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You are here: Home / Blog / Dispelling the Myth About Home Affordability

Dispelling the Myth About Home Affordability

October 11, 2018 by John Sibley

Dispelling the Myth About Home Affordability | Simplifying The Market

We have all seen the headlines that report that buying a home is less affordable today than it was at any other time in the last ten years, and those headlines are accurate. But, have you ever wondered why the headlines don’t say the last 25 years, the last 20 years, or even the last 11 years?

The reason is that homes were less affordable 25, 20, or even 11 years ago than they are today.

Obviously, buying a home is more expensive now than during the ten years immediately following one of the worst housing crashes in American history.

Over the past decade, the market was flooded with distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) that were selling at 10-50% discounts. There were so many distressed properties that the prices of non-distressed properties in the same neighborhoods were lowered and mortgage rates were kept low to help the economy.

Low Prices + Low Mortgage Rates = High Affordability

Prices have since recovered and mortgage rates have increased as the economy has gained strength. This has and will continue to impact housing affordability moving forward.

However, let’s give affordability some historical context. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) issues their Affordability Index each month. According to NAR:

“The Monthly Housing Affordability Index measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national and regional levels based on the most recent monthly price and income data.”

NAR’s current index stands at 138.8. The index had been higher each of the last ten years, peaking at 197 in 2012 (the higher the index the more affordable houses are).

But, the average index between 1990 and 2007 was just 123 and there were no years with an index above 133. That means that homes are more affordable today than at any time during the eighteen years between 1990 and 2007.

Bottom Line

With home prices continuing to appreciate and mortgage rates increasing, home affordability will likely continue to slide. However, this does not mean that buying a house is not an attainable goal in most markets as it is less expensive today than during the eighteen-year stretch immediately preceding the housing bubble and crash.

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Filed Under: Blog, Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates

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John Sibley came highly recommended by a neighbor and he sold our house not only once but twice! A pipe burst upstairs and flooded the house and the first sale was cancelled. We were out of town and John and his staff handled everything from informing us of the problem to working with the adjusters giving them access to the house. When we got back in town just three days later, the damage was already cleaned up and we were ready to begin the repairs!

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We were very happy with the service provided. As first time home buyers, we were initially anxious, however, John and the rest of the group helped us understand the home buying process and what to expect. They made sure we were well prepared by the closing and that our interests were top priority.

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John was great to work with. He provided good sound advice relative to marketing our home. He kept me informed through every step of the process from the initial listing to the closing. It was a great experience and I recommend the Sibley Group to anyone interested in purchasing or selling real estate property.

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Richard, Madisonville, LA
 

John Sibley and Lana Sibley Leonard were very instrumental in marketing my home both personably and professionally. Their drive and incentive made it possible for my home to sell in a quick, timely manner.

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Christina, Slidell, LA
 

Everyone throughout the process was extremely helpful. Dianna spent a lot of time, including late hours helping us find the right house.

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Chris, Slidell, LA
 

John & company were always negotiating on my behalf and won the battle such as letting me have an Estate Sale w/o charging me rent for one week and then the new owner moved in. The Sibley Realty Group was always professional in every way.

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Anonymous, Slidell, LA
 

Sibley's group is the best we've used.

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Cathy & Will, Slidell, LA
 

John and the Sibley Realty Group had a great command of the market prices and an excellent marketing strategy to get new groups of people to look at our property. By using new technology to market to different buyers and target new groups of potential buyers the Sibley Realty Group met our goal of selling within 3 months. The entire office helped make the transition smooth and Lauren is very helpful making sure everyone is on the same page as you go through the closing process. It is good t(...)

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Sibley Group delivered as promised.

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Stan, New Orleans, LA
 

We are extremely grateful to have found Sibley Realty group. Initially I had called other realtors who were not so responsive since we did not live in the area. Jordan contacted me back right away and made us feel at ease with our first home purchase. We lived 7 hours away from where we were buying and Jordan was very accomendating to our schedule of only being able to make it down on the weekends. The whole office are a bunch of true professionals that we owe more gratitiude to then we can(...)

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The Sibley Group has a team of Realtors to meet all of your real estate needs throughout the New Orleans Metropolitan area. We have agents that specialize on the Northshore and Southshore, including New Orleans, Slidell, Metairie, Covington, Mandeville, Pearl River, and Lacombe.


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Keller Williams Realty 455-0100

3197 Richland Ave, Metairie, LA 70002

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From Our Blog

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