Greetings:
“Housing market prices are on the move…” according to National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun. Whether you are buying or selling trying to “hit the sweet spot” of the market is next to impossible. It all comes down to the needs of the consumer. If you must sell because of job location, a change in family dynamics or health reasons, you need to sell. The same is true of buying so many buyers today can no longer sit on the side lines. NAR revised their estimates for 2025 downward with existing home sales nationwide at 4.3 million annualized, new homes sales down by 10%, and home prices increasing by 3%.
Our demographics are changing as well in the home purchasing department with the increasing age of the typical first-time home buyer at 38 and the typical age of the home seller at 63. Many people are delaying the selling process, which adds to the shortage of available homes. Homeowners today are currently sitting at a record level of home equity. The current level is estimated to be 135% of the U.S. gross domestic product, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. In fact, when speaking with many homeowners, they don’t want to sell, because they cannot find a suitable replacement property or match their current home loan of 3-4%. There is a widening gap between home buyers and sellers because of the lack of “move-up” buyers which normally frees up starter homes for first time home buyers. Many sellers are staying in their existing homes longer, as long as 10-15 years.
In Douglas County we are seeing a slightly different scenario with new listings up in March to 173 or 46% over February 2025 at 118. New listings have increased year-to-date to 435 or 9.6% over the same time of 2024. Historically new listings increase in the spring and summer months. However, this is a good trend for buyers to have more inventory to choose from.
Pending sales also rose by 21.2% in March 2025 over February which is a sign that the housing market in Douglas County is improving. Year-to-date pending sales are up to 345 from 329 in 2024 or 4.9%. Closed sales were also up by 11.4% in March 2025 at 98 over the 88 closings in February. Year-to-date our closed sales are down 5.1% from 274 in 2024 to 260. There are many reasons for the decline, but one reason sales fail is appraisals coming in lower than the sales price. This is a trend we have not seen in the last couple of years. The market is adjusting. In fact, Douglas County’s average sales price is down 3.3% year-to-date in 2025 at $349,800 compared to 2024 at $352,100. We currently have a 4.4 month of inventory of houses on the market for sale. For March, properties in NE Roseburg remain the most affordable with the average sales price of $187,800 and Glide has the highest average sales price of $780,800.
Please join me in offering your thoughts and prayers to the players and families of the Umpqua Community College softball that suffered the outrageous and needless tragedy last week when their team bus was involved in a head on collision on their return trip home from the coast. More specifically their Coach, Jami Strinz, and player, Kiley Jones, who died. Plus, many of the other players were injured. Our Umpqua College has suffered through some real advertises with the mass shooting a few years ago and now this. As the president of the college, Rachel Pokrandt, wrote me, “Our hearts are broken here at the college, and we will come back strong as we always do, because that is what Jami and Kiley, would have wanted.” UMPQUA BE STRONG!
Also, please keep all our Armed Forces men and women who are serving, our First Responders, and Veterans in your thoughts and prayers for remember our “FREEDOMS ARE NOT FREE!” GOD BLESS THEM AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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