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THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A HOME SPRING 2019 EDITION MARIA GUTERMAN NICHOLS 650 504 9464 www premierhomesbayarea com Broker Associate 01864772

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 4 Reasons To Buy A Home This Spring WHAT S HAPPENING IN THE HOUSING MARKET 5 2 Factors To Watch In Today s Real Estate Market 7 Home Prices Over The Last Year 8 Do You Know The Cost Of Waiting To Buy 9 3 Things You Need In A Shifting Market 10 Be Thankful You Don t Have to Pay Mom Dad s Interest Rates WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY 11 Buying a Home Do You Know The Lingo 12 Why Pre Approval Should Be Your First Step 13 One More Time You Do NOT Need 20 Down To Buy 14 The True Cost Of NOT Owning Your Home 15 Starting To Look For A Home Know What You Want Vs What You Need 4 Proven Ways Real Estate Can Build Sizable Family Wealth 16 WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN BUYING A HOME 18 The Difference Having A Professional On Your Side Makes 20 Have You Put Aside Enough For Closing Costs 21 Ready To Make An Offer 4 Tips For Success 23 5 Reasons To Use A Real Estate Professional

4 Reasons To Buy A Home This Spring Below 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 4 7 over the last 12 months The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 4 6 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 30year fixed rate mortgage have started to level off at just under 4 5 Most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months The Mortgage Bankers Association Fannie Mae Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors are in unison projecting that rates will increase by this time next year An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment A year from now your housing expense will increase if a mortgage is necessary to buy your next home 3

3 Either Way You Are Paying a Mortgage There are some renters who have not yet purchased a home because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage Everyone should realize that unless you are living with your parents rent free you are paying a mortgage either yours or your landlord s As an owner your mortgage payment is a form of forced savings that allows you to have equity in your home that you can tap into later in life As a renter you guarantee your landlord is the person with that equity Are you ready to put your housing cost to work for you 4 It s Time to Move on with Your Life The cost of a home is determined by two major components the price of the home and the current mortgage rate It appears that both are on the rise But what if they weren t Would you wait Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide if it is worth waiting Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up you want your family to be safer or you just want to have control over renovations maybe now is 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 lead to substantial savings 4

2 Factors To Watch In Today s Real Estate Market When it comes to buying or selling a home there are many factors you should consider Where you want to live why you want to buy or sell and who will help you along your journey are just some of those factors When it comes to today s real estate market though the top two factors to consider are what s happening with interest rates inventory Interest Rates Mortgage interest rates had been on the rise for the majority of 2018 before slowing to where they are now below 4 5 according to Freddie Mac s Primary Mortgage Market Survey The interest rate you secure when buying a home not only greatly impacts your monthly housing costs but also impacts your purchasing power Purchasing power simply put is the amount of home you can afford to buy for the budget you have available to spend As rates increase the price of the house you can afford to buy will decrease if you plan to stay within a certain monthly housing budget The chart below demonstrates the impact rising interest rates would have if you planned to purchase a 1 000 000 home Buyer s Purchasing Power RATE With each quarter of a percent increase in interest rate the value of the home you can afford decreases by 2 5 Experts predict that mortgage rates will be closer to 5 by this time next year 6 00 5 75 5 50 5 25 5 00 4 75 4 50 5 996 5 836 5 678 5 522 5 368 5 216 5 067 1 000 000 5 846 5 690 5 536 5 384 5 234 5 086 4 940 5 696 5 544 5 394 5 246 5 100 4 956 4 814 5 546 5 398 5 252 5 108 4 966 4 825 4 687 5 396 5 252 5 110 4 970 4 831 4 695 4 560 975 000 950 000 925 000 900 000 2 5 5 7 5 10 Principal and Interest Payments rounded to the nearest dollar amount 5

Inventory A normal real estate market requires there to be a 6 month supply of homes for sale in order for prices to increase only with inflation According to the National Association of Realtors NAR listing inventory is currently at a 3 9 month supply still well below the 6 months needed which has put upward pressure on home prices Home prices have increased year over year for the last 83 straight months The inventory of homes for sale in the real estate market had been on a steady decline and experienced year over year drops for 36 straight months from July 2015 to May 2018 but we are starting to see a shift in inventory over the last eight months The chart below shows the change in housing supply over the last 12 months compared to the previous 12 months As you can see beginning in June inventory levels have started to increase as compared to the same time last year HOUSING SUPPLY Year Over Year Last 12 Months Bottom Line If you are planning to enter the housing market either as a buyer or a seller let s get together to discuss what changes in mortgage interest rates and inventory could mean for you 6

Home Prices Over The Last Year Every quarter the Federal Housing Finance Agency FHFA reports on the year overyear changes in home prices Below you will see that prices are up year over year in every region Looking at the breakdown by state you can see that over the past year each state has appreciated at a different rate This is important to understand if you are planning to relocate to a different area of the country Waiting to move may end up costing you more 7

Do You Know The Cost Of Waiting To Buy CoreLogic recently shared that national home prices have increased by 4 7 yearover year Over that same time period interest rates have remained historically low which has allowed many buyers to enter the market As a seller you will be most concerned about short term price where home values are headed over the next six months As a buyer however you must not be concerned about price but instead about the long term cost of the home The Mortgage Bankers Association Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae all project that mortgage interest rates will increase by this time next year According to CoreLogic s most recent Home Price Index Report home prices will appreciate by 4 6 over the next 12 months What Does This Mean as a Buyer If home prices appreciate by the 4 6 predicted by CoreLogic over the next twelve months here is a simple demonstration of the impact an increase in interest rate would have on the mortgage payment of approximately 1 000 000 today Date Mortgage Interest Rate Today 1 000 000 4 7 P I 5 159 14 2020 1 047 000 4 9 5 525 39 Difference in Monthly Payment 366 25 Average Commitment Rate per Freddie Mac Principal and Interest Payment Monthly Annually Over 30 Years 366 25 4 395 131 850 Bottom Line If buying a home is in your plan for this year doing it sooner rather than later could save you thousands of dollars over the terms of your loan 8

3 Things You Need In A Shifting Market If you are thinking of buying a home today s real estate headlines can be confusing perhaps even concerning What is actually happening with mortgage rates Are home values dropping or are they just rising at a slower pace What impact will the economy have on the housing market If you are a buyer you need to know what it will mean to your family if you go ahead with the move You need to understand three things 1 What is happening in the housing market right now Consumers must get past those fear mongering headlines and gain a deep understanding of what is truly happening How strong is buyer demand right now How much competition do listings have today compared to what they will have in the coming months People want to make an educated decision on what is probably their family s greatest financial asset 2 Why is it happening Understanding the individual pieces that impact the sale or purchase of real estate is important Understanding how those pieces impact each other is critical How does the amount of a down payment impact the mortgage rate a buyer will be offered 3 How do the first two affect your local market Basically you want an understanding of the overall housing market and a simple and effective explanation of how it will impact your personal real estate goals Bottom Line The best way to get all three is to contact a local real estate professional who understands this shifting real estate market and can expertly guide you on the journey to reach your housing goals Let s get together to discuss what today s market means for you 9

Be Thankful You Don t Have To Pay Mom Dad s Interest Rate Interest rates increased steadily over the course of 2018 until November when they reversed course So far in 2019 that trend has continued with rates below 4 5 This has given many buyers relief from rising home prices and helped with affordability The experts agree that rates will increase over the next 12 months just not as quickly as they had in 2018 The rate you secure greatly impacts your monthly mortgage payment and the amount you will ultimately pay for your home Don t let the prediction that rates will increase stop you from purchasing your dream home this year Let s take a look at a historical view of interest rates over the last 45 years Bottom Line Be thankful that you can still get a better interest rate than your older brother or sister did ten years ago a lower rate than your parents did twenty years ago and a better rate than your grandparents did forty years ago 10

Buying A Home Do You Know the Lingo To start you on your path with confidence we have compiled a list of some of the most common terms used when buying a home Appraisal A professional analysis used to estimate the value of the home A necessary step in validating the home s worth to you your lender to secure financing Closing Costs The cost to complete the real estate transaction Paid at closing they include points taxes title insurance financing costs items that must be prepaid or escrowed Ask your lender for a complete list of closing cost items Credit Score A number ranging from 300 850 that is based on an analysis of your credit history Helps lenders determine the likelihood that you ll repay future debts Down Payment Down payments are typically 3 20 of the purchase price of the home 0 down programs also exist ask your lender for more information Mortgage Rate The interest rate you pay to borrow money to buy your house The lower the rate the better Pre Approval Letter A letter from a lender indicating that you qualify for a mortgage of a specific amount Real Estate Professional An individual who provides services in buying selling homes Real estate professionals are there to help you through the confusing paperwork find your dream home negotiate any of the details that come up and to help you know exactly what s going on in the housing market The best way to ensure that your home buying process is a confident one is to find a real estate pro who will guide you through every aspect of the transaction with the heart of a teacher putting your family s needs first 11 11

Why Pre Approval Should Be Your First Step In many markets across the country the number of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly exceeds the number of homes for sale This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre qualified or pre approved for a mortgage before starting your search Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive knowing your budget will give you the confidence to know if your dream home is within your reach Freddie Mac lays out the advantages of pre approval in the My Home section of their website It s highly recommended that you work with your lender to get pre approved before you begin house hunting Pre approval will tell you how much home you can afford and can help you move faster and with greater confidence in competitive markets One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you with this process Once you have selected a lender you will need to fill out their loan application and provide them with important information regarding your credit debt work history down payment and residential history Freddie Mac describes the 4 Cs that help determine the amount you will be qualified to borrow 1 Capacity Your current and future ability to make your payments 2 Capital or Cash Reserves The money savings and investments you have that can be sold quickly for cash 3 Collateral The home or type of home that you would like to purchase 4 Credit Your history of paying bills and other debts on time Getting pre approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying and it often helps speed up the process once your offer has been accepted Bottom Line Many potential homebuyers overestimate the down payment and credit scores needed to qualify for a mortgage today If you are ready and willing to buy you may be surprised at your ability to do so 12

One More Time You Do NOT Need 20 Down To Buy The largest obstacle renters face when planning to buy a home is saving for a down payment This challenge is amplified by rising rents which has eaten into the amount of money renters have leftover for savings each month after paying expenses In combination with higher rents survey after survey has shown that nonhomeowners renters and those living rent free with family or friends believe they need to save upwards of 20 for their down payment According to the Barriers to Accessing Homeownership study commissioned in partnership between the Urban Institute Down Payment Resource and Freddie Mac 39 of non homeowners and 30 of those who already own a home believe they need more than a 20 down payment The percentage of those who are aware of low down payment programs those under 5 is surprisingly low at 12 for non homeowners and 13 for homeowners A recent Convergys Analytics report found that 49 of renters believe they need at least a 20 down payment The median down payment on loans approved in 2018 was only 5 Those waiting until they have over 20 may already have enough saved to buy now There are over 45 million millennials 33 who are mortgage ready right now meaning their income debt and credit scores would all allow them to qualify for a mortgage today Bottom Line If your five year plan includes buying a home let s get together to determine what it will take to make that plan a reality You may be closer to your dream than you realize 13

The True Cost Of NOT Owning Your Home Owning a home has great financial benefits yet many continue to rent Let s look at the financial reasons why owning a home of your own has been a part of the American Dream for the entirety of America s existence Realtor com reported that Buying remains the more attractive option in the long term that remains the American dream and it s true in many markets where renting has become really the shortsighted option as people get more savings in their pockets buying becomes the better option What proof exists that owning is financially better than renting 1 Here are the top 5 financial benefits of homeownership Homeownership is a form of forced savings Homeownership provides tax savings Homeownership allows you to lock in your monthly housing cost Buying a home is cheaper than renting No other investment lets you live inside of it 2 Studies have shown that a homeowner s net worth is 44x greater than that of a renter 3 A family who purchased a median priced home at the start of 2019 will build more than 49 000 in family wealth over the next five years with projected price appreciation alone 4 Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of taxes and home repairs but every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs are already baked into the rent payment along with a profit margin Bottom Line Owning a home has many social and financial benefits that cannot be achieved by renting 14

Starting To Look For A Home Know What You Want vs What You Need In this day and age of being able to shop for anything anywhere it is very 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 with rose colored glasses Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen in order 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 deal breaker now The first step in your home buying process should be pre approval for your mortgage This allows you to know your budget before you fall in love with a home that is way outside of it The next step is to list all the features of a home that you would like and to qualify them as follows Must Haves if this property does not have these items then it shouldn t even be considered ex distance from work or family number of bedrooms bathrooms Should Haves if the property hits all of the must haves and some of the shouldhaves it stays in contention but does not need to have all of these features Absolute Wish List if we find a property in our budget that has all of the musthaves most of the should haves and ANY of these it s the winner Bottom Line Having this list fleshed out before starting your search will save you time and frustration while also letting your agent know what features are most important to you before beginning to show you houses in your desired area 15

4 Proven Ways Real Estate Can Build Sizable Family Wealth David Greene co host of the BiggerPockets podcast and a nationally renowned author and speaker recently wrote an article in Forbes explaining how investing in real estate could help build wealth Many of the points he made also apply to a family owning their own home Here are a few 1 Appreciation The rising of home prices over time is how the majority of wealth is built in real estate This is the home run you hear of when people make a large windfall of money While prices fluctuate over the long run real estate values have always gone up always and there is no reason to think that is going to change One thing to consider when it comes to real estate appreciation affecting your ROI is the fact that appreciation combined with leverage offers huge returns If you buy a property for 200 000 and it appreciates to 1 100 000 your property had made you a 10 return However you likely didn t pay cash for the property and instead used the bank s money If you consider that you may have put 10 down 100 000 you actually have doubled your investment a 100 return 2 Leverage By nature real estate is one of the easiest assets to leverage I have ever come across maybe the easiest Not only is it easy to leverage the financing of it but the terms are incredible compared to any other kind of loan Interest rates are currently below 5 down payments can be 20 or less and loans are routinely amortized over 30 year periods 16

3 Paying Off the Debt One of the best parts of investing in real estate is the fact that you re slowly paying down your loan balance with each payment to the bank After enough time passes a good chunk of every payment comes off the loan balance and wealth is created 4 Forced Equity Forced equity is a term used to refer to the wealth that is created when an investor does work to a property to make it worth more Example of this would be adding a third or fourth bedroom to a property with only two adding a second bathroom to a property with only one or adding more square footage to a property with less than the surrounding houses Though Green was talking about investors the same could be said about a family upgrading their own home Bottom Line Green put it best by saying There are many ways to build wealth in America but real estate might be the safest steadiest and simplest way to do so 17

The Difference Having a Pro On Your Side Makes In today s fast paced world where answers are a Google search away there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are The truth is with the addition of more information comes more confusion Shows like Property Brothers Fixer Upper and the dozens more on HGTV have given many a false sense of what it s like to buy and sell a home Now more than ever you need an expert on your side who is going to guide you toward your dreams and not let anything get in the way of achieving them Buying and or selling a home is definitely not something you want to DIY Do It Yourself Here are just some of the reasons you need a real estate professional in your corner There s more to real estate than finding a house you like online There are over 230 possible steps that need to take place during every successful real estate transaction Don t you want someone who has been there before someone who knows what these actions are to ensure you achieve your dream You Need a Skilled Negotiator In today s market hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands perhaps tens of thousands of dollars Each step of the way from the original offer to the possible renegotiation of that offer after a home inspection to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes 18

What is the home you re buying or selling worth in today s market There is so much information out there on the news and on the internet about home sales prices and mortgage rates how do you know what s going on specifically in your area Who do you turn to in order to competitively and correctly price your home at the beginning of the selling process How do you know what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller with a lowball offer Dave Ramsey the financial guru advises When getting help with money whether it s insurance real estate or investments you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher not the heart of a salesman Hiring an agent who has his or her finger on the pulse of the market will make your buying or selling experience an educated one You need someone who is going to tell you the truth not just what they think you want to hear Bottom Line Today s real estate market is highly competitive Having a professional who s been there before to guide you through the process is a simple step that will give you a huge advantage 19

Have You Put Aside Enough For Closing Costs There are many potential homebuyers and even sellers who believe that you need at least a 20 down payment in order to buy a home or move on to their next home Time after time we have dispelled this myth by showing that there are many loan programs that allow you to put down as little as 3 or 0 with a VA loan Once you have saved enough for your down payment and are ready to start your home search make sure that you have also saved enough for closing costs Freddie Mac defines closing costs as follows Closing costs also called settlement fees will need to be paid when you obtain a mortgage These are fees charged by people representing your purchase including your lender real estate agent and other third parties involved in the transaction Closing costs are typically between 2 5 of your purchase price We ve heard from many first time homebuyers that they wished that someone had let them know that closing costs could be so high If you think about it with a low down payment program your closing costs could equal the amount that you saved for your down payment Here is a list of just some of the fees costs that may be included in your closing costs depending on where the home you wish to purchase is located Government recording costs Tax service fees Appraisal fees Survey fees Credit report fees Attorney fees Lender origination fees Underwriting Title services insurance search fees fees Is there any way to avoid paying closing costs Work with your lender and real estate agent to see if there are any ways to decrease or defer your closing costs There are no closing mortgages available that feature a higher interest rate or wrap closing costs into the total cost of the mortgage meaning you ll end up paying interest on your closing costs Work with your lender to find the option that best fits your needs Homebuyers can also negotiate with the seller over who pays these fees Sometimes the seller will agree to assume the buyer s closing fees in order to get the deal finalized Bottom Line Speak with your lender and agent early and often to determine how much you ll be responsible for at closing Finding out you ll need to come up with thousands of dollars right before closing is not a surprise anyone would look forward to 20

Ready To Make An Offer 4 Tips For Success So you ve been searching for that perfect house to call home and you ve finally found it The price is right and in such a competitive market you want to make sure you make a good offer so that you can guarantee that your dream of making this house yours comes true Below are 4 steps provided by Freddie Mac to help buyers make offers along with some additional information for your consideration 1 Determine Your Price You ve found the perfect home and you re ready to buy Now what Your real estate agent will be by your side helping you determine an offer price that is fair Based on your agent s experience and key considerations like similar homes recently sold in the same neighborhood or the condition of the house and what you can afford your agent will help you to determine the offer that you are going to present Getting pre approved will not only show home sellers that you are serious about buying but it will also allow you to make your offer with confidence because you ll know that you have already been approved for a mortgage in that amount 2 Submit an Offer Once you ve determined your price your agent will draw up an offer or purchase agreement to submit to the seller s real estate agent This offer will include the purchase price and terms and conditions of the purchase Talk with your agent to find out if there are any ways in which you can make your offer stand out in this competitive market A licensed real estate agent who is active in the neighborhoods you are considering will be instrumental in helping you put in a solid offer 21

3 Negotiate the Offer Oftentimes the seller will counter the offer typically asking for a higher purchase price or to adjust the closing date In these cases the seller s agent will submit a counteroffer to your agent detailing their desired changes at this time you can either accept the offer or decide if you want to counter Each time changes are made through a counteroffer you or the seller have the option to accept reject or counter it again The contract is considered final when both parties sign the written offer If your offer is approved Freddie Mac urges you to always get an independent home inspection so you know the true condition of the home If the inspector uncovers undisclosed problems or issues you can discuss any repairs that may need to be made with the seller or even cancel the contract altogether 4 Act Fast The inventory of homes listed for sale has remained well below the 6 month supply that is needed for a normal market Buyer demand has continued to outpace the supply of homes for sale causing buyers to compete with each other for their dream homes Make sure that as soon as you decide that you want to make an offer you work with your agent to present it as quickly as possible Bottom Line Whether buying your first home or your fifth having a local real estate professional who is an expert in his or her market on your side is your best bet in making sure the process goes smoothly Let s talk about how we can make your dream of homeownership a reality 22

5 Reasons To Hire A Real Estate Professional Contracts They help with all disclosures contracts necessary in today s heavily regulated environment Experience They are well educated in and experienced with the entire sales process Negotiations They act as a buffer in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transaction Pricing They help you understand today s real estate values when setting the price of a listing or an offer to purchase Understanding of Current Market Conditions They simply effectively explain today s real estate headlines decipher what they mean to you 23

CONTACT ME TO TALK MORE I m sure you have questions and concerns about buying a home I would love to talk with you about what you read here as well as help you on the path to buying your new home My contact information is below I look forward to hearing from you MARIA GUTERMAN NICHOLS Broker Associate Premier Homes Bay Area Intero Real Estate BRE 01864772 maria premierhomesbayarea com www premierhomesbayarea com 650 504 9464 Equal Housing Opportunity