The fourth month of 2012, and the 4th month of The Seaside Report. And I am happy to report that the OBX real estate trends for 2012 are still rosy. 2012 is off to a great start for the Outer Banks real estate market.
But before I jump into the OBX real estate update for April 2012, let’s recap what The Seaside Report is and why we’re offering this monthly report about the Outer Banks real estate market.
As investors, homeowners, and vacationers, we need to understand the full picture of the Outer Banks real estate market to ensure we are making educated decisions, and our hope is that The Seaside Report will help develop this full perspective.
- The main economic driver on the Outer Banks is real estate, but for years the OBX market has been lacking one report that could offer a full view of the real estate conditions – sales & vacation rentals.
- To meet the need for a detailed analysis of the current Outer Banks real estate market, including the often ignored, but incredibly important, vacation rental market, we have created the monthly “Seaside Report.”
- We have combined the forces of both sides of our business – Outer Banks real estate sales with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty & OBX vacation rentals with Seaside Vacations – to bring you the first report to offer a comprehensive view of the OBX real estate market – real estate sales & vacation rentals.
As always, we appreciate your input, and we encourage you to leave your comments below. We are happy to address any questions you may have, and we are always interested in suggestions for improvement.
Outer Banks Real Estate Sales
(Data Source: OBAR)
Year-to-Date Sales
- Overall – up 22% (664 units vs 543 units)
- Residential – Up 14% (500 units vs 437 units)
- Land – Up 55% (150 units vs 97 units)
- Commercial – up 56% (14 units vs 9 units)
Year-to-Date Under Contract
- Overall – up 16% (780 units vs 675 units)
- Residential – up 8% (606 units vs 560 units)
- Land – Up 39% (115 units vs 160 units)
- Commercial – Up 100% (14 units vs 7 units)
Inventory – Inventory has continued to declined by are relatively constant rate of 1% over the last 12 months.
- Residential property inventory down 5%.
- Commercial property inventory down 8%.
- Raw land inventory up 5%.
Distressed Property (Residential):
- Distressed property sales contributed 23% to the total number of sales in April.
- Short Sales made up 7%
- Bank Owned made up 15%.
- Number of bank owned property sales declined by 29% while the number of Short Sale property sales stayed the same over April 2011.
Top 5 Outer Banks Real Estate Firms for April 2012
|
Rank |
Firm |
Volume |
| 1 |
$11,284,400 |
|
| 2 |
RE/MAX – KDH |
$8,997,000 |
| 3 |
Sun Realty – KDH |
$6,148,050 |
| 4 |
Beach Realty & Construction – KH |
$5,864,830 |
| 5 |
Midgett Realty – Avon |
$5,195,961 |
Outer Banks Vacation Rental Market
(Data Source: NAVIS GeoAnalytics)
Average Booking Window
Legend: 2011; 2012
This graph demonstrates the average number of days between booking and check-in date. This graph is summarized by month of booking, rather than month of stay.
For example, the reservations made at this time of year are about 85 days in advance of their check-in date. This booking window has dropped by 20 days from March. Considering that the summer is the busiest time of year on the Outer Banks, this decline in booking window makes sense. We should continue to see this booking window decline as we approach the summer months.
The takeaway message is that guests should book early for summer months in order to reserve the most desirable homes and weeks – at this point, at least 85 days in advance, but that window is declining every day as we approach the summer months.
Average Length of Stay
Legend: 2011; 2012
The Length of Stay graph illustrates the average number of days between check-in date and check-out date of reservations, summarized by check-in month.
As would be expected for the Outer Banks, the average stay is about seven days for the summer months and varies in the shoulder season.
A strong takeaway here is that full weeks are a must for the summer months, but Spring and Fall offer great opportunities for shorter stays and discounted rates, while maintaining the great benefits of gorgeous weather, empty beaches, and ample attractions and activities.
Average Stay Value
Legend: 2011; 2012
The Stay Value graph illustrates the average revenue actualized or projected for reservations, summarized by check-in month.
The clear message with this graph is that demand is high and supply is low during the summer months, and as a result, prices are driven higher during the summer months. As mentioned above, Spring and Fall offer great opportunities for shorter stays and discounted rates, while maintaining the great benefits of gorgeous weather, empty beaches, and ample attractions and activities.
July is the clear peak, and prices begin to fall towards the end of August – when kids go back to school.
It is interesting to note that the stay values are slightly higher for 2012 compared to 2011. This seems to signal that discounts are less likely for 2012. October dips a bit right now, but there is plenty of time for that stay value to recover leading up to October.
Bookings
Legend: 2011; 2012
The Bookings graph illustrates the number of reservations actualized or on the books, summarized by check-in month.
This graph gives a good view of the “strength” of the reservations over the previous year. Reservations are up, which indicates that early reservations are wise and prices should remain constant.
A couple points of interest; June is very strong over last year (+27%), but July is slightly under-performing in comparison to 2011 (-15%). This will be a trend to keep an eye on. My guess is July will recover with last minute bookings.
In general, bookings usually increase right up to the summer check-in days as last minute vacationers scramble to find available homes. July bookings should catch-up, and we should continue to see a strong growth in the remaining months ahead.






























