Suburbs Are The Place To Be

 The National Association of Home Builders NAHB recently did a survey that revealed 25% of home buyers have changed their home buying preferences due to COVID-19. The survey found that home buyers are looking to the suburbs because of the health crisis. Thiry percent of buyers are seeking a home in the outlying suburbs. Before the pandemic, only 26% of home buyers wanted to purchase a home in the suburbs.

This does not bode for other locations. All of the other location points saw no change or small declines in buyer's preferences after the onset of COVID-19. Rural areas went from 24% down to 23%, downtown in a central city, dwindle from 12% to 11% and those who desired a home in the central city outside of downtown remained at 9%.

Buyers should enlist the help of a Realtor. A local sales agent will know the suburbs and can help you find the perfect home of your dreams. They will be able to help find a home in the perfect community for the perfect price.

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Spring A Great Time To Sell A Home

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Spring brings new flowers, animals, and warm sun. Many say that spring is the time for changes. The housing market also sees a rise in home sales during this time. Here are five reasons why springtime is the best time to sell.

1. There's high demand from homebuyers.

Showingtime, an app that tracks showings on homes, reported that buyer showings are up 51.5% from this time last year. The housing market is hot and buyer demand is strong.

“As anticipated, demand for real estate remains elevated and continues to be affected by low levels of inventory…On average, each home is getting 50 percent or more requests this year compared to January of last year. As we head into the busy season, it’s likely we’ll push into even more extreme territory until the supply starts catching up with demand,” says Daniil Cherkasskiy, Chief Analytics Officer at ShowingTime.

2. There aren't enough houses for sale.

Inventory is on a record low, and buyers are high on demand. “Nationally, the inventory of homes for sale in February decreased by 48.6% over the past year, a higher rate of decline compared to the 42.6% drop in January. This amounted to 496,000 fewer homes for sale compared to February of last year,” reported Realtor.com.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) "sales are skyrocketing" and the existing inventory is "continuing to drop dramatically". The average house is only staying on the market for only 21 days.

3. You have a lot of leverage in today's market.

Low inventory and tons of buyers make this a seller's market. The seller currently has the upper hand in the market and can negotiate the best deals. NAR reports that bidding wars have increased on average by 3.7 offers per house.

4. It's a great way to use your home equity.

CoreLogic reported that the average homeowner gained $17,000 in equity over the past year, and that number continues to grow as home values appreciate, in the third quarter of 2020. During this market, homeowners will find that they have a lot of equity in their homes. Equity is a type of forced savings that grow during your time as a homeowner and can be put toward bigger goals like buying your next dream home.

“As homeowners gain equity in their homes, they are more likely to consider using that equity to purchase a larger or more attractive home – the wealth effect of rising equity. In today’s housing market, fast-rising demand against the limited supply of homes for sale has resulted in continued house price appreciation,” says Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American.

5. It's a chance to find a home that meets your needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way homeowners see and live in their homes. The stay-at-home orders meant spending a lot of time at home. This extra time at home caused homeowners to re-evaluate the top desires they want in a home.

The home office, outdoor spaces and flex rooms became a must in the 2021 home search. With so many people working from home, or virtual schooling flex rooms and home offices are in high demand.

If you are in the market to sell your home, contact your local Realtor. A Realtor will not only help you navigate the market, getting you the best price and deal for your home, but will also take most of the pressure off of you from this fast pace market.

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Improve a Home's Resale Value With These Projects

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A home's resale value is always important to a homeowner. Home renovations if done right and smart can make a huge impact on a home's worth. Some homeowners are ready for a big project such as a kitchen or bathroom overhaul, but others do not have the time, resources, or energy to tackle these. If you are in the market to sell your home, some small projects can boost the value and time it takes to sell your home.

“People buying may not have the greatest imagination, and they want to walk into something that’s turnkey,” says Sandy Scheinman, a real estate salesperson at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. “In a competitive market, offering a home that looks renovated and new is really what you need to do to compete.”

According to Scheinman, renovations can increase a home's price by 10% to 12%. In order for these changes to not only add monetary value but also gain a buyer's interest, you must make smart choices in your projects. Here are some great tips to follow to make your projects a success.

Design with buyers in mind

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“If you are doing the renovations for resale, choose the types of fixtures and styles that will appeal to your target audience,” says Michele Morrison, a real estate agent with the Sereno Group in Los Altos, CA. “Don’t build your dream home if it’s not for you.”

What you may love, another person may hate. The key to renovations is to opt for designs that are universally flattering.

Paint a room

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Painting a room can cost around $200 - $400 and only take about a day but the impact is huge. Updating the walls in a warm gray or white will give the room a fresh look in a neutral color.

It is always important to use a color that is neutral and not polarizing. Some buyers will walk into a home hate the eggplant walls and leave.

Add crown molding

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Crown molding gives a room a finished and improved look. This wood can be added to the top edge of walls, door frames, or cabinets. This project typically costs between $300 to $500 per room and only takes a few days to paint, prep and install. Crown molding is not only a lovely touch but can also cover problem areas on walls or around windows and doors.

“This renovation increases value by setting the home apart from other comparable homes in the area,” says Richard McMurray, owner of DFW Crown Moulding in Fort Worth, TX.

Bathroom makeover

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“We’re seeing a trend where people are expanding the size of the bathrooms and having his-and-her showers. It’s more of a room than what it was in the past,” Nematnejad says.In the past, a bathroom in a home served only basic needs and was more simple in design. Today, the bathroom is a major part of a home's grand showcase. Today's buyers want a nice large bathroom with a soaking tub and natural light.

A bathroom renovation can be costly, $35,000 to $65,000-plus, but there are simple updates you can do to please a buyer's eye. Some buyer-pleasing ideas include replacing a linoleum floor with tiles, painting the vanity, installing a new sink and faucet, and putting in new lights.

Kitchen renovation

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Another project that can cost anywhere from $65,000 to over $100,000 but can recoup the cost of about 65% of the project when you sell your home is renovating the kitchen. Kitchens are not just a place to cook anymore, today's homeowners use the kitchen as a living space.

“The more you put into [a kitchen renovation], the higher the resale cost recouped percentage is going to be,” says Robert LaFleur, owner of Building Professionals, Inc. in Westford, MA.

Follow these tips and you are sure to be please with the outcome of the sale of your home. If you are in the market to sell, contact a local Realtor who can help you through the process.

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New Construction Buyers Spend Less Time Searching For a Home in 2020

 The Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report for 2020 had big changes from the data reported in 2019. New construction (NC) buyers that were surveyed for the 2020 report revealed that they spent less time looking for a home because they focused only on a new construction home. The report showed that 23% more NC buyers found their home in less than four weeks. In fact, the average new construction buyer spends only two months searching for a newly built home.

More and more home buyers are desiring a new construction home now more than ever. Builders are marketing off this change by adding incentives such as free builder upgrades. In 2019 9% of NC buyers said free builder upgrades was one of the top three of their reasons for buying new construction while in 2020 14% cited this as one of their motivators.

The top reasons for purchasing a certain home are still location and home features but following close behind now is the desire to purchase a new home that has never been lived in or used. Buyers want to be able to customize their home features and choose their own floor plan. Thirty-percent of NC buyers cited one of their top reasons for purchasing a newly built house was because it was the best value for their money.

New construction buyers are now focusing on less square footage. More NC buyers (9%) in 2020 purchased small homes which were 6 percentage points higher than in 2019. Small homes are homes that are less than 1,000 square feet. The data also informed that 19% of NC buyers paid less than $100,000 for their home in 2020 while only 9% were reported in 2019. Zillow feels that the shift might be because more new construction is being built in urban areas or that home builders are offering more options in smaller homes.

There was also a shift in home feature preferences in NC buyers in 2020. These include rental income, smart technology and space for cars. It became important to 32% of new construction buyers that they could generate rental income by renting out the whole home compared to 23% who said this was important in 2019. Smart home technologies are also becoming the norm. More and more people are becoming comfortable with devices that control things such as security or temperature control. Forty-three percent of NC buyers say that smart home capabilities are very important. Cars are also important to Americans, in fact so important, that 74% of NC buyers have to have off-street parking or a garage and 67% have to have an assigned parking space. Zillow says this probably stems from the higher rate of new construction in urban areas.

The new construction housing market is starved for inventory so if you are in the market, choosing a Realtor is a must. A Realtor can help you find the best home for you and your needs.

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Ways To Purchase a Home With No Down Payment

 Mortgage Rates are low and now is a great time to purchase a home. A big stumbling block for many is a downpayment. There are ways to borrow money through government-backed loans that give a borrower a chance to purchase a home with a smaller downpayment or no money down at all.

Lenders are protected when they lend borrowers the money for a home from the three government agencies which are the Federal Housing Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. These agencies ensure loans allowing lenders to reduce the risk of lending a loan to those who offer a low or no down payment.

"The goal across all these programs is helping people get into a home, knowing that homeownership is a key driver for removing the wealth divide," said Ed Barry, chief executive of Capital Bank, a bank headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, which operates Capital Bank Home Loans. "These programs are out there, but many people don't even know that they qualify."

An FHA loan allows a buyer to obtain a mortgage with a lower credit score, higher debt-to-income ratio and smaller down payments. In fact, it is easier for a home buyer to qualify for an FHA loan vs a conventional mortgage.

There is however a limit to the amount you can borrow on an FHA loan. This year the caps range between $356,362 and $822,375 and also depend on the location of the property. In order to find out the cap for your area, you can visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development website.

If you are a veteran or a surviving spouse of a veteran, then you will be eligible for a VA loan. VA loans offer 100% financing and better terms than a conventional loan.

"The advantage of the VA loan is the option to make no down payment," said Jordan Nietzel, a certified financial planner and founder of Trek Wealth Planning in Kansas City. "The thing that people need to watch out for is the debt-to-income ratio, which can go higher on a VA loan than a conventional loan. It can qualify you for a higher loan than you may be prepared to handle."

One catch is the VA funding fee. For a home purchased at $200,000 with a 5% down payment of $10,000, the VA funding fee will cost $3,135 or 1.65% of the $190,000 loan amount. The lower interest rate on a VA loan will be worth the VA funding fee.

In a rural area, there is a loan program called the USDA loan which allows for 100% financing with no down payment. These are great for low and moderate-income households. The buyer's household income cannot exceed 115% of the median income of the area around the home.

There are also property requirements for a USDA loan. The loan eligibility is based on the population density of the community. A potential buyer can search for USDA-eligible areas on the USDA website.

"People tend to think a USDA loan is for farmers," said Barry. "That isn't the case. It is designed for rural purchases. But that is defined by population density, not agricultural use. So you have eligible areas even 30 miles out of Washington DC."

"The challenge is finding someone who is knowledgeable in this space," said Barry. Not only about the type of loan, but about the areas where you are looking. "Usually this is more than just a transaction. It can be a super complicated process. A little hand holding is helpful."

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Affordable Housing Funds Receive $1 Billion

 The current housing market is on fire and will have even more support with the $1.09 billion disbursements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has never authorized such a large amount. In fact, this is double what was given last year.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) was established in 2008. The goal for the agency is to make sure that regulated institutions make good on their commitment. It is also there for a safe place for liquidity and funding for the housing finance market throughout the economic cycle.

Along with the agency, as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008, congress created the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). Their purpose is to support affordable housing. HERA directed the Enterprises to set aside 4.2 basis points of each dollar of unpaid principal balance of its total new business purchases and then allocate those reserved funds following each fiscal year for. The funding is divided with the HTF receiving 65% and the CMF receiving 35%.For 2021 more than $700 million will be given to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of the Treasury for the CMF will receive $383 million.

This is good news for the housing industry altogether. Now is a great time to purchase a home if you are in the market or thinking of buying a home.

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December 2020 Saw the Largest Gain in Home Prices in 7 Years

The end of 2020 was chaotic with the pandemic mixed with the holidays. This did not slow down the housing market, especially when it came to increases in home prices. It was reported that home prices rose at the fastest pace we have seen in seven years.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices reported that nationally home prices rose 10.4% over the data collected in December 2019. Not only were the home prices rising at a record pace, but we saw the largest annual gains in the more than 30-year history of the index in December 2020.

“2020′s 10.4% gain marks the best performance of housing prices in a calendar year since 2013,” said Craig Lazzara, managing director and global head of index investment strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “From the perspective of more than 30 years of S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data, December’s year-over-year change ranks within the top decile of all reports.”

The strongest gains were seen in Phoenix, Seattle and San Diego among the total cities surveyed. Phoenix showed a 14.4% increase year-over-year, Seattle had a 13.6% increase and San Diego was not far behind with a 13% increase.

COVID-19 has driven demand in homes because of the stay-at-home orders. People are more concerned with their homes now more than ever. A lack of inventory and the record low mortgage rates has made the current housing market very strong and desirable.

“These data are consistent with the view that Covid has encouraged potential buyers to move from urban apartments to suburban homes. This may indicate a secular shift in housing demand, or may simply represent an acceleration of moves that would have taken place over the next several years anyway,” Lazzara said.

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