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Appraisals • October 19, 2022

Quick, the Appraiser Is at the Door!

by Suzanne Volkman

Take the listing? Check! Sell the home? Check! Inspection completed? Check!

Appraisal okay? Things could have gone better! What happened?

Everyone benefits when appraisers and listing agents work together. Often a low appraisal value could have been avoided if all parties knew their roles at the beginning of the assignment instead of at the end.

It’s okay for a listing agent to communicate with an appraiser, but it’s inappropriate to demand a particular value. Per the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), appraisers must arrive at their own supported conclusion. Look at the appraiser as an important part of the team but one who must remain independent, impartial, and objective. The appraiser is not, and cannot be, an advocate in a mortgage assignment.

That said, don’t wait until the appraiser is at the door to begin thinking about the appraisal. It’s a reality that the appraiser has already completed most of the work on the assignment before arriving at the house and would prefer information sooner rather than later.

Appraisers can do their best job when fully and properly informed. Brokerage professionals work with buyers and sellers every day and are experts when it comes to current market conditions. It’s appropriate to discuss your market knowledge with appraisers. A good appraiser doesn’t take any offense when it comes to reliable data and great information.

How else can you help an appraiser? Meet the appraiser during the appraisal inspection and provide the appraiser with a package, which at a minimum includes the following:

  1. MLS printout for the subject home
  2. Copy of the contract
  3. Spreadsheet of other offers received
  4. Property data sheet or brochure used during the marketing period
  5. List of improvements that includes year completed and cost
  6. Description of special features that make the subject property stand out from other homes in the area
  7. MLS printouts of sales you want the appraiser to consider
  8. MLS printouts of pending sales with actual contract prices
  9. MLS printouts of current listings
  10. Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) report using the Refine Value tool to offer your own opinion of value
  11. Survey of the property, if available
  12. Floor plan and measurement of the home, if available

Be reasonable with the selection of comparable sales. Take the time to learn the guidelines that an appraiser is required to follow instead of providing randomly selected sales, which may not even be allowed for consideration. Generally speaking, the best comparable sales to provide have the best combination of being located in the same marketing area, closed within the past three to six months, are in the same or similar condition, have a similar gross living area (- +/-5% ), and have the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, FHA, and VA appraisal requirements vary. Not all appraisals are based on the same beginning instructions. Find a copy of each agency’s standards to be aware of the assignment conditions.

Regarding comparable sales, consider approaching the appraiser like this: “Here are comparables I used in pricing the home.” This type of a statement is very non-demanding and could go a long way toward establishing a good relationship with the appraiser.

Prior to an appraisal inspection, educate your clients on how to best prepare for the appraisal, which is really the same instructions you’d provide for showings:  beds made, house clean, lights on, yard looking its best, clutter gone, owners and pets gone, no smells, and so on. Sellers shouldn’t relax just because a house is under contract. It’s just as important to keep things looking their best straight through the closing.

What if the appraisal comes in below the sales price? Don’t call the appraiser directly to discuss it. Instead, ask the lender if you have the right to submit additional information for the appraiser’s reconsideration of value. Ask yourself for next time, could this information have been provided in “The Package”?

What if you feel the appraiser doesn’t have the proper experience to work in the subject area? Or, perhaps the appraiser isn’t familiar with the particulars of the property being appraised? It’s best to articulate your concerns to the lender early and in writing; when doing so, always being respectful of the appraiser and the lender.

The bottom line is that real estate agents and brokers can be advocates for their clients whereas an appraiser’s assignment is unrelated to a predetermined value or the attainment of a stipulated result. However, by having great documentation, keeping interactions professional, and keeping the home in order,  listing agents and homeowners can open the door to a smooth appraisal process.

 

July 13, 2021
By: Eric A. Trotz
Buying • October 19, 2022

As the Housing Market Corrects, Is It Better To Rent or Buy?

by Suzanne Volkman

Q:I’ve heard the housing market is ‘correcting’ and home prices are falling. However, mortgage rates and rents keep going up. So should I wait to buy until prices go down further and rent now instead?

Whether to rent or buy a home has long been on the mind of potential homebuyers. Soaring mortgage and rental rates are just making the calculations tougher. Way tougher.

Many are unsure which is better: to stomach the steep rent increases for now, waiting to buy until prices go down further, or to jump into the for-sale market before mortgage rates go up even further and they’re priced out of homeownership.

Rents shot up this year, rising 9.8% in August compared with a year earlier, according to the most recent Realtor.com® data. Nationally, the median rent was $1,771 a month in August. Over a year, that adds up to $21,252 that renters are forking over to their landlords. Those are large numbers to make peace with.

However, buying a home right now isn’t easy—even if the housing market is slowing down. It’s mired in a drawn-out process of sorting itself out as higher mortgage interest rates have slammed the brakes on record-high home prices and insane bidding wars. That’s led home prices to fall a little from their peak over the summer, giving many first-time buyers hope that prices will fall even further if they wait a bit longer. But rising mortgage rates have the potential to erase any savings.

In other words, there are no easy answers here. So let’s boil it down a bit further.

Should first-time buyers wait for prices to fall before pulling the trigger?

No one knows what will happen in the housing market as it continues to correct. Some real estate experts are predicting home prices will drop 10% to 20%—if we go into a recession. But no one wants that. And much of this will depend on which direction mortgage rates move.

Many buyers, especially first-timers, are learning they can no longer qualify for mortgages at these higher rates. Or they can’t afford a home they could have just a few months earlier, so they have to consider considerably cheaper properties or farther-out locations.

But mortgage interest rates have more than doubled in the past year. They’ve ratcheted up close to 7% for 30-year fixed-rate loans.

Factoring in the roughly 14% year-over-year price hike, someone buying a home today will pay about 74% more each month than they would have just a year ago.

So even if folks want to buy instead of rent, they might not be financially able to do so. Hence the dilemma.

Buying a home means you can lock in your monthly housing payment—to an extent

Still, with rents soaring, many tenants are still giving homeownership another look. If you purchase a home, you can mostly lock in your monthly housing payment over the long term. You’re not dependent on the whims of a landlord who can up your rent every year.

You may still face rising property taxes, but generally, that makes up a minimal amount of your home payment. So your housing payments are fairly fixed. Your costs, however, are not.

What they don’t tell you when you buy a house is that you’re now on the hook for anything in your home that goes wrong. And there is just so much that can go wrong.

Homeowners should budget 1% to 4% of the purchase price of the home for repairs and maintenance every year.

In my first week of homeownership, the boiler overflowed and flooded a small area in my basement. It cost more than $500 to fix. Then a bathtub faucet broke; the repair set us back an additional $150. And that’s just the minor stuff.

If your fridge breaks, you can’t call a property manager to come fix it. If a pipe bursts, you’re stuck calling a plumber and praying there’s no significant damage. Then there’s the expense of regular maintenance such as having the gutters and chimney cleaned and staying on top of the landscaping. And you need to factor in energy costs, which can be substantial. Those things add up big-time.

I’m not trying to scare first-time buyers away from homeownership. It’s a great way to lock in your housing payments so that you’re essentially paying today’s prices for a home for the next 10 or 20 years—or however long you live there.

I wish I could gaze into a crystal ball to see whether it’s better to rent or buy a home, if mortgage rates will stop rising, and if home prices will drop next year. Instead, I can advise you to be realistic about your finances when you run your numbers to see if it makes more sense for you to rent or buy.

 

By Clare Trapasso

Oct 5, 2022

Selling • October 3, 2022

Tax Breaks for Older Couples Who Sell Their Homes

by Suzanne Volkman

Consider Irene, who recently became a widow when her husband, Henry, died. Like most married couples, they held the title to their home in joint ownership with the right of survivorship. In plainer language, this means that co-owner Henry’s death results in his loss of all ownership in their dwelling. Surviving co-owner Irene automatically acquires all ownership in it.

Irene is uncertain what to do with her highly appreciated home. One option is to quickly sell it and move to where her daughter lives. But Irene should go slowly when it comes to major decisions such as home sales. Other options are to wait several years and then sell, or just stay put, in which case the residence would eventually wind up with her heirs.

Irene wants to know the tax consequences of selling or staying. First, she needs to understand the tax breaks for individuals who sell their principal residences.

Exclusions. The law authorizes “exclusions” that allow home sellers to sidestep income taxes on most of their profits when they unload their principal residences. The profit exclusions are as much as $500,000 for couples filing joint returns and as much as $250,000 for single persons. Sellers are liable for taxes on gains greater than $500,000 or $250,000.

Irene decides to sell. Can she exclude $500,000 or $250,000? The answer depends on the sale date and whether she remarries. Though she’s no longer married, recently widowed Irene still qualifies for the higher amount — as long as she sells within two years of Henry’s death. It’s the lower amount if she sells after the two-year deadline.

Irene remarries. If her new husband, Steve, then lives in the place as his principal residence for at least two years out of the five-year period that precedes the sale date, the profit exclusion will once again be $500,000.

Usually, a seller also has to own the place for those two years. That requirement doesn’t apply to Steve. That means his name doesn’t have to be on the title.

Moreover, the IRS says that Irene and Steve needn’t be married for all of the two years that precede the sale date. What do they need to do before the sale occurs? Just marry. This holds true even if their wedding precedes the sale by just one day.

Even if Irene doesn’t remarry — and even if she doesn’t sell within two years of Henry’s death — her taxable gain may be smaller than she fears. Suppose, as is likely, that Irene’s long-term capital gain profit from her home’s sale exceeds her exclusion ceiling and she’s liable for taxes on the gain.

Tax rates for long-term capital gains. For most sales, the tax rate usually is 15%, increasing to 20% for lots of high-income sellers. It goes as high as 23.8% for those who are in the top income tax bracket of 37% and subject to the Medicare surtax of as much as 3.8% on income from certain kinds of investments, including profits from home sales.

State income taxes. On top of Uncle Sam’s take, state income taxes may also be owed. I caution Irene that she might not be able to deduct all those taxes.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This legislation imposed a $10,000 ceiling on write-offs for state and local income and property taxes. Another snag: Irene forfeits any write-off for state income taxes if she’s subject to the alternative minimum tax.

Step-up in basis. While my recitation of federal and state tax rates dismays her, Irene is pleased to get some good news that the government authorizes exceptional condolence gifts for Irene and other bereaved individuals who sell inherited homes, stocks and other assets that have appreciated in value. In tax lingo, the basis (the starting point for measuring gain or loss) of inherited assets “steps up” from their original basis (the cost upon purchase, in most instances) to their date-of-death value. It’s as if the inheritors had bought the assets that day.

On Henry’s death, a step-up in basis for their home benefits Irene when she sells her dwelling. What happens if she never sells? On Irene’s death, there’s a second step-up in basis that benefits her heirs.

The first step-up is only for Henry’s half interest. There’s a step-up of his adjusted basis (typically, half the original purchase price and half the cost of any subsequent home improvements) to what that half-interest is worth when he dies. If the couple lived in a community property state, the step-up is for the entire basis.

On Irene’s death, there’s a step-up of her adjusted basis (previously boosted by the step-up for Henry’s half interest) to what the entire home is worth when she dies. When the heirs sell the home, they’re liable for capital gains taxes only on post-inheritance appreciation.

The bottom line for Irene and her heirs: Whereas a sale by Irene of a home that has appreciated immensely can trigger sizable federal and state taxes, a sale by the heirs dramatically shrinks or even erases those taxes. Irene—and others in similar positions—should work with tax and estate planning professionals to ensure they’re making the best decisions for their long-term future plans.

Real Estate • October 3, 2022

5 terrible reasons to refinance your mortgage — that have nothing to do with today’s rising rates

by Suzanne Volkman

After years of record-setting low mortgage rates, the days of easy loans are long gone.

But even with rates on the rise, there are plenty of excellent reasons to refinance your mortgage — like changing the length of your loan, switching from a variable to a fixed rate or tapping into your home’s equity.

  • Americans are facing a recession — what should buyers be doing in this housing market?
  • You could be the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger (and collect fat grocery store-anchored income on a quarterly basis)
  • What do Ashton Kutcher and a Nobel Prize-winning economist have in common? An investing app that turns spare change into a diversified portfolio

That being said, exchanging your existing home loan for a new one isn’t always the right move. Here are five times a refinance can be a terrible idea — regardless of where interest rates stand.

1. You’re too focused on the immediate savings

If you can find a better deal than what you have now, refinancing to score a lower interest rate and lower monthly mortgage payment can be smart — but not if the new home loan won’t really save you money.

A refi doesn’t make financial sense if you may be moving soon. If you’re going to save $100 a month but will have to pay closing costs of $3,000, you’ll need to stay in the home for more than 30 months to come out ahead.

A refinance also can be a money loser when it causes you to stretch out your loan term. If you’ve been paying on your 30-year loan for 10 years and refi into a new 30-year mortgage, refinancing will saddle you with 10 extra years of interest charges.

2. You want freedom from credit card debt

Paying off high-interest credit card debt with low-interest mortgage debt isn’t the worst idea, but you’d better be absolutely certain you’ve learned your lesson about using plastic.

To wipe out your credit card balances, you’ll need to do what’s called a cash-out refinance: You borrow more than you owe on your home and take out the extra in cash. That money goes to your card issuer.

But you’ll be left with a larger mortgage and larger monthly payment. If you wind up in over your head with your credit cards all over again, you could put your house at risk.

3. You’re eager to renovate

A cash-out refinance can free up home equity to pay for home remodeling, like redoing your straight-out-of-the-1970s bathroom or finally getting that new kitchen you’ve been dreaming of, with all new appliances.

A refi for remodeling can be a low-cost way to borrow money for home improvement. But avoid projects that don’t add value to your home.

You’ll be taking on more debt, so you want to feel reasonably confident that you’ll get a [good return on your home remodeling investment]https://moneywise.com/real-estate/should-i-renovate-or-relocate).

4. You want to play the markets

Investing in stocks, bonds and other assets is the best way to build long-term wealth, but it’s very risky to invest with equity pulled from your home in a cash-out refi.

Refinancing is hardly worth the trouble for the modest earnings on “safe” investments like certificates of deposit. But more lucrative investments can involve considerable risk: You could lose your money and be left with nothing but a bigger mortgage.

Refinancing for the purpose of investing can be a bad move — unless you go about it carefully. Consider using an automated investing service, which automatically adjusts your portfolio to help you weather market storms.

5. You’re enticed by a ‘no-cost’ refi

What you’ve heard about lunches is true of mortgages, too: There’s no such thing as a free one.

Any mortgage comes with fees and other costs that have to be paid. So, be skeptical when a lender claims to offer a “no-cost” refinance, and never do a refi primarily for that reason.

These loans conceal the closing costs, similar to the way a mom might hide healthy vegetables in her kids’ mac and cheese. The costs may be rolled into your loan amount, or be passed on to you in the form of a higher interest rate.

What to read next

  • High prices, rising interest rates and a volatile stock market — here’s why you need a financial advisor as a recession looms
  • If you owe $25K+ in student loans, there are ways to pay them off faster
  • With interest rates rising, now might be the time to finally tap into your home equity for cash
Buying • Real Estate • September 30, 2022

How to Move Past Student Debt — and Into a Home

by Suzanne Volkman

You want to buy a house. But you’re worried you won’t qualify for a mortgage because of your student loan debt. You’re not alone. Half of non-homeowners (51%) say student loan debt is delaying them from buying a home, according to a survey from the National Association of REALTORS®. That number jumps to 60% for millennials.

The numbers tell an ugly story of a generation paying for its education long after graduation.  As a result, they’re having to make hard life choices for decades. The average public university student borrows $30,000 in student loans to get a bachelor’s degree, according to the Education Data Initiative. The average student loan payment is $460 a month. And nearly 48 million people have student loans.

Student debt is no longer just a first-time home buyer problem, says Cale Iorg, a loan officer at Supreme Lending in Alpharetta, Ga. “We get people in their 40s and 50s who are still paying off student loans. They went back for a master’s degree, or they are parents who cosigned their children’s student loans.”

President Biden provided some relief (not reflected in the previous numbers) when he announced in late August 2022 that he would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 per year. The relief includes an additional $10,000 for those who received Pell grants for low-income students.

Before the pandemic, more than 8 million people — one in five borrowers with a payment due — had defaulted on their loans, the “New York Times” reported. But because many of them carried relatively small balances, they’ll now be eligible for loan cancellation.

Student loan payments have been paused since March 2020, but are scheduled to resume in January 2023.

Despite uncertainty about debt cancellation timing and impact, you can get a mortgage while you have student debt. Here are eight tips for making it happen.

#1 Lower Your Debt-to-Income Ratio.

Your debt-to-income ratio, or score, is one of the most impactful numbers on your life since your ACT score. It measures the percentage of your monthly income that goes to pay your debts. You calculate it by adding all your monthly debts – credit card minimums, rent or mortgage, car payments, and, yes, student loan payments. Then, you divide the total by your monthly gross income (take-home pay before taxes and other monthly deductions).

Your debt-to-income ratio should be no more than 45% of your gross monthly income, Iorg says. Many lenders consider the ideal debt-to-income ratio, including a mortgage payment, to be 36% or less. Depending on your credit score, savings, assets, and down payment, lenders may accept higher ratios, according to Bankrate. It depends on the type of loan you’re applying for.

You can improve your debt-to-income ratio three ways: Make more money, spend less money, and pay down your debt, Iorg says. “Not everybody can wake up tomorrow and say, ‘Oh, well, I’m going to get a job that pays $4,000 more a month,’” he adds. Sure, there are always side hustles to bring in extra bucks to help you pay down bills. “But the surest way to improve your debt-to-income ratio is to live within your means.”

And pay down those student loans.

#2 Increase Your Credit Score.

Your credit score is the other number that profoundly affects your financial fortune. It’s basically a grade for what kind of a job you do paying your bills. The simplest ways to boost your credit score include paying your bills on time, using less than 30% of the credit limit on your credit cards, and paying off debts. There’s a lot of help out there, including free webinars, to guide you on improving your score. Generally, these tips involve paying off bills and spending less money. Yes, frugality.

#3 Look for Down Payment Assistance.

When you’re paying off student loans, saving for a down payment can be tough. The down payment can range from 3.5% to 20% of the home purchase price. If you don’t have a relative who can dump a chunk of cash on you – known in the mortgage biz as gift money – there’s other help.  Down payment assistance programs offer loans or grants that pay the down payment on a house. Some DPA funds can be used toward closing costs, too.

Most DPAs require you to be a first-time home buyer with a credit score of 640 or higher and a moderate source of income. DPAs are usually offered at the local level, and their eligibility rules vary by state, city, or even ZIP code. In Seattle, for instance, you can get up to $55,000 in down payment assistance in the form of a low interest loan, depending on your household size and income. The buyer must pay just 1% down out of pocket, and the DPA pays the rest. In Georgia, a DPA offers loans of $7,500 for most buyers. Teachers, health care providers, active duty service members, and public employees are eligible for $10,000.

#4 Get a Co-Borrower.

Want to instantly improve your chances of getting a mortgage? Put a co-borrower on your mortgage. Their income counts toward the debt-to-income ratio, and their credit history bolsters yours. You’re combining forces to strengthen your financial qualifications, and that can offset the dead weight of your student loan debt.

“Co-borrowers are not uncommon,” Iorg says. “It’s a good way to go for a buyer who just doesn’t have enough money from their monthly income to qualify for a mortgage.” Iorg says the co-borrowers he sees are usually parents, siblings, or grandparents. Most co-borrowers are family members or someone with whom the homeowner has a personal relationship. But lenders don’t require a co-borrower to produce proof they know you or are related to you. They just want proof the co-borrower can pay your mortgage if you don’t.

Remember, a co-borrower will share title on the home. If that’s not your cup of joint ownership, consider a co-signer. Their income will boost your financial profile, but they won’t be a co-owner of the house.

#5 Look into Student Loan Protection Programs.

You could be eligible for loan forgiveness if you’re a teacher, attended a for-profit school that went out of business, or have a total and permanent disability. Here are the programs erasing student debt:

  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness: This program has been around since 2007 to grant debt relief to teachers, social workers, firefighters, employees of nonprofits, and other public servants. But the Biden administration loosened the rules to make more people eligible. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the PSLF has forgiven $2 billion in student loans and is still going.
  • Borrower Defense and Closed School Discharge: You may also be eligible for debt relief if you attended a school that turned out to be scamming you. Hello, ITT Tech, DeVry University, and Corinthian Colleges. Thanks to rules under the Biden administration, defrauded students who got only partial debt relief under the Trump administration can now get the rest of their student loans wiped out.
  • Total and Permanent Disability Discharge: Borrowers with permanent disabilities that prevent them from working can shed their student debts, thanks to changes to an existing program that the Education Department says will help at least 370,000 borrowers drop more than $6.5 billion in student debt.

#6 Get Help from Your Employer to Repay Student Debt.

Some companies are offering student loan repayment assistance as a benefit. Google matches employee payments up to $2,500 a year; Aetna matches up to $2,000 a year with a lifetime cap of $10,000; and Fidelity Investments pays up to $10,000 of an employee’s student loans. Other companies that offer payment assistance include Carvana, Chegg, Hulu, Lockheed Martin, New York Life, and PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers).

Employer-sponsored student loan repayment may become more common. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2021 gives a tax break to companies that offer student loan repayment assistance. From now till Dec. 31, 2025, employers can contribute up to $5,250 a year tax-free to an employee for repayment of student loans. So, if your boss gets on board this year, you could get as much as $15,000 of your loans paid off before the program ends.

#7 Lower Your Student Loan Payments.

You can do this in one of two ways:

  • Opt for an income-based repayment plan for federal student loans. You can apply for loan repayment plans that will lower your monthly payment on a federal student loan based on your income and family size. The basic income-based repayment plan caps your payments at 10% of your discretionary income. It also forgives your remaining loan balance after 20 years of payments. That can go a long way toward lowering monthly debt payments and your debt-to-income ratio.
  • Refinance your private student loans. This is a good idea if you have private student loans that aren’t eligible for federal loan forgiveness or have variable rates. If you can get a lower interest rate, you can change your life. For example, if you have $30,000 in private student loans with an 8% interest rate, you’ll pay $364 for 10 years. Refinance that to a 15-year loan at 4% interest, and your payment drops by $142 a month. You’ll also save around $3,735 in interest over the life of the loan.

#8 Get a Mortgage Broker Who Will Coach You.

Look for someone who is experienced at working with borrowers who have more student debt than they’d like. Get a broker who will work with you to find DPA programs; steer you through the ins and outs of FHA, conventional, and VA loans; and help you get your finances in order so you become a better mortgage candidate. Iorg says his office has a credit analyst whose job is to help clients improve their credit scores and debt-to-income ratios.

The Bottom Line

There’s no quick fix to buying a house when you have student loans.

The good news is there’s more public support for student debt forgiveness. Many economists say forgiving student loans, such as the Biden plan for debt cancellation, would put money back into Americans’ pockets. That would boost the economy and encourage the formation of more businesses and households. More businesses means more jobs, and more households means more spending. And spending fuels the U.S. economy.

Recent events have reinforced that changes are the norm for student loan debt and relief. Changes to the PSLF program have made more people and more types of federal loans eligible for forgiveness. Add to that the raft of assistance programs that help renters become first-time home buyers, and you may be able to afford it all: a college education, a mortgage, and a 401(k) contribution. You just may not be able to do it all at once. It will take planning and time.

 

Uncategorized • September 24, 2022

7 Most Popular Bathroom Upgrades

by Suzanne Volkman

Bathtub with plant next to it

Homeowners are spending more money to spruce up their bathrooms as the pandemic-fueled home renovation boom continues. The national median spend for bathroom renovations jumped nearly 13% year over year to $9,000, according to the 2022 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, a survey of more than 2,500 homeowners who are planning or recently completed a bathroom renovation.

“Bathrooms have always been a top room to renovate, and we’re seeing that homeowners—driven both by aesthetic desires and functional necessities—are doubling down on their investment in these private sanctuaries,” says Marine Sargsyan, a staff economist at Houzz, a home improvement website. “While the cost of products and materials has increased due to inflation and supply chain disruptions, renovation activity remains strong, propped up by high home equity and homeowners’ desire to stay put given limited housing supply.”

Homeowners who viewed their bathrooms as “outdated” were most likely to renovate them. The Houzz study uncovered some of the following trends in bathroom remodeling this year:

Bathroom with blue accent wall© Rachel Loewen – Houzz

1. The statement vanity: More than three-quarters of homeowners surveyed upgraded their vanity cabinets during a bathroom renovation. “Homeowners are turning vanities into a focal point as one of the few areas of the bathroom to offer a splash of color,” the survey notes. Three in 10 homeowners chose wood or gray, followed by blue (14%), black (5%) and green (2%). Also, with vanity upgrades, engineered quartz was a top choice as a countertop material (40%), followed by natural stones like quartzite (19%), marble (18%) and granite (16%). As for door styles, shaker continues to dominate, followed by flat- and raised-panel doors. Bar pulls are the most popular vanity door handles.

2. Upgrading home systems: More homeowners are updating behind-the-scenes items in their bathroom remodel. For example, 59% of homeowners said they upgraded their ventilation system when renovating their bathroom; 14% upgraded to radiant heating; and 9% added a tankless water heater. “The increase in upgrades to home systems can add up to some of the highest costs but remains one of the most frequent enhancements to the bathroom this year,” the report notes.

3. All about the transitional: Nearly nine in 10 homeowners surveyed chose to change their bathroom’s style during a renovation. Transitional style has taken a significant lead, followed by modern and contemporary. Transitional styles offer a combination of traditional and modern elements, combining modern fixtures with antiques, for example.

4. White still dominates: White continues to be the most popular color for bathrooms across vanities, countertops and walls. Gray walls are popular both outside and inside the shower, but blue is also gaining traction. One in 10 homeowners selected blue walls outside the shower, the report notes. “Upgraded bathroom elements are gravitating towards solid colors, as multicolored countertops and shower walls have decreased in popularity among homeowners,” according to the Houzz report.

5. Showers remain a priority: When tackling bathroom renovations, homeowners continue to prioritize the shower as a focal point. Increasing the shower size is the second-most popular bathroom upgrade. For homeowners who remove the bathtub, nearly four in five opt to enlarge the shower, making it at least 25% bigger. More homeowners are relocating their showers after having a bathtub removed.

6. Greenery everywhere: More homeowners are adding greenery when renovating their bathrooms. “The overwhelming majority say it adds to the aesthetics of the room, while a smaller majority believe it creates a calming environment,” the report notes. “Practical benefits are also noted among renovating homeowners, including air purification, odor-fighting ability and antibacterial attributes.”

7. The high-tech commode: Nearly two in five homeowners also added high-tech features to their toilets. The report notes significant increases in bidets, self-cleaning elements, heated seats and built-in night lights.

Pricing a Bathroom Renovation

A recent study from House Method, a resource on housing providers, found that 71% of homeowners have built equity in their home through a home renovation over the last year. Bathrooms are one spot owners are targeting for some of the highest returns on investment, according to House Method’s report, Cost of a Bathroom Remodel in 2022. The study found that midrange bathroom remodeling projects have an average ROI rate of 70%, while upscale renovations fetch 60%.

Bathroom remodels can be costly, however. What should homeowners expect to pay? The following charts from House Method show the average costs of popular bathroom renovation projects.

Bathroom renovation chartSource: House Method
Bathroom renovation chart

Source: House Method

Article Courtesy of Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Market Trends • Real Estate • September 21, 2022

Chasing The Ball Down The Road In Real Estate

by Suzanne Volkman

Sellers have been chasing the ball down the road. What I mean is prices have been going down lately, and sellers are trying to find the market through price reductions. I can’t speak for the entire country, but I’d like to talk about what’s happening locally. I’m not writing as a housing bull or bear either, but as a stats guy with the goal of objectivity. Anyway, some thoughts.

A meme to show a guerilla on a bike chasing a girl. The caption reads, "sellers chasing prices."

Expecting to pay less: Before getting to any stats, I wanted to mention that most people I talk to right now are aware that prices have been dipping. Well, besides some unrealistic sellers right now… Haha. Just yesterday I talked with two homeowners who spoke about prices softening as if it was common knowledge. Or someone called a few weeks ago wanting an appraisal very quickly for PMI removal to lock in a higher value before prices dipped. Have you seen offers from Opendoor in the mail lately? They are definitely lower. And let’s not forget actual market stats, which I’ll get to below.

Here is a visual from Len Kiefer to get at what I’m saying. There is an expectation of softer prices ahead. We’ll see what happens of course, but we want to pay attention to the psyche of buyers and sellers right now.

A visual from Len Kiefer to show price growth expectations subsiding

The median price is down 7% so far: The median price has gone down about 7% since May in the Sacramento region and Sacramento County. This is a much bigger change than usual for the time of year since the median price in August is usually down about 2% or so from the height of spring. This isn’t really a shocker though because we saw such a dramatic change with mortgage rates. In short, a sharp change in rates is causing a sharp change in the stats (including prices). But to be fair, this year is a bit awkward since prices crested one month early in May (usually prices peak in June). This means we have one extra month of declines to pad into the stats.

A line chart to show the median by the month from January to December in the Sacramento from 2016 onward.

Seasonal decline or new downward cycle: Is this only a seasonal decline, or is it something bigger? Look, the truth is we need time to see the trend and understand it. For now, we’ve clearly experienced a huge contraction where about 25% of buyers have stepped back from the market. Moreover, we’ve seen sharp price declines for the time of year, so at the least we are in the midst of heightened seasonal declines. Could it be more? Yes. But we need time to understand how the market is going to go. I realize this is frustrating for some people to hear, but let’s remember the future hasn’t happened yet. For now, we are living in the midst of change and uncertainty. Here is something I wrote six months ago to talk about price cycles in case it’s useful.

There is still competition: The market is completely different than it was earlier in the year, but there is still competition. In fact, 25% of sales sold above the original list price last month and 43% of sales in August had more than one offer. These stats are lower than normal actually, but I wanted to mention this because sometimes we hear about softening prices and think literally everything is tanking and selling at a severe discount. It’s a mistake to impose a doom narrative on the market. Remember, there are many stories in real estate, and the story isn’t the same for every seller, buyer, or escrow. In case it’s helpful, here is advice for buyers and sellers in today’s market.

Affordability: The market has taken a beating with affordability, so there are fewer buyers able to play the game right now. There is no such thing as rates doubling and prices remaining the same. The math just doesn’t work.

One last note about home size: Keep in mind some of the price change lately has to do with smaller homes selling. I know the visual below is chaotic, but check out the dark blue line, which represents the average monthly square footage. Normally the size of homes peaks during May or June, and then we see smaller homes sell for the rest of the year. Can you see how when the dark line goes down, the lighter blue lines also go down (average sales price)? This is a good reminder that price change is also about what is being sold. And for the record, I’m not saying the median price is down by 7% due to size. I’m just saying some of the change lately has to do with smaller homes rather than only the market.

A bar chart to show the average sales price in the Sacramento region. There is also a line that shows the average home size each month. The line basically shows there is a rhythm to the market in that larger homes sell in the spring and smaller homes sell for the remainer of the year.

Okay, one last thing about size: During the beginning of the pandemic there was a blatant spike in home size due to a greater focus on larger homes at higher prices. This spike basically peaked one year ago as size has started to normalize. Now let’s keep watching to see what happens to size. Will we see smaller homes more often as first-time buyers flood the market? Will we see fewer sales at the highest prices? To be determined.

Closing thoughts: The market is always moving, and we are in the midst of change right now. Let’s keep watching the trend and being objective about the stats. It’s really easy today to get sucked into sensational narratives, so my advice is to stay grounded in the stats.

Article & Images Courtesy of Ryan Lundquist

Buying • Real Estate • September 21, 2022

Inflation and Interest Rates are Rising, What The Future Looks Like for Housing Market Buyers

by Suzanne Volkman

housing market

Expert Advice for First-Time Home Buyers and Homeowners

We have asked expert financial and real estate bloggers for their advice to help first-time homebuyers and homeowners looking to sell. Here are their thoughts:

1. Focus on How Long You Plan to Own the Home

Greg Wilson, a Chartered Financial Analyst with 22+ years of real estate investing experience, says that buying a house depends on your time horizon, not the market.

He said, “Unless your time horizon is only a few years, go ahead and buy when you are ready to buy. It’s too tough to predict when and if prices will swing one way or another.

Focus on your time horizon’s goals, not near-term storms. It’s also important to remember that the word mortgage translates to “until death.”

Greg concluded by making the point that this is because a property is a long-term commitment, not a commitment to a market cycle.

Greg Wilson at chachingqueen.com

2. Buying a Primary Residence is Not an Investment

Andrew Herrig of Wealthy Nickel distinguishes between buying properties for investment and buying to have a roof over your head.

He said, “As a homeowner and a real estate investor, I have bought and sold dozens of homes over the past 15 years.

With the current market dynamics of rising interest rates and potentially stabilizing or falling prices, investors and homeowners should be cautious in their approach.”

However, Andrew said, “Buying or selling a primary home is rarely a financial decision. Your home is not an investment and should not be treated as such.

As long as you are not overextending your finances to purchase, there is no reason to wait for a “better” market. Similar to trying to time the stock market and buy on the dips, that market may never come.”

Andrew Herrig at wealthynickel.com

3. House Hack for Financial Independence

Max Marvelous, a financial blogger and money expert at Maxmymoney, says that the best way to deal with the uncertainty and economic risk of a mortgage is to get others to contribute to it.

He said, “With housing accounting for more and more of the typical budget, finding creative ways to decrease your housing expense is prudent. House hacking is how many Millennials are lightening their mortgage load each month.”

He explains that house hacking involves finding a home you can live in while simultaneously earning an income from it. Stating, “There are many ways you can go about this:

  1. Buying a duplex and renting out the other side
  2. Renting out individual rooms
  3. Having an in-laws’ quarters

With my first home, I was able to effectively live “rent-free” due to my tenants paying rental income to me each month.

I was able to invest all the money I would be spending on my mortgage. They had affordable housing, and I received semi-passive income, a win-win situation.”

Max Marvelous at maxmymoney.org

4. Use an Escalator Clause to Avoid Overpaying in a Difficult-To-Read Market

Carley Rojas Avila of Home to Havana recommends an escalator clause to avoid overpaying for a home.

With recent interest rate changes changing the cost of buying a house for most first-time homebuyers, some housing markets remain hot, while others are starting to cool.

She states that “Using an escalator clause can be a great way to save money in this new housing market that can be difficult to gauge.

An escalator clause tells sellers how much you’re willing to spend up to, automatically increasing the amount you offer for the house in specified increments up to a specific price.

If the house receives no other or lower bids, you’re not stuck paying an unnecessarily high price for the home.

This can be a great way to make a sensible offer on a home while not overspending in a time when it can be hard to predict the market.”

Carley Rojas Avila at hometohavana.com

5. Focus on Ideal Home, Not Market as Housing Under-Production May Keep Housing Stable

While surging inflation rates and high inflation are causing many would-be homeowners to question their purchase, David Eberhardt of Nature Of Home, feels like it might be the wrong focus.

David states, “A home impacts your quality of living- positively and negatively.

Having a place to live in the right location, with the right features to live fully, can be worth paying a premium (although it has to be within your budget and financial plans).

So, focus on finding the home you want and less on what the markets are doing. Sellers may feel the pressure to sell as the housing market is cooling and prices may dip, but from 2000-2015 there has been a 5.4% under-production of housing, which should help home prices remain strong.”

Davin Eberhardt at natureofhome.com

6. Go for It

Tim Thomas, of timthomas.co recommends home ownership over renting and suggests if an opportunity to buy a house presents itself, buyers should go for it.

Tim states, “The US economy is facing a very uncertain outlook, and inflation is at historic highs. This is a reflection of how things are with the global economy.

Should this uncertainty be a sign of a pending housing market crash? No one can say for sure, but homeownership is preferable to renting, and you’ll always need a roof over your head.

I’m not an accredited advisor, but I would look at the big picture. If you can get a mortgage at the right price, go for it.”

Tim Thomas at Wealthy Living

7. The Best Time to Buy is When You’re Ready for the Commitment.

The writer for Dad Is Fire, a blog dedicated to gaining financial independence and retiring early, says the best time to buy a home is when you are ready for the commitment, whether it is a rental house or a primary residence.

The expert states, “The sooner you buy the home, the sooner you start paying down the mortgage. But only buy a house you can afford to hold for a while.

In the early 2000s, I bought eight homes. Then in 2008, they dropped in value by ~50%. I wasn’t worried about it since I purchased them with the intention of holding 20+ years.

Now I am retired at 43. Could I have retired if I waited a few years and bought when the market dropped? Probably not yet because I might still be paying down the mortgages. But when you are ready to hold for a long time.”

Anonymous at Dadisfire.com

8. Have a Qualified Team

Latoyia Downs, a travel blogger at The Impulse Traveler, thinks the best advice for dealing with this unpredictable market is to be sure that you have an experienced, qualified team.

She states, “Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, looking to invest, or a seller, hire a professional who fully understands the home buying and selling process.

While you may know about the process, the advice and guidance of someone who deals with these situations regularly are invaluable.

With sellers receiving multiple offers and buyers willing to pay well over the asking price, having an experienced real estate agent and an attorney could help you maneuver unexpected situations and save you time, effort, and money in the long run.”

LaToyia at theimpulsetraveler.com

The Housing Market In Summary

The instability of the housing market can be accredited to the increase in unemployment, the high buyer demand compared to home availability, and labor and supply shortages for builders.

Hopefully, this advice can help first-time homebuyers and sellers maneuver the housing market in this unsteady market.

Article Courtesy of Tim Thomas, Image Courtesy of Careerstepup.com

Market Trends • Real Estate • September 12, 2022

US Home-Price Growth Slowed in June

by Suzanne Volkman

Home-price growth in the US decelerated in June as the sales slowdown gripped the market.

A national measure of prices rose 18% year-over-year, smaller than the 19.9% climb in May, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index showed Tuesday.

The housing market has quickly slowed from its pandemic-era frenzy, with the Case-Shiller figures reflecting the start of the pullback that began to pick up pace in June. Mortgage rates that nearly doubled this year have sidelined buyers, leading sales to drop throughout the US. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists said Tuesday in a note that price growth will likely slow sharply over the coming quarters.

“The deceleration in U.S. housing prices that we began to observe several months ago continued in June,” said Craig Lazzara, a managing director at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “It’s important to bear in mind that deceleration and decline are two entirely different things, and that prices are still rising at a robust clip.”

The crazy bidding wars of the recent past are receding as sellers become more flexible: 92% of owners who sold their homes in the past year accepted some buyer-friendly terms, according to a new report from Realtor.com.

A measure of prices in 20 US cities increased 18.6% in June, down from the 20.5% gain in May. Tampa, Miami and Dallas posted the highest gains.

The market slowdown has caused some big investors to pull back. Home Partners of America, the single-family landlord owned by Blackstone Inc., will stop buying homes in 38 US cities. The company cited home-price appreciation, local regulations and market demand as some factors in figuring out where it would back away.

“We and Home Partners remain fully committed to expanding access to homeownership and continue to actively purchase homes on behalf of our residents in more than 20 of the highest growth markets in the US,” a Blackstone spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We are pausing in markets that represent less than 5% of our recent activity.”

The index, which covers more than 27 years of data, is an important measure of the health of the housing market in part because of its breadth of measurements around the country.

Market Trends • September 12, 2022

Economists Have a Strange New Buzzword for the Housing Market That Will Shock Buyers and Sellers

by Suzanne Volkman

This term cropped up most recently in an analysis by Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu, who notes, “Our weekly data suggests that the U.S. housing market keeps progressing toward a more balanced market.”

Many economists of late have remarked on the market’s more even-keel turn.

But what does a balanced housing market actually look like—and mean—for buyers and sellers?

In a nutshell, “balance” means that the raging seller’s market that’s dominated since the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly shifting—not into full buyer’s market territory, but toward a middle ground that puts buyers and sellers on more even footing.

Here’s what balance looks like—in terms of home prices, number of new listings, and more—so both buyers and sellers can better navigate this new normal of real estate today.

Homes are lingering on the market longer

Over the past two years, the pace of real estate sales has sped up significantly. Nationally, homes are on the market a median 35 days before getting snapped up. But this rush is waning.

For the week ending Aug. 20, properties spent four extra days on the market compared with this time last year.

“For a fourth week in a row, homes are sitting on the market for a longer time than last year,” adds Xu. “As both buyers and sellers adjust to the rebalancing market, expectations shift, reducing the sense of urgency in the market and reinforcing the trend toward longer sale timelines.”

Home sellers are less eager to list

While today’s homebuyers are less gung-ho to sprint to the closing table, home sellers are also dragging their feet to the market. For the week ending Aug. 20, the number of new listings dropped by 12% from a year earlier.

“This week marks a seventh straight week of year-over-year declines in the number of new listings coming up for sale, and a second consecutive week with double-digit declines,” notes Xu.

This newfound reluctance to list not only means buyers have fewer fresh listings to peruse, but it could also throw the market’s rebalancing progress off-kilter.

“This pullback from sellers could slow the speed at which the housing market rebalances,” says Xu. “Buyers looking for more bargaining power may need patience.”

 

By Judy Dutton

Sep 5, 2022

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