true.

The sales pace for the Door County Multiple Listing Service (MLS), although down slightly from last year (135 transactions vs. 161), rendered a dollar volume that increased from $51.7 million to $52.6 million. In a nutshell, this ultra-strong market appears to be with us for the foreseeable future, however long that might be.

Of special note, with October volume the last 2 years exceeding $50 million each year, the third strongest October in the last 8 years checked in at $30.1 million back in 2017.

Certainly the primary reasons for this strong market include very low interest rates, many buyers with deep cash pockets, desire to flee the big city, ability to work from home, surging stock market, etc. etc. Many elements have come together to create a home buying climate I personally have not witnessed in my 52 years as a real estate agent in Door/Kewaunee Counties.

Naturally, along with all this activity, comes an upward push in prices. Year-to-date, October showed a median price for the MLS at $180,000. Prior to 2020, the strongest YTD October median price was $162,000 in 2018. These numbers were for all types of properties from commercial to residential and everything in between.

Median prices YTD thru October for the last three years of residential inland homes were as follows: 2019 – $184,750, 2020 – $223,000, and 2021 – $268,950. That’s an increase of 46% in just 3 years. Amazing!!

ERA Starr Realty has been a major part of the real estate scene in Door/Kewaunee Counties since 1954. We pride ourselves in keeping up to date in market condition to help serve our customers and clients. We are “Always There for You!”

October 2021 Newsletter

October 19, 2021 by Kathy M

Things slowed down just a bit this September compared to September 2020. Still, real estate activity for Door and Kewaunee counties was strong. All the pertinent barometers that measure activity continue to be strong.

Number of sales is always the first thing we look at when measuring real estate activity for any sector or geographic area of the marketplace. September 2021 number of sales for Door and Kewaunee Counties checked in at 138. That’s down from last year when there were 150 sales. That is an 8% decline; however, looking back 8 years, we find that 122 sales in 2017 was second in sales until this year’s 138…so nothing to be alarmed about.

Perhaps the second most important indicator of the health of real estate markets is Year-to-Date (YTD) Median Price. Here again we trailed 2020 by just 4%, moving from $177,400 last year to $170,200 this year. Certainly there is nothing to be alarmed about here. In fact, median price in 2019 was $160,000 and was never over that amount in the last eight years. Without digging deep into the archives, I would bet that median price has never exceeded $170,000 in the Door-Kewaunee markets until 2020.

Days on the Market (DOM) is another measure indicating a very robust real estate market. There are all kinds of statistics locally, statewide and nationally showing residential properties selling in less than 75 DOM. This number allows perhaps a month or more for title companies to process a closing. Many are backed up to the point where they have to delay closings beyond the scheduled closing date.

Here at ERA Starr Realty, we pride ourselves in helping buyers and sellers navigate the selling/purchase process with as little turmoil as possible. We Are Always There for You!

August 2021 Newsletter

August 20, 2021 by Kathy M

As promised, here is the year-to-date (January – July) summary of the real estate action for residential homes in Door and Kewaunee Counties. Activities will be compared to 2019. 2020 is not used because of the dramatic negative influence of the pandemic on sales for that year.

Area markets will be broken down for inland home sales and a separate category will identify residential shore home sales.

Northern Door: Jacksonport, Egg Harbor and north (except Washington Island) – 61 homes were sold in 2019 compared to 85 in 2021. A 40% increase in the number sold while median price increased from $246,500 to $386,460, a 57% increase.

Southern Door: Sevastopol south to the county line (includes Sturgeon Bay) – 94 homes sold in 2019 vs. 96 in 2021 (little increase mostly because of lack of inventory). Median price increased from $167,200 to $232,500, up 39%.

Kewaunee County: 33 homes sold in 2019 compared to 38 here in 2021. Again lack of inventory limited activity. Median price jumped from $113,500 to $169,900 for an increase of 50%.

How about residential shore home sales for both counties? Here we see the number of sales increase from 46 in 2019 to 62 this year. That’s up 35%. Median price also soared from $391,500 in 2019 to $576,000 here in 2021. That’s a 47% increase.

Another item that was evident in reviewing sales information was a strong decrease in Days on Market (DOM). In short, homes are selling FAST. Buyers have to be ready to act and have to have cash or be pre-qualified at a lender. Multiple offers on homes are common and the best offer usually wins.

To say the housing market is hot is a gross understatement. Low interest rates, high demand, strong stock market, escape from the big city, ability to work from home are all factors in creating this market. Here at ERA Starr Realty, we understand what is going on at all times. We can help buyers and sellers weave their way through any transaction. We are “Always There for You”.

June 2021 Newsletter

June 17, 2021 by Kathy M

“The Beat Goes On” defines the real estate markets in Door and Kewaunee Counties here in 2021. My apologies to Cher, but I am running out of descriptive ways to depict real estate in times like these. I’ve spent 50+ years in the Door-Kewaunee County real estate business through really good times and really bad times. The last 10 years display just how volatile this market has been.

Median price for inland residential homes is a measure most indicative of the strength of any real estate market. January – May is a 5 month term that tells us a lot. Here are the five month median price values for the 10 years from 2012 thru 2021:

2012 $122,750
2013 $136,000
2014 $131,850
2015 $135,000
2016 $137,000
2017 $156,900
2018 $191,000
2019 $165,950
2020 $205,000
2021 $240,000

Ten years is used to give us a quick glance of values as we were coming out of a depressed housing period following the collapse of the real estate market in 2008. This contrasts the exceptionally strong housing market of today where the powers of supply and demand are far out of whack: tremendous demand and a very limited supply.

Over these ten years we see median price increase just over 100%. Just in the last 2 years values have increased 17%. We also see a very stable market in the 4 years running from 2013 to 2016.

Next month we will break down the current values with attention given to the different areas in the Door-Kewaunee County residential housing markets.

Residential inland housing remains the most active area of real estate with commercial, vacant land, residential waterfront and condominium sales comprising most other sales.

Here at ERA Starr Realty we continue to be the most active agency in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) with more transactions than any other agency. Our agents and staff strive to provide the very best for our customers and clients. We are “ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU”.

March 2021 Newsletter

March 23, 2021 by Kathy M

January and February typically give little indication of just what is in store for the real estate markets in Door and Kewaunee Counties. Not so here in 2021. The number of sales, volume and median price clearly show that the very strong markets of the last two years continue despite the slow down experienced during the first six months of 2020 when Covid first raised its ugly head.

The numbers don’t lie. Total sales for February increased from 52 last year to 80 in 2021. That’s a powerful jump of 54%. Total volume for those 80 sales amounted to $17.5 million compared to $10.6 million in 2020…up 65%.

As we move into March, the buying pressure continues for all types of property with the exception of commercial offerings. That pressure is especially strong for housing. From high-end to modestly priced homes, the market is heavy demand while supply is woefully low. This continues the trend we witnessed starting the last half of 2020.

Multiple offers on homes are more the usual than the exception. Selling prices well over listed price have become common. Cash offers abound. Buyers are making their offers as attractive as they can. Cash is always king while buyers often will eliminate contingencies such as property inspections to make their offer as attractive to sellers as possible.

Out-of-town buyers often submit offers based on a video tour of the property. Buyers may make an offer where they will enhance their offering price a certain amount if competing offers are submitted by other buyers. A hot market like we are experiencing will bring out all kinds of imaginative ideas where it is more important than ever to have a knowledgeable professional on your side whether listing or buying.

Here at ERA Starr Realty we are very fortunate to have an exceptional staff of smart, experienced agents very willing and able to assist in any and all of your real estate needs. We are “Always There For You”!

A Great Start to 2021!

February 22, 2021 by Kathy M

2021 is off to a great start for the real estate industry in Door and Kewaunee Counties. We see a continuation of the major spurt that started the second half of 2020. Sad to say but we appear to have adjusted to living with the pandemic and making the changes in our lives that allows us to make cautious real estate decisions.

January 2021 is the best January we have experienced in at least 8 years. Needless to say, January is never a concrete indication of just how the market will react for any year, but it is encouraging.

Total number of sales in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for January was 86. That compares to 60 in 2020 and a previous high over the last 8 years of 62. That’s a very healthy increase of 43% over last year. Total volume for those 86 sales was $16.7 million. 2020 volume was $12.6 million, so we show an increase of 33% in dollars. The highest January volume in the last 8 years was $13.3 million back in 2018.

Median price for the month of January is never a great indicator of just how healthy the real estate market is. There typically are few high-end sales during the first few months of any year. These sales usually take place in the spring through late fall, so we will see median price elevate as we move through the year. Over the last 8 years median price for the month of January has fluctuated from a low of $129,000 to a high of $163,250 in 2020. January of 2021 checks in at $151,250, the third highest in those 8 years.

All indications point to another banner year for real estate in Door and Kewaunee Counties. Interest rates remain very low, buyers have money in their pocket and banks are anxious to write mortgages. The only negative for some areas like Sturgeon Bay is a very real shortage of homes for sale.

Buyers need to be alert for properties coming on the market and here is where ERA Starr Realty excels! We have listed and sold more properties than any other agency in the two county area over the last 10+ years. Call an ERA Starr Realty agent if buying or selling… “We are Always There for You!”

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