Inventory on the market today is low, especially among existing homes in the entry and middle-level tiers of the market. It is hovering well below the 6-month supply typically found in a more normal market, as shown in the graph below:
With inventory being one of the biggest housing market challenges today, finding a starter home right now isn’t easy. According to the Q3 Housing Trends Report from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), 68% of those searching for a home think their search will get harder or stay about the same over the next 12 months.
The same study...
Success is something often worth repeating, and Brent Sutherland, a Certified Financial Planner and Real Estate Investor, has certainly made his way in a momentum-driving direction. Here are 3 tips he shares from a recent piece in Business Insider on the benefits of owning real estate:
1. Real estate diversifies your income
“While it is certainly important to be properly diversified with your investments, it is even more important to be diversified with your income. This is because the largest financial risk for most of you is the loss of your primary source of income, which is typically in the form of a day job.”
The article highlights how having multiple sources of income, such as those derived from real estate investments, can eventually lead to relying less and less on a day job. Sound dreamy? It can be. When done well, real estate investments may eventually open up your time and the financial freedom to explore other things, like travel and other aspirations you may have for the future, particularly in the golden years of retirement.
2. Real estate produces near-immediate results
“You can achieve and feel the results almost...
![The Cost of Renting vs. Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM](https://files.mykcm.com/2019/11/13082324/20191115-MEM-ENG-600x450.jpg)
Some Highlights:
- Historically, the choice between renting and buying a home has been a tough decision.
- Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (27.7%) vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (17.5%), the choice is clear.
- Every market is different. Before you renew your lease, find out if you can put your housing costs to work by buying a home this year.
Contact us for experienced representation when buying or selling a home in Amador County CA.
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In the third quarter of 2019, the U.S. homeownership rate rose again, signaling another strong indicator of the current housing market.
The U.S. Census Bureau announced,
“The homeownership rate of 64.8 percent was not statistically different from the rate in the third quarter 2018 (64.4 percent), but was 0.7 percentage points higher than the rate in the second quarter 2019 (64.1 percent).”
Today there is still a lack of inventory, particularly at the entry and middle-level segments of the market, but that is not stopping buyers from making every effort to pursue homeownership. The many ...
![VA Home Loans by the Numbers [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM](https://files.mykcm.com/2019/11/06094417/20191108-MEM-329x600.jpg)
Some Highlights:
- The Veterans Administration (VA) Home Loan is a benefit that is available to more than 22 million veterans and 2 million active duty service members to help them achieve the dream of homeownership.
- In 2018, $161 billion was loaned to veterans and their families through the program.
- In the same year, the average loan amount was $264,197 and 610,513 loans were guaranteed.
Contact us for experienced representation when buying or selling a home in Amador County CA.
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Home buying activity (demand) is up, and the number of available listings (supply) is down. When demand outpaces supply, prices appreciate. That’s why firms are beginning to increase their projections for home price appreciation going forward. As an example, CoreLogic increased their 12-month projection for home values from 4.5% to 5.6% over the last few months.
The reacceleration of home values will cause some to again voice concerns about affordability. Just last week, however, First American came out with a data analysis that explains how price is not the only market factor that impacts affordability. They studied prices, mortgage rates, and wages from January through August of this year. Here are their findings:
Home Prices
“In January 2019, a family with the median household income in the U.S. could afford to buy a $373,900 house. By August, that home had appreciated to $395,000, an increase of $21,100.”
Mortgage Interest Rates
“The 0.85 percentage point drop in mortgage rates from January 2019 through August 2019 increased affordability by 9.7%. That translates to a $40,200 improvement in house-buying power in just eight months.”
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