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Housing Statistics
Builders Hit Pause While Resale Inventory Climbs – Q2 2025 Housing Snapshot
By Kalen | Published July 10, 2025
The real estate market continues to shift and adjust in response to rates, inventory, and buyer confidence, and Q2 2025 was no exception. What stood out this quarter was a noticeable divergence between resale and new construction activity. While resale inventory has climbed, new construction inventory has pulled back slightly. At the end of Q2, there were 2,227 single-family homes on the market, up from 1,998 at the end of Q1. That’s also over 200 more homes than we saw this time last year. On the flip side, new construction single-family homes dropped from 956 in Q1 to 817 in Q2—down from 898 in Q2 2024. This aligns with what I’m seeing on the ground: many builders are taking a […]
Q1 2025: Des Moines Housing Market Update: Insights for Builders, Developers, and Industry Leaders
By Kalen | Published March 07, 2025
The past few years have been a whirlwind for homebuilding and development. From supply chain disruptions and labor shortages to fluctuating interest rates and shifting buyer preferences, the challenges have been relentless. As we look ahead, here are some key market insights that will shape the Des Moines Metro housing landscape in 2025. Des Moines Market Snapshot As of February 2025, the Des Moines Metro has 1,998 active single-family listings, equating to a 3.1-month supply—a slight increase from last year’s 2.9-month supply. New construction homes make up 956 of these listings (a 6.1-month supply), up from 869 new builds in 2024. A notable shift is in the resale market, where active listings have jumped 58% year-over-year from 661 to 1,042. […]
A Look Back at 2024
By admin_leng | Published January 21, 2025
It’s been quite a year, with major events shaping the economy, housing market, and everyday life. Inflation and interest rates remained hot topics, impacting everything from mortgages to new construction costs. The real estate market saw a shift as affordability challenges persisted, while labor shortages and supply chain disruptions still exist, things have improved on that front for builders. On a global scale, geopolitical tensions, technological advancements, and climate concerns influenced markets and policies. As we step into a new year, it’s worth reflecting on how these changes have shaped the housing industry—especially here in the Des Moines metro. Inventory Trends: A Balancing Act Active Inventory Active inventory in the Des Moines metro area has increased compared to last year […]
Des Moines Real Estate Market in 2025: Stabilizing Rates and Increased Inventory Offer Renewed Hope for Buyers
By admin_leng | Published October 21, 2024
As we approach the end of 2024, the real estate market remains subject to constant change, much like the unpredictable weather. However, there’s some good news on the horizon. After a year of challenges, stabilizing interest rates offer a glimmer of hope for 2025. Although the market is still finding its balance, we’re beginning to see improvement, especially for buyers who have been hesitant due to higher rates and limited inventory. The Des Moines real estate market is showing signs of stabilization, yet hurdles still exist. Inventory is steadily increasing, providing more options for buyers, though a significant portion is dominated by new construction. Slowly but surely, resale homes are making their way back to the market, offering […]
The Olympic Challenge: Navigating the Real Estate Market in 2024
By admin_leng | Published July 26, 2024
As the world gears up for the Olympics, an event that epitomizes endurance, strategy, and adaptability, we recognize similar themes playing out in the real estate market today. Much like athletes training to anticipate and conquer obstacles, players in the real estate industry — builders, developers, bankers, and industry leaders — must stay astute and agile to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape. Trends and Indicators The real estate market is more than just properties bought and sold; it’s a barometer of economic health, measuring consumer confidence, financial stability, and technological innovations. This blog aims to provide a comprehensive view of the current real estate market, with a focus on both national trends and our local scene. In today’s market, […]
2024: Navigating the Real Estate Party – Should You Arrive Early or Fashionably Late?
By admin_leng | Published March 04, 2024
As quarter one of 2024 comes to an end, one may think to themselves, “How am I able to successfully navigate this year, this party that is to be 2024? Should I come early and be the first person there? Do I show up fashionably late and miss the beginning?”. Maximizing opportunity, both in fun and in business, is what it is all about! In the world of builders and developers, no one wants to miss out … ever. The overall feeling of 2024, thus far, is that uncertainty in the short term is overwhelming. The industry feels confident in what the long term housing market will bring; it is the short term that has us questioning ourselves. We need […]
Q4 2023: Goodbye Uncertainty, Hello Stability
By admin_leng | Published January 17, 2024
Say GOODBYE to the uncertainty that was 2023 and HELLO to the stability 2024 should bring! In the real estate industry, the fourth quarter months of 2023 ended with interest rates finally settling into a more predictable pattern. Housing market trends in 2023 were incredibly hard to predict – making planning very hard to do. As we close the door on yet another year, the environment feels as though things are shifting in our favor! Historically high interest rates of 2023 averted buyers. However, mortgage demand rose after interest rates lowered in the months of November and December. This end of year ease of interest rates and inflation should bring house hunters back in 2024. Baby boomers wanting to downsize […]
Market Rebalancing: A Look at Q3 2023 and What to Expect in Q4
By admin_leng | Published October 25, 2023
MARKET CLEANUP IS HAPPENING The third quarter of 2023 finished very much as predicted. The housing market continues to rebalance. Overall, 2023 has consistently shown us that supply, demand, buyers, sellers, mortgage rates (and builders themselves) are positioning themselves in a way that is sustainable in our current economy. As stated in our February blog, the market is cleaning itself up. Third quarter of this year trended on par with expectations. Q3 ended by showing total inventory available at just a slight increase, at a 2.8 month supply. ACTIVE INVENTORY Inventory movement on the market is creeping upward compared to the pandemic years. But total inventory remains significantly lower than 2017-2019 (the most recent “normal” years we have seen). Also, […]
Real Estate Market Rollercoaster: Navigating the Battle of Supply and Demand in Q2 2023
By admin_leng | Published July 18, 2023
The real estate market has always been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, with supply and demand dictating the pace. As we wrap up the second quarter of 2023, it’s time to take a closer look at the current state of the market, particularly in terms of single-family homes and new construction. We’ll explore the latest inventory numbers, pending sales, and the overall market trend. So, hold on tight as we delve into the battle of supply and demand in the real estate market. At the end of Q1 2023, the total inventory of single-family homes on the market stood at 1,457. As expected, this number has increased to 1,605 single-family homes in Q2 2023. This surge can be attributed […]
Q1 2023: THE MARKET REBALANCE IS UPON US
By admin_leng | Published February 28, 2023
We all knew it. The time would eventually come when the imaginary housing market reset button was pressed and the market itself rebalanced. It was bound to happen and we are now living through it. 2023 will be a clean up year. Supply, demand, buyers, sellers, mortgage rates, builders and more will strive to balance themselves in a way that is sustainable in our growing economy. Certain price points and communities have more supply than demand right now. 2023 will bring the clean up of new construction spec homes. A spec(ulative) home is one built on the idea it will easily sell for a profit. This might not be the case this year. Fundamentally, there are more new construction spec […]
