May 24, 2021 | Financial Reports
Last week’s economic reporting included readings from the National Association of Home Builders, data on sales of existing homes, and reports on housing starts and building permits issued. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.
NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Unchanged in May
The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index reading for May was unchanged from April’s reading of 83. Readings higher than 50 indicate that most home builders were positive about housing market conditions.
Component readings for builder confidence in housing market conditions in May were mixed; builder confidence in current market conditions was unchanged with an index reading of 83; builder confidence in market conditions in the next six months rose one point to 81 and builder confidence in buyer traffic in new single-family housing developments dropped one point to 73. Readings for buyer traffic rarely exceeded 50 before the pandemic.
Robert Dietz, NAHB’s chief economist said that costs of land, labor, and building materials were expected to rise throughout 2021 and would drive home prices higher. Lower interest rates, shortages of pre-owned homes for sale, and interest in relocating to less congested suburban and rural areas continued to increase demand for single-family homes against severe shortages of homes for sale. Rapidly rising home prices squeezed first-time and moderate-income home buyers out of the market and caused some sales to fall through.
Sales of previously-owned homes fell in April and supported concerns about shortages of available homes. 5.85 million homes were sold on a seasonally adjusted annual basis, which was lower than the expected reading of 6.02 million sales and the March reading of 6.01 million sales of previously-owned homes. Rising home prices and short supplies of homes for sale continued to create high demand for homes.
Housing Starts Fall in April; Building Permits Issued Rise
The Commerce Department reported a sharp decrease in housing starts in April with 1.57 million starts on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. March housing starts were revised downward to 1.73 million starts, but this did not affect April’s reading being the highest pace of housing starts since 2006. Housing starts fell in the Midwest and South and rose in the Northeast and West.
Building permits held steady in April at a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 1.76 million permits issued. Analysts expected 1.77 million building permits issued.
Mortgage Rates Rise; Jobless Claims Mixed
Mortgage rates rose last week as rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by six basis points to 3.00 percent on average. Rates for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 2.79 percent and were three basis points higher. Rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages were unchanged at an average rate of 2.59 percent. Discount points averaged 0.60 percent for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, 0.70 percent for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, and 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.
New jobless claims fell to 444,000 initial claims filed last week from the previous week’s reading of 478,000 new claims filed. Continuing jobless claims rose to 3.75 million claims filed as compared to the prior week’s reading of 3.64 million ongoing jobless claims filed.
What’s Ahead
This week’s economic reporting includes readings from Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, data on new and pending home sales, and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims will also be released.
May 21, 2021 | Real Estate
Moving into your first home is an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming. To manage the move properly, you need a wide variety of tools you may never have considered before. You may not realize you should have purchased a certain item until you need it.
To prepare for the move into your new home, make sure you have all of the items listed below.
Storage For Documents
As a homeowner, you will need to keep and organize a variety of documents, including receipts, warranties and even your mortgage papers. Consider buying a fireproof box or cabinet to store these items.
Fire Extinguisher
Every homeowner should have at least one fire extinguisher on hand. Make sure your fire extinguisher is stored in a location that can be accessed easily in the event of a fire.
Extension Cords
Extension cords can be useful in a variety of situations, from plugging in appliances that are too far from an outlet to decorating your home for the holidays. Be sure to buy multiple cords in different lengths so you can use them for different purposes.
Smoke Alarms
If your home is not already equipped with working smoke alarms, you need to purchase and install them as soon as possible. Be sure that you check your alarms every four months and change the batteries as needed.
Cleaning Supplies
Another important purchase for every new homeowner is cleaning supplies. While some of these supplies may be used on a daily basis, others may be used less frequently. Nonetheless, it is a smart idea to have all of these items on hand. Examples of cleaning supplies you may need include window cleaner, toilet brushes, brooms, mops, sponges and paper towels. If you have carpet in your new home, you may need to buy a vacuum cleaner as well.
A Basic Tool Kit
Every new homeowner will need some basic tools. Purchasing these tools in advance will make both small and large tasks easier. Be sure your toolkit includes a utility knife, flashlight, measuring tape, screwdrivers, wrenches and hammers. Having some different kinds of tape on hand is also a wise idea.
Exterior Door Locks
When moving into a new home, it is always a good idea to change the locks. Although the previous owner is asked to turn over all the keys to the home, it is impossible to know whether other keys exist. Buying your own door locks will protect against break-ins and give you peace of mind.
Lawn Equipment
If you will be responsible for maintaining your own lawn and landscaping, you will need to invest in the proper lawn maintenance equipment. Examples of items you may need include snow shovels, sprinklers, rakes, shears, shovels and water hoses. You may also need a lawnmower.
You may still need to make additional purchases after you have everything on this list. However, this list covers many of the basic things you will need to begin life successfully in your new home.
May 20, 2021 | Home Seller Tips
Curb appeal is important in the home sales process, and this is because it will impact the overall first impression that potential home buyers have about the property. Some homeowners can easily spend a small fortune and a considerable amount of time improving curb appeal, but others may be looking for faster and easier results. The good news is that boosting curb appeal is easy and affordable to do when these three tips are followed.s
Spruce Up The Front Door
The front door and patio area are focal points for those driving by the home, and this area receives even more scrutiny by those home buyers who walk up to the home to take a tour of the interior. Re-staining or re-painting the front door can be highly beneficial to dressing up the look of this focal area, and this can give the impression that the home is well-maintained and stylish. In addition, consider replacing the front door mat and hardware on the door for improved results and added aesthetic appeal.
Power Wash The Exterior Of The Home
Beautification efforts for the front of the home would not be complete without spending time cleaning up the space, and one of the best ways to clean the exterior of a property thoroughly is by power washing it. Power washing the exterior may include cleaning the exterior siding material of the home, the patio, the driveway, the sidewalk and even the fencing. This can give the entire area a fresher and more appealing look.
Add Color To The Flower Beds
Some homeowners may not have funds or time available to fully revamp the landscaping, but showing the flower beds some attention can pay off. After weeding the flower beds, add some fresh, brightly colored blooms to the area to dress up curb appeal. Homeowners can finish off the look by spreading a new layer of mulch across the flower beds after the flowers have been planted.
Curb appeal is vital to selling a home quickly and for top dollar. Enhancing curb appeal can cost a small fortune and could take weeks to do, but even these small and affordable efforts can give homeowners great results with minimal time and money required. Homeowners who are thinking about selling their property soon can contact a real estate professional for personal assistance with their staging and home improvement efforts.
May 19, 2021 | Real Estate
A key factor that often drives the sale of new homes versus existing ones tends to be cultural. Rather than being financially-driven or associated with location factors, many homebuyers will steer clear of existing homes where someone has passed away. The primary fear tends to be concerns about a leftover spiritual residual in the home that could affect the new homeowners. Despite the abundance of TV shows about ghost-chasers and similar, the stigma of a dead person’s home has been around for centuries and is still alive and well today.
Understanding Property History
While sellers of existing homes will tend to try to limit or omit discussion about the former occupants, focusing on the property description and details instead, it is never a bad idea to have a grip on the history of a home and the related surrounding location. This applies heavily to homes in older neighborhoods that have been around for decades and may have had already more than one long-term owner. Local news and property records can be searched easily online, providing a basic review of whether anything newsworthy happened at the location, most notably crime.
Crime-affected properties are probably the most challenging given that crimes don’t just close neatly. Details could be hidden that can trigger new investigations decades later and would be very disruptive to the homeowner finding them after a sale. The issue isn’t so much that someone died as the law enforcement process ripping apart everything again looking for evidence. Avoidance is probably a good idea in these cases.
Sickness or Age are Common Cases
The high majority of homes with someone passing away, especially older homes when people passed away with families present, tend to be the usual situation. In these cases the big factor is to make sure you’re comfortable with the home personally. In most cases the house has been emptied, cleaned out, restored and make salable again, so the stigma is not really physical but more about personal preference and comfort. While this article won’t tread into the realm of arguing whether spiritual presence is real or not, how comfortable you are in the home with a past is really what matters the most.
Homes Aren’t the Only Locations With History
Note as well, homes are not the only places with history. If you’ve ever stayed in older hotels, apartments or condominiums, you’ve likely stayed or lived in a location temporarily that may have had an assortment of activity in it before you arrived. Homes have a stigma because it involves a long-term commitment in one place, but people regularly stay in rental locations and vacation spots where life just happens on a regular basis, including someone passing away.
Existing Homes Are Not Perfect, But They Have Character
At the end of the day, if there is a presence in a home you’re uncomfortable with, choose a different location to buy. Trust your gut when walking through a home if you feel something off; chances are you may be picking up something with your senses versus logic and sight. On the other hand, if you like history, an existing home could be an interesting adventure into a life before yours to explore, find out about, and learn more about your community as well. And it could be a rewarding pastime to chase.
May 18, 2021 | Home Buyer Tips
Selecting the right home to purchase for a family is a monumental task, and this process can seem even more challenging for those with a large or growing family. A common goal may be to give everyone ample space to stretch out and feel relaxed, but some home buyers may also be focused on other factors like location, cost and even the general style of the home. While choosing the perfect home for a large or growing family is not easy, the process can be simplified by focusing on a few points.
Focus On Storage Space
There are few things that can make home life more miserable in the coming years than a lack of storage space. When a large family does not have adequate storage space in closets, the attic, the garage and cabinets, their items will likely find a home on the counters, on the floor and in other undesirable locations. Home buyers can consider looking for a home that has more storage space than is needed right now to ensure that the new home can accommodate growing needs over the years.
Think About Function Over Size
Many people who are looking for a new home will focus on finding a home that has a specific minimum square footage or a minimum number of bedrooms, but function is generally more important. For example, if a home has bar-style seating at the kitchen counter, the family may not need as large of a breakfast room to accommodate its needs. The family may also get more use out of a home that has a second living area, such as a game room, rather than a formal dining room that may rarely be used.
Choose The Right Floor Plan
In addition, consider reviewing the floor plan of the home carefully. Many prefer to have the kids’ rooms away from the master room, a study placed away from the kids’ game room or an open area where the kitchen and family room are connected so that a parent can oversee the kids while making meals. Home buyers should consider how they live and their likes and dislikes about their current space to determine which floor plan is best for them.
Deciding which home to purchase is rarely easy to do, but your trusted real estate professional can assist home buyers with this process. Those who are searching for a new home for a large or growing family can call their local real estate agent for further assistance.
