Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey.
Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists about where they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number.
Home values will appreciate by 3.9% by the end of 2015, 3.4% i...
As a seller, you will be most concerned about 'short term price' – where home values are headed over the next six months. As a buyer, you must be concerned not about price but instead about the 'long term cost' of the home.
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the National Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac all projected that mortgage interest rates will increase by about three-quarters of a percentage point over the next twelve months.
According to CoreLogic's most recent Home Price Index Report, home prices will appr...
There are many reasons, both financial and non-financial, that homeownership remains an important part of the American Dream. One of the biggest reasons is the fact that it helps build family wealth. Recently, Freddie Mac wrote about the power of home equity. They explained:
"In the simplest terms, equity is the difference between how much your home is worth and how much you owe on your mortgage. You build equity by paying down your mortgage over time and through your home's appreciation. In a nutshell, your money is working for you and contributing toward your financial future."
They went on to show an example wher...
In a recent study conducted by Builder.com, researchers determined that nationwide it would take "nearly eight years" for a first-time buyer to save enough for a down payment on their dream home.
Depending on where you live, median rents, incomes and home prices all vary. By determining the percentage a renter spends on housing in each state and the amount needed for a 10% down payment, they were able to establish how long (in years) it would take for an average resident to save.
According to the study, residents in South Dakota are able to save for a down payment the quickest in just under 3.5 years. Below is a map created using the...