Monday, December 28, 2015

Don’t Let Rising Rents Trap You!


Don’t Let Rising Rents Trap You!


Don't Let Rising Rents Trap You! | Keeping Current Matters
There are many benefits to homeownership. One of the top ones is being able to protect yourself from rising rents and lock in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage.

Don’t Become Trapped

Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at realtor.com recently reported on what he calls a “Rental Affordability Crisis”. He warns that,
“Low rental vacancies and a lack of new rental construction are pushing up rents, and we expect that they’ll outpace home price appreciation in the year ahead.”
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University recently released their 2015 Report on Rental Housing, in which they reported that 49% of rental households are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. These households struggle to save for a rainy day and pay other bills, such as food and healthcare.

It’s Cheaper to Buy Than Rent

In Smoke’s article, he went on to say,
“Housing is central to the health and well-being of our country and our local communities. In addition, this (rental affordability) crisis threatens the future value of owned housing, as the burdensome level of rents will trap more aspiring owners into a vicious financial cycle in which they cannot save and build a solid credit record to eventually buy a home.”
 “While more than 85% of markets have burdensome rents today, it’s perplexing that in more than 75% of the counties across the country, it is actually cheaper to buy than rent a home. So why aren’t those unhappy renters choosing to buy?”

Know Your Options

Perhaps, you have already saved enough to buy your first home. HousingWire reportedthat analysts at Nomura believe:
“It’s not that Millennials and other potential homebuyers aren’t qualified in terms of their credit scores or in how much they have saved for their down payment.
It’s that they think they’re not qualified or they think that they don’t have a big enough down payment.” (emphasis added)
Many first-time homebuyers who believe that they need a large down payment may be holding themselves back from their dream home. As we reported last week, in many areas of the country, a first-time home buyer can save for a 3% down payment in less than two years. You may have already saved enough!

Bottom Line

Don’t get caught in the trap so many renters are currently in. If you are ready and willing to buy a home, find out if you are able. Have a professional help you determine if you are eligible to get a mortgage.










Debbie Mignogna
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120



Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Home Prices: Where Are They Headed Over The Next 5 Years?



Home Prices: Where Are They Headed Over The Next 5 Years?


Home Prices: Where Are They Headed Over The Next 5 Years? | Keeping Current Matters
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 they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number.

The results of their latest survey:

Home values will appreciate by 3.9% by the end of 2015, 3.4% in 2016 and 3.1% in each of the following four years (as shown below). That means the average annual appreciation will be 3.2% over the next 5 years.
Projected Mean Appreciation | Keeping Current Matters
The prediction for cumulative appreciation rose from 18.1% to 21.6% by 2020. Even the experts making up the most bearish quartile of the survey still are projecting a cumulative appreciation of 13.8%.
Cumulative House Appreciation | Keeping Current Matters

Bottom Line

Individual opinions make headlines. We believe the survey is a fairer depiction of future values.
















Debbie Mignogna
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120



Building Family Wealth Over The Next 5 Years


Building Family Wealth Over The Next 5 Years


Building Family Wealth Over The Next 5 Years | Keeping Current Matters
As the economy continues to improve, more and more Americans are seeing their personal financial situations also improving. Instead of just getting by, many are now beginning to save and find other ways to build their net worth. One way to dramatically increase their family wealth is through the acquisition of real estate.
For example, let’s assume a young couple purchases and closes on a $250,000 home in January. What will that home be worth five years down the road?
Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists every quarter. They ask them to project how residential prices will appreciate over the next five years. According to their latest survey, here is how much value that $250,000 house will gain in the coming years.
Family Wealth Earned with Home Equity | Keeping Current Matters
Over a five year period, that homeowner can build their home equity to over $40,000. And, in many cases, home equity is large portion of a family’s overall net worth.

Bottom Line

If you are looking to better your family’s long-term financial situation, buying your dream home might be a great option.















Debbie Mignogna
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120




Wednesday, December 9, 2015

What You Really Need To Qualify For A Mortgage


What You Really Need To Qualify For A Mortgage


What You Really Need To Qualify For A Mortgage | Keeping Current Matters
A recent survey by Ipsos found that the American public is still somewhat confused about what is actually necessary to qualify for a home mortgage loan in today’s housing market. The study pointed out two major misconceptions that we want to address today.

1. Down Payment

The survey revealed that consumers overestimate the down payment funds needed to qualify for a home loan. According to the report, 36% think a 20% down payment is always required. In actuality, there are many loans written with a down payment of 5% or less.
Below are the results of a Digital Risk survey done on Millennials who recently purchased a home.
Millennials & Down Payments | Keeping Current Matters

2. FICO Scores

The Ipsos survey also reported that two-thirds of the respondents believe they need a very good credit score to buy a home, with 45 percent thinking a “good credit score” is over 780. In actuality, the average FICO scores of approved conventional and FHA mortgages are much lower.
Below are the numbers from the latest Ellie Mae report.
Average FICO Score | Keeping Current Matters

Bottom Line

If you are a prospective purchaser who is ‘ready’ and ‘willing’ to buy but not sure if you are also ‘able,’ sit down with someone who can help you understand your true options.













Debbie Mignogna, ABR, SRES
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120



Home Prices: Past, Present & Future



Home Prices: Past, Present & Future



Home Prices: Past, Present and Future | Keeping Current Matters
CoreLogic released their most current Home Price Index last week. In the report, they revealed home appreciation in three categories: percentage appreciation over the last year, over the last month and projected over the next twelve months.
Here are state maps for each category:

The Past – home appreciation over the last 12 months

Home Prices Past | Keeping Current Matters

The Present – home appreciation over the last month

Home Prices Present | Keeping Current Matters

The Future – home appreciation projected over the next 12 months

Home Prices Future | Keeping Current Matters

Bottom Line:

Homes across the country are appreciating at different rates. If you plan on relocating to another state and are waiting for your home to appreciate more, you need to know that the home you will buy in another state may be appreciating even faster.  
Call me for a Free Market Analysis of your Home.
















Debbie Mignogna, ABR, SRES
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120







Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Impact of Higher Interest Rates


The Impact of Higher Interest Rates




The Impact of Higher Interest Rates | Keeping Current Matters
Last week, an article in the Washington Post discussed a new ‘threat’ homebuyers will soon be facing: higher mortgage rates. The article revealed:
“The Mortgage Bankers Association expects that rates on 30-year loans could reach 4.8 percent by the end of next year, topping 5 percent in 2017. Rates haven’t been that high since the recession.”

How can this impact the housing market?

The article reported that recent analysis from Realtor.com found that -
“…as many as 7% of people who applied for a mortgage during the first half of the year would have had trouble qualifying if rates rose by half a percentage point.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean that those buyers negatively impacted by a rate increase would not purchase a home. However, it would mean that they would either need to come up with substantially more cash for a down payment or settle for a lesser priced home.
Below is a table showing how a jump in mortgage interest rates would impact the purchasing power of a prospective buyer on a $300,000 home.
Buyers Purchasing Power | Keeping Current Matters

Bottom Line

If you are considering a home purchase (either as a first time buyer or move-up buyer), purchasing sooner rather than later may make more sense from a pure financial outlook.
















Debbie Mignogna
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
267-640-1120