House hunters in the 13-county Twin Cities metropolitan area are finally getting more to choose from. Inventory levels were up 6.1 percent to 16,368 homes for sale in May 2014. This comes as new listings were up 3.0 percent to 8,572 and pending sales were down 9.0 percent to 5,260. Even though overall buyer demand remains below 2013 levels, it’s still well above 2011 and 2012 levels. Moreover, buyer demand increased for traditional homes.

Absorption rates actually slowed to 3.9 months of supply, thanks to recent inventory increases. Even with more supply and less demand, the mix of sales continues to skew away from distressed properties and toward traditional homes that sell at higher price points. Consequently, the median sales price rose 8.2 percent to $210,000 – the highest May median sales price since 2007 and tied for the highest median price for any month since December 2007.

Though new listings rose 3.0 percent compared to last May, traditional new listings rose 14.1 percent while foreclosure and short sale new listings fell 44.0 percent and 47.7 percent, respectively. Similarly, though pending sales were down 9.0 percent, traditional pending sales rose 0.7 percent while foreclosure and short sale pendings fell 39.3 percent and 47.3 percent. And again, overall inventory was up 6.1 percent but traditional inventory was up 25.9 percent as foreclosure inventory fell 36.6 percent and short sale inventory plummeted by 53.6 percent.

With inventory up, consumers now have the largest pool of homes for sale in almost a year. Inventory hasn’t shown this many consecutive year-over-year increases in about 3½ years. Perhaps more importantly, a larger share of that inventory falls under the more desirable traditional segment.

“Yes there’s more inventory, but not in all areas or price points,” said Emily Green, President of the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR). “The lack of supply is really starting to weigh on consumers and on sales numbers. This market has been supply-constrained for long enough, but the trend is moving in a positive direction.”

As a result of this ongoing shift toward higher-priced and higher-quality product, the median sales price for the metro rose 8.2 percent to $210,000. That now makes 27 straight months of year-over-year price gains. Also helping along price recovery is the fact that foreclosures and short sales made up only about 10.0 percent of all new listings and about 15.0 percent of all closed sales. Those are the lowest figures since October 2007 and May 2007, respectively.

Homes continued to sell quickly, as days on market was down 7.0 percent to 80 days, on average. Sellers are receiving an average of 96.8 percent of their original list price. The Twin Cities now has 3.9 months’ supply of inventory, just a tad higher than last May and consistent with this phase of market recovery.

“More inventory really is a good sign,” said Mike Hoffman, MAAR President-Elect. “But housing relies heavily on the economy. That said, job growth, unemployment, consumer confidence and family financial situations must continue to show improvement.”

Home sales in the 13-county Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area have appeared lackluster of late on the surface, but if you turn the dirt, you’ll see more intriguing colors in the flowering market mix. Overall closed sales were down 11.9 percent to 3,806 for April 2014, but traditional sales were actually up 1.4 percent. The total was brought down by a 41.8% decline in foreclosure sales and 40.8% decrease in short sales.

Increased seller activity is critical to replenishing inventories. New listings rose 10.2 percent to 7,776 newly listed homes, a welcome sign for prospective buyers. Inventory levels are still constrained, but consumers should have more options to choose from this year than last year.

With higher prices and more buyers on the prowl, more sellers are able to go the traditional route. Traditional new listings rose 25.7 percent compared to last year at this time, while foreclosure and short sale new listings fell 41.6 percent and 49.6 percent, respectively.

On the demand side, pending sales declined 3.9 percent to 5,127 properties overall, once again reflecting less distressed market activity. Traditional pending sales were up 8.2 percent while pending foreclosure and short sales fell 40.4 and 35.1 percent, respectively. The inventory of homes for sale in the Twin Cities is now at 14,429 properties, 1.5 percent more than last year at this time, marking the first year-over-year increase since October 2013 and the largest increase since January 2011.

“We’re seeing the return of a real estate market led by traditional listings and sales,” said Emily Green, President of the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR). “Coupled with more inventory – attractive inventory – it’s setting up to be an exciting year for buyers and sellers.”

As a result of the ongoing shift in the types of homes being sold, the median sales price for the metro rose 8.0 percent to $197,000. That’s 26 straight months of year-over-year price gains. Foreclosures and short sales now make up just 11.4 percent of all new listings. Last April, they made up 22.4 percent. For closed sales, the number fell from 31.3 to 20.9 percent.

On average, homes spent 89 days on the market, down 8.2 percent from last April. Sellers are receiving an average of 95.9 percent of their original list price. The Twin Cities now has 3.4 months’ supply of inventory, the same mark that it was last April.

“Distressed inventory has made up the majority of the lower price ranges, and that market is evaporating,” said Mike Hoffman, MAAR President-Elect. “We can anticipate more negotiations and transactions with people rather than banks.”

All information is according to the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) based on data from NorthstarMLS. MAAR is the leading regional advocate and provider of information services and research on the real estate industry for brokers, real estate professionals and the public. MAAR serves the Twin Cities 13-county metro area and western Wisconsin. 10K Research and Marketing, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of MAAR.