Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

According to the most recent Black Knight Home Price Index released  This Week in Real Estate  affordability improved for the first time in 16 months this summer due to falling interest rates and the slowing rate of home price appreciation.  Below  are a   few highlights from the  fourth week  of  August  that influence our business : *  Affordability Improves For First Time in 16 Months.  The national affordability landscape improved in July after 16 straight months of declines, according to a first look at the Black Knight Home Price index, which will be released later this month .  The improved affordability is due to falling interest rates, which worked against rising home prices.   But while home prices increased, the rate of increase slowed, Black Knight data showed. Home prices increased by 0.34% monthly in July, and rose 3.9% from July 2018.   Over the last 16 months, the annual home price...

September is just around the corner. Check out all of the exciting events & training we have to offer! Below are some of the registration links, for others please RSVP via email to Bethanyfrench@bhhsnwre.com Career Night: https://bhhsfwcareer.eventbrite.com Instructor Development Workshop (2 Days): https://bhhsidw.eventbrite.com RE Test Prep: https://bhhstestprep.eventbrite.com Jump Start @ W Seattle: https://jumpstartbhhs.eventbrite.com Lastly, if you do not get a chance to register or RSVP, you are still welcome to come to class ☺ We just like a rough estimate to be prepared for all attendees!

The Mortgage Bankers Association issued a new forecast  This Week in Real Estate  that predicts the rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage will average 3.7% in the third and fourth quarters of 2019.  Below  are a few highlights from the  third week  of  August  that influence our business : *  Existing-Home Sales Climb 2.5% in July.  Existing-home sales strengthened in July, a positive reversal after total sales were down slightly in the previous month, according to the National Association of Realtors. Although Northeast transactions declined, the other three major U.S. regions recorded sales increases, including vast growth in the West last month. Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 2.5% from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.42 million in July. Single-family home sales sat at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.84...

Did you know August 21 st is National Senior Citizens Day ? According to the United States Census, we honor senior citizens today because,  “ Throughout our history, older people have achieved much for our families, our communities, and our country. That remains true today and gives us ample reason…to reserve a special day in honor of the senior citizens who mean so much to our land. ” To give proper recognition, we’re going to look at some senior-related data in the housing industry. According to the Population Reference Bureau , “ The number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population will rise from 16 percent to 23 percent .” Seniors Believe in Homeownership In a recent report , Freddie Mac compared the homeownership rates of two groups of seniors: the Good Times Cohor t (born from 1931-1941) and the Previous Generations (born in the...

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported  This Week in Real Estate  that mortgage debt reached a record high in the second quarter. Despite the higher debt loads the report found the percentage of mortgage balances that are current is at its highest level of the current expansion, fueled by tighter lending standards and more prudent consumer behavior.  Below  are a few highlights from the  second week  of  August  that influence our business : *  Single-Family Starts Continue Improvement in July.  A ccording to estimates from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and Commerce Department, the pace of single-family construction continued to improve in July. After reaching a post-winter low annualized rate of 814,000 in April, single-family starts expanded to an 876,000 pace in July, a 1.3% gain over the revised June estimate. However, single-family starts remain 3.3% lower on a year-to-date basis due to slower ...