The Summer Features Home Buyers Want Most
How Long Does It Take Renters To Save For A House?
With rental costs and home prices both increasing, it’s become more challenging for renters to save for a down payment. How much so? Well, according to one recent analysis, the typical renter will have to save for nearly six and a half years to come up with a 20 percent down payment on a median-priced home. And, since the median home value is currently $216,000, depending on your prospective neighborhood, it could take even longer to save up for a house. Renters who aspire to homeownership shouldn’t get discouraged, though. Despite the fact that a 20 percent down payment is the standard amount recommended by financial experts, it is not a requirement in order to buy a house. In fact, depending on the particular terms of your mortgage, you can put down as little as 3 percent. In 2017, for example, 29 percent of first-time buyers had a down payment between 3 and 9 percent. That’s why it’s important to explore your options before deciding homeownership is out of reach. More here.
Are Waterfront Homes Selling For Less?
There are two reasons home buyers typically have to pay more for a house on the water. The first is that people want to live on the water. It’s a desirable location. Secondly, there are a limited number of houses with water access. And when you combine high demand and low supply, you usually have a recipe for higher prices. But new research shows that waterfront property isn’t selling at as high a premium this year. In fact, waterfront homes in the first quarter sold for a 36 percent premium, which is the lowest level since 2002. By comparison, the average premium since 1996 is 41 percent and in 2012 the premium was as high as 54 percent. In other words, the difference in price between homes on the water and those further inland is lower than normal. But since having an ocean or lake view hasn’t become any less desirable, what might be behind this trend? Well one explanation is that a lower overall number of homes for sale has helped raise prices for homes all over, which has narrowed the price gap between waterfront and inland homes. More here.
The Rising Cost Of Renting A Home
When debating whether to rent or buy your next place, the argument in favor of renting usually includes the fact that it’ll be cheaper – especially since you don’t have to pay for closing costs or save for a down payment. However, renting a place isn’t all that cheap these days and, depending on what you’re looking for, prices may be rising even faster than expected. According to recently released data, rental rates are increasing and particularly among two and three-bedroom homes. In fact, rental homes, generally, are climbing in price faster than apartments. Nationally, a typical two-bedroom now costs $1,310 per month and the cost for a typical three-bedroom is up to $1,445. And, depending on your local market, it could be even higher. So why is rent rising faster for homes than it is for apartments? Well, for some of the same reasons home prices are climbing. For one, new, and smaller, apartments are the focus of most rental unit construction, while the supply of single-family homes to rent is mostly fixed. More here.
How To Keep Your House Cool This Summer
How A Sellers’ Market Could Be Good For Buyers
The housing market is about supply and demand. When there are a lot of buyers and too few homes, prices and competition rise, making it a good time for homeowners who want to sell. When there are more homes than buyers, prices fall and bargains abound. In short, the market will usually favor either buyers or sellers. But, naturally, conditions that are good for buyers will lead to more buyers and vice versa. In other words, the pendulum swings back and forth. Which is why, a recent survey holds hope for buyers concerned about higher prices and increasing competition. The National Association of Realtors’ Housing Opportunities and Market Experience survey found that 75 percent of Americans think now is a good time to sell a home. And, if the perception that it’s a good time to sell leads to more homes being listed for sale, that will soon begin to moderate prices, making buying a more affordable proposition for the almost equal number of Americans who say they think now is a good time to buy. More here.
The Advantages Of Buying New
What Do Homeowners Do With Their Equity?
One of the main arguments in favor of buying a home is equity. When you rent, you’re sending your monthly payment to a landlord. As a buyer, your monthly mortgage payment is helping to build equity. Of course, many homeowners wait and then, following the sale of their house, use their accumulated equity to help buy their next home. But you can also use a home equity loan to access the value your home has accrued. So what do homeowners who take home equity loans do with the money? Well, a recent survey asked borrowers and came up with an answer. Not surprisingly, the top reason homeowners took out loans was to fund home improvement or remodeling projects. This is a common strategy since taking out a loan to improve your house means you may be able to recoup some of the cost if, and when, you sell the home. Other common answers included money to invest in another property, emergency expenses, retirement funds, and debt consolidation. More here.
Generation Z May Become Homeowners Earlier
Generation Z – which is defined as people born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s – is quickly approaching adulthood and will soon face the decision of where to live and whether to rent or buy. But, according to a recent analysis, they may be facing challenges past generations didn’t. For example, the results of one study show that they will spend less time renting but will pay more than young people have in the past. With current median rent at $1,418 per month and rising, generation Z is expected to spend $226,000 on rent in their lifetime. That’s a lot. And it’s more than baby boomers or millennials spent. But despite that, generation Z is expected to become homeowners earlier than millennials have. One reason is the cyclical nature of the economy. Another is the fact that more than half say they considered buying before renting their current place. Also, they are just as likely as older generations to say they consider owning a home to be part of achieving the American Dream. In other words, if long-term economic trends hold up, the next generation of home buyers will have a better economy and job market to help fuel their dreams of homeownership. More here.
How Much Does Your Neighborhood Matter?
When you buy a house, you’re also buying the surrounding neighborhood. And, depending on your lifestyle and wishlist, the neighborhood may be even more important to you than the actual home you’re buying. After all, most of your life happens outside your home. So your proximity to schools, shopping, healthcare, recreation, and nature will have a large effect on how much you enjoy living in a particular house. In short, finding your dream house in the wrong neighborhood could make it a nightmare. Unconvinced? Well, a recent survey of Americans found large majorities who said the feel of a neighborhood was important when deciding where to live. In fact, 80 percent said the surrounding neighborhood had to fit their personality and an almost equal amount said they’d consider moving if they found they didn’t like their new neighborhood. In other words, when shopping for a new house, be sure to spend as much time considering the area around it as you do the areas inside it. It could even work out to be a better idea to find a smaller house in a great location than a big house somewhere you may grow to dislike. More here.