Thursday, October 3, 2024 / by Joyce Dungca
Recent headlines have been buzzing about the median asking price of homes dropping compared to last year, and that’s sparked plenty of confusion. And as a buyer or seller, it’s easy to assume that means prices are coming down. But here’s the catch: those numbers don’t tell the full story.
Nationally, home values are actually rising, even if the median price is down a bit. Let’s break down what’s really happening so you can make sense of the market without getting caught up in the fear the headlines create.
Homes on the Market Right Now Are Smaller
The biggest reason for the dip in median price is the size of homes being sold. The median price reflects the middle point of all the homes for sale at any given time. And that’ll be affected by the mix of homes on the market.
To show you how this works, here’s a simple explanation of a median (see visual below). Let’s say you have three coins in your ; ...
Read More
team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 / by Joyce Dungca
Seeing your house sit on the market without any bites is the ultimate frustration. And unfortunately, some sellers are in that tricky spot today.
According to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average time a house spends on the market has increased over the past few years (see graph below):
A recent post from Realtor.com notes a similar trend:
“During the week ending Sept. 14, homes stayed on the market eight days longer compared to last year. With more choices available and mortgage rates expected to fall, buyers are taking their time, which means sellers will need to be patient and flexible.”
Some of that is because inventory has gone up, so buyers have more options. And higher mortgage rates have definitely slowed demand over the past two years, and that’s out of your control. But here’s the secret. There’s something you can control – it's also wh. ...
Read More
team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, real estate agents
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 / by Joyce Dungca
After months of sitting on the sidelines, many homebuyers who were priced out by high mortgage rates and affordability challenges finally have an opportunity to make their move. With rates trending down, today’s market is a sweet spot for buyers—and it’s one that may not last long.
So, if you’ve put your own move on the back burner, here’s why maybe you shouldn’t delay your plans any longer.
As you weigh your options and decide if you should buy now or wait, ask yourself this: What do you think everyone else is going to do?
The truth is, if mortgage rates continue to ease, as experts project, more buyers will jump back into the market. A survey from Bankrate shows over half of homeowners would be motivated to buy this year if rates drop below 6% (see graph below):
With rates already in the low 6% range, we’re not terribly far off from hitting that threshold. The bottom line is, that when they. ...
Read More
team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, mortgage rates, home buyers
Monday, September 30, 2024 / by Joyce Dungca
That’s right—according to a recent study from Zillow, in 22 of the 50 largest metro areas, monthly mortgage payments are now lower than rent payments (see chart below):
As mortgage rates have eased off their recent peak, home prices have moderated, and inventory has ticked up, affordability has improved significantly. When you add all of that up, it’s getting less expensive to buy a home than to rent one in many parts of the country.
This is a big deal if you’ve been renting for a while now. But if you don’t see your city on this list, don’t sweat it. Things are moving fast, and your area might be joining these top metros soon.
You see, talking with a local real estate agent about what’s happening in your market before this happens in your ideal neighborhood could really change the game for you. It’s all about being informed by a true expert, and understanding what was out of r. ...
Read More
team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, mortgage rates, home prices
Friday, September 27, 2024 / by Joyce Dungca
Some Highlights
If you’re wondering if you should buy now or wait, here’s what you need to know.
If you wait for rates to drop more, you’ll have to deal with more competition and higher prices as additional buyers jump back in. But if you buy now, you’d get ahead of that and have the chance to start building equity.
Should you buy now or wait? Let’s talk through it together, so you can make your best decision. ...
Read More
team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, equity