Milwaukee

Housing seemed to have a slow start to the spring selling season, but appearances deceive. Dig into that spring soil and you begin to unearth differences in individual areas and market segments. Inventory is slowly rising in some areas. Activity is picking up in the upper price tiers. Rents continue to climb in most metros. And interest rates are generally lower than a year ago, to the surprise of some and the delight of others.

New Listings in the Milwaukee region increased 11.0 percent to 2,784. Pending Sales were down 27.6 percent to 1,254. Inventory levels rose 10.0 percent to 8,874 units.

Prices were fairly stable. The Median Sales Price decreased 0.1 percent to $189,900. Days on Market was down 10.1 percent to 74 days. Absorption rates slowed as Months Supply of Inventory was up 16.0 percent to 7.0 months.

Housing is one part of a broader ecosystem that thrives on a strong economy that churns out good jobs. First-quarter employment figures were adequate but not thrilling, but second-quarter numbers figure to be more positive. Access to mortgage capital remains an ongoing concern. As cash and investor deals fade, first-time buyers typically step to the forefront, but tight credit can and has been a real hurdle.

All data for the market reports comes from the Multiple Listing Service, Inc. and is powered by 10K Research and Marketing. You can follow this link: http://www.metromls.com/support/Market_Updates/index.html or visit www.metromls.com.

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