Home for sale: # of days on the market decreasing!

Home prices are going UP and selling FASTER!

The National Realtors Association "Existing Home Sales Report" last week has revealed other relevant housing data for today's home buyers and sellers. Most notably, the average home's "Number of Days on the Market" slipped to just 70 days nationwide.

This tells us that homes are selling 31% faster as compared to a year ago. Now, some might say that homes are selling more quickly because they're being priced more appropriately (i.e. "cheaper"). As it turns out, that's not the case. The median home sale price is up 11 percent from last year and prices appear headed higher still.

The primary reason why home prices are rising is because buyers outnumber sellers, and mortgage financing has become cheap.

Call me to get your credit approval into place and before beginning your home search, click here for my blog post on Tips for the Home Shopper in a changing market.

Things to avoid when purchasing or refinancing

There are four major things to avoid doing before applying for a loan and during the loan process itself.  Any one of these four things can greatly impact your ability to qualify for a mortgage loan, so it is critical to avoid doing any of the following until AFTER your loan is closed. 

IMPORTANT: Your loan is funded and recorded (closed) when you get your keys on a purchase transaction and for a refinance transaction your loan is closed when you have gone through the 3 day right of rescission period and your loan has been funded and recorded (you will receive a phone call or an e-mail from me or my processing team that your loan has been completed!).  

Here are the 4 things to avoid when purchasing or refinancing: 

Low rates increase home buying power!

Low rates increase buying power!

When mortgage rates get this low, buyers feel less sting from rising prices and are willing to "extend themselves" a little bit. Purchasing power climbs 11% for every 1 percent drop in rates. That's a significant shift with mortgage rates at all-time lows.

As buyer's, when things are "on sale", like mortgage rates are and like home prices are, we feel we can afford more.  And we can. 

On the flip side, as the housing market continues to recover and we begin to see higher prices, coupled with slowly increasing mortgage rates.

Click here for my blog post Mortgage rates to rise, slowly in 2013 when borrowing ability will decrease on TWO fronts.  In the future we will see:

• Higher rates and 

• Higher home prices

Take advantage of a perfect market! Call me to explore your mortgage options.  :)

Existing Home Sales: Strongest Quarter Since 2010

Existing Home Sales UP! 

The National Association of Realtor's (NAR's) Existing Home Sales report tallies home sales of previously-occupied homes and not since the tax-credit fueled Spring of 2010 have so many "used homes" been sold.

In addition, the trade association reports that just 2.32 million homes remain for sale nationwide -- the sparsest supply since March 2005. At the current sales pace, the entire U.S. stock of homes for sale would sell in just 5.9 months.

Housing market analysts believe that a 6.0-month supply represents a market in balance between buyers and sellers; neither group benefiting from much negotiation leverage. With supply below 6.0 months, then, leverage tends to shift toward sellers.

When home supply falls, more buyers compete for fewer homes, a situation which leads to "multiple offers" and competitive bidding. Homes sell more quickly, at higher prices.

It's tough to get "great deals" (Click here for my blog post How to win a bidding war) in a seller's market -- just ask a buyer who's won a bidding war. (Click here for my blog post Tips for buyer's in a changing market)

Homes are selling 31% faster than 1 year ago!

Home values will be increasing with higher sales numbers and volume

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the September Existing Home Sales showed 4.75 million units sold on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis.

The September 2012 reading marks an 11 percent increase from one year ago.

With the sales number in the NAR report, home are selling 31% faster when compared to one year ago. 

Click here for my blog post on advice on how to be prepared to win in a bidding war.