Tag: CoreLogic

National Home Price Index Up 6.2% In Last 12 Months

Source: September S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price NSA Index Up 6.2% In Last 12 Months

Recent Analysis of the September HPI figure show as a 6.2% annual gain in home prices, up 5.9% from the previous month. Several large markets that were hit hardest in the financial crisis are reporting the highest gains, including San Diego (up 8.2%). 15 of the 20 major cities posted increases before seasonal adjustments, but all 20 reported increases after seasonal adjustments.

On the bright side, these price increases continue to be fueled by a strong economy, low mortgage interest rates, and a low inventory of homes; however, continued price increases and low inventories can put pressure on affordability for some people.

Steve Remington
Chief Operations Officer at Benchmark

Top 5 Financial Reasons To Buy Now

by I Am Benchmark

Increasing Prices

Over the last year, home prices have increased by 7.1%, according to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index (HPI) report. Over the next year, the HPI also predicts that prices will continue to rise at a rate of 4.9%. Clearly, we are long past the dip in home pricing. Home values are expected to continue to appreciate for years to come. In short, waiting no longer makes sense.

Anticipated Rising Mortgage Interest Rates

The Primary Mortgage Market Survey published by Freddie Mac shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have drifted around 4%. Experts predict that rates will rise over the next year. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the National Association of Realtors project that rates will increase by this time next year. An increase in rates is likely to cause your potential monthly mortgage payment to rise if you plan buy your next home.

Either Pay Yourself or Pay Your Landlord

Some renters who are uncomfortable with the obligation of a mortgage have not yet purchased a home. The reality is that unless you are living rent-free, every rent payment you make is paying your landlord’s mortgage. As a homeowner, your mortgage payment can be considered ‘forced savings’ in that it builds equity in your home that you can use to your advantage later in life. As long as you continue to rent, you will continue to build equity… for your landlord. When you buy a home, the advantage in housing payments is yours. For more on this, read Millionaire Tells Millennials To Buy A Home, published in January.

Rent Control

A fixed rate mortgage payment will not increase over the life of the loan. Rent, on the other hand, will likely continue its historic path. See the graph above from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Rent of primary residence, retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUR0000SEHA.

In short, buying a home can help you take control of your housing costs.

It Might Be The Right Time To Act

The cost of a home is determined by (1)the price of the home, and (2)the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise. But what if they stagnated? Would you wait? Consider the real reason you are buying and decide if you think it is worth waiting.

Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, the choice to keep pets and room for them to roam, you want your family to be safer, or you just want to have control over renovations, now may be the 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 result in significant savings.

If you decide that you are ready to act, find your loan officer and applyapply now.

Jump in New Home Sales Highest Since 2008

by I Am Benchmark

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, new single family home sales in June grew by 3.5%* over May, and 25.4%** over June 2015. The seasonally adjusted annual rate was 592,000 in June, and 572,000 was the revised rate in May. The rate in June of last year was estimated to be 472,000.

Economists Weigh In

June 2016 is the highest new single family home sales we’ve seen since February of 2008, according to Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist for Trulia, who writes, “This is a continued sign that demand for homes remains solid and aptly reflects increasing homebuilder confidence.”

Brent Nyitray, a Chartered Financial Analyst specializing in economics and financial markets, said, “New Home Sales rose to 592k in June, much higher than the Street expectation. The median new home price rose 6.1% YOY to $306,700. There is about 4.9 month’s worth of inventory right now, compared to 5.1 months in May.” (read more)

Home Prices Rose

In June, the median new home sale price was $306,700, with the average sales price at $358,200.

Home prices nationwide rose 5% in May (compared to May 2015), according to the CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices.

The Takeaway

New Home sales have seen an increase since last year, and since last month, with the highest numbers since February of 2008, 100 months ago. This has surpassed expectations, and signals that demand really is the driving force in the housing market. With the inventory at only 4.9 months, compared to 5.1 months in May, low housing inventory is still driving values up.

With inventory shrinking, home values are likely to increase. With rates still low, it’s a great time to buy. Call us today!

*(±23.9%), **(±27.9%) – 90% confidence interval includes zero. The Census Bureau does not have sufficient statistical evidence to conclude that the actual change is different from zero.