According to the ‘2019 Home Buyer Report’ conducted by Nerdwallet, many first-time buyers still believe they need a 20% down payment to buy a home in today’s market:
“More than 6 in 10 (62%) Americans believe you must put at least 20% down in order to purchase a home.”
When potential homebuyers think they need a 20% down payment to enter the market, they also tend to think they’ll have to wait several years (in some markets) to come up with the necessary funds to buy their dream homes. The report continues to say,
“The truth: 32% of current U.S. homeowners put 5% or less down on their home, according to census data.” (as shown above).
The lack of knowledge about the home-buying process is unfortunately keeping many motivated buyers on the sidelines.
Bottom Line
Don’t let a lack of understanding keep you and your family out of the housing market. Let’s get together to discuss your options today.
Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lakeview Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary, FL 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com
The residential real estate market has been plodding along for most of the year. However, three recent reports show the market may be on the verge of a rebound:
2. Pending Home Sales (contracts signed) are up with each of the four major regions reporting both month-over-month growth and year-over-year gains in contract activity. Here is the month-over-month growth:
The Northeast rose 0.7%
The Midwest increased 0.6%
The South increased 1.4%
The West grew 3.1%
3. Buyer Traffic (the number of people shopping for a home) is up compared to the same time last year, and for the first time in 13 months.
The Northeast is up 5.9%
The Midwest increased 1.3%
The South is up 2.7%
The West grew 2.2%
In their most recent report, ShowingTimeChief Analytics Officer, Daniil Cherkasskiy explained:
“The trend we saw in year-over-year buyer traffic in previous months continued across the United States. For all four regions there were more showings per listing this year compared to last year, making it the most competitive August in the last five years.”
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist with the National Association of Realtors, believes the uptick in activity will continue into the future:
“It is very encouraging that buyers are responding to exceptionally low interest rates…With interest rates expected to remain low, home sales are forecasted to rise in the coming months and into 2020.”
Bottom Line
If you are thinking about selling your house, there are purchasers out there who are ready, willing, and able to buy.
Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lakeview Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary, FL 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com
According to CoreLogic, from 2006 to 2014 “there were 7.3 million housing foreclosures and 1.9 million short sales.” The hesitation some Americans feel after experiencing a foreclosure brings to mind the old saying: “Fool me once- shame on you. Fool me twice- shame on me.”
“Thirteen percent of Americans have lost a home due to a financial event such as foreclosure in the past 10 years. More than 6 in 10 of them (61%) have not bought a home since, and 20% of those who haven’t repurchased say they never plan to again.”
This makes sense. They don’t want to go through the same pain again. As a cornerstone of the American dream, nobody wants to lose homeownership. But let’s illustrate this simply: Recall learning to ride your first bike during your childhood. Did you stop riding it because you fell on the ground and scraped your knees? Or did you get back on and try again until you were able to ride without falling?
Purchasing a home is not as simple as learning to ride a bike, but the concept is the same! There are many things necessary to learn that affect the ability to get the financing needed to purchase a home. Past occurrences can determine if there is a waiting period. In other words, you need to let your knees heal before you try again!
As we’ve mentioned in the past, homeownership has many financial and non-financial benefits. Each person needs to go over the pros and cons, taking the time to figure out what is best for their family. Should they continue renting, or should they try to buy again?
The good news is that some “boomerang buyers” are getting back into the market. They’re getting back on their bike!
“Of 2.8 million former homeowners whose foreclosures, short sales or bankruptcies dropped off their credit reports from January 2016 to November 2018, 11.5% have obtained a new mortgage, according to a study by credit rating agency Experian for USA Today.”
NerdWallet’s report also mentioned:
6% plan to buy a house this year.
39% intend to buy over the next 3 years.
58% say they will purchase within 5 years.
Bottom Line
If you lost a home due to a financial event but would like to review your options, let’s get together to help you create a plan to obtain a home in the future!
Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lake view Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary FL 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com
When people talk about homeownership and the American Dream, much of the conversation revolves around the financial benefits of owning a home. However, two recent studies show that the non-financial benefits might be even more valuable.
In a recent survey, Bank of America asked homeowners: “Does owning a home make you happier than renting?” 93% of the respondents answered yes, while only 7% said no. The survey also revealed:
More than 80% said they wouldn’t go back to renting
88% agreed that buying a home is the “best decision they have ever made”
79% believed owning a home has changed them for the better
Those surveyed talked about the “emotional equity” that is built through homeownership. The study says more than half of current homeowners define a home as a place to make memories, compared to 42% who view a home as a financial investment. Besides building wealth, the survey also showed that homeownership enhances quality of life:
67% of current homeowners believed their relationships with family and loved ones have changed for the better since they bought a home
78% are satisfied with the quality of their social life
82% of homeowners said they were satisfied with the amount of time they spend on their hobbies and passions since purchasing a home
75% of homeowners pursued new hobbies after buying a home
Homeowners seem to be very happy.
Renters Tell a Different Story…
According to the latest Zillow Housing Aspirations Report, 45% of renters regret renting rather than buying — more than five times the share of homeowners (8%) who regret buying instead of renting. Here are the four major reasons people regret renting, according to the report:
52% regret not being able to build equity
52% regret not being able to customize or improve their rentals
50% regret that the rent is so high
49% regret that they lack private outdoor space
These two studies prove that renting is just not the same as owning.
Bottom Line
There are both financial and non-financial benefits to homeownership. As good as the “financial equity” is, it doesn’t compare to the “emotional equity” gained through owning your own home.
Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lakeview Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary, Fl 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com
Every year, ‘Black Friday’ is a highly anticipated event for eager shoppers. Some people prepare for weeks, crafting and refining a strategic shopping agenda, determining exactly when to arrive at each store, and capturing a wish list of discounted must-have items to purchase. But what about buying a home? Is there a ‘Black Friday’ for the home-buying process? Believe it or not, there is.
According to a new study from realtor.com, the week of September 22 is the best time of year to buy a home, making it ‘Black Friday’ for homebuyers.
After evaluating housing data in 53 metros from 2016 to 2018, realtor.com determined that the first week of fall is when buyers “tend to find less competition, more inventory, and the biggest reductions on list price.”
The report explains,
“During the first week of fall, buyers tend to face 26% less competition from other buyers, and they are likely to see 6.1% more homes available on the market compared to other weeks of the year…nearly 6% of homes on the market will also see price reductions, averaging 2.4% less than their peak.”
What’s so different about the first week of fall?
George Ratiu, Senior Economist with realtor.com says,
“As summer winds down and kids return to school, many families hit pause on their home search and wait until the next season to start again…as seasonal inventory builds up and restores itself to more buyer-friendly levels, fall buyers will be in a better position to take advantage of today’s low mortgage rates and increased purchasing power.”
Learn more about how prices, listings, and buyer competition stack up during the first week of fall in your metro area.
Bottom Line
If you want to take advantage of the ‘Black Friday’ of home buying, let’s get together to discuss the benefits of making your next move this fall.
Contact us: PHP Houses 142 W Lake Mary Ave Unit 1030 Lake Mary FL 32746 Ph: (407) 519-0719 Fax: (407) 205-1951 email: info@phphouses.com
