You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity. What’s important to understand is that equity is tied closely to home values. So, when home prices appreciate, you can expect equity to grow. And when home prices decline, equity does too. Here’s how this has played out recently. Home prices rose rapidly during the ‘unicorn’ years. That gave homeowners a considerable equity...
Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). Here's an explanation of each. Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y): This...
When you look at the numbers today, the one thing that stands out is the strength of this housing market. We can see this is one of the most foundationally strong housing markets of our lifetime – if not the strongest housing market of our lifetime. Here are two fundamentals that prove this point. 1. The Current Mortgage Rate on Existing Mortgages First, let’s look at the current rate on existing...
Today’s mortgage rates are top-of-mind for many homebuyers right now. As a result, if you’re thinking about buying for the first time or selling your current house to move into a home that better fits your needs, you may be asking yourself these two questions: Why Are Mortgage Rates So High? When Will Rates Go Back Down? Here’s context you need to help answer those questions. 1. Why Are...
With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now. A recent poll from Gallup shows the answer is yes. In fact, real estate was voted the best long-term investment for the 11th consecutive year, consistently beating other investment types like gold, stocks, and bonds (see graph below): If you’re...
During the fourth quarter of last year, many housing experts predicted home prices were going to crash this year. Here are a few of those forecasts:Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of Business:“I expect housing prices fall 10% to 15%, and the housing prices are accelerating on the downside.”Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics:"Buckle...
Some HighlightsJune is National Homeownership Month, and it’s a perfect time to think about all the benefits that come with owning your home.Owning a home not only makes you feel proud and accomplished, but it’s also a big step toward having a secure and stable financial future.Are you ready to enjoy all the amazing advantages that come with owning a home? Get in touch with a local real estate agent to...
Buying and owning your home can make a big difference in your life by bringing you joy and a sense of belonging. And with June being National Homeownership Month, it’s the perfect time to think about all the benefits homeownership provides. Of course, there are financial reasons to buy a house, but it’s important to consider the non-financial benefits that make a home more than just where you...
Buying your first home is an exciting decision and a major milestone that has the power to change your life for the better. As a first-time homebuyer, it’s a vision you can bring to life, but, as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shares, you’ll have to overcome some factors that have made it more challenging in recent years:“Since 2011, the share of first-time home buyers has been under the...
Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market. That’s due to possible variability in the market making the comparison less meaningful or accurate. Unpredictable events can have a significant impact on the circumstances and outcomes being compared. Comparing this year’s numbers to the two ‘unicorn’ years we just experienced is almost worthless....