Six months ago, we reported that the mismatch between the type of inventory of homes for sale and the demand of buyers in the US was causing the formation of two markets. In the starter and trade-up home categories, there were significantly more buyers than there were homes for sale, causing a seller’s market. In the premium, or luxury, home categories, the opposite was true as there was a surplus of these homes compared to the buyers that were out searching for their dream homes, which created a … [Read more...]
You Don’t Want to Hear This from Your Listing Agent
You’ve decided to sell your house. You begin to interview potential real estate agents to help you through the process. You need someone you trust enough to: Set the market value on possibly the largest asset your family owns (your home) Set the time schedule for the successful liquidation of that asset Set the fee for the services required to liquidate that asset An agent must be concerned first and foremost with you and your family to garner that degree of trust. Make sure this is the case. Be careful if … [Read more...]
Which Homes Have Increased in Value the Most?
Home values have risen dramatically over the last twelve months. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors puts the annual increase in the median existing-home price at 5.6%. CoreLogic, in their most recent Home Price Index Report, revealed that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year. CoreLogic broke appreciation down ever further into four price ranges which gives a more detailed view than simply looking at the year-over-year … [Read more...]
Should I Buy a Home Now? Or Wait Until Next Year? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: The Cost of Waiting to Buy is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 4.4% by next year. CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 5.0% over the next 12 months. If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to! … [Read more...]
Thinking of Selling your Home? Competition is Coming
The number of building permits issued for single-family homes is the best indicator of how many newly built homes will rise over the next few months. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Residential Sales Report, the number of these permits were up 7.7% over last year. How will this impact buyers? More inventory means more options. Danielle Hale, Realtor.com’s Chief Economist, explained this is good news for the housing market – especially … [Read more...]
What to Look for in Your Real Estate Team
How do you select the members of your team who are going to help you make your dream of owning a home a reality? What should you be looking for? How do you know if you’ve found the right agent or lender? The most important characteristic that you should be looking for in your agent is someone who is going to take the time to really educate you on the choices available to you and your ability to buy in today’s market. As Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, advises: “When getting help with money, … [Read more...]
More Than Half of All Buyers Are Surprised by Closing Costs
According to a survey conducted by ClosingCorp, over half of all homebuyers are surprised by the closing costs required to obtain their mortgage. After surveying 1,000 first-time and repeat homebuyers, the results revealed that 17% of homebuyers were surprised that closing costs were required at all, while another 35% were stunned by how much higher the fees were than expected. “Homebuyers reported being most surprised by mortgage insurance, followed by bank fees and points, taxes, title insurance … [Read more...]
How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your Home
Every homeowner wants to make sure they maximize their financial reward when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensure that you get the highest price possible. 1. Price it a LITTLE LOW This may seem counterintuitive. However, let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their home a little OVER market value will leave them room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the … [Read more...]
Lack of Existing Home Inventory Slows Sales Heading into Fall [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their latest Existing Home Sales Report. First-time homebuyers made up 31% of all sales in August. Homes are selling quickly with 51% of homes on the market for less than a month. A limited supply continues to drive up prices for the 66th consecutive month. … [Read more...]
Why Are So Few Homes for Sale?
There is no doubt that the largest challenge in today’s housing market is a lack of housing inventory for sale. This challenge has been defined as an “overwhelming lack of supply,” and even a “straight up inventory crisis.” First American just released the results of a survey which sheds light on the reasons for the current lack of supply. The survey asked title agents and real estate professionals to identify what they believe are the top reasons for this lack of inventory in their … [Read more...]
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