by rtdosen | Aug 14, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
Home Prices Up Almost Universally By Ryan Dosen The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released its latest quarterly report for the housing market and the results show an almost universal climb in home sales and home prices throughout the country. This is great news for homeowners, but potentially discouraging news for renters and those unable to obtain financing to buy a home. With market activity and prices surging, and with interest rate hikes on the horizon, those choosing to or needing to sit on the sidelines may be finding themselves increasingly distanced from homeownership. 93 Percent of Markets See Price Increases 93 percent of the 176 metropolitan areas analyzed for NAR’s second quarter market report showed home price increases (compared to the second quarter of 2014). This year, only 13 areas endured lower median home prices. 19 percent of metro areas actually saw double-digit price increases in the second quarter of 2015. The average price of an American home in the second quarter of 2015 was $229,400. This number is 8.2 percent higher than 2014’s second quarter average home price of $212,000. After seeing first and second quarter price gains in 2015 of 7.1 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively, the housing market is humming. Regional numbers for the northeast were also solid in the second quarter. Total home sales rose 10.3 percent in the northeast and sales are now 8.6 percent ahead of where they were this time last year. Home prices in the northeast are also up 5.2 percent. Increased Household Wealth Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR, observed that “steady rent increases, the...
by rtdosen | Aug 13, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
Home Buyers Enjoying Lower Closing Costs By Ryan Dosen Today’s home buyers are not only enjoying historically low interest rates; they are also paying less in closing costs. Bankrate.com, a leading online aggregator of financial rate information, recently surveyed lenders from across the country to determine just how much the average borrower is paying to close a home loan. The good news for buyers is that costs are down a decent amount, making the ability to lock in such low interest rates all the more enticing. Bankrate.com’s Lender Survey Bankrate.com polled up to 10 lenders in a large city from each state and Washington D.C., requesting Good Faith Estimates for closing a $200,000 mortgage. The hypothetical loan applications were for well-qualified borrowers (with “excellent” credit and a 20 percent down payment) purchasing a single-family home. Closing costs were calculated by including loan origination fees charged by lenders, plus third-party costs (those not charged directly by the lender) such as credit reports, appraisals, flood certifications, and home inspections. “Highly variable costs,” such as homeowners insurance, loan discount points, title insurance, and taxes, were excluded because, according to Bankrate, “those costs vary so much from house-to-house.” Bankrate found that average closing costs have dropped 7.1 percent, from $1,989 in 2014 to $1,847 in 2015. Again, these costs do not reflect many “highly variable costs” that must also be paid at closing. According to Michael Becker of Sierra Pacific Mortgage, these variable costs could add up to another $2,500 or $3,000 for a $200,000 loan. Lender Fees Down, Third Party Fees Up Bankrate’s survey revealed that third-party fees rose 22...
by rtdosen | Aug 6, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
Retirees Living Large By Ryan Dosen Fewer retirees are downsizing, many are upsizing, and the vast majority are actually living in the nicest home of their lives. Contrary to the common belief that people will generally buy and live in smaller homes as they ease into retirement, a recent study conducted by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave reveals that today’s retiree thinks differently, and has many reasons for doing so. Freedom to Own Their Best Homes According to Merrill’s study, “retirees say they have unprecedented freedom to choose where they want to live, including freedom from many work and family obligations that can dictate home choices, as well as a greater freedom from home-related financial worries and mortgage payments. As a result of this newfound flexibility, the majority of retirees say they’re living in the best home of their lives.” In fact, Merrill’s study reveals that retirees are twice as likely as pre-retirees to say that they’re free to live where they want (as opposed to living in a place dictated by life’s responsibilities), and that two-thirds of retirees are now living in their best home. Merrill’s study found that 81 percent of people aged 65 and older are homeowners, and that 72 percent of these homeowners enjoy the luxury of having no mortgage at all. Home equity among homeowners also peaks in the 65+ age group. With an average of over $212,000 in home equity, fewer work and family obligations, and a solid majority not even facing monthly mortgage payments, many people aged 65+ are actually viewing this retirement age as a time of empowerment and greater...
by rtdosen | Aug 6, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
A Mid-Year Review for Chester County Real Estate By Ryan Dosen The first half of the year is in the books and the Chester County real estate market appears to be doing pretty well. The sales numbers for Keller Williams Brandywine Valley are up significantly from last year and my real estate team just had its biggest month on record. However, our business represents a relatively-small-but-growing subsection of the entire market. And you know what they say about appearances. They can be deceiving. So let’s not make any assumptions. Let’s take a step back and look at the mid-year numbers for Chester County’s real estate market. Home Settlements Up 12.3 Percent Suburban West Realtors Association reports that Chester County year-to-date home settlements are up 12.3 percent so far in 2015. June home settlements in Chester County were actually up 13.4 percent from last June’s numbers. June was Chester County’s biggest month for home settlements in 2014, with 677 total units changing hands. This June easily topped last year’s high and the market is well ahead of last year’s overall pace. Pending Home Sales Up 17.9 Percent According to Suburban West, Chester County pending home sales (homes that are under contract, but not yet settled) for the month of June were 12.7 percent higher in 2015 than in 2014. The year-to-date pending home sales numbers are even better. Pending home sales in Chester County for 2015 are almost 18 percent higher than they were at the same time last year. With the number of homes under contract for settlement being significantly higher this year, we will continue to...
by rtdosen | Aug 6, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
5 Things to Know about the Second Half Housing Market By Ryan Dosen Half of the year is in the books and we are seeing many promising signs for continued improvement in the real estate market. With the back nine still left to play, National Association of Realtors (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun recently released NAR’s second half forecast and discussed a few interesting things we all should know about the current and expected conditions of the economy and housing market. Here are the highlights…. 1. Home Sales Hitting Pre-Recession Highs As discussed in last week’s column, pending contracts to buy existing homes have hit a 9-year high, new home sales have hit a 7-year high, and housing permits to build new homes have hit an 8-year high. Existing-home sales also recently hit their highest mark since 2009, when the homebuyer ($8,000) tax credit had been in place. Though the credit is no longer in place, the economy has improved and the market is rebounding nicely. This return to pre-recession levels of activity is definitely a positive sign for the housing market. 2. GDP and Jobs Growth Expected, Despite Sluggish Wage Growth Yun forecasts that GDP will grow by 2.5 to 3 percent in the second half, allowing for more job creation. He also says that a total of 2.5 million net new jobs are likely to be created this year. While expecting solid job growth in the second half, Yun warns that part-time jobs are too high and that incomes are rising at a “sluggish” 2 percent rate. However, he also forecasts that wages should rise...
by rtdosen | Jul 8, 2015 | Ryan Dosen Real Estate Articles
New Home and Resale Markets Continue Surge By Ryan Dosen Pending home sales have reached their highest level since April 2006 and the housing market finds itself gaining more and more ground as it leaves the dark recesses of the Great Recession in its rear view. New home construction is also showing many promising signs with housing permits hitting a post-crisis high. Overall, it is looking like the housing market will have its best year in almost a decade, and there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the trend continuing. Resale Contracts Hit 9-Year High The National Association of Realtors’ (“NAR”) Pending Home Sales Index rose 0.9 percent in May and now sits at its highest level since April 2006. Interestingly, the Northeast was America’s strongest performing region. Pending home sales in the Northeast were up 6.3 percent in May and are now up 10.6 percent year-over-year. In discussing the impressive resale numbers, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun noted a “broad based recovery with four major regions showing solid gains from a year ago and new home sales also coming alive.” Yun attributes much of the market’s improvement to the “steady pace of solid job creation seen now for over a year …” However, Yun cautions that home price growth is “unhealthy and unsustainable” at the current pace. “Housing affordability remains a pressing issue with home-price growth increasing around four times the pace of wages.” Basically, the price of homes is rising much faster than the amount of money people are bringing home. At some point, something’s got to give. We are also expecting the...
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