Why Home Loans Today Aren’t What They Were in the Past

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on June 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast.

In today’s housing market, many are beginning to wonder if we’re returning to the riskier lending habits and borrowing options that led to the housing crash 15 years ago. Let’s ease those concerns. Several times a year, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) releases an index titled the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). According to their website: “The MCAI provides the only standardized quantitative index that is solely focused on mortgage credit. The MCAI is . . . a summary measure which indicates the availability of mortgage credit at a point in time.” Basically, the index determines...

What Does the Rest of the Year Hold for the Housing Market?

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on June 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Emerald Coast, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, you’re at an exciting decision point. And anytime you make a big decision like that, one thing you should always consider is timing. So, what does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here’s what experts have to say. The Number of Homes Available for Sale Is Likely To Grow There are early signs housing inventory is starting to grow and experts say that should continue in the months ahead. According to Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com: “The gap between this year’s homes for sale and last year’s is one-fifth the size...

The Best Week To List Your House Is Just Around the Corner

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on April 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast.

Are you thinking about selling your house? If so, you may want to make it a priority to start the process soon. According to realtor.com, the sweet spot for sellers is just around the corner. In a recent study, experts analyzed housing market trends by looking at data from the past several years (excluding 2020, since it was an atypical year). When applied to the current market, experts determined the ideal week to list a house this year. The research says: “Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in...

What’s Happening with Mortgage Rates, and Where Will They Go from Here?

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on April 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Emerald Coast, Pricing.

Based on the Primary Mortgage Market Survey from Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has increased by 1.2% (3.22% to 4.42%) since January of this year. The rate jumped by more than a quarter of a point from just a week ago. Here’s a visual to show how mortgage rate movement throughout 2021 was steady compared to the rapid increase in mortgage rates this year: Just a few months ago, Freddie Mac projected mortgage rates would average 3.6% in 2022. Earlier this month, Fannie Mae forecast mortgage rates would average 3.8% in 2022. As the chart above shows, rates have already surpassed...

An Expert Advisor Will Give You the Best Advice in Today’s Market

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on March 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast.

Having an experienced guide coaching you through the process of buying or selling a home is important in a normal market – but today’s market is far from normal. As a result, an expert real estate advisor isn’t just good to have by your side, they’re essential. Today’s housing market is full of extremes. Experts project mortgage rates will continue to rise this year, and that’s driving significant demand for homes as buyers want to make their purchases before rates climb even higher. At the same time, an absence of sellers is leading to record-low housing inventory. This imbalance in supply...

The #1 Reason To Sell Your House Today

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on March 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast.

Almost every industry is currently struggling with supply chain disruptions. This also applies to the current U.S. housing market, where buyer demand far exceeds housing supply. Purchaser demand is very strong right now. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released their latest Existing Home Sales Report which reveals that sales surged in January. Existing home sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.5 million – an increase of 6.7% from the prior month, with sales up in all regions. However, there’s one big challenge. Inventory Is at an All-Time Low Because purchaser...

Why Right Now Is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity for Sellers

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on February 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast.

If you’re thinking about selling your house in 2022, you truly have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at your fingertips. When selling anything, you always hope for strong demand for the item coupled with a limited supply. That maximizes your leverage when you’re negotiating the sale. Home sellers are in that exact situation right now. Here’s why. Demand Is Very Strong According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 6.18 million homes were sold in 2021. This was the largest number of home sales in 15 years. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for...

Expert Insights on the 2022 Housing Market

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on January 1, 2022. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Emerald Coast, Pricing.

As we move into 2022, both buyers and sellers are wondering, what’s next? Will there be more homes available to buy? Will prices keep climbing? How high will mortgage rates go? For the answer to those questions and more, we turn to the experts. Here’s a look at what they say we can expect in 2022. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist, First American: “Consensus forecasts put rates at about 3.7% by the end of next year. So, that’s still historically low, but certainly higher than they are today.” Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com: “Affordability will increasingly be a challenge...

Why Now Is a Great Time To Sell Your House

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on December 1, 2021. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Emerald Coast, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing, Selling Myths.

As we near the end of the year, more homeowners are realizing the benefits of today’s sellers’ market. Record-breaking home price appreciation, growing equity, low inventory, and competitive mortgage rates are motivating homeowners to make a move that addresses their changing lifestyles. In fact, recent data from realtor.com shows a larger share of homeowners are planning to list their houses this winter. So, that means more homes are about to hit the market, which will lead to more choices for buyers too. According to George Ratiu, Manager of Economic Research at realtor.com: “The pandemic...

Housing Challenge or Housing Opportunity? It Depends.

Written by Emerald Coast Mortgage Syndicated User on November 1, 2021. Posted in Emerald Coast Mortgage, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Emerald Coast, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

The biggest challenge in real estate today is the lack of available homes for sale. The low housing supply has caused homes throughout the country to appreciate at a much faster rate than what we’ve experienced historically. There are many reasons for the limited number of homes on the market, but as you can see in the graph below, we’re well below where we’ve been for most of the past 10 years. Today, across the country, there is only a 2.4-month supply of homes available for sale. The Opportunity This lack of homes for sale is creating a challenge for many buyers who are growing frustrated...

Category: Housing Market Updates