Lack of Existing Home Inventory Slows Sales Heading into Fall Some Highlights: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their latest Existing Home Sales Report. First-time homebuyers made up 31% of all sales in August. Homes are selling quickly with 51% of homes on the market for less than a month. A limited supply continues to drive up prices for the 66th consecutive month.      Sellers , this shortage of homes is driving Price upward ! Now is the time to list your Property for Top Dollar ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to update your Property's Value .   09/22/2017

Top 5 Reasons Why Millennials Choose to Buy in Lancaster County ! Some Highlights: “The majority of millennials said they consider owning a home more sensible than renting for both financial and lifestyle reasons — including control of living space, flexibility in future decisions, privacy and security, and living in a nice home.” The top reason millennials choose to buy is to have control over their living space, at 93%. Many millennials who rent a home or apartment prior to buying their own homes dream of the day that they will be able to paint the walls whatever color they'd like, or renovate an outdated part of their living space. Buyers , your first step is obtaining Mortgage Pre-Approval  ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to get started .  09/15/2017

Report: Homeownership Is a Precondition of the American Dream Hearth just released their 2017 State of the American Dream report which showed that Americans still see homeownership as an integral piece of the American Dream. The report confirmed that “all generations–including millennials–agree homeownership is very important to achieving the American Dream.” Americans ranked “owning a home I love” higher than any other options (including “starting a family” and “finding a fulfilling career”) as an important part of the American Dream. Despite some claims that homeownership’s importance to the American Dream is in decline, the report found that the dream of homeownership remains strong. Of Americans who said they think achieving the American Dream is important, 70% think homeownership i... 09/14/2017

The Cost of a Wedding vs. Down Payment Married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics last year at 66% of all buyers, according to the most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers. It is no surprise that having two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs makes buying a home more attainable. Many couples are deciding to use what would otherwise be their wedding fund as a down payment on their first home, as unmarried couples made up 8% of all first-time buyers last year. If you’re single, don’t fret; you can still buy your dream home! Single women made up 17% of first-time buyers in 2016, while single men accounted for 7% of buyers. According to a survey by the Wedding Report, the average cost of a wedding in the United States a... 09/13/2017

Looking for Your Dream Home? Know What You Want vs. What You Need In this day and age of being able to shop for anything anywhere, it is really important to know what you’re looking for when you start your home search. If you’ve been thinking about buying a home of your own for some time now, you’ve probably come up with a list of things that you’d LOVE to have in your new home. Many new homebuyers fantasize about the amenities that they see on television or Pinterest, and start looking at the countless homes listed for sale through rose-colored glasses. Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a two-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the ‘man cave’ of your dreams be a future renovation project instead of a make-or-bre... 09/12/2017

4 Reasons to Buy in Lancaster This Fall! Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today, instead of waiting. 1. Prices Will Continue to Rise CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports that home prices have appreciated by 6.7% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 5.0% over the next year. The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense. 2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have hovered around 4%. Most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the ... 09/11/2017

How Supply and Demand Impacts Lancaster Home Values Some Highlights: The concept of supply & demand is a simple one. The best time to sell something is when the supply of that item is low & the demand for that item is high! Anything under a 6-month supply is a seller’s market! Nationally, there has not been a 6-months inventory supply since August 2012! Inventory levels differ depending on the area of the country and price range, so let’s get together to discuss the exact market conditions in our area. Sellers , update your home's Current Market Value with a FREE national RPR Report . Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to get started !   09/10/2017

America Needs Your House !! The biggest challenge in today’s real estate market is a lack of housing inventory. How big of a challenge is the housing shortage? Here are what four industry economists are saying on the issue (emphases added): Mark Fleming, First American’s Chief Economist “The underlying fundamental issue is an overwhelming lack of supply… The supply of newly constructed homes is also sagging, adding to the supply challenges. Over the last eight years, housing demand has increased by 5.9 million, but the net new number of housing units has only increased by 3.5 million.” Svenja Gudell, Zillow’s Chief Economist “Everyone has been talking about tight inventory but I think we are OK calling it a straight up inventory crisis at this point. We just don’t have enough homes.” Se... 09/09/2017

Do You Know Your Lancaster Home’s Value? The latest edition of CoreLogic’s Home Price Index shows that nationally, home prices have appreciated 6.7% over the last year and 0.9% month-over-month. The release of the report included this headline, “National Home Prices Now 50% Above March 2011 Bottom” The real estate market has come a long way since 2011, which is great news for homeowners! Nearly 79% of homeowners with a mortgage in the US now have significant equity in their homes (defined as over 20%), according to the latest Equity Report. The challenge is that not every homeowner knows how much their home’s value has appreciated. Homeowners in Denver, CO lead the way with 8.7% appreciation over the last year, while owners in Washington and Utah have experienced a 3% increase in values... 09/08/2017

Top 5 A+ Reasons to Hire a Lancaster REALTOR Some Highlights: Hiring a real estate professional to buy your dream home, or sell your current house, is one of the most 'educated' decisions you can make! A real estate professional has the experience needed to help you through the entire process. Make sure that you hire someone who knows current market conditions & can simply and effectively explain them to you and your family! Whether you are buying or selling, your first step is to meet with a real estate professional (or two) ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to have the entire process further explained .  09/08/2017

How Your Home’s Value Grows Your Family’s Wealth Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate 3.64% per year on average and to grow by 18.4% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey. So, what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position? As an example, let’s assume a young couple purchased and closed on a $250,000 home in January. If we look at only the projected increase in the price of that home, how much equity will they earn over the next 5 years? Since the experts predict that home prices will increase by 5.0% this year alone, the young homeowners will have gained $12,500 in equity in just one year. Over a five-year period, their equity will increase by nearly $49,000! This figure does not even take into accoun... 09/07/2017

Number of Buyers Putting Down Less Than 10% Hits 7-Year High According to Black Knight Financial Service’s Mortgage Monitor Report, 1.5 million Americans have purchased a home with down payments under than 10% over the last 12 months. This is great news for buyers as this marks a 7-year high. Many mortgage programs offered by agencies like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae allow buyers to put down as low as 3% to purchase their dream homes. The strength of the housing market has aided buyers who used low-down-payment programs to buy. As a recent CNBC article points out, “Defaults on recent low down payment loans, so far, are slow, but that is as much a factor of the good credit quality as it is the strength of the housing market. Home prices are rising incredibly fast, meaning those borrowers ... 09/06/2017

Don’t Disqualify Yourself… 52% of Approved Loans Have A FICO® Score Under 750 The results of countless studies have shown that potential home buyers, and even current homeowners, have an inflated view of what is really required to qualify for a mortgage in today’s market. One such study by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that many millennials have not yet considered purchasing homes simply because they don’t believe they can qualify for a mortgage. A recent article about millennials by Realtor.com explained that: “About 72% of aspiring millennial buyers said they’re waiting because they can’t afford to buy…” The article also explained that 29% of millennials believe their credit scores are too low to buy.The problem here is the fact that they th... 08/31/2017

Empty Nesters: Best to Remodel or Time to Sell? Your children have finally moved out and you and your spouse now live alone in a four-bedroom colonial (or a similar type of house). You have two choices to make: Remodel your house to fit your current lifestyle and needs Sell your house and purchase the perfect home Based on the record of dollars spent on remodeling and renovations, it appears that many homeowners are deciding on number one. But, is that the best long-term solution? If you currently live in a 3-4-bedroom home, you probably bought it at a time when your children were the major consideration in determining family housing needs. Along with a large home, you more than likely also considered school district, the size of the property and the makeup of other families living in t... 08/31/2017

"If you really can do it  , ya ain't braggin !" - Dizzy Dean MLB Hall of Famer     This is why I love KW and it's Entrepreneurial Approach to running a business ! This allows us to stockpile reserves to address the cyclical nature of our business and prepare financially for April15th ! Please contact me to learn how easy it is to reach 100% !!!           08/30/2017

Where Are Lancaster Home Prices Heading in The Next 5 Years? Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey. Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment & market strategists about where they believe prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number. The results of their latest survey: Home values will appreciate by 5.0% over the course of 2017, 4.0% in 2018, 3.2% in 2019, 3.0% in 2020, and 3.0% in 2021. That means the average annual appreciation will be 3.64% over the next 5 years. The prediction for cumulative appreciation increased from 17.8%... 08/30/2017

Want to Keep up with the Joneses? Now's the Time Does your current house fit your needs? Does it seem like everyone else is moving up and moving on to more luxurious surroundings? Are you wondering what it would take to start living your dream life? Market conditions around the country have presented an opportunity like no other for those who are looking to make the jump to a premium or luxury home. The National Association of Realtors reports that national inventory levels are now at a 4.3-month supply. A normal market, where prices appreciate with inflation, has 6-7-months inventory. The national market has echoed the conditions felt in the starter and trade-up markets as inventory has declined year-over-year for 25 consecutive months. The chart below shows the relationship between th... 08/29/2017

Study: FSBOs Don’t Save Real Estate Commission One of the main reasons why For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) don’t use a real estate agent is because they believe they will save the commission an agent charges for getting their house on the market and selling it. A new study by Collateral Analytics, however, reveals that FSBOs don’t actually save anything, and in some cases may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent. In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets in 2016 and the first half of 2017. The data showed that: “FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.” (emphasis added) Why would FSBOs net less money than if they used an agent? The st... 08/27/2017

Home Prices Up 6.64% Across the Country! Some Highlights: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report. In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state. Based on the latest numbers, if you plan on relocating to another state, waiting to move may end up costing you more! Alaska & West Virginia were the only states where home prices are lower than they were last year. Prices are headed upward , don't delay your home purchase ! Your first step is to obtain Mortgage Pre-Approval . Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com to get started .  08/25/2017

More Boomerang Buyers Are about to Enter the Lancaster Market We previously informed you about a study conducted by TransUnion titled, “The Bubble, the Burst and Now – What Happened to the Consumer?” The study revealed that 1.5 million homeowners who were negatively impacted by the housing crisis could re-enter the housing market between 2016-2019. Recently, HousingWire analyzed data from the US Bankruptcy Courts and revealed that 6 million Americans will have their bankruptcies disappear off their credit reports over the next five years and that this could “possibly send a flood of more homebuyers into the housing market.” The chart below shows the total number of bankruptcies filed by year in the US over the last 10 years. The light blue bars represent over 3.3 million people who have... 08/23/2017