Realtor Michelle Martinez

Homebuyers are flooding the housing market right now to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Many have a sense of urgency to find a home soon, since experts forecast a steady rise in both rates and home prices this year and next. As a result, buyer demand greatly outweighs the current housing supply. Here’s how the shortage of houses for sale sets yours up to be the oasis in an inventory desert.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), today’s housing inventory sits at an incredibly low 2.1-month supply, far below the 6-month mark for a neutral market. Inventory of single-family homes a year ago was already very low, and this year’s levels are even lower.

Due to these market conditions, today’s buyers frequently enter fierce bidding wars while trying to purchase a home. This...

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Your House Could Be the Oasis in an Inventory Desert Homebuyers are flooding the housing market right now to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates. Many have a sense of urgency to find a home soon since experts forecast a steady rise in both rates and home prices this year and next. As a result, buyer demand greatly outweighs the current housing...

It’s clear that consumers are concerned about how quickly home values are rising. Many people fear the speed of appreciation may lead to a crash in prices later this year. Google reports that the search for “When is the housing market going to crash?” has spiked 2450% over the past month.

To alleviate some of these concerns, let’s look at what financial analysts are saying about the current residential real estate market. Within the last thirty days, four of the major financial services giants came to the same conclusion: the housing market is strong, and price appreciation will continue. Here are their statements on the issue:

Goldman Sachs’ Research Note on Housing:
“Strong demand for housing looks sustainable. … As a result, the model projects double-digit price gains both this year and...

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Experts Say Home Prices Will Continue to Appreciate It’s clear that consumers are concerned about how quickly home values are rising. Many people fear the speed of appreciation may lead to a crash in prices later this year. In fact, Google reports that the search for “When is the housing market going to crash?” has actually spiked 2450% over th...

Many people are sitting on the fence trying to decide if now’s the time to buy a home. To determine if they should buy now or wait another year, they both need to ask two simple questions:
>>Do I think home values will be higher a year from now?
>>Do I think mortgage rates will be higher a year from now?
Let’s shed some light on the answers to these questions.

If you average the most recent projections from the major industry forecasters, the expectation is home prices will increase by 7.7%. For mortgage rates, the forecasts average out to 3.6% a year from now, a jump up from where they are now.

A buyer will pay a lot more in mortgage payments each month if both of these variables increase. Let’s take a house that’s valued today at $325,000 as an example.

Assuming a buyer purchases a $325,000 home...

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Why Waiting to Buy a Home Could Cost You a Small Fortune Many people are sitting on the fence trying to decide if now’s the time to buy a home. Some are renters who have a strong desire to become homeowners but are unsure if buying right now makes sense. Others may be homeowners who are realizing that their current home no longer fits their changing nee...

Here are the four major homeowner concerns and a quick explanation of what’s actually happening in the housing market today.

>>Homeowners don’t know if they’ll be able to secure their next home before selling.
In today’s market, buyers have compelling reasons to purchase a home now. These buyer needs give the seller tremendous leverage to negotiate time to find their next home.

>>Homeowners don’t know if their current home will sell for asking price or top market price.
This is the perfect time to maximize profits while selling a house. NAR just released a study showing that bidding wars are at an all-time high. When there’s a bidding war, the price escalates. If a seller is looking for a top-dollar sale, there’s no better time to sell than right now.

>>Homeowners don’t know if they will...

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4 Big Incentives for Homeowners to Sell Now The housing market keeps sailing along. The only headwind that could take it off course is the lack of inventory for sale. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that there were 410,000 fewer single-family homes for sale this March than in March of 2020. The key to continued success in t...

At the beginning of the year, industry forecasts called for home price appreciation to slow to about half of the double-digit increase we saw last year. The thinking was that inventory would increase from record-low levels and put an end to the bidding wars that have driven home prices up over the past twelve months. However, that increase in inventory has yet to materialize. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that there are currently 410,000 fewer single-family homes available for sale than there were at this time last year.

This has forced those who made appreciation forecasts this past January to amend those projections. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the National Association of Realtors, and Zelman & Associates have all adjusted their numbers upward after...

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Is Home Price Appreciation Accelerating Again? At the beginning of the year, industry forecasts called for home price appreciation to slow to about half of the double-digit increase we saw last year. The thinking was that inventory would increase from record-low levels and put an end to the bidding wars that have driven home prices up over the p...

Last week’s Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows sales have dropped by 3.7% compared to the month before. This is the second consecutive month that sales have slumped. Some see this as evidence that the red-hot real estate market may be cooling. However, there could also be a simple explanation as to why existing home sales have slowed – there aren’t enough homes to buy. There are currently 410,000 fewer single-family homes available for sale than there were at this time last year.

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR, explains in the report, "The sales for March would have been measurably higher, had there been more inventory. Days-on-market are swift, multiple offers are prevalent, and buyer confidence is rising." Yun’s insight was supported the next day...

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Will the Housing Market Maintain Its Momentum? Last week’s Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows sales have dropped by 3.7% compared to the month before. This is the second consecutive month that sales have slumped. Some see this as evidence that the red-hot real estate market may be cooling. However,...

Don’t be impressed by the headlines reporting year-over-year housing numbers for the next several months (data covering March, April, May, and June). The data will most likely show eye-popping one-year increases.

While the year-over-year jumps will certainly be striking, consumers should take these numbers with a grain of salt, as the situation highlights a short-term quirk in the reporting of this data. Essentially, the increases will reflect a combination of two things: sharply lower housing numbers during last year’s virus-related market collapse and the subsequent strong rebound. This will result in what will appear to be unbelievable growth.

Consider single-family home sales as an example. Last spring’s buying market was anything but typical. Instead of sales increasing, they fell sharply as a...

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Don’t Be Fooled by Remarkable Real Estate Headlines Don’t be impressed by the headlines reporting year-over-year housing numbers for the next several months (data covering March, April, May, and June). The data will most likely show eye-popping one-year increases.

The financial benefits of buying a home as compared to renting one are always up for debate. However, one element of the equation is often ignored – the ability to build wealth as a homeowner.

Most experts are calling for home prices to continue appreciating over the next several years. The most recent Home Price Expectation Survey, a survey of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists, expects home appreciation to increase as follows:
>>2021: 6%
>>2022: 4.5%
>>2023: 4%
>>2024: 3.6%
>>2025: 3.5%

Using their annual projections and a $350,000 home as an example, a homeowner could increase their net worth by $82,338 in five years. That’s an average of $16,000 annually. That number should be in any equation determining the financial benefits of owning a home...

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82,338 Great Reasons to Buy a Home Today The financial benefits of buying a home as compared to renting one are always up for debate. However, one element of the equation is often ignored – the ability to build wealth as a homeowner.