4th Street is Getting Safer

For those of you who drive in and around St Pete downtown, I expect that we all agree that the roads can be a little chaotic. One-way streets, drivers not realizing the speed limit drops as you enter downtown and plenty of pedestrians. It’s a problem that has only worsened over the years as the city has grown and downtown has continued to boom.

Only a few months ago, I saw a horrible car crash in my rearview mirror from what appeared to be one car going way too fast and the other car getting confused with the street layout. Thankfully, it seems that FDOT, along with the City, has taken note of these issues and is making extensive changes along 4th St.

The changes are considered pedestrian improvements. Various signal improvements and curb ramps will be tackled, but the bulk of the focus is on building blub-out curb extensions. These bulb-outs are designed to increase pedestrian visibility and shorten the crossing distance, and they also slow turning vehicles and narrow the roadway.

The improvements are happening along 4th St from the 5th Ave N intersection down to the 5th Ave S intersection (11 blocks in total) and has a budget of $2.7M. The construction is set to be complete in early 2024, so expect additional traffic and delays along that 4th St stretch downtown. But, Personally, I’m happy to see improvements that are designed to make the roads safer and hopefully less chaotic.

You can get project updates directly from the FDOT website.

How’s the Market?

As a Realtor, I get asked a lot of questions about Real Estate… Which I do love, so keep asking. However, do you know the #1 question I am asked? You guessed it, “James, how’s the market?”

The reality is the market is constantly changing, and to know what is happening, I look at the data and reflect on my recent negotiations and experiences. The data used to determine the real estate market is a lagging indicator, so the data we will discuss today is based on closed sales in December. However, the experience of what is happening is based on our current market experiences.

Although interest rates have put the breaks on many buyers' plans, there are still plenty of buyers who need to place to live or are fed up with the ridiculous hikes in rental rates.

Pinellas County

Let’s talk Pinellas County. Currently, there are 2.9 months of inventory. Despite what the news might be saying, we are still in a strong seller’s market. For reference, a market with 7+ months of inventory is considered a buyers market.

How long until we are in a buyer’s market? Although interest rates have put the breaks on many buyers’ plans, there are still plenty of buyers who need to place to live or are fed up with the ridiculous hikes in rental rates. The higher interest rates have also stopped a lot of current homeowners from moving around, which has caused a new restraint on fresh inventory hitting the market. At the end of the day, real estate is a basic supply and demand-driven industry, and until we see more inventory, the sellers’ market will remain.

Prices

What about prices? In December 2022, we saw a median price of $375,000 with a 92% list price-to-sales ratio. Therefore, if we were to consider that equation, a home that sold for $375,000 would have been listed at $407,500. However, the median in December 2021 was $350,000, resulting in a 7.1% increase in median values year over year. So what is happening? It’s simply the market is adjusting, prices are leveling out, and we are seeing a more realistic rate of appreciation. Have values decreased? Well, compared to the frenzy of the spring market, yes, but then again, was that realistic? The simple answer is no. However, many sellers are still listing high and hoping for a bidding war, which in today’s market results in homes sitting on the market longer. The median days on the market in December 2022 was 31 days. That is 288% up from December 2021.

So if you plan to sell this year, putting your best foot forward is essential. The property’s condition, the marketing, and the representation you hire matter. We’re negotiating again, and the more savvy and experienced your agent is, the better you will be fair. No longer can you list your house as $25,000 higher than the most recent sale that sold for $25,000 above its initial list price. The desperation of buyers willing to give you the shirt off their back is gone because a seller around the block is asking a fair price for a better-quality home.

Takeaways

My takeaway advice for buyers and sellers in today’s market. Be realistic. If you want to sell, you must be willing to list at a price representing the home’s condition, location, and most recent sales. If you are looking to buy, be picky, you finally have some room to negotiate and put together a deal you feel comfortable with. We expect a similar trend throughout the year, and according to the experts’ interests, rates are expected to ease up a little as we move into spring and summer. When that happens, we will probably see more buyers get off the beach, but we will continue to struggle to find the inventory to meet the buyer demand.

If you’re interested in seeing December’s full Market Report, let me know, and I will send it over!

Silver + Welch Collective is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass. Compass Florida, LLC d/b/a Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting, or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

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