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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 21, 2016

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Last week’s economic reports included readings on the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, Commerce Department releases on Housing Starts and Building Permits issued and weekly reports on new jobless claims and mortgage rates.

 

Builder Sentiment Holds Steady, Demand for Homes Pushes Builders

November’s reading for the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index held steady with a reading of 65. Any reading above 50 indicates that a majority of home builders surveyed has a positive view of current and future housing market conditions. Tight supplies of available homes, steep competition for homes in desirable metro areas and rising home prices pressure home builders to produce more homes, but builder sentiment and housing starts are not always aligned, but data released by the Commerce Department indicates that builders are ramping up construction.

The Commerce Department reported that October’s reading of 1.323 housing starts exceeded September’s reading of 1.054 million starts and also surpassed the expected reading of 1.170 million starts. This suggests that builders are ramping up construction to quench ongoing demand for homes. October’s reading was 25.50 percent higher than September’s reading, which was the highest number of housing starts posted since 2007. Starts for multi-family homes of five units or more jumped 75 percent and starts for single family homes of four units or less increased by 11 percent.

Building permits issued in October rose to 1.229 million as compared to September’s reading of 1.225 million permits issued. Approaching winter weather and holidays typically cause slowing of construction.

 

Mortgage Rates Rise after Election

Last week’s survey of mortgage rates was mostly completed by the time presidential election results were released; this week’s readings showed higher rates for all types of mortgages. The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage increased from 3.57 percent to 3.94 percent; rates for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose from 2.88 to 3.14 percent and the average rate for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages was also higher at 3.07 percent as compared to the prior week’s reading of 2.88 percent. Discount points were unchanged at 0.50 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.40 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages. Low mortgage rates have helped home buyers qualify for financing they need to buy homes; if rates continue to trend upward, demand for homes is likely to ease.

New jobless claims reached a 43-year low last week. 235,000 claims were filed as compared to expectations of 255,000 new claims and the prior week’s reading of 254,000 new jobless claims. Low layoff rates point to stronger economic conditions; job stability can encourage first-time home buyers to enter the market and existing home owners to buy larger homes.

 

What’s Ahead

Readings on new and pre-owned home sales, the Federal Reserve’s post meeting FOMC statement and reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims will be released this week.

3 Ways That You Can Leverage Mortgage Financing to Build a Real Estate Investment Portfolio

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3 Ways That You Can Leverage Mortgage Financing to Build a Real Estate Investment PortfolioReal estate may be one of the most important things that you will ever invest in, but it can also be a useful means of increasing your financial well-being. If you’re getting into the real estate game and are wondering how you can make use of investing in homes to improve your net worth, here are three ways you can successfully work towards a real estate investment portfolio that will make you proud.

Home Equity Line of Credit Loan

Also known as HELOC, this is the type of loan where a homebuyer taps into the equity of their home while they are still paying off their mortgage. As the equity that has been paid into the home is available without the homebuyer having to apply for it, this allows those who invest in real estate to borrow against equity to renovate the property or pay for a deposit on another property.

Pick Properties That Will Appreciate

It goes without saying that most people want to invest in a property that will increase in value, so as an investor you need to be especially careful about what you invest in. Since you may have problems paying all your property fees if the value of one decreases, try and be aware of future market trends and neighborhood hotspots. This means diversifying the properties you invest in and including a buffer in your payment plan so that, even if the market takes a turn, you can still pay off your amount owing.

Investing In Under Market Value

There are few better ways to improve the financial feasibility of your investment portfolio than investing in a property that is under market value. Not only will you have an automatic gain with the purchase price, you will be able to invest that money into improvements in order to bump up the market price even more. While finding this type of property can be difficult for the newcomer, looking for neighborhoods with potential or properties that require little maintenance can be a good place to begin.

There are few better things to invest in than real estate, but it can be hard to know where to put your money in the beginning. Whether through a home loan or purchasing a property under market value, there are plenty of ways to bump up your net worth. If you’re currently considering an investment in real estate, contact your trusted real estate professional for more information.

Home Builder Sentiment Unchanged in November

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According to the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index for November, builder sentiment was unchanged at a reading of 63. Readings above 50 indicate that a majority of builders are confident about housing market conditions. Readings for three sub-indexes used to calculate the Housing Market Index Readings for builder confidence in current market conditions and market conditions within the next six months were posted at 69. The reading for buyer foot traffic in housing developments was 47. Buyer traffic has not reached the benchmark reading of 50 since the peak of the housing bubble approximately 10 years ago.

NAHB Chair Ed Brady noted that survey information provided by most participating builders was gathered prior to the presidential election. Mr. Brady also noted that Housing Market Index readings have exceeded 60 for the past three months, which indicates slow but steady growth in housing markets.

 

Analysts: Builder Sentiment and Building Activity Inconsistent

While positive builder sentiment readings seem to contribute to stronger housing markets, analysts pointed out that housing starts are not consistent with high builder sentiment levels. Reasons for fewer home starts than the Housing Market Index suggests include approaching winter weather and ongoing shortages of labor and buildable lots.

Real estate pros count on building more homes (and building them faster) as the only solution to tight supplies of available homes and rising demand. These conditions create highly competitive markets that present obstacles to moderate income and first time home buyers. NAHB said that rising incomes, expanding labor markets and relatively low mortgage rates are fueling demand for homes. While mortgage rates have remained near historic lows, home prices have risen quickly in high-demand areas. This creates affordability challenges for home buyers, who also face strict home loan approval requirements.

 

3 Month Rolling Averages Show Regional Confidence Readings

NAHB reported its three-month rolling averages according to four regions included in Housing Market Index readings. The Northeast reading was 45; the Midwest region’s confidence reading was 58 and the Southern region reported a reading of 66. The West, which includes high-demand metro areas such as Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California, had a November builder confidence reading of 77.

Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint With These Energy-Saving Tips

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Reduce Your Home's Carbon Footprint With These Energy-Saving TipsDo you believe that humans are changing the climate? As of today, the debate over carbon dioxide and climate change continues to rage. But regardless of your political standpoint, there’s always a case for reducing electricity use. Because who doesn’t like saving money, right?

Let’s explore a few ways that you can save energy while reducing your home’s carbon footprint.

Leverage The Power Of Automation

The technology behind home automation is improving at an amazing rate. Thermostats from companies like Nest make home heating and cooling simple. They learn from your use to automatically set temperatures up and down as needed. Going to be home late from work? No problem — you can use your smartphone to ensure your heat doesn’t come on until later.

Wash Cold, Hang Dry

You might not be aware of this, but cold water washing makes sense. Most washing machines and detergents are just as efficient with cold water as hot. So it makes sense to switch to washing in cold, especially if you have a newer washing machine.

To cut back even more, hang your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer. The technology behind clothes dryers hasn’t improved much over time. They still rely on warm air, forced ventilation and spinning around. All of which use a lot of energy.

Note: if you have to use your dryer, add a clean, dry towel to each load. Adding a towel will help your clothes to dry faster, thus saving you both time and money.

Modernize Your Home Lighting

Have you made the switch to power-efficient LED light bulbs yet? This one change can save an immense amount of electricity depending on the size of your home. And you can take things a step further by automating your home lighting as well. Systems from companies like Philips allow you to turn lights up, down and off as needed. You can also control these from your smartphone.

Kill Off The Vampires

Finally, watch for appliances and accessories that draw power when they’re not in use. ‘Electricity vampires’ like smartphone chargers, laptops and televisions can draw power 24/7. It’s a bit of a pain to have to unplug everything all the time. Instead, consider having these appliances plugged in to power bars. When you’re finished using them, you can switch the power bar off and go on with your day.

The above are just a few ways that you can reduce your home’s carbon footprint. If you’re interested in upgrading to a power-smart home, talk to your local real estate agent today. We’ll be happy to recommend local homes that are high-value and low-carbon.

7 Easy, Inexpensive Home Storage Hacks That Will Free Up Your Space

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7 Easy, Inexpensive Home Storage Hacks That Will Free Up Your SpaceEven small spaces can feel spacious when the art of storage is mastered. Here are 7 inexpensive storage hacks to free up space in your home.

1. Racks On Racks On Racks

It’s often the first mess you see when walking into someone’s home a clutter of shoes sprawled out by the entrance. Take care of this mess with a shoe rack, which will only take up a few feet of space but allow you to store numerous pairs of kicks.

2. Fold & Hang

Not your clothes, your chairs! If you don’t use chairs often or rarely eat at the table, consider buying folding chairs instead as they can easily be put away when not in use. Attach a few hooks to a nondescript area of your home and hang the chairs to store them.

3. Slide Into An Island

Need more counter space but can’t sacrifice your kitchen table? Well now you can have both (without renovating!). Install a small island that has a slide-in table: you can slide out the table during meals and slide it back in when finished. Perfect when paired with folding chairs.

4. Make The Most Of Your Cupboards

Install small storage solutions inside of your cupboards to make the most of their space. Hooks can hang mugs from the tops of shelves, and towel racks placed on the inside of a cupboard door can fit pot lids. For a large cupboard, consider a hanging shoe rack for compartmentalized storage space from top to bottom.

5. Multi-Purpose Furniture

When trying to maximize space, choose furniture that also offers storage, such as a bed frame with pullout drawers underneath it, or an ottoman that opens up to store remotes, books, or toys. There are countless pieces designed for small spaces, so find ones that meet your own unique needs.

6. Build Me Up Buttercup

When floor space is limited, you have no choice but to build upwards. Shelves allow you to make the most of vertical space, and can fit into almost any area. Corner shelves can help you take advantage of otherwise dead space, and tall shelving units can act as a room divider which is perfect for a studio. If you want to create a more open concept, choose wall-mounted shelves as they have minimal design impact.

7. Hang It Up

Along with every door comes a fantastic storage opportunity! Choose a door-mounted hanging storage system to keep clothes, robes, towels, or shoes off of the floor. Feel free to be creative you can use them to store whatever you like.

Want more tips on small space living? Contact your trusted real estate professional today.

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 14, 2016

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Last week’s economic news included readings on job openings, consumer sentiment and the Federal Reserve’s monthly survey of senior loan officers. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Freddie Mac noted that last week’s primary mortgage market survey did not include post-election readings as the survey information was gathered prior to election results.

Loan Officers Survey: High Demand for Home Loans, Commercial Lenders Raise Standards

As demand for mortgage financing and homes increase, the Federal Reserve reported last week that banks are tightening the screws on commercial lending requirements. This could present challenges to home builders; they’ve been consistently pressured to build more homes at a faster pace. Less availability of commercial financing may impact home builders and their suppliers. The survey indicated that demand for home and consumer loans also increased.

Mortgage Rates Rise, New Jobless Claims Fall

Mortgage rates rose across the board on average. Freddie Mac reported the rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose three basis points to 3.57 percent. The average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage increased four basis points to 2.88 percent, which equaled the average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage. Average discount points were unchanged at 0.50 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.40 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.

New jobless claims fell to 254,000, which was lower than the expected reading of 260,000 new claims. Last week’s reading was also lower than 265,000 new claims filed the prior week. Job openings held steady at 5.50 million in September.

According to the University of Michigan’s monthly consumer sentiment index, November’s reading rose 91.60 in November as compared to an expected index reading of 88.00 and October’s reading of 87.20. This reading falls in line with strengthening labor markets. Improving economic conditions can influence consumers who want to buy homes.

What‘s Ahead

Next week’s economic reports include releases from the National Association of Home Builders, Commerce Department readings on housing starts and building permits issued and weekly releases on new jobless claims and mortgage rates.