Las Vegas Home Prices Continue to Climb, Expected to Reach Pre-Recession Peak This Year
LAS VEGAS, NV – Las Vegas real estate has continued to astound the nation, with demand – and prices – still climbing ever since Southern Nevada spectacularly rebounded from the devastating recession of the mid-2000’s. Properties that were previously vacant and unwanted are now being snatched up at a record pace, and according to experts those prices will soon reach levels the region has not seen in over a decade, with no signs of slowing down.
2018 could very well see Las Vegas home prices, which have been rising steadily due to ever-increasing demand, reach their pre-recession peak; media house prices hit their zenith in 2006, coming in at $315,000, but after the housing bubble burst in 2012, that price dropped drastically- all the way down to $118,000.
The Vegas market is currently zeroing in on those pre-recession numbers. For instance, May of 2018 saw the median sales price of single family homes coming in at $295,000, which represents an increase of 2.1 percent from April and a jump of 18 percent from the same period one year prior.
The median sales price of previously owned single-family homes was $295,000 last month, up 2.1 percent from April and 18 percent from May 2017, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR). In addition, the number of homes sold increased from April to May – 3,140, up 9.1 percent. This showcases the rapid and continuing growth of the Vegas real estate market, although the increasing scarcity of inventory in 2018 is resulting in a slightly lower number of sales when compared to April of 2017, which saw an additional 10.7 percent in sales over this past April.
However, the amount of homes on the market has been steadily increasing as construction has been working overtime to meet the wants of new transplants to Nevada seeking job opportunities and an affordable lifestyle, in addition to more investors putting their properties up for sale. At the end of May 2018, 4,118 homes were for sale without offers, an increase of 7.9 percent from the month before; however, that number is still down 17.2 percent from May of 2017, showing that inventory is still not quite matching demand yet.
The ever-increasing home prices in Las Vegas are functioning as a double-edged sword; property owners and investors are accumulating a great deal of money as homes sell, but with the increasing number of new residents in the region looking for homes, a question of affordability will soon figure into the equation. Experts, however, don’t foresee any price decline in the Vegas real estate market over the course of the next several years, although some are hoping for price growth to at least slow down to a degree that goes more in line with the income level of local residents. Achieving that slower price growth will be possible, experts say, when local Vegas construction projects introduces more housing units upon the market – slightly curbing demand and giving buyers more options – anticipated to happen in 2019.
If you are considering relocating in or around the Las Vegas area, which clearly is experiencing huge growth and a booming job market, give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any real estate and home relocation questions you may have.