Keeping Current Matters

There has been tremendous volatility in certain markets over the last few weeks (for example, the stock and currency markets). When this happens, some tend to lump all of their investments together and create an almost ‘Armageddon’ scenario where everything loses value quickly and dramatically. Real estate is an investment that can get caught up in this hysteria. Does the concern about the current housing market have merit?Financial advisors have been warning us for months that the stock market was ripe for a “correction.”Experts have been questioning the value of alternative currencies for over a year.In contrast, here are the opinions of three major players in the residential housing market:Ralph DeFranco, Chief Economist, Arch Capital Services Inc.“It’s premature to worry about a housing bubble. The typical warning signs – . . .

Keeping Current Matters

According to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, prices appreciated by 6.9% year-over-year from December 2016 to December 2017 on a national level. This marks the fifth month in a row with at least a 6.9% increase.Dr. Frank Nothaft, Chief Economist for CoreLogic, gave insight into the reason behind the large appreciation,“The number of homes for sale has remained very low. Job growth lowered the unemployment rate to 4.1 percent by year’s end, the lowest level in 17 years. Rising income and consumer confidence has increased the number of prospective homebuyers. The net result of rising demand and limited for-sale inventory is a continued appreciation in home prices.”This is great news for homeowners who have gained nearly $15,000 in equity (on average) in their homes over the last year! Those homeowners who had been on the fence . . .

Keeping Current Matters

Just like with any product or service, the law of supply and demand impacts home prices. Any time that there is less supply than the market demands, prices increase.In many areas of the country, the supply of homes for sale in the starter and trade-up home markets is so low that bidding wars have ensued, and the busy spring-buying season is just around the corner.CoreLogic recently conducted an analysis on national home prices at the time of sale for their January 2018 MarketPulse Report and found that a third of homes sold for at least list price.“The share selling above list price was almost three times the trough in January 2008 and represented more than one-fifth of total sales.”Many markets in the western part of the country and around major cities are experiencing higher shares of homes selling above list price.“San Francisco had . . .

Keeping Current Matters

Every winter, families across the country decide if this will be the year that they sell their current houses and move into their dream homes.Mortgage rates hovered around 4% for all of 2017 which forced many buyers off the fence and into the market, resulting in incredibly strong demand RIGHT NOW!At the same time, however, inventory levels of homes for sale have dropped dramatically as compared to this time last year.Trulia reported that “in Q4 2017, U.S. home inventory decreased by 10.5%. That is the biggest drop we’ve seen since Q2 2013.” Here is a chart showing the decrease in inventory levels by category:The largest drop in inventory was in the starter home category which saw a 19% dip in listings.Bottom LineDemand for your home is very strong right now while your competition (other homes for sale) is at a historically . . .

Keeping Current Matters

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 4% or more over the next twelve months. One major challenge in such a market is the bank appraisal.When prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable sales (similar houses in the neighborhood that recently closed) to defend the selling price when performing the appraisal for the bank.Every month in their Home Price Perception Index (HPPI), Quicken Loans measures the disparity between what a homeowner who is seeking to refinance their home believes their house is worth and what an appraiser’s evaluation of that same home is.In the latest release, the disparity was the narrowest it has been in . . .

By The KCM CrewDefinitely an aggressive headline. However, as the final data on the 2017 housing market rolls in, we can definitely say one thing: If you are considering selling, IT IS TIME TO LIST YOUR HOME!How did we finish 2017?New-home sales were at their highest level in a decade.Sales of previously owned homes were at their highest level in more than a decade.Starts of single-family homes were their strongest in a decade and applications to build such properties advanced to the fastest pace since August 2007.And Bloomberg Business just reported:“America’s housing market is gearing up for a robust year ahead. Builders are more optimistic, demand is strong and lean inventory is keeping prices elevated.”And the National Association of Realtors revealed that buyer traffic is stronger this winter than it was during the spring buying season last . . .

Keeping Current Matters

It is common knowledge that a great number of homes sell during the spring-buying season. For that reason, many homeowners hold off on putting their homes on the market until then. The question is whether or not that will be a good strategy this year.The other listings that do come out in the spring will represent increased competition to any seller. Do a greater number of homes actually come to the market in the spring as compared to the rest of the year? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently revealed the months in which most people listed their homes for sale in 2017. Here is a graphic showing the results:The three months in the second quarter of the year (represented in red) are consistently the most popular months for sellers to list their homes on the market. Last year, the number of homes . . .

Keeping Current Matters

CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that “over the past 12 months, 712,000 borrowers moved into positive equity.” This is great news, as the share of homeowners with negative equity (those who owe more than their home is worth), has dropped more than 20% since the peak in Q4 of 2009 (26%) to 4.9% today.The report also revealed:The average homeowner gained approximately $14,900 in equity during the past year.Compared to Q3 2016, negative equity decreased 22% from 3.2 million homes, or 6.3% of all mortgaged properties.U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all homeowners) have seen their equity increase by a total of $870.6 billion since Q3 2016, an increase of 11.8%, year-over-year.The map below shows the percentage of homes by state with a mortgage and positive equity. (The states in gray have insufficient data to report.)Significant . . .

Keeping Current Matters

Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate on average by 3.35% per year and to grow by 24.34% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey.So, what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position?As an example, let’s assume a young couple purchases and closes on a $250,000 home this month (January). If we only look at the projected increase in the price of that home, how much equity will they earn over the next 5 years?Since the experts predict that home prices will increase by 4.2% in 2018, the young homeowners will have gained $10,500 in equity in just one year.Over a five-year period, their equity will increase by nearly $45,000! This figure does not even take into account their monthly principal mortgage payments. In many cases, home equity is one . . .

Keeping Current Matters

We often talk about the financial reasons why buying a home makes sense. But, more often than not, the emotional reasons are the more powerful or compelling reasons.No matter what shape or size your living space is, the concept and feeling of home can mean different things to different people. Whether it’s a certain scent or a favorite chair, the emotional reasons why we choose to buy our own homes are typically more important to us than the financial ones.1. Owning your home offers stability to start and raise a familyFrom the best neighborhoods to the best school districts, even those without children at the time of purchase may have this in the back of their minds as a major reason for choosing the location of the home that they purchase.2. There’s no place like homeOwning your own home offers you not only safety and security, but also a . . .