Buyer Demand Is Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale The price of any item is determined by the supply of that item, as well as the market demand. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) surveys “over 50,000 real estate practitioners about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions” for their monthly REALTORS Confidence Index. Their latest edition sheds some light on the relationship between Seller Traffic (supply) and Buyer Traffic (demand). Buyer Demand The map below was created after asking the question: “How would you rate buyer traffic in your area?” The darker the blue, the stronger the demand for homes in that area. Only six states had a weak demand level. Seller Supply The Index also asked: “How would you rate seller traffic in your area?” As you can se... 02/03/2017

No Matter What the Groundhog Says, Here are 5 Reasons to Sell Before Spring! Is spring closer than we think? Depending on which groundhog you listen to today, you may have less time than you think to get your home on the market before the busy spring season. Many sellers feel that the spring is the best time to place their homes on the market as buyer demand traditionally increases at that time of year. However, the next six weeks before spring hits also have their own advantages. Here are five reasons to sell now. 1. Demand is Strong  Foot traffic refers to the number of people who are out, physically looking at homes right now. The latest foot traffic numbers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) show that the number of buyers out looking for their dream homes in December re... 02/02/2017

Thinking of Making an Offer? 4 Tips for Success So you’ve been searching for that perfect house to call a ‘home,’ and you finally found one! The price is right, and in such a competitive market that you want to make sure you make a good offer so that you can guarantee your dream of making this house yours comes true! Freddie Mac covered “4 Tips for Making an Offer” in their latest Executive Perspective. Here are the 4 Tips they covered along with some additional information for your consideration: 1. Understand How Much You Can Afford “While it's not nearly as fun as house hunting, fully understanding your finances is critical in making an offer.” This ‘tip’ or ‘step’ really should take place before you start your home search process. As we’ve mentioned before, getting pre-approved is o... 02/01/2017

What to Expect From Your Home Inspection So you made an offer, it was accepted, and now your next task is to have the home inspected prior to closing. More often than not, your agent may have made your offer contingent on a clean home inspection. This contingency allows you to renegotiate the price paid for the home, ask the sellers to cover repairs, or even, in some cases, walk away. Your agent can advise you on the best course of action once the report is filed. How to Choose an Inspector Your agent will most likely have a short list of inspectors that they have worked with in the past that they can recommend to you. Realtor.com suggests that you consider the following 5 areas when choosing the right home inspector for you: Qualifications – find out what’s included in your inspection ... 01/31/2017

2 Myths That May Be Holding Back Buyers Fannie Mae’s article, “What Consumers (Don’t) Know About Mortgage Qualification Criteria,” revealed that “only 5 to 16 percent of respondents know the correct ranges for key mortgage qualification criteria.” Myth #1: “I Need a 20% Down Payment” Fannie Mae’s survey revealed that consumers overestimate the down payment funds needed to qualify for a home loan. According to the report, 76% of Americans either don’t know (40%) or are misinformed (36%) about the minimum down payment required. Many believe that they need at least 20% down to buy their dream home, but many programs actually let buyers put down as little as 3%. Below are the results of a Digital Risk survey of Millennials who recently purchased a home. As you can see, 64.2% were able to pu... 01/30/2017

Thinking of Selling? Why Now is the Time It is common knowledge that a large 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 2016. 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... 01/29/2017

Buying a Home is More Affordable Than Renting in 66% of US Counties According to ATTOM Data Solutions’ 2017 Rental Affordability Report, buying a home is more affordable than renting in 354 of the 540 U.S. counties they analyzed. The report found that “making monthly house payments on a median-priced home — including mortgage, property taxes and insurance — is more affordable than the fair market rent on a three-bedroom property in 354 of the 540 counties analyzed in the report (66 percent).” For the report, ATTOM Data Solutions compared recently released fair market rent data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development with reported income amounts from the Department of Labor and Statistics to determine the percentage of income that a family would have to spend on their monthl... 01/28/2017

Sales at Highest Pace in 10 Years! [INFOGRAPHIC] Highlights: 45 million existing homes were sold in 2016! This is the highest mark set since 2006. Inventory of existing homes for sale dropped to a 3.6-month supply, the lowest level since NAR began tracking in 1999. The median price of homes sold in December was $232,200. This is the 58th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains. Sellers, update your Market Value by receiving a 25+ page National RPR Report . Email  mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to get started.   01/27/2017

How Low Interest Rates Increase Your Purchasing Power According to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are currently at 4.09%, which is still very low in comparison to recent history! The interest rate you secure when buying a home not only greatly impacts your monthly housing costs, but also impacts your purchasing power. Purchasing power, simply put, is the amount of home you can afford to buy for the budget you have available to spend. As rates increase, the price of the house you can afford will decrease if you plan to stay within a certain monthly housing budget. The chart below shows what impact rising interest rates would have if you planned to purchase a home within the national median price range, and planned to ... 01/25/2017

Have You Saved Enough for Closing Costs? There are many potential homebuyers, and even sellers, who believe that they need at least a 20% down payment in order to buy a home or move on to their next home. Time after time, we have dispelled this myth by showing that many loan programs allow you to put down as little as 3% (or 0% with a VA loan). If you have saved up your down payment and are ready to start your home search, one other piece of the puzzle is to make sure that you have saved enough for your closing costs. Freddie Mac defines closing costs as: “Closing costs, also called settlement fees, will need to be paid when you obtain a mortgage. These are fees charged by people representing your purchase, including your lender, real estate agent, and other third parties involved in th... 01/23/2017

Tips for Preparing Your House For Sale [INFOGRAPHIC] Highlights: When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible! There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens! Your real estate agent will have a list of specific suggestions for getting your house ready for market and is a great resource for finding local contractors who can help.  Sellers, update your Current Market value , by receiving your copyof a 25+page national RPR Owners Report ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com .    01/21/2017

Will Housing Affordability Be a Challenge in 2017? Some industry experts are saying that the housing market may be heading for a slowdown in 2017 based on rising home prices and a jump in mortgage interest rates. One of the data points they use is the Housing Affordability Index, as reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Here is how NAR defines the index: “The Housing Affordability Index measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national level based on the most recent price and income data.” Basically, a value of 100 means a family earning the median income earns enough to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home, based on the price and mortgage interest rates at the time. Anything above 10... 01/20/2017

5 Myths About Real Estate Reality TV Explained Have you ever been flipping through the channels, only to find yourself glued to the couch in an HGTV binge session? We’ve all been there… watching entire seasons of “Love it or List it,” “Fixer Upper,” “House Hunters,” “Property Brothers,” and so many more, just in one sitting. When you’re in the middle of your real estate themed show marathon, you might start to think that everything you see on TV must be how it works in real life, but you may need a reality check. Reality TV Show Myths vs. Real Life: Myth #1: Buyers look at 3 homes and make a decision to purchase one of them. Truth: There may be buyers who fall in love and buy the first home they see, but according to the National Association of Realtors the average homebuyer tours 10 ho... 01/17/2017

Why Pre-Approval Should Be Your First Step In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly outnumbers the amount of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search. Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, knowing your budget will give you the confidence of knowing if your dream home is within your reach.  Freddie Mac lays out the advantages of pre-approval in the My Home section of their website: “It’s highly recommended that you work with your lender to get pre-approved before you begin house hunting. Pre-approval will tell you how m... 01/16/2017

Prices Rose 7.1% Year-Over-Year [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index shows that prices rose by 7.1% across the United States year-over-year. With mortgage interest rates rising in the short term, CoreLogic believes price appreciation will slow to 4.7% by this time next year. 49 out of 50 states, and the District of Columbia, all had positive appreciation over the last 12 months, with the only exception being the state of Connecticut, which experienced a -0.5% appreciation. Sellers, update your Property's Current Market Value by receiving a 25 page national RPR  Report . Email   mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to get started .    01/13/2017

Is This the Year to Move Up to Your Dream Home? If So, Do it Early It appears that Americans are regaining faith in the U.S. economy. The following indexes have each shown a dramatic jump in consumer confidence in their latest surveys: The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index National Federation of Independent Businesses' Small Business Optimism Index CNBC All-America Economic Survey The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Survey It usually means good news for the housing market when the country sees an optimistic future. People begin to dream again about the home their family has always wanted, and some make plans to finally make that dream come true. If you are considering moving up to your dream home, it may be better to do it earlier in the year than later. The two compo... 01/12/2017

Top 3 Things Second-Wave Baby Boomers Look for in a Home According to data from the U.S Census bureau, there are approximately 76.4 million baby boomers living in the United States today. Contrary to what many think, there are very different segments within this generation, and one piece that sets them apart are their housing needs. John McManus, editorial director of Hanley Wood’s Residential Group says his company “is focusing on the preferences of the younger half, or second-wave baby boomers, as they exhibit different needs than the older boomers.” What are ‘second-wave baby boomers’ looking for? McManus says, “They are seeking a fun, dynamic lifestyle with a home that can also adjust to their changing needs in the future. Living space should either include accessibility features, s... 01/11/2017

You Need a Professional on Your Team When Buying a Home Many people wonder whether they should hire a real estate professional to assist them in buying their dream home or if they should first try to do it on their own. In today’s market: you need an experienced professional! You Need an Expert Guide if You Are Traveling a Dangerous Path The field of real estate is loaded with land mines; you need a true expert to guide you through the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a home that is priced appropriately and is ready for you to move into can be tricky. An agent listens to your wants and needs, and can sift through the homes that do not fit within the parameters of your “dream home.” A great agent will also have relationships with mortgage professionals and other experts t... 01/10/2017

If Your Home Hasn’t Sold Yet… Check the Price! The residential housing market has been hot. Home sales have bounced back solidly and are now at their second highest pace since February 2007. Demand has remained strong throughout the winter as many real estate professionals are reporting bidding wars with many homes selling above listing price. What about your house? If your house hasn’t sold, it is probably because of the price. If your home is on the market and you are not receiving any offers, look at your price. Pricing your home just 10% above market value dramatically cuts the number of prospective buyers that will even see your house. See chart below. Bottom Line The housing market is hot. If you are not seeing the results you want, sit down with your agent and revisit the pricing... 01/09/2017

3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Buying a Home Come True [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Realtor.com recently shared “5 Habits to Start Now If You Hope to Buy a Home in 2017.” Setting up an automatic savings plan that saves a small amount of every check is one of the best ways to save without thinking a lot about it. Living within a budget now will help you save money for down payments and pay down other debts that might be holding you back. Buyers , your first step in entering the 2017 Housing Market is to obtain Mortgage Pre-Approval  ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to get started.    01/06/2017