Uncategorized • April 18, 2016

4 Factors Boosting Housing This Month

by Bob Anderson

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016

Warmer weather across the country is drawing more people to look at open houses and available homes this month, says Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist.

Read more: The 20 Hottest Housing Markets This Spring

Here are four current housing market factors that will likely translate into greater sales this April:

1. Low mortgage rates: Mortgage rates have moved lower this month and are hovering near the lowest averages in the past three years. Lower mortgage rates help boost home buyers’ purchasing power as well as buyers’ ability to qualify for a mortgage.

2. More urgency: Many buyers were frustrated last year with their inability to buy. This spring, they’re heading to the housing market more determined. Mortgage applications for home purchases are up 20 percent compared to last year.

3. More searching: Realtor.com® reports a record number of people searching and looking at its website for homes. Nevertheless, there are 2 percent fewer homes for sale that they’ll find when compared to last year.

4. Faster sales: The time that listings spend on the market has dropped dramatically. Nationwide, the median days on the market dropped 14 days in the first two weeks of April compared to the first two weeks of March.

Some of the places seeing the fastest sales are in Colorado, including Aurora, Arvada, Littleton, and areas of Denver, where the median age of a listing is less than 7 days. Gladstone, Ore., and areas of Seattle are also seeing the median age of listings at less than 7 days.

Other areas seeing median listing ages of less than two weeks are: Cambridge, Mass.; Pacifica, Berkeley, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale, Calif.; Centreville, Burke, and Henrico, Va.; Berkley, Mich.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; Clifton, N.J.; Salt Lake City and Sandy, Utah; Fort Worth, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; and Buffalo, N.Y.

Source: “Mid-April Forecast: Warm Weather Will Bring Out Home Buyers,” realtor.com® (April 15, 2016)

Uncategorized • May 15, 2015

THE GARDNER REPORT

by Bob Anderson

Windermere Real Estate is proud to partner with Gardner Economics on this analysis of the Oregon and Southwest Washington real estate market. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

From an economic perspective, I am pleased to see that employment continues to trend higher in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Additionally, there’s a considerable reduction in the number of long-term unemployed, and the number of layoffs is also dropping. We’re starting to see a growth in wages which will also help with the state’s overall economic growth.

HOME SALES ACTIVITY

First quarter had 10,269 home sales, which is an annual increase of 16.9%.
Polk County saw the steepest increase in sales at almost 60%; however, the absolute increase was just 61 units.
All but two counties in the region experienced double-digit percentage increases.
Three counties saw a decline in home sales, but these are very small areas and the total loss was only 15 units.

HOME PRICES

Year over year, the average home price in the region rose by 3.6% to $284,833.
When compared to Q1 2014, Klickitat County had the strongest price growth of over 73%. This is attributable to the size of the market, which allows for substantial swings in price.
All but three counties saw an annual gain in prices, with eight showing double-digit percentage gains.
Prices fell in just three counties, but these are counties where relatively few transactions take place, so they are prone to extreme swings.

DAYS ON MARKET

The average number of days it took to sell a home in the region dropped by 11 days when compared to the first quarter of 2014.
On average, it took 122 days to sell a home in the region.
There were a few markets where the length of time it takes to sell a home did rise, but the increases were still fairly modest and no cause for concern.
With inventory levels as low as they are, the time it takes to sell a home will likely continue to fall.

CONCLUSIONS

This speedometer reflects the state of the region’s housing market using housing inventory, price gains, sales velocities, interest rates, and larger economic factors.

As you can see, we are still very clearly in the midst of a seller’s market and, unless we see a significant increase in listings, it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

The shortage of inventory, and subsequent competition for homes, has driven prices higher, but the rate of appreciation has slowed somewhat. Interest rates are still at historic lows, and we expect that this will continue to be the case through 2015, which further favors conditions for home sellers. That said, obtaining a mortgage remains more difficult than it should be due to the ongoing implementation of the “qualified mortgage” rule which reduces access to financing to certain buyer segments.

To conclude, the region is in need of inventory and I hope that we will see a modest increase in listings as we move further into the late spring/early summer. Some are talking about the potential for another housing “bubble” given the lack of homes for sale and the bullishness of buyers in bidding up properties; however, I believe that there are sufficient safeguards in place so that we will not see this happen.

ABOUT MATTHEW GARDNER

Mr. Gardner is a land use economist and principal with Gardner Economics, considered by many to be the foremost real estate analysts in the Pacific Northwest. Over the past 25 years he has served on many industry-related panels and has been cited regularly in local and national media.

Uncategorized • February 9, 2015

5 Ways to Raise the Value of Your Listing

by Bob Anderson

5 Ways to Raise the Value of Your Listing DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

A seller may be able to boost the value of their home by an additional 12 percent, with just a few smart pre-listing repairs, according to a new survey of 300 residential real estate professionals by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. On a median, single-family home priced at $205,000, that could be a potential gain of $24,600.

Best time to sell: The best single month to sell a home is from April through June, with the best selling month identified as April, according to the Consumer Reports survey of real estate professionals. “You don’t have to spend a ton of money to increase the value of your home," says Dan DiClerico, senior editor for Consumer Reports. “Some simple, inexpensive fixes throughout the house can make it more appealing to potential buyers.

” Here are some of the fixes that the Consumer Reports survey of real estate professionals uncovered as being the most important:

1. Declutter Cost range: $0 (do-it-yourself) to $2,500 (pro) Potential return: 3% to 5% Clear away any clutter and depersonalize the space as much as possible.

2. Makeover the kitchen Cost range: $300 to $5,000 Potential return: 3% to 7% The kitchen was rated as the most important room to have in top shape before selling, according to the survey. Real estate professionals recommend focusing on minor repairs that center on the function of the kitchen first, such as repairing leaky faucets, loose light fixtures, or blemishes on the countertop. Then, they recommend small enhancements, such as painting the walls, updating the cabinet hardware, adding new curtains, or light fixtures.

3. Freshen up the bathroom Cost range: $300 to $1,000 Potential return: 2% to 3% Make simple improvements, such as caulking the tub or re-grouting the floor or adding new bathroom fixtures to brighten up the space. Updating the mirror and lighting also can have a big impact, the real estate professionals surveyed said.

4. Paint Cost range: $100 (do-it-yourself) to $1,000 (pro) Potential return: 1% to 3% Sixteen percent of the real estate professionals surveyed said that interior painting is an important part in bringing about a sale of a home. But the seller likely doesn’t need the entire house repainted, but maybe just a redo of one or two rooms to curb costs. The two prime candidates for being repainted: Kitchens and bathrooms. Paint in whites and off-whites and a neutral palette – such as grays and beiges — help buyers focus on the home’s features more than be distracted by bright colors, agents note.

5. Exterior touch ups Cost range: $150 to $7,500 Potential return: 2% to 5%.

Agents recommend that their clients concentrate on basic maintenance first, such as to mowing the lawn, trimming overgrown shrubs, and applying a fresh layer of mulch to the garden beds. They also recommend making any minor repairs, such as replacing cracked siding boards or repointing brick walls. The real estate professionals also recommended taking careful note of any repairs needed with the roof: 31 percent of agents surveyed said the roof is one of the most important parts of the home to have in good shape.

The latest Cost vs. Value Report, produced by Remodeling Magazine in conjunction with REALTOR® Magazine, uncovered some of the top home remodeling projects that offer some of the largest returns at resale. Many of the biggest payback projects had to do with enhancing the exterior of the home.

The following are the top five projects nationally in terms of cost recouped, according to the Cost vs. Value report:

1. Entry door replacement (101.8%)

2. Manufactured stone veneer (92.2%)

3. Garage door replacement (88.5%)

4. Siding replacement, fiber cement (84.3%)

5. Garage door replacement (82.5%)

Pricing is one thing but the mere fact that paying attention to the above mentioned suggestions will increase the value propostion for buyers and can decrease the marketing time for your property. Please feel free to contact me for assistance I am ready to help. Take care, Bob

Uncategorized • January 20, 2015

Did it Make Sense to Wait?

by Bob Anderson

by The KCM Crew on January 12, 2015 in First Time Homebuyers, For Buyers, Interest Rates,Pricing

There are many people out there who debated purchasing a home over the course of the last year, but ultimately did not. Whatever their reasons were for delaying, let’s look at whether the decision to wait to buy made sense.

What happened in 2014?

The 30 year fixed rate on January 2, 2014 was 4.53% as reported by Freddie Mac. Looking at the chart below, your monthly mortgage payment with principal and interest for a $250,000 home would have been $1,271.17.

Even though interest rates have dropped below 4% and ended 2014 at 3.87%, home prices appreciated by 4.8 percent over the same time according to the Home Price Expectation Survey.

So that same home appreciated by $12,000 and now costs $262,000. The most recent report by Freddie Mac reports the average 30-year fixed rate is currently 3.73%.

Many may say, “See waiting a year made total sense, I’m saving $60 a month.” And they’d be right, over the course of the year they saved $729.36.

But what they haven’t realized, is that as the price of the home they purchased went up by $12,000, even if they just put a down payment of 5%, they had to come up with an additional $600 at the start of the process. So really they’ve only saved $129.36 in a year.

Is a savings of $11 a month really worth holding off on pursuing a home to call your own after you weigh all the benefits that come along with that?

Building equity you can borrow against in the future
Having a safe, comfortable environment that fits your family’s needs
Having control over your space
Tax benefits
And so many more…

Bottom Line

The experts are predicting that homes will appreciate by another 4% and interest rates will increase by a full percentage point by the end of 2015. If you are in a position to be able to buy a home now before these predictions become reality, contact a local real estate professional and start the process.

Uncategorized • January 20, 2015

Buying A House? Everyone Seems To Think This Is The Time

by Bob Anderson

by The KCM Crew on January 15, 2015 in For Buyers

Buying A House? Everyone Seems To Think This Is The Time | Keeping Current Matters

There are many people deciding on whether to sign a new lease on a rental property or take the dive into homeownership. Every situation is different. However, with rents, home values and mortgage interest rates projected to rise, buying now might make a lot more sense than waiting until next year.

Here are others who seem to agree:

An article at NPR:

“Economists see several reasons why 2015 might be a banner year for homebuying — and not just in San Francisco and Miami.”

An article on Consumer Affairs:

“If you have been thinking about purchasing a home, the first half of 2015 might be a good time.”

An article on Fox Business News:

“As rent increases, it simply makes more sense to buy a home.”

Bottom Line

Buying earlier in the year probably makes more sense than putting off the decision.

Market Intel • January 14, 2015

FHA Fee Cuts Likely to Lure More Buyers

by Bob Anderson

~DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015

Last week, the Federal Housing Administration announced it will cut its annual mortgage insurance premiums, likely resulting in about $900 in savings for borrowers and potentially opening the door to thousands of new buyers. But there are no further FHA fee reductions under consideration, Julian Castro, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, told a crowd at the National Press Club on Tuesday.

Read more: FHA Lowers its Harangued Mortgage Costs and Obama Seeks to Jump-Start Housing
The FHA decided to reduce its annual mortgage insurance premium fees from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent because its Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund for single-family programs was “back in the black.” In his speech, Castro cited National Association of REALTORS® research that estimated that nearly 400,000 creditworthy borrowers were being priced out of the housing market in 2013 due to the high premiums.

“We expect our premium reduction to help more than 2 million borrowers save an average of $900 annually over the next three years,” Castro told the crowd. “It will also encourage nearly a quarter-million new borrowers to purchase their first home.”

Castro discounted criticism that the reduction in rates will lead to fueling loans to irresponsible borrowers and mark a return of the housing crisis. The lending environment is still too tight and a “sensible balance” is needed between overly relaxed standards and those that are too stringent, Castro said.

“Our nation is smart enough to heed the lessons of the past without forsaking our future. … The answer isn’t to deny responsible Americans home ownership — it’s to do it right,” Castro told the crowd.

Despite the rate reduction, FHA premiums will remain 50 percent higher than precrisis levels.

“This premium change only makes an FHA loan more affordable for qualified families,” Castro said. “All other FHA requirements will remain the same, including verification of a person’s ability to pay. Families still have to qualify for an FHA loan, but when they do, they will find a more affordable path to home ownership waiting for them.”

Source: “Castro: No Further FHA Fee Reductions Under Consideration,” HousingWire (Jan. 13, 2015)

Market Intel • January 13, 2015

4 Reasons to Buy Before Spring!

by Bob Anderson

The holiday season is behind us, time to focus on what exciting new experiences 2015 can bring! If you are planning on becoming a homeowner, or moving up to the home of your dreams in 2015, here are four great reasons to consider buying a home now, instead of waiting until spring.

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

The Home Price Expectation Survey polls a distinguished panel of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts. Their most recent report projects appreciation in home values over the next five years to be between 15.1% (most pessimistic) and 32.8% (most optimistic).

The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase

Although Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have softened recently, most experts predict that they will begin to rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac & the National Association of Realtors are in unison projecting that rates will be up almost a full percentage point by the end of 2015.

An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. Your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

3. Either Way You are Paying a Mortgage

As a paper from 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.”

4. It’s Time to Move On with Your Life

The ‘cost’ of a home is determined by two major components: the price of the home and the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise.

But, what if they weren’t? Would you wait?

Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide whether it is worth waiting. Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, you want your family to be safer or you just want to have control over renovations, maybe it is time to buy.

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.