Move-Up Buyers
The Top Reasons Why Americans Buy Homes
Last week, the inaugural “Homebuyer Insights Report” was released by the Bank of America. The report revealed the reasons why consumers purchase homes and what their feelings are regarding homeownership.
Over Half of Americans Planning on Buying in the Next 5 Years
According to the BMO Harris Bank Home Buying Report, 52% of Americans say they are likely to buy a home in the next five years. Americans surveyed for the report said that they would be willing to pay an average of $296,000 for a home and would average a 21% down payment. The report also included other interesting revelations.
You Can Save for a Down Payment Faster Than You Think
In a study conducted by Builder.com, researchers determined that nationwide, it would take “nearly eight years” for a first-time buyer to save enough for a down payment on their dream home.
More and More Singles Are Falling For Their Dream Home [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights:
- 24% of all recent home buyers were single at the time of purchase.
- 47% of single men cite the desire to own a home of their own as the primary reason to buy.
- 18% of first-time buyers were single women.
Building Wealth: First Rung on the Ladder is Housing
How Housing Matters is a joint project of the Urban Land Institute and the MacArthur Foundation. It is “an online resource for the most rigorous research and practical information on how a quality, stable, affordable home in a vibrant community contributes to individual and community success”.
2016 Home Sales Doing Just Fine!!
Some of the housing headlines are causing concern for some consumers who are in the process of either buying or selling a home. Pundits are concerned over the lack of new construction or the month-over-month sales numbers. Let’s set the record straight; 2015 was a good year for residential real estate in the United States and 2016 is starting out stronger.
Past, Present & Future Home Values
In CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, they revealed home appreciation in three categories: percentage appreciation over the last year, over the last month, and projected appreciation over the next twelve months.
Sales Contracts Hit Highest Level in Months
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just announced that the February Pending Home Sales Index reached its highest reading since July 2015.
Further Proof This Isn’t a Housing Bubble
Two weeks ago, we posted a blog which explained that current increases in home prices were the result of the well-known concept of supply & demand and should not lead to conversations of a new housing bubble. Today, we want to look at home prices as compared to current incomes.
91.5% of Homes in the US Have Positive Equity
CoreLogic’s The Importance of Using an Agent To Sell Your House
When a homeowner decides to sell their house, they obviously want the best possible price with the least amount of hassles. However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is to actually get the home sold.
The Mortgage Process: What You Need To Know [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights:
- Many buyers are purchasing a home with a down payment as little as 3%.
- You may already qualify for a loan, even if you don’t have perfect credit.
- Take advantage of the knowledge of your local professionals who are there to help you determine how much you can afford.