Enid’s housing market is faring well as low interest rates are allowing first-time home buyers ample opportunities to make their dreams come true, while others are making moves into bigger homes.
Sunday’s Fall Home Showcase featured 50 homes currently on the market. A mixture of good weather, curiosity and a chance to examine the housing market brought many to open houses across Enid.
Realtor Shauna Carrington, with Coldwell Banker Reality III, said Enid’s housing market is faring well.
“We’re definitely seeing an increase in buyers,” she said. “In my opinion, the real estate market is still very strong.”
Carrington said her open house in the Willow Lake addition was bringing in a variety of people. Some are looking to purchase their first home, while others are looking for that next step up. She said open houses always bring in a good number of people.
Exit Reality’s Sarah Eagan, who was showing a house on Homestead, said the Fall Home Showcase had good attendance.
“We’ve had a steady flow of people come through,” she said. “I think the weather has helped tremendously.”
Eagan said low interest rates in Enid have kept the market steady and the availability of funds for first-time home buyers and rural development has kept the market healthy.
“There’s still bond money out there,” she said. “The opportunities are there to get some sort of assistance.”
RE/MAX Realtor Candi Baker said interest was high in the house she was showing on West Broadway.
“I’ve had at least 20 different families, or groups, come through,” she said. “One family had lived here in the ’60s and wanted to see the updates.”
Baker said the recession hasn’t adversely impacted Enid’s market for houses.
“We are still selling and listing,” she said.
Carrington and Eagan said the impact of Continental Resources relocating its company headquarters to Oklahoma City has yet to be seen in the housing market.
“It’s definitely a question in the buyers’ minds,” Eagan said. “It’s definitely in everybody’s thought process. I think the rates being low is countering that.”
She said buyers, especially those in the military, are asking whether the home would resell.
Carrington said Enid’s strong businesses and Vance Air Force Base should help keep the housing market steady, even with Continental Resources leaving.
“I think Enid is going to be fine,” she said.