Category Archives: Buyers

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Demand for Puget Sound area Homes “Still Incredibly Strong”

… but brokers report frenzy is easing in some neighborhoods.

Earlier this month the Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported that figures for August show brisk sales, escalating prices and some improvement in inventory, prompting one MLS director to declare, “What these numbers tell us loud and clear is that buyer demand in the Puget Sound region is still incredibly strong.”

In making that comment, OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate, noted the housing market tends to experience some slowing during August, but rising inventory levels and sustained buyer demand fueled “higher than expected home sales and another month of strong appreciation.”

The latest figures from Northwest MLS show pending sales (mutually accepted offers) during August increased 8.7 percent from a year ago. Brokers in the 21 counties served by the MLS reported 9,065 pending sales system-wide. That’s a drop of 500 units from July, but an increase of 727 transactions compared to a year ago (August 2012). In the four-county Puget Sound region (King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish), the total of 6,916 pending sales was the highest volume for August since 2006 when members notched 7,692 sales.

Prices also reflected an upward trajectory. The area-wide median price for last month’s completed sales of single family homes and condominiums was $283,000, which compares to the year ago figure of $250,000 for a gain of 13.2 percent. Only two other months this year have had higher year-over-year increases: March (14.9 percent) and May (13.4 percent). Since January, prices have jumped 18.3 percent.

Prices on single family homes (excluding condos) that sold during August increased from $263,495 to $294,000 for a gain of 11.6 percent.

Read the full report…

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For Bigger Homebuying Value, Look in These Smaller Markets

With fixed mortgage rates rising by more than a full percentage point since May and more likely to go higher than lower, homes are becoming significantly less affordable for those not buying with cash. That means homebuyers still trying to take advantage of still-low mortgage rates might have to set their sights a little lower when shopping for what they can afford.

Here’s a look at seven smaller housing markets that would be quite affordable for those who don’t have to live in a major metro area.

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Suze Orman Changes Homebuying Advice

Now that we are seeing a rebound in the housing market, it is time for a new home buying strategy says Suze Orman. “Financial advice needs to change according to what is happening in the economy,” she says.

In today’s economy, with interest rates still low, relatively speaking, and home prices leveling out, Orman says potential homebuyers no longer need to make a down payment of 20 percent. “I’m fine if you can get a mortgage with 10 percent down,” says Orman.

Read more of her advice…

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Will The Mortgage Rate Spike Slow Market Recovery?

Thoughts

Have you been watching mortgage rates rise the past few months and wonder what that means for the housing market? So have a lot of other people!

Find out when mortgage rates are likely to bite and what other factors are influencing the current market nationwide.

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Affluent Homebuyers will give up Space for Amenities

The vast majority of luxury homebuyers used an agent, are willing to give up square footage for an amenity they want and wouldn’t live in a home that isn’t tech-friendly, according to a survey commissioned by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

The online survey of 500 affluent homebuyers, conducted by Wakefield Research between May 20 and June 4, also showed that most luxury homebuyers believe homeownership is a more sound investment than the stock market, would rather live in a “smart” home than a “green” home, and would rather have an upgraded home than more square footage.

Read the article…

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Alternative Ways to Come Up With the Down Payment on a Home

Saving Money

To successfully purchase a home today, you will need a down payment of at least 3.5 percent of the purchase price. Gone are the days of no down payment alternatives, down payment assistance and seller-offered programs to come up with the money needed to buy a home. Instead, let’s look at the five ways you can come up with a down payment to seal the deal.

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Singles Make Up Quarter of All Buyers

More Americans are opting to live alone, with single buyers making up a quarter of all home purchases last year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. In the U.S., there are 33 million one-person households, and living solo is becoming an international trend, MSN Real Estate reports.

Why are so many living alone? People are marrying later, divorcing more, and living longer, sociologists say.

Read more…

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August Housing Barometer Details Recovery Phase 3

Each month, Trulia’s Housing Barometer charts how quickly the housing market is moving back to “normal.”  They summarize three key housing market indicators: construction starts (Census), existing home sales (NAR), and the delinquency-plus-foreclosure rate (LPS First Look). For each indicator, they compare this month’s data to (1) how bad the numbers got at their worst and (2) their pre-bubble “normal” levels.

In July 2013, all three measures improved: construction starts and existing home sales rose, while the delinquency + foreclosure rate notched downward.

Read the details…

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Second Chance for Foreclosed Home Owners

Home

The Federal Housing Administration is giving some former home owners another shot at home ownership. The FHA sent a letter to mortgage lenders stating that it would offer mortgage insurance to borrowers who once filed for bankruptcy, or who lost their homes through foreclosure or short sale during the recession.

Still, potential borrowers must show they can meet all other FHA requirements and that they are no longer financially constrained. Borrowers also will have to undergo housing counseling and FHA is requiring lenders to verify that at least a year has passed since the foreclosure or “economic event” that caused the foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Read more…

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All-Cash Deals on the Rise

Money

As mortgage rates creep up and stringent lending standards continue to make it difficult for many home buyers to get loans, all-cash deals are accounting for more and more home sales completed in the U.S.

RealtyTrac data released recently shows that 40 percent of all home sales in July — including single-family homes, co-ops, condos and townhomes — were made without a loan being recorded, up from 35 percent in June and 31 percent in July 2012.

Read more…