parker: The dilemma is clear: wait for conditions to improve, or act now?
- 07/22/24 05:06 PM
Are you one of the many would-be homebuyers holding off on purchasing a home, hoping for a favorable shift in the market? With insurance, property taxes, and maintenance costs on the rise, it's understandable why some are hesitant to take the plunge. However, the reality is that these factors affecting affordability are compounded by the continuing increase in home values. The dilemma is clear: should you wait for conditions to improve, or should you act now?
The Affordability Challenge - Escalating insurance premiums, property taxes, and maintenance expenses are making homeownership less attainable for many prospective buyers. As these costs continue to … (6 comments)
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parker: The case for working with a friend and agent
- 07/16/24 02:41 PM
The familiarity and trust established in a friendship may be the ideal foundation for a successful business relationship. Having a loyal ally from their social circle adds a new level of insight and service to such an important financial decision in their lives.
When considering the choice of engaging a friend who also happens to be a real estate agent in the purchase or sale of their home, consumers are presented with a multitude of compelling reasons to embrace this option. Firstly, the pre-existing level of trust between friends lays a solid foundation for effective communication and transparency throughout the … (0 comments)
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parker: Waiting for the Mortgage Rates to Come Down
- 12/11/22 11:34 AM
Waiting for the mortgage rates to come down before you buy a home may not be a good decision.
If you are correct, and the rates do come down by two percent, the savings you benefit from a lower rate will most likely be devoured by the appreciated price increase.
As of 12/8/22, the 30-year fixed-rate was at 6.33% which is close to the highest level since mid-2008. If the rate drops to 4.7% in three years but the price increases by 5% a year, a $400,000 home today, will cost $463,050 three years from now.
An increasingly, popular option that … (5 comments)
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parker: Five Factors that Affect the Sale of Any Home
- 09/28/22 10:22 AM
Owners directly control four of the five factors that affect the sale of any home: price, location, condition, terms, and the agent you select. The one thing you can't control is the location of the home, but you can adjust the other factors to compensate for failings.
The seller controls the price of the home which determines its positioning in the marketplace. If is priced too high, it will take longer to sell and, in some cases, for less than what it should have sold for because when it doesn't sell immediately, it is assumed that there must be an issue with it. If … (1 comments)
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parker: Are prices and rates going to continue to rise?
- 08/21/22 05:17 PM
One of the most talked about questions in the real estate market has to do with "Will prices continue to rise now that interest rates have increased dramatically this year?"
It is understandable to think that if the Federal Reserve is using interest rate increases to slow consumer demand, that it would also slow homebuyer demand to moderate prices. Unfortunately for would-be homebuyers, it isn't the case. High inflation, strong economic growth, low unemployment, and increased wage growth have been associated with high home price appreciation.
In a recent newsletter from First American, Chief Economist, Mark Fleming stated that historically, 90% of total inventory … (3 comments)
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parker: A New Opportunity for Homebuyers
- 04/11/22 07:30 PM
You may not have heard of anyone assuming an existing mortgage for over thirty years and didn't know they were even possible any longer. The reason is simple, it didn't make financial sense but now that interest rates are increasing, it may be an opportunity for some homebuyers.
Conventional loans added clauses to mortgages back in the early 80's that gave the noteholder the right to raise the interest rate if a loan was assumed, as well as require the new buyer to qualify for the loan. This essentially ended the practice of assuming conventional mortgages.
Then, in the late 80's, FHA … (1 comments)
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parker: Equity Give Homeowners Options
- 04/05/22 07:43 PM
Americans have seen the equity in their homes increase by 29.3% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2021 according to the CoreLogic Homeowner Equity Insights. The average home equity gained $55,000 during the same period.
CoreLogic's Home Price Index reported a 19.1% increase in appreciation for the previous twelve months ending in January 2022. This increase in value is fueling the increased equity that homeowners are experiencing.
Some homeowners are doing cash-out refinancing and using the funds for a variety of purposes like home improvements, investing, saving for retirement, college or rainy-day funds.
Other homeowners are seeing the … (0 comments)
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parker: Equity, Price and the Agent You Select
- 09/07/21 04:13 PM
A Seller's equity in their home is the difference between what the home is worth and what they owe. At any point in time, it is an estimation because value is a very subjective term. If the seller thinks the home is worth more than an actual buyer will pay for it, the estimated equity is too high. If a buyer is willing to pay more than the seller believes the home is worth, the estimated equity is too low.
A true determination of equity becomes more objective when the home is sold, and the value is solidified by the sales price. This value … (1 comments)
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parker: Act Decisively
- 09/11/18 04:31 PM
Whether it is hesitation or procrastination due to uncertainty, it can cost buyers by having to pay more for both the house and the financing. This is one of those markets where most of the experts expect interest rates and prices will continue to rise through 2019.
The National Association of REALTORS® reports there is currently a 4.2-month supply of homes for sale which is close to the same as last year's inventory. Normal inventory is considered to be a 6-month supply.
If during the period you're waiting to buy, the price of the home goes up by 5% and the mortgage … (0 comments)
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parker: Must Be This Tall to Ride
- 06/04/17 08:53 PM
Surely, you remember being a child at an amusement park when after having stood in line with your friends and family, waiting to get on a terrific ride, you discovered the sign that read, “you must be this tall to ride.”
Not only was it disappointing, it was slightly embarrassing. You never want to go through that again.
A remarkably similar situation occurs when people are buying a home. After finding the right home and negotiating the contract, they find out that they don’t measure up financially. It’s not something that anyone wants to go through if they have a choice.
Regardless of what … (0 comments)
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parker: Reasons to Refinance
- 05/10/17 02:38 PM
Regardless of the reason to refinance a home, the basic question to ask is: “Do you plan to live in the home long enough to recapture the cost of refinancing?” There are always expenses involved in refinancing which can be paid in cash or rolled into the new mortgage.
From a strictly financial standpoint, the break-even point is achieved when the cost of refinancing has been recaptured by the monthly savings. It would take approximately 23 months to recapture $4,000 of refinance costs with a lower payment of $175 a month.
Lower the rate Shorten the term so that the loan will … (2 comments)
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parker: Would - be to Should - be
- 04/27/17 07:23 PM
Some would-be buyers have emotional reasons to own a home like having a place of their own where they can raise a family, feel safe and secure and enjoy their friends’ company. Other buyers’ dominant reasons might be financial in nature such as building equity or lowering their cost of housing.
Regardless of what might be motivating people to want their own home, it is easy to justify that now is a good time to purchase. Let’s look at a $250,000 example using a FHA loan.
The total payment will be about $1,835 dollars a month. If the payment is lower than the … (1 comments)
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parker: An Alternative to Paying Tax Today
- 04/18/17 12:52 PM
The cartoon character Wimpy would say that he’d gladly repay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. Some real estate investors say a similar thing to Uncle Sam to be able to hold on to their proceeds from the sale of an investment and agree to pay the tax later.
The benefit of a 1031 exchange is that it allows the investor to defer the tax due from the sale into the replacement property. This allows more money to be reinvested. In the example shown, the investor has 27% more to invest now by deferring the tax into the future.
The property to be … (0 comments)
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parker: Important Estate Documents
- 03/20/17 10:14 PM
An estate plan is a collection of documents to ensure that your wishes are carried out because of death or incapacity to make decisions for yourself. Spouses, minor children, adult children, property and investments can all be factors that should motivate a person to undergo the process.
Will – this document specifies the way a person wants to manage and distribute his/her assets after their death. When a person dies without a will, the laws of the state where the person resided will determine the distribution of the property.
Durable Power of Attorney – this document grants to a designated person the authority to act … (2 comments)
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parker: Tax Benefits of Home Ownership
- 03/15/17 02:59 PM
U.S. taxpayers have enjoyed specific tax benefits for home ownership since personal income tax was introduced by the 16th amendment in 1913. While these benefits may not be the primary reason that motivates a person to buy a home, they are still tangible and not available to tenants.
The exclusion of capital gains tax on the profit made from a home is unique from other investments and provides homeowners significant savings. Single taxpayers can exclude up to $250,000 gain and married taxpayers up to $500,000 gain. During the five-year period ending on the date of sale, a taxpayer must have: owned the … (1 comments)
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Are you one of the many would-be homebuyers holding off on purchasing a home, hoping for a favorable shift in the market? With insurance, property taxes, and maintenance costs on the rise, it's understandable why some are hesitant to take the plunge. However, the reality is that these factors affecting affordability are compounded by the continuing increase in home values. The dilemma is clear: should you wait for conditions to improve, or should you act now?
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