It’s Not Always Marriage Before Mortgage There are many people sitting on the sidelines trying to decide if they should purchase a home or sign a rental lease. Some might wonder if it makes sense to purchase a house before they are married and have a family. Others may think they are too young. And still, others might think their current income would never enable them to qualify for a mortgage. We want to share what the typical first-time homebuyer actually looks like based on the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. Here are some interesting statistics on the first-time buyer: Unmarried couples jumped up to the third spot, right after their married counterparts and single women. Many couples are buying a home before spending what would be a dow... 11/08/2016

NAR Reports Show Now Is a Great Time to Sell! We all realize that the best time to sell anything is when demand is high and the supply of that item is limited. The last two major reports issued by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed information that suggests that now continues to be a great time to sell your house. Let’s look at the data covered by the latest Pending Home Sales Report and Existing Home Sales Report. THE PENDING HOME SALES REPORT The report announced that pending home sales (homes going into contract) are up 2.4% over last year, and have increased year-over-year now for 22 of the last 25 consecutive months. Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist, had this to say: "The one major predicament in the housing market is without a doubt the painfully low levels of ... 11/07/2016

Think All Millennials Live in Their Parent's Basement? Think Again! According to the Census Bureau, millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest generation in U.S. History. Millennials, or America's youth born between 1982-2000, now represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population, totaling 83.1 million. There has been a lot of talk about how, as a generation, millennials have ‘failed to launch’ into adulthood and have delayed moving out of their family’s home. Some experts have even questioned whether or not millennials want to move out. The great news is that not only do millennials want to move out… they are moving out! The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers in which they revealed that 61% of all ... 11/04/2016

The Difference an Hour Makes This Fall [INFOGRAPHIC] Every Hour in the US Housing Market:  633 Homes Sell 253 Homes Regain Positive Equity Median Home Values Go Up $16.80 We are currently in a strong Seller's Market . As a Buyer you must obtain a Mortgage Pre-Approval .  Sellers need to be updating their market value's every quarter by obtaining a National RPR Report  .  Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to obtain more details .     11/03/2016

How Long Do Families Stay in a Home? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) keeps historic data on many aspects of homeownership. One of the data points that has changed dramatically is the median tenure of a family in a home. As the graph below shows, for over twenty years (1985-2008), the median tenure averaged exactly six years. However, since 2008, that average is almost nine years – an increase of almost 50%. Why the dramatic increase? The reasons for this change are plentiful. The top two reasons are: The fall in home prices during the housing crisis left many homeowners in a negative equity situation (where their home was worth less than the mortgage on the property). The uncertainty of the economy made some homeowners much more fiscally conservative about making a move. Howe... 11/01/2016

Buying a Home? 4 Demands to Make on Your Real Estate Agent Are you thinking of buying a home? Are you dreading having to walk through strangers’ houses? Are you concerned about getting the paperwork correct? Hiring a professional real estate agent can take away most of the challenges of buying. A great agent is always worth more than the commission they charge, just like a great doctor or great accountant. You want to deal with one of the best agents in your marketplace. To do this, you must be able to distinguish an average agent from a great one. Here are the top 4 demands to make of your real estate agent when buying a home: 1. Tell the Truth About the Price When making an offer on the home you want to buy, make sure that your agent walks you through their plan for getting both the s... 10/31/2016

Taking the Fear out of the Mortgage Process A considerable number of potential buyers shy away from jumping into the real estate market due to their uncertainty about the buying process. A specific cause for concern tends to be mortgage qualification. For many, the mortgage process can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be! In order to qualify in today’s market, you’ll need to have saved for a down payment (the average down payment on all loans was 11% last month, with many buyers putting down 3% or less), a stable income and good credit history. Throughout the entire home buying process, you will interact with many different professionals, all of which perform necessary roles. These professionals are also valuable resources for you. Once you’re ready to apply, here are 5 easy steps that ... 10/30/2016

Buying a Home Can Be Scary... Know the Facts [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: 36% of Americans think they need a 20% down payment to buy a home. 44% of Millennials who purchased a home this year have put down less than 10%. 8% of loan applications were approved last month. The average credit score of approved loans was 731 in September. Home Buying doesn't need to be a scary process ! Attend one of our  Home Buyer Consultations  to get all of your questions answered ! We will explain the whole Home Buying process. Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to get started .     10/27/2016

Percentage of Homeownership by Decade and by State There has been a lot of talk about the falling homeownership rate in the United States. In December 2004, the homeownership rate reached an all-time high of 69.4%, while the current rate is 62.9%. When comparing these two figures, there is some room for concern regarding the difference. However, today we want to shine some light on the issue by: Showing what historic homeownership rates have looked like over the last 130 years. Breaking down the current percentages by state. Historic Homeownership Rates: Current Homeownership Rates by State: All of the states that you see in blue on the map above have a greater homeownership rate than the national average. Bottom Line Though the homeownership rate has fallen recently, the percentage is ... 10/26/2016

What to Expect When Home Inspecting 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 & if ... 10/25/2016

Buying is Now 37.7% Cheaper Than Renting in the US 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 rental appreciation. Home prices would have to appreciate by a range of over 23% in Honolulu (HI), up to over 45% in Ventura County (CA), to reach the tippin... 10/24/2016

Sales of Distressed Properties Hit New Low The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their latest Existing Home Sales Report revealing that distressed property sales accounted for 4% of sales in September. This is down from 7% in 2015, and is the lowest figure since NAR began tracking distressed sales in October 2008. Below is a graph that shows just how far the market has come since January 2012 when distressed sales accounted for 35% of all sales. Existing Home Sales Hit 2nd Highest Figure Since June  Mortgage interest rates remained well below 4% in September at 3.46%, prompting existing home sales to stay at a healthy annual pace of 5.47 million. Month-over-month sales were up 3.2%. Inventory of homes for sale remains below the 6-month supply that is necessary for... 10/23/2016

7 Graphs That Show the Real Estate Market is Back! [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Distressed property sales fell to its lowest number since NAR began tracking it in 2008. As you can see, with less distressed properties, sales are up in all price ranges except the $0 - $100K price range. Interest rates are still at historic lows, signifying that now is the right time to buy! Buyers , your first step in jumping into this market is obtaining Mortgage  Pre- Approval ! Email  mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to start this process !   10/20/2016

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 June 2015 to June 2016 (the latest data available). For those that are worried that we are doomed to repeat 2006 all over again, it is important to note that... 10/19/2016

Starting to Look for a 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 with rose-colored glasses. Do you really need that farm 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 of a make or brea... 10/18/2016

How Historically 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 3.47%. Rates have remained at or below 3.5% each of the last 16 weeks, marking a historic low. 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 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 nat... 10/18/2016

Don’t Disqualify Yourself… Over Half of All Loans Approved Have a FICO Score Under 750 The results of countless studies have shown that potential home buyers, and even current homeowners, have an inflated view of what is really required to qualify for a mortgage in today’s market. One such study by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, revealed that many Millennials have not yet considered purchasing a home, simply because they don’t believe they can qualify for a mortgage. The article quoted Jessica Lautz, the National Association of Realtors’ Managing Director of Survey Research, as saying that there is a significant population that does not think they will be approved for a mortgage and doesn’t even try. The article also quoted Fannie Mae CEO Tim Mayopoulo... 10/16/2016

Do You Know the 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 towards Home Ownership is obtaining Mortgage Pre - Approval . Email  mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to get started !    10/15/2016

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 worth as compared to an appraiser’s evaluation in their Home Price Perception Index (HPPI). Here is a chart showing that difference for each of t... 10/14/2016

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 nothing to do with money. For example, a recent survey by Braun showed that over 75% of parents say “their child’s education is an important part of the... 10/12/2016