Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

As a homeowner, it’s always tempting to dream about the next big project you’re going to tackle. The possibilities are endless. Should I renovate? Should I refinance? Should I stay? Should I move? The list goes on and on. In today’s housing market, it’s actually a great time to shift your thoughts toward selling your house and moving up into the home of your dreams. Here’s why: Inventory is on the rise, but there’s still an overall shortage of houses for sale (less than a 6-month supply found in a more normal market), so homes are going under contract quickly. In fact, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Realtors® Confidence Index Survey reports that right now homes are only staying on the market for an average of 27 days. That’s less than one month, an even more accelerated pace from the 36-day trend we saw last spring . The same report also indicates there are more interested buyers than active sellers today, which is one of the big factors driving home p

Housing demand is expected to remain strong fueled by a healthy labor market that has resulted in the highest credit scores among borrowers in three years, the lowest housing vacancy rate in 38 years and the largest group of millennials set to enter their prime homebuying years in 2020 as reported  This Week in Real Estate  in First American’s Homeownership Progress Index as well as by chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association .   Below  are a   few highlights from the  fourth week  of  July  that influence our business : *  Is a Turnaround Looming For The Homeownership Rate?  Indeed, the homeownership rate is below what it should be, Mark Fleming, chief economist of First American, noted in a report this month. In 2018, the homeownership rate underperformed potential demand by 8.7%, and Fleming points to young adults and their lifestyle choices as the main culprit. Millennials have trailed their generational predecessors when it comes to homeownership. They’v

The current housing landscape presents greater home values, low interest rates, and high buyer demand. All of these factors point to the strong market forecasted to continue throughout the rest of the year. There is, however, one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: an overall lack of housing inventory.  Buyer demand  naturally increases during the summer months, but the current supply is not keeping up. Here is a look at what a few industry experts have to say: Lawrence Yun,  Chief Economist  at  National Association of Realtors “Imbalance persists for mid-to-lower priced homes with solid demand and insufficient supply, which is consequently pushing up home prices.” Mark Fleming,  Chief Economist  of  First American “Market conditions are ripe for increasing home sales with one glaring exception. The supply of homes for sale remains tight, keeping existing home sales below potential.” Danielle Hale,  Chief Economist  of  Realtor.com “We’re not

Shifting trends and industry-leading research are pointing toward some valuable projections about the status of the housing market for the rest of the year. If you’re thinking of buying or selling, or if you just want to know what experts are saying is on the horizon, here are the top three things to put on your radar as we head into the coming months: Home prices are appreciating at a more normal rate : Home prices have been appreciating for about ten years now. Experts at the Home Price Expectation Survey, Mortgage Bankers Association, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae are forecasting continued growth throughout the next year, although it should be leveling-off to normal appreciation (3.6%), as we move into 2020. Interest rates are low : Over the past 30 years, the average mortgage rate in the United States has been 8.27%, and rates even peaked as high as 18% in the 1980s. Today, at 3.81% , the rate is considerably lower than the historical 30-year average. Although exp

We’re halfway through the year, and with a decline in interest rates as well as home price and wage appreciation, many are wondering what the experts predict for the second half of 2019. Here’s what some have to say: Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com “Lower mortgage rates, higher wages and more homes for sale have helped counteract rising home prices, and ultimately, made it so that buyers are able to afford more than last year.” “Our outlook implies 4% growth for the remaining months of the year, predicated on…more supply than last year, the decline in mortgage rates, moderating home price appreciation and improving affordability.” Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR “Rates of 4% and, in some cases even lower, create extremely attractive conditions for consumers. Buyers, for good reason, are anxious to purchase and lock in at these rates.” Doug Duncan, Chief Economist for Fannie Mae “Moderating home price appreciation and attractive mortgage

  Over 10% of all residential homes are purchased by investors, and that number continues to rise. Who are these investors? Many have speculated that the large institutional conglomerates such as Blackstone, American Homes 4 Rent, and Colony Starwood dominate investor purchases. However, a special report on investor home buying by CoreLogic , Don’t Call it a Comeback: Housing Investors Have Been Here for Years , shows this is not the case. Ralph McLaughlin, CoreLogic ’s Deputy Chief Economist and author of the report, explained his findings at the recent National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Austin: “Investor buying activity in the U.S. is at record highs. And our records go back confidently, about 20 years… What’s going on and why? Well, it turns out, it’s not the big institutional guys that are leading the increase in home buying. It’s actually the smaller guys. It’s those that have bought between one and ten properties over this 20-year perio

  With the recent lower interest rates, many homeowners are wondering if they should refinance. To decide if refinancing is the best option for your family, start by asking yourself these questions: Why do you want to refinance? There are many reasons to refinance, but here are three of the most common ones: Lo wer your interest rate and payment – This is the most popular reason. If you have a 5% interest rate or higher, it might be worth seeing if you can take advantage of the current lower interest rates, hovering below 4%, to reduce your monthly payment and overall cost of the loan. Shorten the term of your loan – If you have a 30-year loan, it may be advantageous to change it to a 15 or 20-year loan to pay off your mortgage sooner. Cash-out refinance – With home prices increasing, you might have enough equity to cash out and invest in something else, like your children’s education, a vacation home, or a new business. Once you know why you might want to refin

Questions continue to come up about where home prices will head throughout the rest of this year, as well as where they may be going over the few years beyond. We’ve gathered current data from the industry’s most reliable sources to help answer these questions: The Home Price Expectation Survey  – A survey of over 100 market analysts, real estate experts, and economists conducted by  Pulsenomics  each quarter. Mortgage Bankers Association  (MBA) – As the leading advocate for the real estate finance industry, the MBA enables members to successfully deliver fair, sustainable, and responsible real estate financing within ever-changing business environments. Zelman & Associates  – The firm leverages unparalleled housing market expertise, extensive surveys of industry executives, and rigorous financial analysis to deliver proprietary research and advice to leading global institutional investors and senior-level company executives. Freddie Mac  – An organization whose missio

  Some Highlights: According to the US Census Bureau, “millennials” are defined as 18-36-year-olds. According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers , the median age of all first-time home buyers is 32. More and more “old millennials” (25-36) are realizing that homeownership is within their grasp now! July 12, 2019 / by KCM Crew

The Federal Reserve Bank (The Fed) recently released their 2019  Survey of Consumer Expectations Housing Survey. The survey reported that 65% of Americans believe homeownership is a good financial investment. Since 2014, the percentage has increased by over nine percent.  The Fed’s survey also showed that when the results are broken down by age, education, income, or region of the country, more than 55% of Americans in each category see homeownership as a good investment. This coincides with a recent Gallup survey of Americans which revealed that real estate was their number one choice for the best long-term investment when compared to stocks, savings accounts or gold. Bottom Line Americans’ belief in residential real estate as a good financial investment continues to grow as the housing market returns to normalcy. July 11, 2019 / by KCM Crew

  Since June of last year, we have seen an increase in the inventory of homes for sale month per month. Every spring and summer, the inventory increases because people want to sell their home. For those with children, they may want to be in their new home for the beginning of the school year. If you are one of those sellers, you may find these 4 tips helpful in getting your home sold more quickly. 1. Make buyers feel at home Declutter your home! Pack away all personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. Make them feel like they belong in this house! According to the Profile of Home Staging by the National Association of Realtors , “83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.” Not only will your house spend less time on the market, but the same report mentioned that, “One-quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between 1 – 5

Owning a home has great financial benefits. In a recent research paper, Homeownership and the American Dream , Laurie S. Goodman and Christopher Mayer of the Urban Land Institute explained: “Homeownership appears to help borrowers accumulate housing and nonhousing wealth in a variety of ways, with tax advantages, greater financial flexibility due to secured borrowing, built-in ‘default’ savings with mortgage amortization and nominally fixed payments, and the potential to lower home maintenance costs through sweat equity.” Let’s breakdown 5 major financial benefits of homeownership: 1. Housing is typically the one leveraged investment available Homeownership allows households to amplify any appreciation on the value of their homes by a leverage factor. A 20% down payment results in a leverage factor of five, meaning every percentage point rise in the value of your home is a 5% return on your equity. If you put down 10%, your leverage factor is 10. Example: Let’s as

Homes priced at the top 25% of the price range for a particular area of the country are considered “premium homes.” In today’s real estate market, there are deals to be had at the higher end! This is great news for homeowners wanting to upgrade from their current house. Much of the demand for housing over the past couple of years has come from first-time buyers looking for their starter home. Many of the more expensive homes listed for sale have not seen as much interest. According to ILHM’s Luxury Report , this mismatch in demand and inventory of luxury and premium homes has created a Buyer’s Market. For the purpose of the report, a luxury home was defined as one that costs $1 million or more. “A Buyer’s Market indicates that buyers have greater control over the price point. This market type is demonstrated by a substantial number of homes on the market and few sales, suggesting demand for residential properties is slow for that market and/or price point.” The auth

 Some Highlights: If you are thinking of buying a home, you may not know where to start. Here is a simple list of 10 steps that you will go through to purchase a home. Make sure to ask your agent for details about each step and what else may be required in your area! July 5, 2019 / KCM Crew

When deciding to buy a home, people are presented with many different options. The type of home you buy depends on your needs, budget, and in many cases, the desired maintenance level. For many millennials, their choice has been buying a condominium! According to CoreLogic, “ Last year about 43% of all condo home-purchase mortgage applications were submitted by FTHBs… Similarly, the data show condos were more popular with young homebuyers and empty nesters. For instance, 21% of all condo home-purchase mortgage applications were submitted by buyers aged 18 to 30, compared with just 17% of all single-family home-purchase mortgage applications by the same group in 2018 .” With home prices increasing year-over-year, it makes sense millennials are buying condos instead of a single-family house. As a result, the demand for this type of home has been increasing. As this graph explains, “ The younger millennials are the largest cohort and are likely to dri

  Rising home prices coupled with a lack of inventory in today’s market may cause some homeowners to consider selling their home on their own (known in the industry as a For Sale By Owner ). However, a FSBO might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers. The top 5 reasons are listed below: 1. Online Strategy for Prospective Purchasers Recent studies have shown that 95% of buyers search online for a home. In comparison, only 13% use print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an Internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you? 2. Results Come from the Internet Where did buyers find the home they actually purchased? 50% on the Internet 28% from a Real Estate Agent 7% from a yard sign 1% from newspapers The days of selling your house by putting up a sign and listing it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong Internet strategy is crucial. 3. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With Here is a list of some of the people wit