Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Four Reasons To Consider Buying A Home Now





If you are planning on becoming a homeowner, or moving up to the home of your dreams in 2015, here are four great reasons to consider buying a home now, instead of waiting until spring.

 

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise
The bottom in home prices has come and gone..
  Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.
The projected appreciation in home values over the next five years is expected to be between 11.7% (most pessimistic) and 27.5% (most optimistic).


 2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase
An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. 
Although Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have softened recently, most experts predict that they will begin to rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac & the National Association of Realtors are in unison projecting that rates will be up almost a full percentage point by the end of 2015.

 
3. Either Way You are Paying a Mortgage
As a paper from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University explains:
“Households must consume housing whether they own or rent. Not even accounting for more favorable tax treatment of owning, homeowners pay debt service to pay down their own principal while households that rent pay down the principal of a landlord plus a rate of return. That’s yet another reason owning often does—as Americans intuit—end up making more financial sense than renting.”


4. It’s Time to Move On with Your Life
The ‘cost’ of a home is determined by two major components: the price of the home and the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise.
But, what if they weren’t? Would you wait?
Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide whether it is worth waiting. Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, better schools, need more elbow room, or you just want to have control over renovations, and paint color - maybe it is time to buy.

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.
-Picture it Sold


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Year of the Condo

If you were lucky enough to buy a condo last year - either as an investment or a place to call home - you just enjoyed a 23 percent increase in property value on your investment. Most everyone knows about today's low interest rates, but man... when our market mixes in low inventory and plenty of buyers almost begging to purchase, you ARE battling multiple offers.

It's fantastic for people with a condo to sell, but buyers are faced with a very fierce competition. Losing out on a few (or 10) offers before you get an offer accepted is the norm in this environment, so you must be patient.

A life-long resident of the Conejo Valley, I witnessed the mountainous prices before the big crash and remember many friends who didn't purchase who wished they would have. In waiting for what they believed to be the perfect home, they soon found themselves suddenly priced out of the market.

This past winter was the start of the new real estate cycle. I don't have a crystal ball, but speaking from experience - I advise you to buy something you can afford that is acceptable for the time being to get your foot in the door while you can. Let your property appreciate, sell a couple of years later and take the equity to roll into your next purchase. Your other option is to wait for your perfect home - while time and prices pass you by - or throw your money away on rent. Know this: A condo that was purchased at $250,000 last year is now offered for sale at $315,000 WITH multiple offers... something to think about.

If you are a first time buyer, or thinking about investing - do it now. I only see rising prices, and who knows how long the rates will stay THIS low.

Gail Dworkin, REALTOR - gail.dworkin@century21.com




Monday, April 8, 2013

Current Mortgage Rates



Loan Type          Today         Last Week
30 yr fixed           3.63%            3.72%
15 yr fixed           2.88%            3.03%
30 yr fixed refi     3.62%            3.76%
15 yr fixed refi      2.87%            3.08%
30 yr jumbo         4.04%            4.09%
5/1 ARM refi       2.96%            3.25%

Your home could be worth more than you think


Our community is facing a shortage of homes for sale. 
Now is the best time to sell! Despite location, condition or financial distress, almost all homes are selling at high market price. If you've considered selling recently, NOW IS THE TIME.

Bellagio / Eagleridge Update

Active
3081 Blazing Star 2,355sf Listed at $744,000

Pending Sales
2892 Venezia Lane  2,625sf Listed at $759,000

Closed Sales in 2013
2872 Arbella Ln 4 bed/3bath 2,734sf 
 Listed at $859,000 Sold for $820,000
  
3023 Hollycrest Ave 5b/3b  2,903sf
Listed and sold for $759,900  

Quick Look at Real Estate 2006 vs. Today

Let’s look at a Bellagio house that would have cost $900,000 in 2006. For the sake of this example, the same house today is valued at $800,000 (12.5% less).

A home that was purchased in 2006 for $900,000 is purchased for $800,000 today. The mortgage rate that was at 6.5% in 2006 is at 3.5% today, resulting in a SIGNIFICANT drop in monthly payments.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012