Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

If  you’re thinking about   buying   or   selling   a home, you probably want to know what’s   really   happening with home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and more. That’s not an easy task considering how sensationalized headlines are today. Jay Thompson, Real Estate Industry Consultant,   explains : Bottom Line “Housing market headlines are everywhere. Many are quite sensational, ending with exclamation points or predicting impending doom for the industry.  Clickbait, the sensationalizing of headlines and content, has been an issue since the dawn of the internet, and housing news is not immune to it. ” Unfortunately, when information in the media isn’t clear, it can generate a lot of fear and uncertainty in the market. As Jason Lewris, Cofounder and Chief Data Officer at  Parcl ,  says : “ In the absence of trustworthy, up-to-date information, real estate decisions are increasingly being driven by fear, uncertainty, and do...

Waiting for the mortgage rates to come down before you buy a home may not be a good decision. If you are correct, and the rates do come down by two percent, the savings you benefit from a lower rate will most likely be devoured by the appreciated price increase. As of 12/8/22, the 30-year fixed-rate was at 6.33% which is close to the highest level since mid-2008.   If the rate drops to 4.7% in three years but the price increases by 5% a year, a $400,000 home today, will cost $463,050 three years from now. An increasingly, popular option that more buyers are considering is to purchase the home today with an adjustable-rate mortgage that could give them a 5.00% rate for five years.   Then, refinance to a fixed rate when rates come down. Not only will the buyer have lower payments with the ARM, but the buyer will also own the home, and benefit from the appreciated prices which will build equity in the home and increase their net worth. Mortgage rates have increase...