Better late now than never later. It’s the question that’s buzzing around real estate offices, mortgage companies, backyard barbecues, water coolers and passing conversations with neighbors. The short answer is — we think so. Yes, it is still a good time to buy. The long answer is more complicated. Consider these four trends to help …
The housing market has been as hot as the day is long. Are we finally beginning to see a cooldown? Although the housing market is still expected to favor sellers, we may be at a tipping point. Prices have risen so dramatically that buyers appear to be backing off, and home sales seem to have …
Should you buy a home in the spring, or should you wait? Here are four good reasons to buy now.
If you want to buy a home this year, here are five tips on how to buy a house in 2019. At Benchmark, we make the effort to make it easy to claim your piece of the American Dream. Watch this video, then read last week’s article linked below. This New Year, Reach Your Dream …
Last year, the conforming loan limit was set to increased to $424,100 for this year (2017). Now, most of the United States will see an increase for single unit properties to $453,100 for 2018. The HERA (Housing and Economic Recovery Act) indicates that the baseline conforming loan limit should be adjusted with the change in …
Housing inventory dropped 8.5% over the last year as of 2Q 2017, the 9th quarter in a row of this decrease in the number of available homes. Buyers are buying homes the fastest time on record since tracking began in 2012. When supply is down by 20% compared to five years ago, it is normal …
There has been a lot of talk about the rising value of houses in recent years. While some have expressed concern over another 2008 style housing bubble forming, we have dispelled this notion. While economics is a bit more complicated, most moves are the direct result of what you may have learned in school: supply and …
The holiday season is always a crazy time, but that’s no reason not to take advantage of the great housing market, and make some new holiday memories in a new home. Benchmark is committed to a smooth and easy mortgage process, keep these simple do’s and don’ts handy as you start your home buying process …
Zillow’s second quarter Real Estate Market Reports, released today, show home values increased 2.1% from the first to the second quarter of 2012 to $149,300 (Figure 1). On an annual basis, home values rose 0.2% from June 2011 levels (Figure 2), marking the first annual increase in U.S. home values since 2007. In addition to showing …
We report on Fannie Mae’s Quarterly National Housing Survey every ninety days. Fannie Mae also does a monthly survey covering different aspects of the housing market. Here are some record numbers we found interesting in Fannie Mae’s March report (emphasis added). Thirty-three percent of respondents expect home prices to increase over the next 12 months, the highest level over the past 12 months. The percentage of respondents …
