The increasing effects of natural disasters are leading to new obstacles in residential real estate. As a recent article from CoreLogic explains: “As the specter of climate change looms large, the world braces for unprecedented challenges. In the world of real estate, one of those challenges will be the effects of natural catastrophes on property portfolios, homeowners, and communities.” That may be why, according to Zillow, more and more Americans now consider how climate risks and natural disasters can impact their homeownership plans (see below): This study goes on to explain that climate risks affect where many people look for a home. That’s because homebuyers are interested in finding out if the house they want will be exposed to things like floods, extreme heat, and wildfires. If you’re in the same situation and are thinking about what to do next, here’s some important information to consider as you start looking for a home. Expert Advice for Homebuyers To Reduce Climate … Continue reading...
Understanding the Benefits of Owning Your First Home
Are you considering buying your first home? If so, it can be helpful to know what led other people to make that decision. According to a recent survey of first-time homebuyers by PulteGroup:“When asked why they purchased their first home recently, the answer was simple: because they wanted to. Either the desire to stop renting or recognition that homeownership is a smart financial investment was the main motivator for 72% of respondents.”While that survey looked specifically at first-time homebuyers buying newly built homes, the same sentiment is true for just about anyone buying their first home. Here’s a bit more information to help you think about those two benefits of homeownership to see if they’re a key factor for you too.When You Buy a Home, You Have More Stability than When You Rent You might want to stop renting because rents keep going up. If you’re a renter, that means there’s a chance your payment will increase each time you sign a new rental agreement or renew your current … Continue reading...
Home Prices Are Not Falling
During the fourth quarter of last year, some housing experts projected home prices were going to crash in 2023. The media ran with those forecasts and put out headlines calling for doom and gloom in the housing market. All of this negative news coverage made a lot of people have doubts about the strength of the residential real estate market.If it made you question if you should delay your own plans to move, here’s what you really need to know.Home Prices Never CrashedDisregard what you saw in the headlines. The actual data shows home prices were remarkably resilient and performed far better than the media would have you believe (see graph below):This graph uses reports from three trusted sources to clearly illustrate prices have already rebounded after experiencing only slight declines nationally. That’s a far cry from the crash so many articles called for.The declines that did happen (shown in red), weren’t drastic but were short-lived. As Nicole Friedman, a reporter at the Wall … Continue reading...
Unpacking the Long-Term Benefits of Homeownership
If you’re thinking about buying a home soon, higher mortgage rates, rising home prices, and ongoing affordability concerns may make you wonder if it still makes sense to buy a home right now. While those market factors are important, there's more to consider. You should think about the long-term benefits of homeownership too.Think about this: if you know people who bought a home 5, 10, or even 30 years ago, you’re probably going to have a hard time finding someone who regrets their decision. Why is that? The reason is tied to how home values grow with time and how, by extension, that grows your own wealth. That may be why, in a recent Fannie Mae survey, 76% of respondents say they believe buying a home is a safe investment.Here’s a look at how just the home price appreciation piece can really add up over the years.Home Price Growth over TimeThe map below uses data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to show just how noteworthy price gains have been over the last five years. … Continue reading...
Explaining Today’s Low Housing Supply [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some HighlightsWondering why the supply of homes for sale is limited today? There are a few factors at play.Lack of building over time, the mortgage rate lock-in effect, and people staying in their houses longer are three of the main reasons why supply is low.But real estate agents know exactly where to look and what to do to make your dream a reality. Connect with an agent so you have an expert on your side to help you successfully navigate the market and find your next home. … Continue reading...
Why Your House Didn’t Sell
If your listing expired and your house didn’t sell, you’re likely feeling a little frustrated. Not to mention, you're also probably wondering what went wrong. Here are three questions to think about as you figure out what to do next.Did You Limit Access to Your House?One of the biggest mistakes you can make when selling your house is restricting the days and times when potential buyers can tour it. Being flexible with your schedule is important when you're selling your house, even though it might feel a bit stressful to drop everything and leave when buyers want to see it. After all, minimal access means minimal exposure to buyers. ShowingTime advises:“. . . do your best to be as flexible as possible when granting access to your house for showings.”Sometimes, the most determined buyers might come from far away. Since they're traveling to see your house, they may not be able to change their plans easily if you only offer limited times for showings. So, try to make your house available … Continue reading...
Why Today’s Housing Inventory Shows a Crash Isn’t on the Horizon
You might remember the housing crash in 2008, even if you didn't own a home at the time. If you’re worried there’s going to be a repeat of what happened back then, there's good news – the housing market now is different from 2008.One important reason is there aren't enough homes for sale. That means there’s an undersupply, not an oversupply like the last time. For the market to crash, there would have to be too many houses for sale, but the data doesn't show that happening.Housing supply comes from three main sources:Homeowners deciding to sell their housesNewly built homesDistressed properties (foreclosures or short sales)Here’s a closer look at today's housing inventory to understand why this isn’t like 2008.Homeowners Deciding To Sell Their HousesAlthough housing supply did grow compared to last year, it’s still low. The current months’ supply is below the norm. The graph below shows this more clearly. If you look at the latest data (shown in green), compared to 2008 (shown in red), … Continue reading...
The Return of Normal Seasonality for Home Price Appreciation
If you’re thinking of making a move, one of the biggest questions you have right now is probably: what’s happening with home prices? Despite what you may be hearing in the news, nationally, home prices aren’t falling. It’s just that price growth is beginning to normalize. Here’s the context you need to really understand that trend.In the housing market, there are predictable ebbs and flows that happen each year. It’s called seasonality. Spring is the peak homebuying season when the market is most active. That activity is typically still strong in the summer but begins to wane as the cooler months approach. Home prices follow along with seasonality because prices appreciate most when something is in high demand.That’s why there’s a reliable long-term home price trend. The graph below uses data from Case-Shiller to show typical monthly home price movement from 1973 through 2022 (not adjusted, so you can see the seasonality):As the data shows, at the beginning of the year, home prices … Continue reading...
Beginning with Pre-Approval
If you’re looking to buy a home this fall, there are a few things you need to know. Affordability is tight with today’s mortgage rates and rising home prices. At the same time, there’s a limited number of homes on the market right now and that’s creating some competition among buyers. But, if you’re strategic, there are ways to navigate these waters. The first thing you’ll want to do is get pre-approved for a mortgage. That way you’ll know your numbers and can set yourself up for success from the start of your home search.What Pre-Approval Does for YouTo understand why it’s such an important step, you need to know what pre-approval is. As part of the homebuying process, a lender looks at your finances to determine what they’d be willing to loan you. From there, your lender will give you a pre-approval letter to help you know how much money you can borrow. Freddie Mac explains it like this:“A pre-approval is an indication from your lender that they are willing to lend you a certain … Continue reading...
How Remote Work Helps with Your House Hunt [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some HighlightsWhile remote work peaked during the pandemic, many people still work from home today.If you’re one of them, it could have an unexpected benefit when you’re looking to buy a home.If you can work from home, you might have more choices for where to live. Connect with a real estate agent to talk about your options and what's most important to you. … Continue reading...