Sunrise Homes & Renovations, Inc.

In The Current Housing Market, Prospective Buyers Must Remain Patient

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In The Current Housing Market, Prospective Buyers Must Remain PatientThe housing market has been through many ups and downs during the past 12 months. Now, buyers are facing a unique challenge as they try to find the right house in the perfect seller’s market. Right now, real estate is extremely competitive, as low inventory has continued for several months.

As mortgage rates remain low, more people are looking for homes, increasing the competition. Some people are reluctant to sell because they know they will face the same challenges of trying to find a new home themselves. As a result, the housing market has record-low inventory making it difficult for buyers to find the right house in their budget.

Builders Have Not Constructed As Many New Homes

While a reluctance to sell is one reason why the housing market has become competitive, it is not the only one. There has also been a lack of new homes built during the past decade. From 2000 to 2010, builders constructed more than 12.6 million new homes, creating more inventory for those looking to buy. From 2010 to 2020, only 6.5 million new homes were constructed.

This number is significantly lower than the rate of new household formation, which has continued to go up. The result is an extremely competitive market for anyone looking to purchase a house in the current market. While builders are working hard to keep up with demand, it will take some time for them to catch up.

Buyers Must Remain Patient During This Challenge Time

Because the housing market is so competitive, many buyers find themselves facing bidding wars, where multiple buyers make offers on the same home. This drives up the sale price of the house, increasing property values in the surrounding area. This simply makes it more competitive for those still looking to buy.

Therefore, buyers need to remain patient. Low inventory will not remain at a low forever, and builders continue to construct new homes. It takes between four and eight months to build new homes, and more houses will come on the market as families consider moving in the wake of the pandemic. Patience is the key to finding the right home in the current market.

Buying a Home Where Someone Passed Away

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Buying a Home Where Someone Passed AwayA key factor that often drives the sale of new homes versus existing ones tends to be cultural. Rather than being financially-driven or associated with location factors, many homebuyers will steer clear of existing homes where someone has passed away. The primary fear tends to be concerns about a leftover spiritual residual in the home that could affect the new homeowners. Despite the abundance of TV shows about ghost-chasers and similar, the stigma of a dead person’s home has been around for centuries and is still alive and well today.

Understanding Property History

While sellers of existing homes will tend to try to limit or omit discussion about the former occupants, focusing on the property description and details instead, it is never a bad idea to have a grip on the history of a home and the related surrounding location. This applies heavily to homes in older neighborhoods that have been around for decades and may have had already more than one long-term owner. Local news and property records can be searched easily online, providing a basic review of whether anything newsworthy happened at the location, most notably crime.

Crime-affected properties are probably the most challenging given that crimes don’t just close neatly. Details could be hidden that can trigger new investigations decades later and would be very disruptive to the homeowner finding them after a sale. The issue isn’t so much that someone died as the law enforcement process ripping apart everything again looking for evidence. Avoidance is probably a good idea in these cases.

Sickness or Age are Common Cases

The high majority of homes with someone passing away, especially older homes when people passed away with families present, tend to be the usual situation. In these cases the big factor is to make sure you’re comfortable with the home personally. In most cases the house has been emptied, cleaned out, restored and make salable again, so the stigma is not really physical but more about personal preference and comfort. While this article won’t tread into the realm of arguing whether spiritual presence is real or not, how comfortable you are in the home with a past is really what matters the most.

Homes Aren’t the Only Locations With History

Note as well, homes are not the only places with history. If you’ve ever stayed in older hotels, apartments or condominiums, you’ve likely stayed or lived in a location temporarily that may have had an assortment of activity in it before you arrived. Homes have a stigma because it involves a long-term commitment in one place, but people regularly stay in rental locations and vacation spots where life just happens on a regular basis, including someone passing away.

Existing Homes Are Not Perfect, But They Have Character

At the end of the day, if there is a presence in a home you’re uncomfortable with, choose a different location to buy. Trust your gut when walking through a home if you feel something off; chances are you may be picking up something with your senses versus logic and sight. On the other hand, if you like history, an existing home could be an interesting adventure into a life before yours to explore, find out about, and learn more about your community as well. And it could be a rewarding pastime to chase.

Why Green Homes Are Gold In Your Pocket

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Why Green Homes Are Gold In Your PocketIf you’re selling a home today, you know that it’s a seller’s market in many areas throughout the country. What you may not know, though, is that there are still things you can do to make your home even more desirable. From adding SMART home features to properly staging a home, there are plenty of things you can do to drive up the price and create a frenzy of bidding activity for your home. One of those things is to add green features to your home.

What Are Green Home Features?

Adding green features to your home doesn’t mean you’re painting the walls green or going for some odd decor. Instead, it means you’ve added one or more environmentally friendly features to your home. The following are a few green features you can add to your home that will add incredible ROI when the time comes to sell your home.

  • Landscaping with native plants.
  • Water conservation features in kitchens and bathrooms.
  • Energy Star appliances.
  • SMART thermostats, lights, and garage door openers.
  • Recycled countertops.
  • Radiant floor heating.
  • Alternative energy systems such as geothermal or solar energy.

Why Do Buyer’s Desire Green Home Features?

Buyers today are savvier than ever when it comes to the plight of the planet and are constantly seeking changes they can make to reduce carbon footprints and conserve resources. Homes that provide these types of features allow them to do precisely that. More importantly, they don’t have to adjust their lifestyles or even think about making these changes because they’re already made.

Giving Buyers What They Want?

At the end of the day, when you install certain green features in your home, you’re giving prospective buyers the personal satisfaction of knowing they’re purchasing a planet-friendly home, without forcing them to do the work for themselves. It’s a win for those who have grandiose intentions for saving the planet to actually follow through on those intentions.

Will Green Home Features Help You Sell Your Home Faster?

That depends on the local market in the area where you’re selling. However, in many areas across the country, it is a winning proposition. Work with your real estate agent to see if adding one or more of the green features listed above can help you sell your home faster or for a higher price.

Don’t Miss Out On How To Handle Common Home Buying Pitfalls

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Don't Miss Out On How To Handle Common Home Buying PitfallsThe process of buying a home can be riddled with obstacles. However, you can avoid many of the most common home buying pitfalls with some advanced preparation. Below are some of the most frequent problems home buyers face, as well as tips for avoiding them. 

You Can’t Qualify For A Mortgage 

Nothing is more frustrating than learning that, even though you make enough money to afford your dream home, you cannot qualify for the mortgage you need. This may happen because your credit score is low or because you cannot verify your income in a way that satisfies your lender. To avoid this pitfall, investigate lenders’ requirements before you begin the application process and make sure you meet them all. 

You Discovered Problems With The Home After You moved In

In some cases, a home may seem perfect at first glance, but problems may be hiding in plain sight. You may move into the home and find that it has a pest problem, leaks, or a broken furnace. The best way to guard against this pitfall is to ask for a home inspection before you buy the property. 

The Appraisal Amount Isn’t High Enough 

Some homebuyers make an offer on a property and hope to get a mortgage to cover the purchase price, only to learn that the property doesn’t appraise for the amount of the requested mortgage. This is more likely in cases where the homebuyer is rolling closing costs into the mortgage. When this occurs, you can either pay the difference, ask the seller to lower the purchase price, or cancel the sale altogether. You can avoid this pitfall by investigating home values before you make an offer, or by saving up a large downpayment that would allow you to pay the difference. 

You End Up With Bad Neighbors 

Chances are that sellers will not be upfront about any problems they may have with neighbors, since these problems could potentially cause you to pass on the home. For this reason, it is always wise to do your own research before you move into any neighborhood. Consider driving by at night to look for any activity that might make you unwilling to live next door. 

The Closing Takes Too Long

It can be incredibly frustrating when it takes weeks or even months to close on the property you love. In some cases, this pitfall may be unavoidable. However, you can reduce the risk of a long closing by having all of your loan documentation ready in advance and avoiding the purchase of homes that may have an extra-long closing process, such as real estate owned properties and short sales. 

Boosting Your Credit Score To Qualify For Better Rates

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Boosting Your Credit Score To Qualify For Better Rates

The better your credit score, the better the mortgage interest rate for which you should qualify. That can mean thousands of dollars saved over the life of the mortgage. If your credit score needs improving, get started prior to your search for a new home.

Pay Bills On Time
The simplest way to boost your credit score is by ensuring your bills are always paid on time. Nothing harms a credit score more than late payments.

Check for Credit Report Errors
Check your credit reports for any errors. These issues are not uncommon, and can really impact your score. Each of the three major credit card reporting bureaus –Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion –will provide you with a free annual report.

Credit Utilization Rate
Look into your credit utilization, or CU, rate. The CU rate is another big credit score consideration. Your CU rate is the amount of credit authorized versus the amount you use. It’s one reason maxing out your credit cards is not a wise move.

Never allow your CU rate to exceed more than 30 percent of your available credit. In simple terms if you have $1,000 in available credit, never use more than $300. High CU rates are a red flag, as they indicate someone with potential financial problems. For best results, keep your CU rate as low as you can.
Calculate your CU rate by adding up the credit limits on all cards, as well as the balances. Divide the total balances by the total credit limit, then multiply by 100. That amount is your CU rate percentage.

Reduce Your Debt
If you carry credit card debt, pay it down as much as possible. That also helps lower your CU rate.

Avoid Opening New Credit Card Accounts
Do not open new credit card accounts while trying to boost your credit score.   A new account lowers the age of your accounts, affecting your credit history and lowering the CU rate.

Do Not Close Unused Credit Card Accounts
Do you have credit cards you never use? You might think closing them would boost your credit score, but that is not how it works. When you close the account, the amount of credit you have drops. That triggers a CU rate increase.

Refinancing Credit Card Debt
If you have substantial credit card debt, consider refinancing all of it with a personal loan. You should receive a lower interest rate with your balances now merged into a single monthly payment. This also causes your CU rate to go down.

How Long Will It Take?
How long it will take to improve your credit score depends on the severity of your credit problems. Those with serious credit issues may find it takes years to raise their scores significantly, but most people should see improvement within a few months. Then it is time to think about mortgage shopping!

Looking at Home Mortgage Refinancing in 2021

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Looking at Home Mortgage Refinancing in 2021In 2019 many people expected that the home lending market was going to eventually grow more expensive. Instead, 2020 spent its entire 12 months becoming more affordable when it came to financing a personal home, moving in the opposite direction of what was expected. Not only did the loan cost drop break previous records, but it also presented an additional opportunity for homeowners to reposition and take advantage of lower borrowing costs again.

The General Advantages of a Home Loan Refinance

The refinancing of a mortgage has traditionally been three-fold. First, it is a chance to renegotiate the loan on a home purchase for a lower interest rate, which means more of the borrower’s payment goes to the loan and less to an interest charge. Second, it gives people an option to change the interest rate charged to a shorter payment period, which can also save considerable money. A borrower will pay dozens of thousands less on a 15-year loan versus a 30-year mortgage. Finally, refinancing allows a borrower to tap into home equity to use that cash value to consolidate debt, pay for other big costs, or make renovations to the home without paying out of pocket for them.

Why 2021 Provides a Good Window

By the time 2020 ended, mortgage rates overall were running at all time lows on a conventional 30-year fixed mortgage, an amazing opportunity for the cost of borrowing and probably the lowest possible in 50 years. The dip won’t last forever, as many people have been trying to project, and eventually what goes down also goes back up. Some amount of rising rates is a firm prediction from the National Association of Realtors® for 2021 which has already occurred, and that loan interest rate cost is expected to eventually go somewhat higher by the end of the year if the economy speeds up again. So, the 2021 window for a valuable refinancing opportunity is clearly the beginning half of the year.

Comparing Current Status to “What If”

Obviously, just chasing a mortgage refinance for minimal gain is silly. The amount paid in closing costs can be expensive. However, when the shift can easily be a percentage point difference or more, then it is worth considering. Many people locked in homes at higher rates in the past and are still paying that amount, especially on an adjustable-rate mortgage. Grabbing a fixed mortgage refinance in the current rate environment is definitely worth the work and time, potentially paying for itself in a handful of years or by consolidating higher cost debt into the home loan.

There is no perfect formula that applies to everyone, but 2021 has already shaped up to be the year that the majority of homeowners can definitely benefit from, especially given the need for financial reserves and a bit of personal finance reorganization after 2020.  As always, consult with your professional mortgage advisor for details on your personal situation.