Should We Buy a New Home Now or Wait?
Whether you’re buying your first home or selling your current house, if your needs are changing and you think you need to move, the decision can be complicated. You may have to take personal or professional considerations into account, but only you can judge what impact those factors should have on your desire to move.
The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You
The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You
HOW WILL THE 2020 ELECTION AFFECT REAL ESTATE?
Whether we’re ready for it or not, the 2020 presidential election is right around the corner.
As if this year hasn’t brought enough uncertainty, an election could be causing you to question your buying and selling plans…again.
Rocky political environments can create instability in the stock market...causing consumer confidence to drop. But the real estate market isn’t rocky…it’s rock solid. And delaying plans could mean you could be missing out on once-in-a-lifetime affordability.
To get to the heart of this, it’s important to understand how the history of past presidential elections combined with today’s market factors might play out in real estate this time around.
Here’s what we know.
The Latest Unemployment Rate Fell to 8.4%
Last Friday, the Bureau for Labor Statistics released their Employment Report for August 2020. The big surprise was that the unemployment rate fell to 8.4%, a full percent lower than what many analysts had forecasted earlier in the week. Though it is tough to look at this as great news when millions of Americans are still without work, the number of unemployed is currently much lower than most experts had projected it would be just a few months ago.
Red Report - How is the Real Estate market doing with Covid?
There is a trend here... Higher, Higher, Higher! š„
August 2020 vs August 2019
Closing Volume = +3% higher
Average Closed Prices = + 10% higher
Pending Volume = + 33% higher
Closings by County for August 2020 vs August 2019:
Davidson is -4.3% lower
Rutherford is +3.6% higher
Williamson is +9.9% higher
Wilson is +19.2% higher
Pendings by County for August 2020 vs August 2019:
Davidson is +34% higher
Rutherford is +37% higher
Williamson is +29% higher
Wilson is +31% higher
Buying a House This Year? This Should Be Your VERY 1st Step!
One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you through this process. Selecting a local lender has several benefits. We understand that hopping online seems easier for you––you can fill out the application, never have to see the person lending, etc. However, when you find the home of your dreams, you don't want a face-less person in charge. Three reasons to select a local lender:
- A local lender cares about his/her reputation in the community and therefore is more likely to keep his/her word and do a good job in meeting the deadlines necessary for closing your home on time.
- A local lender understands that he/she will need to work with a local real estate agent again in order to keep his/her career in tact. An online lender will not care about communication, meeting deadlines, etc because the likelihood of seeing either the agent or Buyer again is very uncommon.
- A local lender comes under the TRID guidelines and are limited on how much they can charge, what they are required to communicate to the Buyer so the Buyer understands the process, how much money will be required out of pocket and how much they will be charged for the loan.
Just How Strong Is the Housing Recovery?
The residential real estate market has definitely been the shining light in this country’s current economic situation. All-time low mortgage rates coupled with a new appreciation of what a home truly means has caused the housing market to push forward through this major health crisis. Let’s look at two measures that explain the resilience of the real estate market.
The Beginning of an Economic Recovery
The news these days seems to have a mix of highs and lows. We may hear that an economic recovery is starting, but we’ve also seen some of the worst economic data in the history of our country. The challenge today is to understand exactly what’s going on and what it means relative to the road ahead. We’ve talked before about what experts expect in the second half of this year, and today that progress largely hinges upon the continued course of the virus.