The housing market has made a strong recovery, not only in sales and prices, but also in the confidence of consumers and experts as an investment. In a New York Times editorial entitled, “Homeownership and Wealth Creation” they explain: “Homeownership long has been central to Americans’ ability to amass wealth; even with the substantial decline in […]
Archives: August 2015
NAR’S Latest Existing Home Sales Report [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: Existing Home Sales are up 10.3% year-over-year across the country. Sales rose to an annual rate of 5.59 million marking the 10th month in a row of year-over-year gains Prices are up 5.6% year-over-year in the U.S. to a median price of $234,000 Marked the 41st consecutive month of year-over year price gains.
52% Likely to Buy in the Next 5 Years!! Are You?
According to the recently released BMO Harris Bank Home Buying Report, 52% of Americans say they are likely to buy a home in the next five years. Americans surveyed for the report said they would be willing to pay an average of $296,000 for a home and would average a 21% down payment. The report also […]
Should I Wait to Put Down a Bigger Down Payment?
Some experts are advising that first time and move-up buyers wait until they save up 20% before they move forward with their decision to purchase a home. One of the main reasons they suggest waiting is that a buyer must purchase private mortgage insurance if they have less than the 20%. That increases the monthly payment […]
Don’t Get Caught In The Renter’s Trap
There are many benefits to homeownership. One of top ones is being able to protect yourself from rising rents and lock in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their findings of a study in which they studied “income growth, housing costs and changes in the […]
What You Do Not Need To Hear From Your Listing Agent!
You’ve decided to sell your house. You begin to interview potential real estate agents to help you through the process. You need someone you trust enough to: Set the market value on possibly the largest asset your family owns (your home) Set the time schedule for the successful liquidation of that asset Set the fee […]
Home Prices Up in 93% of Measurable Markets [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: The national median home price for Q2 is up 8.2% to $229,400 The income needed to afford the median home in each region is directly impacted by the amount of the down payment. The larger the down payment the lower the income needed to pay the monthly mortgage payment. The West led the […]
64.2% of Millennials Put Down Less than 20%
Digital Risk recently polled Millennials about the housing market. Among their findings was the fact that nearly two-thirds of the generation who have recently purchased a home, have done so with less than 20% down; with 36% putting down less than 5%! Here is a graph detailing the results: This means that more and more […]
Real Estate Again Seen as Best Investment
We are almost back to ‘pre-housing crash’ home values. The inventories of distressed properties (foreclosures & short sales) are shrinking dramatically. The economy is improving. The job numbers are headed in the right direction. The big question that still remains: Have Americans regained their confidence in real estate as a worthy investment? According to a […]
Home Values: Where Are They Headed Over 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 prices are headed over the next five years. […]