Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Homes Attract Buyers

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 22, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater.

Are you planning to sell your house? If so, you may be surprised to hear just how much buyers value energy efficiency and eco-friendly features today. This is especially true as summer officially kicks off.In fact, the 2023 Realtors and Sustainability Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows 48% of agents or brokers have noticed consumers are interested in sustainability. So, if you’re considering selling your house, why does this matter to you? It helps you know what you can do to make your house even more appealing to today’s buyers. According to Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief...

Why the Median Home Price Is Meaningless in Today’s Market

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 21, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater, Pricing.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) will release its latest Existing Home Sales (EHS) report later this week. This monthly report provides information on the sales volume and price trend for previously owned homes. In the upcoming release, it’ll likely say home prices are down. This may feel a bit confusing, especially if you’ve been following along and seeing the blogs saying that home prices have bottomed out and turned a corner.So, why will this likely say home prices are falling when so many other price reports say they’re going back up? It all depends on the methodology of each report....

Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 16, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Clearwater.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a house, it’s important to know that it doesn’t just affect your life, but also your community.The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact:As the visual shows, when a house is sold, it can make a big difference in the local economy. The impact comes largely from the workers required to build, update, and buy and sell homes. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),...

A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 15, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity. What’s important to understand is that equity is tied closely to home values. So, when home prices appreciate, you can expect equity to grow. And when home prices decline, equity does too. Here’s how this has played out recently. Home prices rose rapidly during the ‘unicorn’ years. That gave homeowners a considerable equity boost. But those ‘unicorn’ years couldn’t last forever. The market had to moderate at some point, and that’s what we saw last fall and winter. As home prices dropped slightly in the back half of 2022, equity...

Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 14, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Interest Rates, Mortgage Clearwater, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re thinking about selling your house right now, chances are it’s because something in your life has changed. And, while things like mortgage rates are a key part of your decision on what you’ll buy next, it’s important to not lose sight of the reason you want to make a change in the first place.It’s true mortgage rates have climbed from the record lows we saw in recent years, and that has an impact on affordability. With rates where they are right now, some homeowners are deciding they’ll wait to sell because they don’t want to move and have a higher mortgage rate on their next home....

Why You Can’t Compare Now to the ‘Unicorn’ Years of the Housing Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 10, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Foreclosures, Housing Market Updates, Infographics, Mortgage Clearwater, Pricing.

Some HighlightsComparing housing market metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market – and the last few years have been anything but normal. In a way, they were ‘unicorn’ years.Expect unsettling housing market headlines this year, mostly due to unfair comparisons with the ‘unicorn’ years.Connect with a local real estate professional who can share the data that puts those headlines in the proper perspective.

This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 9, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater.

When you look at the numbers today, the one thing that stands out is the strength of this housing market. We can see this is one of the most foundationally strong housing markets of our lifetime – if not the strongest housing market of our lifetime. Here are two fundamentals that prove this point. 1. The Current Mortgage Rate on Existing MortgagesFirst, let’s look at the current rate on existing mortgages. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as of the fourth quarter of last year, over 80% of existing mortgages have a rate below 5%. That’s significant. And, to take that one...

Oops! Home Prices Didn’t Crash After All

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on June 6, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater, Pricing.

During the fourth quarter of last year, many housing experts predicted home prices were going to crash this year. Here are a few of those forecasts:Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of Business:“I expect housing prices fall 10% to 15%, and the housing prices are accelerating on the downside.”Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics:“Buckle in. Assuming rates remain near their current 6.5% and the economy skirts recession, then national house prices will fall almost 10% peak-to-trough. Most of those declines will happen sooner rather...

Today’s Real Estate Market: The ‘Unicorns’ Have Galloped Off

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on May 31, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Foreclosures, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Clearwater, Pricing.

Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market. That’s due to possible variability in the market making the comparison less meaningful or accurate. Unpredictable events can have a significant impact on the circumstances and outcomes being compared. Comparing this year’s numbers to the two ‘unicorn’ years we just experienced is almost worthless. By ‘unicorn,’ this is the less common definition of the word:“Something that is greatly desired but difficult or impossible to find.” The pandemic profoundly changed real estate over the last few years....

Moving Now Can Give Your House Its Day in the Sun [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Clearwater Mortgage Syndicated User on May 27, 2023. Posted in Clearwater, Clearwater FL Mortgage, Clearwater Mortgage, For Sellers, Infographics, Mortgage Clearwater.

Some HighlightsIf you want to sell your house, consider doing it this summer. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and it’s a great time for sellers.If your needs have changed, now’s the time to capitalize on the low inventory and multiple offers in today’s sellers’ market.Connect with a local real estate agent today if you’re ready to sell your house and move to a home that meets your changing needs.

Category: For Sellers