homesellers: Home Price Appreciation Is as Simple as Supply and Demand - 06/12/21 06:40 PM
Home price appreciation continues to accelerate. Today, prices are driven by the simple concept of supply and demand. Pricing of any item is determined by how many items are available compared to how many people want to buy that item. As a result, the strong year-over-year home price appreciation is simple to explain. The demand for housing is up while the supply of homes for sale hovers at historic lows.
Let’s use three maps to show how this theory continues to affect the residential real estate market.
Map #1 – State-by-state price appreciation reported by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) for the first … (3 comments)

homesellers: Why You May Want To Cash in on Your Second Home - 06/10/21 04:45 PM
When stay-at-home mandates were enforced last year, many households realized their homes didn’t really fulfill their new lifestyle needs. An office (in some cases two), a media room, space for children to learn, a gym, and a large yard are all examples of amenities that became highly desirable almost overnight.
Zelman & Associates recently reported that sales of primary residences grew by 9% in 2020. That increase in demand was met by the lowest supply of homes for sale in history. High demand and low supply caused prices to skyrocket over the past twelve months. Here are three home price indexes released most recently that … (3 comments)

homesellers: Why This Is Not Like 2008 Again - 06/10/21 03:41 PM
During the Great Recession, just over a decade ago, the financial systems the world depended on started to collapse. It created a panic that drove some large companies out of business (ex. Lehman Brothers) and many more into bankruptcy. The financial crisis that accompanied the current pandemic caused hardship to certain industries and hurt many small businesses. However, it hasn’t rattled the world economy. It seems that a year later, things are slowly getting back to normal for many companies.
Why is there a drastic difference between 2008 and now? In a post from RealtyTrac, they explain:
“We changed the rules. We told banks … (2 comments)

homesellers: 3 Things To Prioritize When Selling Your House - 05/30/21 03:18 PM
Today’s housing market is full of unprecedented opportunities. High buyer demand paired with record-low housing inventory is creating the ultimate sellers’ market, which means it’s a fantastic time to sell your house. However, that doesn’t mean sellers are guaranteed success no matter what. There are still some key things to know so you can avoid costly mistakes and win big when you make a move.
1. Price Your House Right When inventory is low, like it is in the current market, it’s common to think buyers will pay whatever we ask when setting a listing price. Believe it or not, that’s not always true. Even in … (0 comments)

homesellers: Sellers Are Ready To Enter the Housing Market - 05/19/21 02:18 PM
One of the biggest questions in real estate today is, “When will sellers return to the housing market?” An ongoing shortage of home supply has created a hyper-competitive environment for hopeful buyers, leading to the ultimate sellers’ market. However, as the economy continues to improve and more people get vaccinated, more sellers may finally be in sight.
The Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) by Fannie Mae recently noted the percentage of consumer respondents who say it’s a good time to sell a home increased from 61% to 67%. Doug Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Fannie Mae, indicates:
“Consumer positivity regarding home-selling conditions nearly matched its … (2 comments)

homesellers: 4 Big Incentives for Homeowners to Sell Now - 05/04/21 05:22 AM
The housing market keeps sailing along. The only headwind that could take it off course is the lack of inventory for sale. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that there were 410,000 fewer single-family homes for sale this March than in March of 2020. The key to continued success in the residential housing market is for more listings to come on the market. However, many homeowners are concerned that selling their homes could be challenging for several reasons.
Recently, Homes.com released the findings of a survey that identified these concerns, as well as what it will take for homeowners to feel comfortable selling their houses. Here are the four major … (1 comments)

homesellers: Why This Is a Great Year to Sell Your Vacation Home - 04/17/21 06:22 PM
As vaccines are administered and travel resumes, many of us are beginning to plan for those long-awaited vacations we missed out on over the past year. Some households are focusing their efforts on buying a vacation home rather than staying in a hotel, too. The National Association of Home Builders (NHB) reports: “Second homes (i.e., homes sold to buyers who are not going to occupy the home year-round, but use it as a vacation home, investment property, etc.) account for 15 percent of new single-family home sales.”
It’s not surprising that there’s an increase in demand for vacation homes. The majority of Americans are realizing … (7 comments)

homesellers: Buyer Competition Is Good News for Sellers  - 04/04/21 11:11 PM
Buyer Competition Is Good News for Sellers 
Some Highlights With so many buyers looking for homes to purchase and so few houses available today, there’s a substantial increase in bidding wars, and homes are selling fast. According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), on average, houses are receiving over four offers from buyers and they’re selling in less than three weeks. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s connect today so you can sell your house while the market is in your favor. Contact Kris Collis now, your Trusted Pro in the Poconos. Let’s connect to … (5 comments)

homesellers: What Is the Strongest Tailwind to Today’s Recovering Economy? - 04/03/21 08:47 PM
What Is the Strongest Tailwind to Today’s Recovering Economy? Last year started off with a bang. Unemployment was under 4%, forecasters were giddy with their projections for the economy, and the residential housing market had the strongest January and February activity in over a decade.
Then came the announcement on March 11, 2020, from the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Two days later, the White House declared it a national emergency. Businesses and schools were forced to close, shelter-in-place mandates were enacted, and the economy came to a screeching halt. As a result, unemployment in this country skyrocketed to 14.9%.
A … (1 comments)

homesellers: Think About Listing Prices Like an Auction’s Reserve Price - 04/03/21 01:10 AM
Think About Listing Prices Like an Auction’s Reserve Price For generations, the homebuying process never really changed. The seller would try to estimate the market value of the home and tack on a little extra to give themselves some negotiating room. That figure would become the listing price of the house. Buyers would then try to determine how much less than the full price they could offer and still get the home. The asking price was generally the ceiling of the negotiation. The actual sales price would almost always be somewhat lower than the list price. It was unthinkable to pay more than … (6 comments)

homesellers: 2021 Real Estate Myth Buster  - 03/26/21 11:20 PM
2021 Real Estate Myth Buster 
Some Highlights There are a lot of misconceptions about buying or selling a home today, making it challenging to know exactly how to navigate the current real estate landscape.
Here’s a little clarity when it comes to 5 common myths about the 2021 housing market.
Contact Kris Collis, your Trusted Pro in the Poconos, for professional results in all market fluctuations. Let's discuss your needs so you can decipher facts from fiction in our local market. What's best fits your financial goals now - buy, sell, perhaps both? With years of area knowledge and repeat … (3 comments)

homesellers: 6 Simple Graphs Proving This Is Nothing Like Last Time - 03/13/21 03:23 PM
6 Simple Graphs Proving This Is Nothing Like Last Time Last March, many involved in the residential housing industry feared the market would be crushed under the pressure of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Instead, real estate had one of its best years ever. Home sales and prices were both up substantially over the year before. 2020 was so strong that many now fear the market’s exuberance mirrors that of the last housing boom and, as a result, we’re now headed for another crash.
However, there are many reasons this real estate market is nothing like 2008. Here are six visuals to show the dramatic … (5 comments)

homesellers: 5 Reasons to Sell Your House This Spring - 03/08/21 06:26 PM
5 Reasons to Sell Your House This Spring When selling a house, most homeowners hope for a quick and profitable transaction that puts them in a position to make a great move. If you’re waiting for the best time to win as a seller, the market is calling your name this spring. Here are five reasons why this is the perfect time to sell your house if you’re ready.
1. There’s high demand from homebuyers. Buyer demand is strong right now, and buyers are active in the market. ShowingTime, which tracks the average number of buyer showings on residential properties, recently announced that buyer … (3 comments)

homesellers: Home Equity Gives Sellers Options in Today’s Market - 09/30/20 03:55 PM
Home Equity Gives Sellers Options in Today’s Market

Homeownership is one of the best ways to invest in your financial future, especially as your home equity grows. Home equity is a form of forced savings that can work to your advantage as the value of your home appreciates. Across the country, home equity was increasing before the health crisis swept our nation, and it continues to grow throughout the year, giving sellers powerful options in this market.
According to the just-released Q2 Homeowner Equity Insights Report by CoreLogic:
“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a … (7 comments)

homesellers: Real Estate Still Leading the Economic Recovery - 06/09/20 11:21 PM
Real Estate Still Leading the Economic Recovery

With more U.S. states reopening for business this summer, and as people start to return to work, we can expect the economy to begin improving. Most expert forecasts indicate this economic recovery will start to happen in the second half of this year. As we get back to work and the financial landscape of the country begins to turn around, many experts also agree that real estate has the potential to lead the way in the recovery process.
According to Ivy Zelman of Zelman & Associates:
 “Housing will fare better than expected during this severe downturn.”
In addition, CNBC notes:
(4 comments)

homesellers: Why This Summer Is the 2020 Real Estate Season - 05/27/20 04:18 PM
Why This Summer Is the 2020 Real Estate Season

With stay-at-home orders starting to gradually lift throughout parts of the country, data indicates homebuyers are jumping back into the market. After many families put their plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what we once called the busy spring real estate season is shifting into the summer. In 2020, summer is the new spring for real estate.
Joel Kan, Economist at The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) notes:
“Applications for home purchases continue to recover from April’s sizable drop and have now increased for five consecutive weeks…Government purchase applications, which include FHA, VA, and USDA loans, are now 5 percent … (2 comments)