Where Are the Home Prices Heading in 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 4.4% over the course of 2017, 3.4% in 2018, 2.8% in 2019, 2.7% in 2020, and 2.8% in 2021. That means the average annual appreciation will be 3.22% over the next 5 years. The prediction for cumulative appreciation fell from 21.4% to 17.3% b... 02/27/2017

Existing Home Sales Reach Highest Mark Since 2007 Highlights: Sales of existing homes reached the highest pace in a decade at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. January marked the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains as the median home price rose 7.1% to $228,900. NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun had this to say, “Much of the country saw robust sales activity last month as strong hiring and improved consumer confidence at the end of last year appear to have sparked considerable interest in buying a home."  Sellers , update your Current Market Value by receiving a 25+ page Seller's RPR report  ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to receive your copy .     02/25/2017

The Impact of Homeownership on Family Health The National Association of Realtors recently released a study titled 'Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing.’ The study confirmed a long-standing belief of most Americans: “Owning a home embodies the promise of individual autonomy and is the aspiration of most American households. Homeownership allows households to accumulate wealth and social status, and is the basis for a number of positive social, economic, family and civic outcomes.” Today, we want to cover the section of the report that quoted several studies concentrating on the impact homeownership has on the health of family members. Here are some of the major findings on this issue revealed in the report: There is a strong positive relationship between living in poor h... 02/24/2017

Are You 1 of the 59 Million Planning to Buy This Year? According to a survey conducted by Bankrate.com, one in four Americans are considering buying a home this year. If this statistic proves to be true, that means that 59 million people will be looking to enter the housing market in 2017. The survey also revealed 3 key takeaways: Those most likely to buy are ‘Older Millennials’ (ages 27-36) or ‘Generation X’ (ages 37-52) Minorities, particularly African-Americans, were twice as likely to respond that they were considering purchasing a home this year than white respondents. Many potential buyers believe they need to put 20% down and need to have perfect credit to own and are unaware of programs that would allow them to buy now. Holden Lewis, a mortgage analyst for Bankrate.com, pointed ... 02/23/2017

Access: A Key Component in Getting Your House SOLD! So, you’ve decided to sell your house. You’ve hired a real estate professional to help you with the entire process, and they have asked you what level of access you want to provide to potential buyers. There are four elements to a quality listing. At the top of the list is Access, followed by Condition, Financing, and Price. There are many levels of access that you can provide to your agent so that he or she can show your home. Here are five levels of access that you can give to buyers, along with a brief description: Lockbox on the Door – this allows buyers the ability to see the home as soon as they are aware of the listing, or at their convenience. Providing a Key to the Home – although the buyer’s agent may need to stop by an offic... 02/22/2017

US Housing Market Is Moving into 'Buy Territory'! According to the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index, the U.S. housing market has continued to move deeper into buy territory, supporting the belief that housing markets across the country remain a sound investment. The BH&J Index is a quarterly report that attempts to answer the question: In today’s housing market, is it better to rent or buy a home? The index examines the entire US housing market and then isolates 23 major cities for comparison. The researchers “measure the relationship between purchasing property and building wealth through a buildup in equity versus renting a comparable property and investing in a portfolio of stocks and bonds.”  While most of the metropolitan markets examined moved further into buy t... 02/21/2017

The Impact of Homeownership on Civic Involvement The National Association of Realtors recently released a study titled 'Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing.’ The study confirmed a long-standing belief of most Americans: “Owning a home embodies the promise of individual autonomy and is the aspiration of most American households. Homeownership allows households to accumulate wealth and social status, and is the basis for a number of positive social, economic, family and civic outcomes.” Today, we want to cover the section of the report that quoted several studies concentrating on the impact homeownership has on the civic participation of family members. Here are some of the major findings on this issue revealed in the report: Homeowners have a much greater financial stake ... 02/20/2017

Do You Know the Real Cost of Renting vs. Buying? [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Historically, the choice between renting or buying a home has been a close decision. Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (30%), vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (15%), the choice becomes obvious. Every market is different. Before you renew your lease again, find out if you could use your housing costs to own a home of your own! Buyers , your first step is Mortgage Pre-Approval  !    Email      mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to get started  !  02/19/2017

The Great News About Rising Prices for Homeowners Recently there has been a lot of talk about home prices and if they are accelerating too quickly. As we mentioned before, 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 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 using the same report from CoreLogic and shows the average equity gain per mortgaged home from June 2015 to June 2016 (the latest data available). For those who are worried that we are doomed to repeat 2006 al... 02/15/2017

First Comes Love… Then Comes Mortgage? According to the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics in 2016 at 58% of all buyers. It is no surprise that having two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs makes buying a home more attainable. But, many couples are also deciding to buy a home before spending what would be a down payment on a wedding, as unmarried couples made up 14% of all first-time buyers last year. If you’re single, don’t fret! Single women made up 18% of first-time buyers in 2016, while single men accounted for 8% of buyers. One recent article pointed to a sense of responsibility and commitment that drives many single women to wa... 02/14/2017

3 Questions to Ask If You Want to Buy 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 a good time for you to buy in today’s market. 1. Why am I buying a home in the first place?  This is truly 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 nothing to do with money. For example, a survey by Braun showed that over 75% of parents say “their child’s education is an important part of the search fo... 02/13/2017

The Impact of Homeownership on Educational Achievement The National Association of Realtors recently released a study titled 'Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing.’ The study confirmed a long-standing belief of most Americans: “Owning a home embodies the promise of individual autonomy and is the aspiration of most American households. Homeownership allows households to accumulate wealth and social status, and is the basis for a number of positive social, economic, family and civic outcomes.” Today, we want to cover the section of the report that quoted several studies concentrating on the impact homeownership has on educational achievement. Here are some of the major findings on this issue revealed in the report: The decision to stay in school by teenage students is highe... 02/12/2017

Listing in the Winter Attracts More Serious Buyers A recent study of more than 7 million home sales over the past four years revealed that the season in which a home is listed may be able to shed some light on the likelihood that the home will sell for more than asking price, as well as how quickly the sale will close. It’s no surprise that listing a home for sale during the spring saw the largest return, as the spring is traditionally the busiest season for real estate. What is surprising, though, is that listing during the winter came in second! “Among spring listings, 18.7 percent of homes fetched above asking, with winter listings not far behind at 17.5 percent. While 48.0 percent of homes listed in spring sold within 30 days, 46.2 percent of homes in winter did the same.” The study... 02/12/2017

02/11/2017

5 Reasons to Love Using A RE Pro [INFOGRAPHIC] Highlights: Hiring a real estate professional to guide you through the process of buying a home or selling your house can be one of the best decisions you make! They are there for you to help with paperwork, explaining the process, negotiations, and helping you with pricing (both when making an offer or setting the right price for your home). One of the top reasons to hire a real estate professional is their understanding of your local market and how the conditions in your neighborhood will impact your experience. 02/10/2017

Homeownership Offers Stability & Wealth Creation The most recent Housing Pulse Survey released by the National Association of Realtors revealed that the two major reasons Americans prefer owning their own home instead of renting are: They want the opportunity to build equity. They want a stable and safe environment. Building Equity In a recent article by The Mortgage Reports, they report that “buying and owning a home is the essence of ‘The American Dream.’ Each month, your housing payments go toward owning your home instead of renting it; building your personal wealth and assets instead of someone else’s. History has shown that homeownership is a clear path to wealth-building, with homeowners boasting a net worth [that is] multiples higher than the net worth of renters.”   Family Stabi... 02/09/2017

Buyers Are Searching For Your House The most recent Pending Homes Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors revealed a slight bump in contracts with an increase of 1.6% in December. This news comes as existing home sales are also forecasted to be on pace for 5.54 million in 2017, a 1.7% increase over 2016, which was the best year for sales in a decade. The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed. According to NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, “Pending sales bounded last month as enough buyers fended off rising mortgage rates and alarmingly low inventory levels to sign a contract.” So, what’s the problem?... 02/08/2017

Lack of Homes for Sale Slowing Down the Housing Market The housing crisis is finally in the rear-view mirror as the real estate market moves down the road to a complete recovery. Home values are up. Home sales are up. Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen dramatically. It seems that 2017 will be the year that the housing market races forward again. However, there is one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: a lack of housing inventory. While buyer demand looks like it will remain strong throughout the winter, supply is not keeping up. Here are the thoughts of a few industry experts on the subject: National Association of Realtors “Total housing inventory at the end of December dropped 10.8%...which is the lowest level since NAR began tracking the sup... 02/07/2017

Daydreaming About Your Perfect Home? Know What You WANT vs. What You NEED In this day and age of being able to shop for anything anywhere, it is really important to know what you’re looking for when you start your home search. If you’ve been thinking about buying a home of your own for some time now, you’ve probably come up with a list of things that you’d LOVE to have in your new home. Many new homebuyers fantasize about the amenities that they see on television or Pinterest, and start looking at the countless homes listed for sale through rose-colored glasses. Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen in order to be happy with your home choice? Would a two-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the ‘man cave’ of your dreams be a future renovation project instead... 02/06/2017

5 Reasons Homeowners Throw Better Super Bowl Parties! [INFOGRAPHIC] Highlights: Watching the Big Game at home with your friends & family offers many advantages. There’s more room to entertain a large crowd, and you don’t have to worry about complaints to your landlord if you cheer too loudly! The kitchen is big enough to make as many appetizers as you want, and if some of your guests are only there to watch the commercials, they can do so on a different TV in another room!   02/04/2017