Some Highlights: The National Association of REALTORS® surveyed their members for their monthly Confidence Index. The REALTORS® Confidence Index is a key indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estate practitioners. Practitioners are asked about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions. Homes sold in less than a month in 24 out of 50 states, and Washington D.C. Homes typically went under contract in 27 days in May! … [Read more...]
Epic Housing Shortage Being Reported
The Joint Center of Housing Studies (JCHS) at Harvard University recently released their 2017 State of the Nation’s Housing Study, and a recent blog from JCHS revealed some of the more surprising aspects of the study. The first two revelations centered around the shortage of housing inventory currently available in both existing homes and new construction. Regarding Existing Home Inventory: “For the fourth year in a row, the inventory of homes for sale across the US not only failed to recover, but … [Read more...]
NAR Data Shows Now Is a Great Time to Sell!
We all realize that the best time to sell anything is when demand is high and the supply of that item is limited. Two major reports issued by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed information that suggests that now continues to be a great time to sell your house. Let’s look at the data covered in the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index and Existing Home Sales Report. REALTORS® CONFIDENCE INDEX Every month, NAR surveys “over 50,000 real estate … [Read more...]
Existing Home Sales Surge into Summer [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: Existing Home Sales reached their third highest mark this year in May. Inventory of homes for sale has dropped 8.4% since last year, marking the 24th consecutive month of year-over-year declines. NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun had this to say: “Those able to close on a home last month are probably feeling both happy and relieved. Listings in the affordable price range are scarce, homes are coming off the market at an extremely fast pace and the prevalence of multiple offers in some … [Read more...]
75% of Homeowners Think Now is a Good Time to Sell!
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released the findings of their Q2 Homeownership Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) Survey. The report covers core topics like, “if now is a good time to buy or sell a home, the perception of home price changes, perceived ability to qualify for a mortgage, and [an] outlook on the U.S. economy.” The survey revealed that 75% of homeowners think now is a good time to sell, compared to 70% last quarter. This is a considerable increase from more than … [Read more...]
Buyer’s Market Helps Premium Home Sales Soar
We previously reported how a shortage of inventory in the starter and trade-up home markets is driving prices up and causing bidding wars, creating a true seller’s market. At the same time, in the premium home market, an over-abundance of inventory has started to see prices come down and put buyers in the driver’s seat, creating the beginning of a buyer’s market. Last week, the National Association of Realtors released their Existing Home Sales Report which shed some additional light on the impact … [Read more...]
The Importance of Home Equity in Retirement Planning
We often discuss the difference in family wealth between homeowner households and renter households. Much of that difference is the result of the equity buildup that homeowners experience over the time that they own their home. In a report recently released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), they reveal how valuable equity can be in retirement planning. Craig Copeland, Senior Research Associate at EBRI, recently authored a report, Importance of Individual Account Retirement Plans and … [Read more...]
Do You Know How Much Equity You Have in Your Home?
CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 91,000 properties regained equity in the first quarter of 2017. This is great news for the country, as 48.2 million of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation. Price Appreciation = Good News for Homeowners Frank Nothaft, CoreLogic’s Chief Economist, explains: “One million borrowers achieved positive equity over the last year, which means risk continues to steadily decline as a result of increasing home … [Read more...]
Top Home Renovations for Maximum ROI [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: Whether you are selling your home, just purchased your first home, or are a homeowner planning to stay put for a while, there is value in knowing which home improvement projects will net you the most Return On Investment (ROI). While big projects like adding a bathroom or a complete kitchen remodel are popular ways to increase a home’s value, something as simple as updating landscaping and curb appeal can have a quick impact on a home’s value. For more information about top renovation … [Read more...]
Are Home Prices Approaching Bubble Territory?
As home values continue to rise, some are questioning whether we are approaching another housing bubble. Zillow just reported that: “National home values have surpassed the peak hit during the housing bubble and are at their highest value in more than a decade.” Though that statement is correct, we must realize that just catching prices of a decade ago does not mean we are at bubble numbers. Here is a graph of median prices as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). We can see that … [Read more...]
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