homeowner: 5,300 Reasons to Be Happy You’re a Homeowner - 12/19/19 10:11 AM
Studies have shown that, in many cases, the largest asset a family owns is the house they live in. Over the last twelve months, that asset has gained substantial value. 
CoreLogic just released their 2019 3rd Quarter Homeowner Equity Insights Report. The report revealed that:
“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 64% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of nearly $457 billion since the third quarter 2018, an increase of 5.1%, year over year.”
The equity in a property is determined by comparing the current value of the property against the outstanding mortgage debt. As prices rise, the equity … (0 comments)

homeowner: Homeownership is a Contributor to Your Net Worth - 10/09/19 02:40 PM
  Many people plan to build their net worth by buying CDs or stocks, or just having a savings account. Recently, however, Economist Jonathan Eggleston and Survey Statistician Donald Hays, both of the U.S. Census Bureau, shared the biggest determinants of wealth,
“The biggest determinants of household wealth [are] owning a home and having a retirement account.” (Shown in the graph below):
This does not come as a surprise, as we often mention that homeownership can help you to increase your family’s wealth. This study reinforces that idea,
 “Net worth is an important indicator of economic well-being and provides insights into a household’s economic health.”
Having equity in your home can help your family … (1 comments)

homeowner: Homeowners Are Happy! Renters? Not So Much. - 09/26/19 02:02 PM
  When people talk about homeownership and the American Dream, much of the conversation revolves around the financial benefits of owning a home. However, two recent studies show that the non-financial benefits might be even more valuable.
In a recent survey, Bank of America asked homeowners: “Does owning a home make you happier than renting?” 93% of the respondents answered yes, while only 7% said no. The survey also revealed:
More than 80% said they wouldn’t go back to renting 88% agreed that buying a home is the “best decision they have ever made” 79% believed owning a home has changed them for the better Those surveyed … (0 comments)

homeowner: 2019 Will Be a Great Year for Buyers & Sellers - 02/21/19 12:20 PM
  Many homeowners believe that rising interest rates and home prices have scared away buyers and therefore have not listed their houses for sale. However, the truth is that buyers who were unable to find a home last year are out in force, and there are even more coming!
NerdWallet’s 2018 Home Buyer Report revealed that:
“Approximately one-third (32%) of Americans plan to purchase a home in the next five years. Millennials are most likely to have such a purchase in their five-year plan (49%), versus 35% of Generation X and 17% of baby boomers.”
As we can see, buyers are optimistic! According to the report, here … (1 comments)

homeowner: Why Homeownership Matters Now More Than Ever - 02/13/19 02:38 PM
  Study after study shows that no matter what generation Americans belong to, the vast majority believe that homeownership is an important part of their American Dream. The benefits of homeownership can be broken into two main categories: financial and non-financial (often referred to as emotional or social reasons.)
For Americans approaching retirement age, one of the greatest benefits to homeownership is the added net worth they have been able to achieve simply by paying their mortgage!
The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University focused on homeowners and renters over the age of 65. Their study revealed that the difference in net … (1 comments)

homeowner: How Much Has Your Home Increased in Value? - 01/31/19 08:23 AM
  Last year we saw headlines about a possible housing market bubble, and many wondered if Americans still felt confident about the value of their homes. Recently, the 2018 Houzz & Home Study revealed:
“Homeowners with mortgages have seen their home equity more than double since 2011, increasing to a record-setting $8.3 trillion in 2017.”
The average homeowner gained $16,200 in home equity between Q2 2017 and Q2 2018 according to the latest release of CoreLogic’s Home Equity Report.
Since 2011 home values have increased significantly throughout the country, with prices rising by 5.1% in 2018 alone. When surveyed, homeowners revealed the top four reasons … (1 comments)

homeowner: Buying a Home Young is the Key to Building Wealth - 01/15/19 01:00 PM
Homeowners who purchase their homes before the age of 35 are better prepared for retirement at age 60, according to a new Urban Institute study. The organization surveyed adults who turned 60 or 61 between 2003 and 2015 for their data set.
“Today’s older adults became homeowners at a younger age than today’s young adults. Half the older adults in our sample bought their first house when they were between 25 and 34 years old, and 27 percent bought their first home before age 25.”
The full breakdown is in the chart below:
The study goes on to show the impact of purchasing a home at … (0 comments)

homeowner: Want to Get the Most Money from The Sale of Your Home? - 01/07/19 12:23 PM
Every homeowner wants to make sure they maximize their financial reward when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive the maximum value for your house?
Here are two keys to ensure that you get the highest price possible.
1. Price it a LITTLE LOW 
This may seem counterintuitive, but let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their homes a little OVER market value will leave them with room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for your house (see chart below).
Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they … (1 comments)

homeowner: Belief in Homeownership as an Investment is Far from Dead - 01/03/19 01:12 PM
Following last year’s real estate market was like riding a rollercoaster. The market started off strong in 2018 and then softened before finishing with a mild flurry. However, one thing that did not waiver was America’s belief that owning a home makes sense from a financial standpoint.
An end-of-the-year survey by the Federal Reserve Bank’s Center for Microeconomic Data revealed that:
“The majority of households continue to view housing as a good financial investment.”
And that percentage has increased over the last three years.
 
Bottom LineThough there is some uncertainty as to how the real estate market will perform over the next twelve months, one thing remains very certain: America’s … (0 comments)