The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 17.4% less expensive in Honolulu (HI), all the way up to 53.2% less expensive in Miami & West Palm Beach (FL), and 37.7% nationwide! Other interesting findings in the report include: Interest rates have remained low, and even though home prices have appreciated around the country, they haven’t greatly outpaced … Continue reading...
The ‘Great News’ About Rising Prices
Recently there has been a lot of talk about home prices and if they are accelerating too quickly. In some areas of the country, seller supply (homes for sale) cannot keep up with the number of buyers out looking for a home, which has caused prices to rise.The great news about rising prices, however, is that according to CoreLogic’s latest US Economic Outlook, the average American household gained over $11,000 in equity over the course of the last year, largely due to home value increases.The map below was created from CoreLogic’s report and shows the average equity gain per mortgaged home from … Continue reading...
Appraisers & Homeowners Don’t See Eye-To-Eye on Values
In today’s housing market, where supply is very low and demand is very high, home values are increasing rapidly. Many experts are projecting that home values could appreciate by another 5%+ over the next twelve months. One major challenge in such a market is the bank appraisal. If prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable sales (similar houses in the neighborhood that closed recently) to defend the selling price when performing the appraisal for the bank. Every month, Quicken Loans measures the disparity between what a homeowner believes their house is … Continue reading...
3 Questions to Ask Before Buying Your Dream Home
If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family will have your best interest at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what is currently happening in the real estate market. Ask yourself the following 3 questions to help determine if now is actually a good time for you to buy in today’s market. 1. Why am I buying a home in the first place? This truly is the most important question to answer. Forget the finances for a minute. Why did you even begin to consider purchasing a home? For most, the reason has … Continue reading...
Home Prices Up 5.61% Across The Country! [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report. In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state. Based on the latest numbers, if you plan on relocating to another state, waiting to move may end up costing you more! Vermont was the only one state where home prices are actually lower than they were last year. … Continue reading...
14,767 Homes Sold Yesterday… Did Yours?
There are some homeowners that have been waiting for months to get a price they hoped for when they originally listed their house for sale. The only thing they might want to consider is... If it hasn't sold yet, maybe it's not priced properly. After all, 14,767 houses sold yesterday, 14,767 will sell today and 14,767 will sell tomorrow. 14,767! That is the average number of homes that sell each and every day in this country, according to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) latest Existing Home Sales Report. NAR reported that sales are at an annual rate of 5.39 million. Divide that … Continue reading...
Home Values: DEFINITELY NOT in Bubble Range!!
There are some industry pundits claiming that residential home values have risen too quickly and that current levels are on the verge of another housing bubble. It is easy to see how this thinking has taken form if we look at a graph of home prices from 2000 to today. The graph definitely looks like a rollercoaster ride. And, as prices begin to reach 2006 levels again, it “seems logical” that the next part of the ride would be downhill. However, this graph includes the anomaly of the price bubble and the correction (the housing crash). What if the bubble & bust didn’t occur? Let’s … Continue reading...
How Do Rising Prices Impact Your Home Equity?
Yesterday, we shared the results of the latest Home Price Expectation Survey by Pulsenomics. One of the big takeaways from the survey is that over the next five years, home prices will appreciate 3.5% per year on average, and cumulatively will grow by around 18%. So what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position? For example, let’s assume a young couple purchased and closed on a $250,000 home in January of this year. If we only look at the projected increase in the price of that home, how much equity would they earn over the next 5 years? Since the experts predict that home … Continue reading...
Where Are Home Prices Headed Over the Next 5 Years?
Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey.Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment & market strategists about where they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number.The results of their latest survey:Home values will appreciate by 4.5% over the course of 2016, 3.6% in 2017 and about 3.2% in the next two years, and finally … Continue reading...
Real Estate Values Today Compared to Pre-2008 Peak
This housing market has many people talking about home values; where they are and where they are headed. It’s also interesting to look back and see how home prices compare to values prior to the housing crisis. Every quarter, Freddie Mac releases their House Price Index. The index usually provides monthly home values for: the nation as a whole each of the 50 states 367 metropolitan statistical areas This quarter, the report also included a look at today’s home values as compared to Pre-2008 values. Here is a graphic that breaks down the numbers on a state-by-state basis: … Continue reading...