Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Some Highlights: •June is National Homeownership Month! •Now is a great time to reflect on the many benefits of homeownership that go way beyond the financial •What reasons do you have to own your own home?

There have been many headlines decrying an “affordability crisis” in the residential real estate market. While it is true that buying a home is less affordable than it had been over the last ten years, we need to understand why and what that means. On a monthly basis, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), produces a Housing Affordability Index. According to NAR, the index… “…measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national and regional levels based on the most recent price and income data.” Their methodology states: “To interpret the indices, a value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home. An index above 100 signifies that family earning the median income has more than enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a median-priced home, assuming a 20 percent down payment.” So, the higher the index, the more a...

In today’s housing market, home prices are increasing at a slower pace (3.7%) than they have over the last eight years (6-7%). However, they are still are above historical norms. Low supply of listed homes and high demand from buyers has pushed prices to rise rapidly. In the mind of the homeowner, annual home price appreciation over 6% has become the new normal. This becomes a challenge when a homeowner looks to refinance or sell their home, as the expectation of what the homeowner believes the home should be worth does not always line up with the bank’s appraisal. Every month, the Home Price Perception Index (HPPI) measures the disparity between what a homeowner seeking to refinance their home believes their house is worth and what an appraiser’s evaluation of that same home is. Over the last five months, the gap between the homeowner’s opinion and the bank’s appraisal has widened to -0.78%. This is important for homeowners to note, as even a 0.78% difference in appraisal can mea...

Some Highlights: •The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Profile of Home Staging. •62% of seller’s agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. •50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar-value offers from buyers. •77% of buyer’s agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualize the home as their own. •The top rooms to stage in order to attract more buyers are the living room, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room.

For people who have experienced a distressed sale of a home and gotten their finances and credit back in shape, there can still be an unanswered question of "How long do we have to wait to qualify for another mortgage."   The loan types for the new loan will differ in amounts of time based on the event.   The different lending authorities, VA, FHA, Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC), establish their own waiting periods.   A borrower may be eligible to qualify for one type of mortgage before another type, even though during this waiting period, that the person was current on all payments and maintained a history of good credit. The following chart indicates how long a person might have to wait. A recommended lender can give you specific information regarding your individual situation and can make suggestions that will improve your ability to qualify for a mortgage.   This process should be started before looking at homes because of the time constraints ...