EK Kim, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Real Estate

EK Kim, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Real Estate I'm thrilled to assist you in finding or selling your dream home.

06/30/2026

🏡 Champaign County Housing Market Update | May 2026

Spring brought continued momentum to our local housing market!

📊 May Highlights
✔ 241 homes sold (+12.1% YoY)
✔ 398 active listings (more choices for buyers)
✔ 226 homes under contract (+7.6%)
✔ Median sales price: $232,912
✔ Mortgage rates remain around 6.47%

More inventory is giving buyers additional options, while healthy sales and pending contracts show demand remains strong. Homes are taking a little longer to sell, making strategic pricing and preparation more important than ever.

📈 Bottom Line: The Champaign County market is becoming more balanced—buyers have more opportunities, while sellers continue to benefit from steady demand.

06/08/2026

🏡 Champaign County Market Update - April 2026

The local housing market remains active and healthy, though more balanced than the fast-paced seller's market of recent years.

✔ Median home price: $247,000 (+10.5% YoY)
✔ Home sales: +18.1% YoY
✔ Inventory remains limited
✔ Mortgage rates around 6.3%
✔ Buyers are taking more time and comparing options

📊 Nationally, a major trend is emerging: homeowners with significant equity are driving today's housing market. Baby Boomers now account for 42% of home buyers and 55% of sellers, while first-time buyers represent just 21% of purchases—the lowest share on record.

🌍 Looking ahead, economists are watching the ongoing Iran conflict as a potential risk to mortgage rates. If higher energy prices keep inflation elevated, mortgage rates could move above 7%, though most forecasts still expect rates to remain in the mid-6% range.

📍 Locally, Champaign-Urbana-Savoy continues to benefit from relatively affordable home prices, stable employment, and limited inventory.

Bottom line: April data shows a market that is becoming more balanced—not weaker. While affordability remains challenging for some first-time buyers, strong homeowner equity, limited supply, and steady local demand continue to support the housing market.

🔎The key takeaway: Watch the local market—not just the headlines.

05/05/2026

🏡 Champaign County Market Update – March 2026

The local housing market is entering the spring season with increasing activity, but still limited inventory, creating a balanced yet competitive environment.

📊 Key Highlights

• Sales: 172 homes (+3.6% YoY)
• Median Price: $226,125 (-4.8% YoY)
• Inventory: 345 homes (↓ from last month)
• Days on Market: 62 days (slightly longer)

🔎 What’s Happening?

✔ Spring activity is picking up
✔ Buyers are returning to the market

BUT

❗ Inventory remains tight
❗ Options are still limited

👉 This continues to drive competition for well-priced homes

💰 Local vs National

📍 Champaign County
• Slight price adjustment → some relief for buyers

🇺🇸 National Market
• Median price: $408,800 (record high for March)
👉 Our local market remains relatively affordable

📉 Mortgage Rates

• Around 6.3% (as of mid-April)
• Lower than last year

👉 Helping improve affordability slightly, but still impacting buyer decisions

🎯 What This Means

✔ Buyers: More opportunity, but need to act quickly
✔ Sellers: Still strong demand, but pricing matters more

The market is not slowing down — it’s stabilizing.

If you’re considering buying or selling this year,
understanding the market—and having the right strategy—can make all the difference.

03/23/2026

🏡 February 2026 Champaign County Housing Market Update
The local housing market showed a slight shift toward balance in February, offering more flexibility for buyers.

📊 Key Highlights
• Homes sold: 136 (↓ 4.2%)
• Median price: $220,000 (↓ 6.4%)
• Average price: $244,680 (↓ 9.6%)
• Inventory: 490 homes (↑ from last month)
• Days on market: 57 days (slightly longer)
• Pending sales: ↓ 7.1%

🧠 What This Means
✔ Prices are softening slightly (both median & average)
✔ Inventory is increasing → more choices for buyers
✔ Homes are taking longer to sell → more negotiation power

At the same time, mortgage rates are lower than last year (~6.1%), supporting affordability.

💡 Market Insight
This is not a declining market —
👉 it’s a rebalancing market.
We’re seeing a transition from a highly competitive seller’s market toward a more balanced environment.

📍 Local Advantage
Compared to national trends, the Champaign area remains:
✔ More stable
✔ More affordable
✔ Less volatile

If you’re thinking about buying or selling this spring,
this shift may create new opportunities depending on your situation.

📩 Message me anytime for a personalized strategy.

02/28/2026

📉 Mortgage Rates Back Under 6% — What’s Happening?

Mortgage rates have dipped below 6% again, with national averages around 5.99%. That’s one of the lowest levels we’ve seen in recent years.

The reason? It’s not just inflation or Fed headlines. Mortgage “spreads” — the gap between Treasury yields and mortgage rates — have tightened back to normal levels. That’s helping rates move lower even while the 10-year Treasury hovers near 4%.

Lower rates typically:
✔ Improve affordability
✔ Bring more buyers back into the market
✔ Increase spring demand

If rates stay near 6%, we could see stronger buyer activity heading into this season.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in 2026, this shift matters. Let’s run the numbers for your situation and your local market. 🏡

12/17/2025

🏡 November 2025 Market Recap | Champaign County

As we head into winter, our local housing market is settling into a healthy, more balanced pace.

📊 Highlights:
✔ Median sales price: $239,900 (↑ nearly 13% YoY)
✔ Average sale price: $278,228
✔ Homes selling at 98% of asking price
✔ Average days on market: 34 days
✔ Inventory rising — more choices for buyers

What does this mean?

🔹 For buyers: Less pressure, more time to decide, and better negotiation opportunities
🔹 For sellers: Homes are still selling well, but pricing strategy matters more than ever

💡 Takeaway:
This isn’t a slowdown — it’s a healthier, more balanced market. Local data matters far more than national headlines, especially here in Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy.

Thinking about buying, selling, or planning ahead for 2026?
Let’s talk through your options with real numbers, not guesswork.

📩 Message me anytime.

10/21/2025

🏡 September 2025 Market Recap – Champaign County
Our local housing market is settling into a healthy fall rhythm 🍂

📊 Highlights:
✅ Median sale price $237,500 (↑ 5.6% YoY)
✅ Average sale price $272,223
✅ Average days on market 30 (↑ from 18 in August)
✅ Inventory 330 homes – the highest since 2023 🩵
✅ Homes still selling at ~98.6% of asking price

Even as prices eased slightly month-to-month, demand remains strong, and buyers are enjoying more options and time to decide.

💡 Takeaway: A more balanced market is good news for both buyers and sellers this fall!

08/26/2025

🏡 NAR Housing Report – Buyers Gain Negotiating Power

📈 Key Market Shifts

Existing-home sales: Up 2% in July vs. June; slightly higher than last year.

Inventory: Highest since May 2020, up 16% year-over-year.

Home prices: Median = $422,400 (only 0.2% higher than last year).

Affordability: Wages now outpacing home price growth, giving buyers more room to negotiate.

💰 Buyer Advantages

More choices: Largest inventory in years.

Negotiating power: About half of U.S. markets seeing price reductions.

Builder incentives:
✅ 37% cutting prices (avg. 5% reduction)
✅ 2/3 offering incentives (rate buydowns, closing costs)

Mortgage applications: Up 23% year-over-year, signaling strong buyer demand.

🏘 Seller Position Still Strong

Financial stability: No major market declines; foreclosures/short sales = just 2% of transactions.

Wealth gains: Homeowners saw 49% appreciation since July 2019 (~$140,900 in added wealth).

Quick sales: 58% sold in less than a month; avg. 2.1 offers per listing.

Competitive: 21% sold above list price; 31% were cash sales.

📌 Takeaway
👉 For buyers: Best opportunity in 5+ years to find the right home, negotiate terms, and benefit from builder incentives.
👉 For sellers: The market is solid, but pricing right is key to selling quickly and successfully.

💬 Thinking about buying or selling in Champaign-Urbana-Savoy? I’d love to guide you through the process with confidence.

07/28/2025

🏡 June 2025 Housing Market Highlights
National + Champaign, IL Snapshot

📈National Median Price Record: $435,300
$140K Equity Gained by Average U.S. Homeowner in 5 Years
Existing-Home Sales Down 2.7% Nationwide
Mortgage Rates Hover in Mid-to-High 6% Range
30% of Homes Sold All-Cash Nationally

🌆 Champaign, IL Local Market Snapshot
Tight Inventory: Just 1.96 months of supply – Homes are selling fast
26.6% of Sales (Jan–June) were All-Cash Offers
Median Price Dipped Slightly to $245,000 – A window of opportunity for buyers

📲 Thinking of buying or selling? Let’s talk today!

🔗 Source:
• National Association of REALTORS®
• Champaign County Association of REALTORS® – June 2025 Report

Just Sold!Grateful for the opportunity to represent my seller and bring this transaction to a successful close. Every ho...
06/05/2025

Just Sold!
Grateful for the opportunity to represent my seller and bring this transaction to a successful close.
Every home has a story-let me help write yours.
📍 Champaign | 🤝 Trusted Realtor | 🏠 Residential Specialist

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1608 Broadmoor Drive
Champaign, IL
61821

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