Tuesday, September 6, 2016 / by Dan Malloy
School is back in session, the holidays are right around the corner, you might not think that now is the best time to sell your house. But with inventory below historic numbers and demand still strong, you could be missing out on a great opportunity for your family.
Here are five reasons why you should consider selling your house this fall:
1. Demand Is Strong
The latest Realtors’ Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase… and are in the market right now!
Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market.
2. There Is Less Competition Now
According to NAR’s latest Existing Home Sales Report, the supply of homes for sale is still under the 6-month supply that is needed for a normal housing market at 4.7-months.
This means, in most are; ...
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Thursday, September 1, 2016 / by Dan Malloy
There are some that think that housing affordability is a challenge. Historically, that’s not true. Others think that home prices areapproaching bubble values. If we look back over the last sixteen years, that is also not the case. As a matter of fact, the numbers show that the U.S. residential real estate market is doing just fine.
Here are two articles and excerpts that make this point:
The Housing Market Is Finally Starting to Look Healthy – The NY Times
“It has been an excruciatingly long time coming, but the housing sector in the United States is finally getting healthy. Thank millennials and thank homebuilders who are starting to produce more of the starter houses young people demand.”
Why the U.S. Housing Market Is Good and Getting Even Better – The Street
“Interest rates are so low now that a family can buy the median-priced U.S. home on income of less than $45,000 a year -- about $11,000 less than the medi ...
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Wednesday, August 31, 2016 / by Dan Malloy
There are some industry pundits claiming that residential home values have risen too quickly and that current levels are on the verge of another housing bubble. It is easy to see how this thinking has taken form if we look at a graph of home prices from 2000 to today.
The graph definitely looks like a rollercoaster ride. And, as prices begin to reach 2006 levels again, it “seems logical” that the next part of the ride would be downhill. However, this graph includes the anomaly of the price bubble and the correction (the housing crash).
What if the bubble & bust didn’t occur?
Let’s assume that instead of the rise and fall in home prices that we saw last decade, we just had normal historic appreciation from 2000 to today. According to the 100 experts that are surveyed for theHome Price Expectation Survey, normal annual appreciation for residential single family homes from 1987 to 1999 was 3.6%.
Starting with the median home price in 2000, we added 3.6% . ...
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Monday, August 22, 2016 / by Dan Malloy
There are some people that have not purchased a home because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you are living with your parents rent free, you are paying a mortgage - either yours or your landlord's. As The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University explains:
"Households must consume housing whether they own or rent. Not even accounting for more favorable tax treatment of owning, homeowners pay debt service to pay down their own principal while households that rent pay down the principal of a landlord plus a rate of return. That's yet another reason owning often does--as Americans intuit--end up making more financial sense than renting."
Christina Boyle, a Senior Vice President, Head of Single-Family Sales & Relationship Management atFreddie Mac, explains another benefit of securing a mortgage vs. paying rent:
"With a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, you'll have the certainty . ...
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Friday, August 19, 2016 / by Dan Malloy
Some Highlights:
‘Old Millennials’ are defined as 25-36 year olds according to the US Census Bureau.
According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, the median age of all first-time home buyers is 31 years old.
More and more ‘Old Millennials’ are realizing that homeownership is within their reach now! ...
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