Wednesday, August 28, 2024 / by Dick Keenan
In the past few years, many people have found it challenging to buy a home due to affordability issues. While it's still tough out there, there are signs that things might be getting a bit easier, with potential for further improvement as the year progresses. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), puts it this way:
“Housing affordability is improving ever so modestly, but it is moving in the right direction.”
Let's take a closer look at the three key factors that influence home affordability: mortgage rates, home prices, and wages.
1. Mortgage Rates
Mortgage rates have been quite volatile this year, fluctuating between the mid-6% to low 7% range. However, there's some positive news. Data from Freddie Mac shows that since May, rates have generally been on a downward trend.
This improvement in mortgage rates is partly due to recent economic, employment, and inflation data. While we can expect some ongoing fluctuations, expe. ...
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Thursday, June 27, 2024 / by Dick Keenan
Should you buy a home now or wait? This is a common question, and while the right timing depends on personal factors, there’s an important aspect to consider: if you can afford to buy at today’s rates and prices, focusing on time in the market is often more beneficial than trying to time the market.
The Pitfalls of Timing the Market
Attempting to time the market can be risky because conditions change frequently. For example, many forecasts predicted mortgage rates would drop this year. While experts still believe this will happen, various economic factors have delayed the decrease. U.S. News explains:
“Those who put off buying a home during the past few years as they were holding out for lower mortgage rates have been left out of the market . . . mortgage rates have stayed higher for longer than previously expected, keeping monthly housing payments elevated. In other words, affordability didn't improve for those who chose to wait.”
This illustrates w. ...
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Wednesday, April 14, 2021 / by Traci Pimentel
A recent Survey of Consumer Finances study released by the Federal Reserve reveals the net worth of homeowners is forty times greater than that of renters. If you’re wondering if homeownership is a good investment, the study clearly answers that question, and the answer is yes.
Do Americans believe a home is a better investment than stocks?
In a post on the Liberty Street Economics blog, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York notes that 93.3% of Americans believe buying a home is definitely or probably a better investment than buying stocks.
Here’s how the results break down:The survey also shows a wide range of reasons why Americans feel that way (respondents were able to pick more than one answer):
Bottom Line
The data show how strongly Americans believe in homeownership as an investment. That belief is warranted. The Liberty Street Economics blog put it best by saying:
“Housi ...
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Wednesday, February 10, 2021 / by Traci Pimentel
Home values appreciated by about ten percent in 2020, and they’re forecast to appreciate by about five percent this year. This has some voicing concern that we may be in another housing bubble like the one we experienced a little over a decade ago. Here are three reasons why this market is totally different.
1. This time, housing supply is extremely limited
The price of any market item is determined by supply and demand. If supply is high and demand is low, prices normally decrease. If supply is low and demand is high, prices naturally increase.
In real estate, supply and demand are measured in “months’ supply of inventory,” which is based on the number of current homes for sale compared to the number of buyers in the market. The normal months’ supply of inventory for the market is about 6 months. Anything above that defines a buyers’ market, indicating prices will soften. Anything below that defines a sellers’ market in which prd ...
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Wednesday, January 27, 2021 / by Traci Pimentel
Market Update
San Luis Obispo County hasn't seen much change with New Listings hitting the market in comparison to the previous couple weeks. We did see a nearly 13% increase in properties going Pending. With more than 15% less properties sold this past week, the uptick of escrows opened, and no influx of inventory hitting the market, we're still very much in a Seller's Market.
A swell of buyers are looking to enter the market, keeping demand firm amidst the continued historically low interest rates. By the 4th quarter this year, experts are forecasting that refinance volume will decrease, largely because many will have already refinanced due to these low rates.
In 2020, median listing prices grew 13.3%, according to Realtor.com. Experts forecast prices will stay on this upward track.
Even if home prices rise as forecasted, that w ...
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