Real Estate Information Archive

Good Morning!

If you think that it is too late in the season to put your home on the market, think again!  The Eugene and Springfield market area continues to have a very low inventory of homes for sale in many price ranges and areas.  This means less competition and a chance for you to sell quickly at top dollar value.  The other thing that is important to think about is the fact that your home value has most likely increased significantly over the past year.  This along with a robust housing market in our area makes this a great time to think about selling.  This market won't last forever.  We will see and end to this long run of low mortgage interest rates  and when that takes place, housing affordability will suffer and most likely demand will decline.

If you have been considering selling your home and just want to check things out, please contact me.  With a short 20 minute visit to your home, I can give you some ideas on what your home is worth and also give you some information on what it would take to sell your home.  

Have An Awesome Week!

Video Link: http://eugeneoregonhomesforsale.com/video/This-Month-in-Real-Estate-July-2015

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

28135 Spencer Creek Rd

Price: $1,250,000    Beds: 4    Baths: 4    ½ Baths: 2    Sq Ft: 6143

Just minutes from town! This gated country estate is spectacular with an exquisite manor featuring grand staircase, 4 bedroom suites, office, theater room, gourmet kitchen and more. Great shop for RV and storage, creek, waterfall pool, ponds for fishing...
View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Good Morning!

I am oftened asked if our current Real Estate market is the beginning of another housing bubble.  The answer is complicated, but here is a recent article written by one of the economists for the National Association of Realtors that addresses our current national Real Estate market.

This spring buying season is off to a strong start—in fact, prices are going up faster than they were just a few months ago, according to nearly every recent metric. So does that mean we’re in a bubble?

Nope, that’s just what happens when demand increases faster than supply. After all, existing-home sales were up 9% year over year in March, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Inventory is also increasing, but not as fast as sales, resulting in a tight supply getting even tighter.

An equilibrium level of supply on the market is considered to be six to seven months; supply has been under five months since December. Looking at every quarter since 1988, when supply was under five months, prices rose 8% year over year on average. When supply was in the equilibrium range, prices went up only 4% on average.

The median existing home price in March was $212,100, up 8% over last year, according to the NAR. The median list price in March on realtor.com® was $220,000, which was up 11% over last year.

During the peak years of the housing bubble, from 2003 to 2005, the data on supply versus price appreciation looked very similar to what we are seeing now. But there are key differences, which is why I’m confident that on the national level, this is no bubble.

Here’s why, this time, the price increases should stick:

The level of the current price appreciation is not like the bubble. Prices went up 7% and 12% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, as the market corrected for too-severe price declines in the prior years. Last year, the appreciation level moderated. Even factoring in the one-time bounce from the prior overcorrection, median prices have grown less than 8% on a compounded annual basis over the past three years. Median prices, by comparison, grew 10% on a compounded annual basis from 2002 to 2005, without any bounce from a prior decline.  On an inflation-adjusted basis, we are 30% beneath the peak set in 2005.

Likewise, relative to rents or incomes, median home prices are not “unhinged” from long-term averages. The price-to-rent ratio is similar to the rate in the mid-1990s. It was 35% higher in 2005. The price-to-income ratio is now where it was in 2001, and it was about 30% higher in 2005.

During the housing bubble, we saw both prices and sales grow to historical levels fueled by a rapid expansion in mortgage financing. We are clearly not experiencing record sales or record mortgage originations now.

As a result, we are not seeing vacancies increase like they did at the end of the bubble. In 2005, vacancies started to rise before sales and prices reached their peak as a result of flipping activity and overleveraged speculative investing. On the contrary now, vacancies have slowly trended back to more normal levels.

So, today’s higher prices are only to be expected as the economy improves and first-time buyers gradually return to the market. Eventually, those higher prices should encourage more owners to list their homes and builders to start construction on new housing—which in turn should solve the problem of supply.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

 

4181 N Clarey St

Price: $210,000    Beds: 3    Baths: 1    Sq Ft: 1350

Beautiful home inside and out! On almost 1/4 acre featuring privacy hedges, flower & vegetable garden, large fenced backyard, huge covered patio, RVP + hookup, 2-car garage, carport, shop with wood rick, & tool shed. Living room with fireplace opens...
View this property >>

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Good Afternoon!

The Real Estate market in the Eugene and Springfield area continues to be strong.  With increasing numbers of homes sales, this market is well above where it was in May-June of 2014.  The largest problem with our local market is the lack of inventory in the price ranges below $250,000.  This is the price range where the strong demand exists. In our local market the upper price ranges, those home $350,000 and higher still can see a much more sluggish market with far fewer buyers.  Nationally, home sales have dipped, but just like in the Eugene and Springfield area, prices continue to escalate. With mortgage interest rates remaining in the sub 4% ranges, look for this exact trend to remain for the rest of the Summer months.

If you are considering selling your home, this is the time. Higher prices, lower inventory and high demand can make for a great opportunity.  For buyers, the home choices can be tough, but new homes are hitting the market daily and you just have to be on top of your search efforts.  A great way to do this is to go to the web site www.forhomeinfo.com.  You can do a live home search here and you can also set yourself up with the home alert system that notifies you every time a home meeting your search criteria hits the market.  This can give you the competitive edge you need in this market.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!


185 Crest Drive

Price: $315,000     Beds: 3     Baths: 2     Sq Ft: 2500

Lovely updated gem in SW Hills! Hillside location surrounds you w/ serene tree views. Sunlight floods in through numerous windows. 2-story vaulted LR w/ pellet stove insert & loft overlook mahogany flr+trim & slider. Enjoy beautifully landscaped fen...
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Good Morning!

I am asked frequently the question as to, "when is the best time for me to sell my home"?  The answer to this most times can vary and is always subject to supply and demand.  When supplies are low and demand is high, (sellers market), this is always the best time to sell. Right now in the Eugene/Springfield home market, the demand is high and the inventory is low.  In fact right now, we are at 3.4 months of home supply.  Remember, anything less than 6 months is a sellers market.  On top of this, we are continuing to enjoy the benefits of historic low mortgage interest rates.  The combination of high demand, low inventory and low mortgage rates has also put our home market on a sharp rebound in home values.  So, not only is there demand, but your home value is most likely much higher than where it has been over the past several years.

Beware!  As all markets do, this current market won't last forever. In fact my prediction is that when mortgage interest rates begin the spiral upwards, the housing market will flatten quickly. This means that demand will taper, there will be higher inventories of homes for sale and this may put pressure on home prices in our area.  We could actually see home values decline again.

For this reason, if you are thinking about selling your home now or within the next several years, my advice would be to act quickly.  Get your home on the market now while the conditions are extremely favorable. If you wait, you just may miss your opportunity for a home sale at a strong market value.  Chances are that we won't see another market like we have right now for many years.

Video Link: This Month in Real Estate

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEK'S HOT HOME LISTING

3097 Summit Sky Blvd

Price: $699,000     Beds: 4     Baths: 4      Partial Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 4338

Elegant upper end home on 1.06 acres in SW Hills! Maple hardwood flrs, granite, travertine, 3 suites, 2 fireplaces, 2 balconies, family rm, library/office, formal dining, bonus rm, media rm. Gourmet kitchen with cherry cabs, wine fridge, dbl ovens, ... View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Good Afternoon!

The Real Estate Market in the Eugene and Springfield and surrounding area continued to rise in March. This is a coninuation of an escalating market that has been taking place here for well over 6 months now.  Here is what March 2015 home sales in the Eugene/Springfield and surroundings areas looked like.

Real estate activity kicked into action this March in Lane County. Closed sales led the way—the 341 closings were a 30.2% increase over the 262 closings recorded in March 2014 and a 65.5% increase over the 206 closings posted last month. The last March there were more closings in Lane County was March 2007, when there were 347. Pending sales (472) bested March 2014 (367) by 28.6% and February 2015 (368) by 28.3%. New listings, at 574, showed a 10.4% improvement over the 520 new listings posted last March and a 22.9% increase from the 467 new listings posted in February 2015.

Inventory in Lane County decreased to 3.7 months in March, with total market time decreasing to 106 days.

Average and Median Sale Prices

Comparing the average price of homes in the twelve months ending March 31st of this year ($237,900) with the average price of homes sold in the twelve months ending March 2014 ($228,800) shows an increase of 4.0%. The same comparison of the median shows an increase of 3.9% over that same period.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

2074 Lake Isle Dr

Price: $199,000     Beds: 2     Baths: 2     Sq Ft: 1389

Light and bright condo overlooking the water! In the premier Island Lakes Condominiums, this condo has pond views from every room on North side. Enjoy a beautiful community featuring a pond surrounded by a stunning landscape of fountains, flowers, a...
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Good Afternoon!

There may never be a more opportune time to purchase a home than right now for a variety of reasons.  The following is an article from "Realty Times" that explains why!

"If you don't buy a home right now, you are STUPID!"

That's what Bloomberg said back in 2009. Actually, they said, "If You Don't Buy a House Now, You're Stupid or Broke."

They continued, "Well, you may not be stupid or broke. Maybe you already have a house and you don't want to move. Or maybe you're a Trappist monk and have forsworn all earthly possessions. Or whatever. But if you want to buy a house, now is the time, and if you don't act soon, you will regret it. Here's why: historically low interest rates."

They were talking about rates hovering around five percent. Today, rates are under four percent for a 30-year fixed-rate loan.

Reason No. 1 to buy now: Rates are low

"Low mortgage rates continue to keep ownership less expensive than renting," said Investopedia. "Even a small change in interest rates has a significant effect on what you'll pay each month and over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Take a $172,000 30-year mortgage, for example ($172,000 is 80% of the median sales price for existing homes of $215,000 after a 20% down payment). With an interest rate of 4%, you would pay $821.15 each month. At an interest rate of 5%, the monthly payment would be $923.33, and at 6%, the payment rises to $1031.23."

Reason No. 2: Rents are high

In many markets, rents are rising to unsustainable levels, reports the National Association of Realtors (NAR). "In the past five years, a typical rent rose 15% while the income of renters grew by only 11%."

The cities with the highest rent increase since 2009 include New York, San Jose, San Francisco, Denver, and Seattle. For the rest of the list, click here, and to see how much more renting can cost you over a lifetime, check out Riskology.

Reason No. 3: Qualifications are easier

During the real estate downturn of the mid-2000s, banks and lenders tightened the reins, and often only the most qualified applicants could get approved. Post-recession, qualifications have loosened. Buyers who can't show solid income and a minimum credit score probably won't be offered a risky interest-only ARM today, however, those with less-than-perfect credit and minimal funds still have options. The Federal Housing Association (FHA) minimums are a 620 credit score and a 3.5 percent down payment.

 

Reason No. 4: Private mortgage insurance fees are down

Buyers who put less than 20 percent down on their home generally incur a monthly fee in the name of private mortgage insurance (PMI). In January 2015, the government announced lower PMI rates on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, which equates to a savings of about $900 a year. Seventy-five dollars a month may not seem like much, but every little bit helps when you're committing to an investment as large as a home.

Reason No. 5: It's still one of the best investments out there

In fact, some would say it's the very best investment out there.

"Buying a home is the best investment any individual can make. Affordability is still at an all-time high," said CNBC.

Not only as a comparison between buying and renting, but as a measurable asset, homeownership stands up—as long as buyers make a smart decision.

"The largest measurable financial benefit to homeownership is price appreciation," said Investopedia. "Price appreciation helps build home equity, which is the difference between the market price of the house and the remaining mortgage payments."

Reason No. 6: It feels good

You know that pride of ownership thing? It's true. Really. Nothing compares to the feeling of walking into a home that's yours for the first time. Or painting the walls a color other than white. Updating the kitchen. Making it your own. Not worrying about your rent being raised. And, of course, watching your equity grow over time.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

 


3985 Monroe St

Price: $450,000     Beds: 4     Baths: 3    ½ Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 3142

Picturesque property in the hills! This 0.45 acre property backs up to a creek offering expansive views of the trees and sounds of nature. Entertain easily on 2 decks in the fenced backyard and in large bonus room on lower level. This home has an op...
View this property >>

AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Good Monday Morning!

Both national and local home prices continue to increase.  Even though this has a slight negative effect for potential home buyers, home sellers are benefiting from the increase in home values.  Here in the Eugene and Springfield area, home values have increased significantly since the market down turn several years ago.  Although, in most cases home prices have not come back to where they peaked at around 2006, they have come back enough for anyone thinking about a home sale to consider making the move to do so soon.  There is much speculation that mortgage interest rates might begin to go up later this year.  With the increased mortgage interest rates, the demand for housing could decline, putting pressure on home prices.  We just might be at that point where your home value is at a peak and the oppotunity to sell at top dollar could just be right now.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!




 

6076 Fernhill Loop

Price: $497,000     Beds: 3     Baths: 3     Partial Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 4061

Great separation of space in this Craftsman style home located on .46 of an acre. Large kitchen with island, hardwood floors, granite, pantry, open to family room with fireplace & built-ins. Formal living room boasts high ceilings, fireplace, light ...
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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Good Morning!

The sky might be ready to fall in regards to mortgage interest rates. But for now, it is time to act if you have been considering a home purchase.  The home affordability that you have today is going to be short lived.

Consider this a gift to home buyers: Mortgage interest rates dipped to 3.78% this week, just in time for the spring housing market.

For people who are in the process of buying a house, our best advice is to lock in your rate now. “This is the last call before the bar closes at these historically low levels,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at realtor.com®.

Currently, rates are low, but they are expected to rise. On Wednesday the Federal Reserve issued its first warning that rates will increase in the near term, because the economy has stabilized. The Fed has been propping up the economy by keeping rates at zero since late 2008, when the housing market collapsed. Now that employment is up, gas prices are low, and consumers are feeling more confident about the future, interest rates are sure to rise. Observers expect the Fed action to happen as early as June.

“From here, rates should go up more than down, which means affordability declines rapidly,” Smoke said. “It also means that navigating mortgage choices becomes simultaneously more important , but also more complex as higher rates would cause qualifications to be harder and some options will fall off the table.”

It goes to reason that as interest rates increase, affordability decreases. Home prices are rising and now that rates are indicated to follow suit, your buying power will not be as great as it once was. These are the waning days of remarkably low rates.

Have An Awesome Week!

THIS WEEKS HOT HOME LISTING!

775 N 8TH ST

Price: $155,000     Beds: 3     Baths: 1     Sq Ft: 1040

Charming ranch style home on dead end street. Features large windows for lots of natural light, wainscoting, laminate wood floors, well sized closets, all on 0.18 acre lot. Living room opens to dining room with slider to back. Master bedroom with ja...
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AND HERE'S YOUR MONDAY MORNING COFFEE!!

Well another year has come and gone. As we near the end of 2014, it is a good idea to reflect on the progress we have made in our own lives over the past year. Hopefully, some of you achieved the goals you set for yourselves at the beginning of 2014. And as we look ahead to the new year, it is time to set new goals for ourselves based on our progress this year.

The 2014 real estate market has seen declines and increases with regard to past years, has continued some trends and is changing with the times. As the internet becomes easier to access with mobile devices, it is safe to say the internet is leading the way in the home buying search process. Read the following article from RealtyTimes to find out the results of the 2014 home buyer and seller survey. 

One of the most useful research projects of the National Association of REALTORS^®(NAR) is the annual survey of homebuyers and sellers. It is particularly useful because it shows sellers and their agents what works and what sources buyers use to find their new homes.

The most recent version (2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers) became available in November of this year. The information is based on answers to a 127-question survey mailed to a random sample of 72,206 consumers who purchased a home between July 2013 and June 2014. (Names and addresses were provided by Experian, a company that maintains an extensive database of recent homebuyers that is derived from county records.) After accounting for undeliverable surveys, there was a 9.4 percent response rate.

In 2014, first-time homebuyers constituted 33 percent of the market. This reflects a steady drop since 2010, and in fact is the lowest figure in more than a decade. Even with interest rates at record lows, the first-time buyer market is still quite weak. The tightening of lending standards is no doubt a major factor. Moreover, the widespread prevalence of student loan debt, combined with an economy that still remains uncertain for many in this cohort, has taken a toll.

The most useful information for sellers and their agents is to be found in the section on the home search process. While the survey results are not significantly different from those of recent years, the trends continue. For example, this year 74 percent of buyers said that they used the internet frequently during the search process. In 2003 that number was only 42%. This past year 34% of buyers said that they frequently used a mobile or tablet application. That is a newer and growing phenomenon. 63% of buyers said that they frequently relied on a real estate agent for information.

Forty-three percent of buyers went to the internet as the first step in the home search process. 15% contacted a real estate agent first, and 6% began by driving through neighborhoods looking for homes for sale. 12% first went online to find out about the process.

Buyers use multiple sources of information in the process of looking for a home. Far and away the most used sources are on-line websites (88%) and real estate agents (87%). Mobile or tablet applications (50%) have replaced yard signs as the third most used source of information. Still though, 48% of buyers indicate that yard signs are one of their sources of information. Only 21% of buyers indicate that they used newspaper ads as an information source. A mere 4% garnered information from television.

While there are a lot of intriguing data about the sources of information used by prospective homebuyers, certainly the most relevant has to do with where they actually found the home that they ultimately purchased. This year the information source that was highest in that category (43%) was the internet. Agents are second at 33%. Note that this is not to say that buyers bought their home through the internet. The typical scenario would be that a consumer sees the home on the internet, and then contacts his or her agent. 90% of those who used the internet to search purchased their home through an agent.

The differences in a little more than a decade are fascinating. In 2001, 48 percent of buyers learned about their home through a real estate agent, and only 8 percent found their home on the internet. The times they have changed.

Some things, though, remain persistently the same -- or close to it. In 2001, a yard sign was the third most likely source of information leading to the home that was purchased (15%). And this year? It is still the third leading source at 9%, but this is now the second time in the survey history that it has been lower than double digits. Print media may not be dead, but it has shrunk to insignificance in this arena. In 2001, 7% of homebuyers found the home they ultimately purchased through a newspaper ad; in 2014, it was only 1%. Fewer than 1% found their home through a home book or magazine.

Hope you all have a very Happy New Year!

Article originally posted on RealtyTimes

Some of us have heard that the worst time to sell a home is during winter months, but is it true? Do homes sell in winter? Is it a good idea to list in winter? No, winter is not the worst time to sell your home. The myth is just that: a myth.  In fact, listing your home in winter is a great idea. The following is an article from Inman News that provides data to disprove the myth. 

Conventional wisdom has it that winter is the worst time to sell a home.

But a recent study from Redfin casts doubt on that belief, finding that listings seem to fare better on the market from January to March than they do during the summer or fall — though spring still seems to take the cake as best the season to put your home up for sale.

From 2010 to 2013, the average share of homes that sold above list price during January, February and March ranged from 11 to 13 percent.

That range ticked up to between 12 and 14 percent during April, May and June, and then slumped for the summer and fall.

From July to November, the share of homes that sold above list price stayed steady at 11 percent before increasing to 12 percent in December.

According to the study, homes also tended to sell at the slowest rate during the summer and fall, with September (83) and October (83) registering the highest average number of days on the market between 2010 and 2013.

While the data suggested homes were most likely to sell the fastest and at the highest price during the spring, winter turned out to be the season where a homeowner has the best shot at selling within 90 days.

January (62 percent), February (64 percent) and March (62 percent) led the pack as the best months for selling a home in 90 days or sooner, while October (58 percent) and November (58 percent) came in  last.

Data provided by Redfin

Article originally posted on Inman News