by Calculated Risk on 5/14/2009 02:23:00 PM

Press Release: Homeowner Confidence Shrinks; Most Americans Now Believe Their Home's Value Has Declined (ht broward, Jonathan)

The following table gives an idea of the number of homeowners waiting for a market turnaround to sell. Since about 6% of owner occupied properties turnover per year, this is a substantial shadow inventory.

Click on table for larger image in new window.

On shadow inventory:

As for selling activity, it's clear a significant number of potential sellers are holding back due to the current market. When asked about future plans to sell, 31 percent of homeowners said they would be at least "somewhat likely" to put their homes on the market in the next 12 months if they saw signs of a real estate market turnaround.
...
"Also interesting is the information we have for the first time this quarter on the levels of 'shadow inventory' - homes that people would like to sell but that aren't currently on the market, and thus aren't captured in the official number of homes on the market. With almost a third of homeowners poised to jump into the market at the first sign of stabilization, this could create a steady stream of new inventory adding to already record-high inventory levels, thus keeping downward pressure on home prices." [said Dr. Stan Humphries, Zillow's vice president of data and analytics].

Here is the full report: Q1 2009 Homeowner Confidence Survey Results