by Calculated Risk on 2/22/2010 02:56:00 PM

From Campbell Surveys: Short Sales See Big Jump in Activity During January

According to the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance Monthly Survey of Real Estate Market Conditions, short sales accounted for a substantial 15.9% of home purchase transactions in January. This was well above the share of other distressed property activity – damaged real estate owned or REO (13.4%) and move-in ready REO (13.8%) – and represented a big jump for short sales.
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“Short sales activity took a temporary dip in November around the expected expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit,” reported Thomas Popik, research director for the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance survey. “Few first-time homebuyers wanted to take the chance that their short sale transaction wouldn’t be approved by the November 30 deadline. But now that the tax credit has been extended, we see first-time homebuyers once again snapping up attractively priced short sales.”

Survey results showed that short sales typically sell for only 91% of listing price. In contrast, move-in ready REO sells for 99% of listing price, on average.

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

Source: Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance Monthly Survey of Real Estate Market Conditions, Campbell Communications, Jan 2010

This graph, based on data from Campbell Communications, shows the break down of distressed sales of all transactions by three categories: 1) move in ready REOs, 2) damaged REOs (sold mostly to investors), and 3) short sales.

I expect 2010 will be the year of the "short sale" and the percentage of short sales will increase further after the servicers implement the Treasury's HAFA program .