Tidewater Real Estate Blog

Most Home Buyers Have No Regrets
September 2nd, 2010 4:28 PM
Most Home Buyers Have No Regrets
A study from Bankrate found that 90 percent of owners do not regret buying their home.

The findings also revealed improved mortgage awareness, with only 8 percent of home owners in the dark about what type of loan they have -- down from 26 percent two years ago.

The poll of 1,001 randomly selected home owners in August showed that 79 percent had fixed-rate financing, and this type of mortgage was used by almost 90 percent of respondents who make more than $75,000.

Source: Realty Times, Broderick Perkins (09/02/10)
Posted by Brad Nichols on September 2nd, 2010 4:28 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Housing Experts Say Tax Credit Had to End
August 31st, 2010 3:47 PM
Housing Experts Say Tax Credit Had to End
Will the government revive tax credits to encourage home sales? Housing experts are dubious.

Even suggesting that the tax credit might be revived could have a negative effect on the market, says housing economist Tom Lawler, because it could “lead many a prospective home buyer to hold off on buying a home.”

Earlier this month Richard Dugas, CEO of PulteGroup Inc., said earlier in August on an earnings call: “Almost regardless of how future demand plays out, we still believe that the tax credit had to end. We need to know the true level of demand without government stimulus distorting the market so that we can continue to properly position our business for ongoing improvement.”
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 31st, 2010 3:47 PMPost a Comment (0)

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5 Reasons Homeownership Trumps Renting
August 30th, 2010 2:41 PM
5 Reasons Homeownership Trumps Renting
The seemingly endless run of bad housing news is discouraging some potential home buyers from considering a purchase. But the truth is that the advantages of homeownership have very little to do with investment gains. The best things about owning a home have a lot more to do with personal comfort and satisfaction.

Here are five of them:

· Be your own landlord. The bank can only kick you out if you don’t pay; a landlord can be much less dependable – deciding to sell the property or choosing to live there themselves.
· Paying the principal is forced savings. Yes, it’s possible that home prices will fall further. It is also possible that your 401(k) will lose value. But over the long haul, both are likely to enjoy modest gains in value.
· Fixed-rate mortgages never rise – and eventually you pay them off. With mortgage rates at record lows, people who buy now are locking in real bargains.
· Good schools. Family-sized rentals are harder to come by in areas with excellent public schools.
· Spacious properties in pleasant neighborhoods. Sizable homes in attractive communities are almost always owned – not rented.

Posted by Brad Nichols on August 30th, 2010 2:41 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Foreclosures Down, But Late Payments Up
August 27th, 2010 3:12 PM
Foreclosures Down, But Late Payments Up
The wave of foreclosures appears to be subsiding slightly. According to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Delinquency Survey:

• The percentage of loans on which foreclosure action were started during the second quarter was 1.11 percent, down 12 basis points from last quarter and down 25 basis points from one year ago.

• The percentage of loans in the foreclosure process at the end of the second quarter was 4.57 percent, a decrease of six basis points from the first quarter of 2010, but an increase of 27 basis points from one year ago.

• Loans that were 90 days or more past due or in the process of foreclosure was 9.11 percent, a decrease of 43 basis points from first quarter, but an increase of 114 basis points compared to the second quarter of last year.

“The good news is that foreclosure starts are down, and the inventory of homes anywhere in the process of foreclosure fell for the first time since 2006 and had the largest drop since 2005,” says Jay Brinkmann, MBA’s chief economist.

The bad news is that the percent of loans one payment behind had peaked in the first quarter of 2009 at 3.77 percent and fell to 3.31 percent by the end of 2009. Now that rate has risen to 3.51 percent.

“Only when we see a consistent increase in employment will we see an increase in sales and starts, and a sustained improvement in the delinquency numbers,” Brinkmann adds.
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 27th, 2010 3:12 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Fall More
August 27th, 2010 3:12 PM
Mortgage Rates Continue to Fall
Average interest on long-term mortgages slid to a record low for the eighth time in nine weeks and could dip more. Freddie Mac reports that 30-year fixed loans averaged 4.36 percent this week, down from 4.42 percent a week ago; the 15-year fixed rate fell to a new low of 3.86 percent from 3.90 percent; and adjustable-rate mortgages were also below 4 percent.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Michael Fratantoni said the group expects that rates "will begin to rise as the economic situation improves along with jobs."
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 27th, 2010 3:12 PMPost a Comment (0)

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July Existing-Home Sales Fall, But Prices Rise
August 25th, 2010 12:53 PM
July Existing-Home Sales Fall, But Prices Rise
Existing-home sales were sharply lower in July following expiration of the home buyer tax credit but home prices continued to gain, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, dropped 27.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million units in July from a downwardly revised 5.26 million in June, and are 25.5 percent below the 5.14 million-unit level in July 2009. Sales are at the lowest level since the total existing-home sales series launched in 1999, and single family sales – accounting for the bulk of transactions – are at the lowest level since May of 1995.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a soft sales pace likely will continue for a few additional months. “Consumers rationally jumped into the market before the deadline for the home buyer tax credit expired. Since May, after the deadline, contract signings have been notably lower and a pause period for home sales is likely to last through September,” he said. “However, given the rock-bottom mortgage interest rates and historically high housing affordability conditions, the pace of a sales recovery could pick up quickly, provided the economy consistently adds jobs.

“Even with sales pausing for a few months, annual sales are expected to reach 5 million in 2010 because of healthy activity in the first half of the year. To place in perspective, annual sales averaged 4.9 million in the past 20 years, and 4.4 million over the past 30 years,” Yun added.

Mortgage Rates Dip
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.56 percent in July from 4.74 percent in June; the rate was 5.22 percent in July 2009. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed was down to 4.42 percent.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $182,600 in July, up 0.7 percent from a year ago. Distressed home sales are unchanged from June, accounting for 32 percent of transactions in July; they were 31 percent in July 2009.

“Thanks to the home buyer tax credit, home values have been stable for the past 18 months despite heavy job losses,” Yun said. “Over the short term, high supply in relation to demand clearly favors buyers. However, given that home values are back in line relative to income, and from very low new-home construction, there is not likely to be any measurable change in home prices going forward.”

Inventory Rises
Total housing inventory at the end of July increased 2.5 percent to 3.98 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 12.5-month supply at the current sales pace, up from an 8.9-month supply in June. Raw unsold inventory is still 12.9 percent below the record of 4.58 million in July 2008.

NAR President Vicki Cox Golder said there are great opportunities now for buyers who weren’t able to take advantage of the tax credit. “Mortgage interest rates are at record lows, home prices have firmed and there is good selection of property in most areas, so buyers with good jobs and favorable credit ratings find themselves in a fortunate position,” she said.

A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 38 percent of homes in July, down from 43 percent in June. Investors accounted for 19 percent of sales in July, up from 13 percent in June; the balance were to repeat buyers. All-cash sales rose to 30 percent in July from 24 percent in June.

Breakdown of the Numbers
• Single-family home sales dropped 27.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.37 million in July from a pace of 4.62 million in June, and are 25.6 percent below the 4.53 million level in July 2009; they were the lowest since May 1995 when the sales rate was 3.34 million.
• The median existing single-family home price was $183,400 in July, which is 0.9 percent above a year ago.
• Single-family median existing-home prices were higher in 11 out of 19 metropolitan statistical areas reported in July in comparison with July 2009 (the price in one of 20 tracked markets was not available). However, existing single-family home sales fell in all 20 areas from a year ago.
• Existing condominium and co-op sales fell 28.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 460,000 in July from 640,000 in June, and are 24.0 percent below the 605,000-unit level in July 2009. The median existing condo price was $176,800 in July, down 1.7 percent from a year ago.

By Region
• Existing-home sales in the Northeast dropped 29.5 percent to an annual pace of 620,000 in July and are 30.3 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $263,800, up 4.8 percent from July 2009.
• Existing-home sales in the Midwest fell 35.0 percent in July to a level of 800,000 and are 33.3 percent below July 2009. The median price in the Midwest was $151,600, down 2.8 percent from a year ago.
• In the South, existing-home sales dropped 22.6 percent to an annual pace of 1.54 million in July and are 19.8 percent below a year ago. The median price in the South was $156,300, down 3.3 percent from July 2009.
• Existing-home sales in the West fell 25.0 percent to an annual level of 870,000 in July and are 23.0 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $224,800, up 3.3 percent from July 2009.

Source: NAR
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 25th, 2010 12:53 PMPost a Comment (0)

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5 Most Affordable Housing Markets
August 20th, 2010 2:30 PM
5 Most Affordable Housing Markets
The most affordable city in the United States is Syracuse, N.Y., according to the latest Housing Affordability Index from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

The index considers a home affordable if a family would have to pay no more than 28 percent of take-home pay for housing expenses.

Here are the five areas where housing exceeds this benchmark and the median property prices:

• Syracuse, N.Y., $88,000
• Indianapolis, $113,000
• Detroit, $85,000
• Youngstown, Ohio, $74,000
• Buffalo, N.Y., $112,000
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 20th, 2010 2:30 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Three Reasons to Buy a Home Now
August 19th, 2010 3:47 PM
Three Reasons to Buy a Home Now
Stocks are up 50 percent from the March 2009 bottom. Some commodities have risen dramatically. The only asset class left in the cellar is real estate, says Michael Murphy, editor of the New World Investor stock newsletter.

As a result, Murphy is advising investors to buy now for these three reasons:

• Desperate sellers: Both home owners and lenders are eager to unload a flood of foreclosed and underwater properties. Buyers with the patience to push through these complex deals can save a bundle.

• Little competition. Because most people don’t have what it takes to negotiate their way through short sales and REOs, patient investors are winners.

• Low rates. Mortgage rates are at their lowest level in 40 years. If you believe inflation is inevitable, lock in now.

Posted by Brad Nichols on August 19th, 2010 3:47 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Fed: Give Borrowers Time to Change Their Minds
August 19th, 2010 1:51 PM
Fed: Give Borrowers Time to Change Their Minds
The Federal Reserve released a proposal Monday to give mortgage applicants three days to change their minds.

The proposal was part of a 930-page document that clarifies and finalizes the new financial reform law.

The Fed’s document says that for closed-end loans secured by real property or a dwelling, a creditor must:

• “Refund any appraisal or other fees paid by the consumer (other than a credit report fee), if the consumer decides not to proceed with a closed-end mortgage transaction within three business days of receiving the early disclosures (fees imposed after this three-day period would not be refundable); and
• “Disclose the right to a refund of fees to consumers before they apply for a closed-end mortgage loan.”

The Fed says this proposal will make it easier and cheaper for consumers to comparison shop. It also acknowledged that borrowers who want to close a transaction in a hurry would be handicapped because most lenders will delay sending out an appraiser for a few days.

Other proposals affecting home buyers included:

• A ban on yield-spread premiums, which encourage mortgage brokers to push buyers toward more profitable mortgages.
• A requirement for lenders to tell borrowers when their mortgage is sold or transferred.
• An explanation of the effects of balloon payments, adjustable loan payment fluctuations, and minimum payments on loan balances.

Source: Bankrate.com, Holden Lewis (08/17/2010)
Posted by Brad Nichols on August 19th, 2010 1:51 PMPost a Comment (0)

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Shorter-Term Refis Can Save Big Money
August 16th, 2010 3:30 PM
Shorter-Term Refis Can Save Big Money
Shorter-term loans are gaining favor as rates continue to fall.

On average at today’s rates, a borrower refinancing their 6.5 percent loan would save $70,000 over the life of a $200,000 20-year loan vs. a 30-year loan.

These kinds of refinances are particularly popular among people who are approaching retirement, said Peter Iche, president of Carthage Federal Savings and Loan Association in Carthage, N.Y.

Source: USA Today, Stephanie Armour (08/16/2010)

Posted by Brad Nichols on August 16th, 2010 3:30 PMPost a Comment (0)

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