The Impact of Changing Mortgage Rates on You

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has experienced fluctuations between 6% and 7% throughout the year. If you have been uncertain about whether to proceed with a home purchase, understanding the impact of a 1% or even a 0.5% shift in mortgage rates can be beneficial in assessing your purchasing power.   The chart below helps show the general relationship between mortgage rates and a typical monthly mortgage payment: Even a 0.5% change can have a big impact on your monthly payment. And since rates have been moving between 6% and 7% for a while now, you can see how it impacts your purchasing power as rates go down.   What This Means for You You may be tempted to put your homebuying plans on hold in hopes that rates will fall. But that can be risky. No one knows for sure where rates will go from here, and trying to time them for your benefit is tough. Lisa Sturtevant, Housing Economist at Bright MLS, explains:   “It is typically a fool’s errand for a homebuyer to try to time rates in this market . . . But volatility in mortgage rates right now can have a real impact on buyers’ monthly payments.”   That’s why it’s critical to lean on your expert real estate advisors to explore your mortgage options, understand what impacts mortgage rates, and plan your homebuying budget around today’s volatility. They’ll also be able to offer advice tailored to your specific situation and goals, so you have what you need to make an informed decision.   Your ability to buy a home could be impacted by changing mortgage rates. If you’re thinking about making a move, partner with a trusted real estate agent and lender so you have a strong plan in place.

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Homes are Selling More Frequently and for Less Nationwide

Home sales are up. In February, total home sales in the U.S. rose 14.5% from the month prior. That jump ended a 12-month streak of declines in national home sales, and it’s the largest percent increase since July 2020. The sale of new construction homes has also increased, with numbers up for the third straight month in February.  Inventory, or the number of homes available on the market, is still low in most areas, and mortgage rates are still high—so why are home sales spiking now? While 14.5% feels like a large increase and does indicate a change in the market, it’s important to note that sales are still down year-over-year. Low affordability and low inventory drove sales down dramatically last year, so the increase we’re seeing now is more of a correction than a true spike.   Home prices are coming down. The National Association of Realtors also just reported that home prices have dropped 0.2% year-over-year. Less than one percent? Why does that matter? That number may not seem like a lot, but it’s significant because it’s a departure from a consistent stream of price increases. This is the first time in almost 11 years that home prices have shown an annual decrease. Does that mean the market is going to crash? Not quite. Driven by the ultra-low inventory and extreme demand of pandemic-era homebuying, home prices recently reached all-time highs. The current decrease is simply a correction from those sky-high prices, a relaxation of extremely tight market conditions—and a result of high mortgage rates. But what’s to prevent prices from continuing to drop—and even heading into crash territory? Inventory across the country remains low. There’s only a 2.6-month supply of homes in the U.S. at the current rate of sale, compared to the balanced-market benchmark of a 6-month supply. Additionally, mortgage rates are starting to come down, which will increase buyer competition. Generally, those two factors drive enough demand to prevent a severe drop in home prices. What does that mean for you? It depends on where you live, and whether you’re looking to buy or sell. In some regions, prices are dropping even faster while in others, prices are holding steady (or even continuing to climb).   Should you jump into the real estate market now? The answer to that question is complex and depends largely on your personal situation.  Overall, buyers should take advantage of slipping mortgage rates and dropping prices. If your finances are in order and you’re ready to buy your dream home, low inventory shouldn’t stand in your way—and if you have the right real estate agent, it won’t. Just remember, if you want to buy now, you’ll need to come in with a strong offer and be ready to negotiate. Selling a home? Let’s do it. As mortgage rates come down, buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines will jump in, and it will be easier for your real estate agent to find the perfect match for your property. Just remember, while most regions of the country still favor sellers and most sellers have seen their home values skyrocket, your expectation for your sale price should look a little different this year than it might have in 2021 or 2022. What’s the perfect price to attract buyers? Let’s talk about it.

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Get Ready: The Best Time To List Your House Is Almost Here

If you’re thinking about selling this spring, it’s time to get moving – the best week to list your house is fast approaching. Experts at realtor.com looked at seasonal trends from recent years (excluding 2020 as an uncharacteristic year due to the onset of the pandemic) and determined the ideal week to list a house this year: “Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2023 is approaching quickly. The week of April 16-22 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year.” If you’ve been waiting for the best time to sell, this is your chance. But remember, before you put your house on the market, you’ve got to get it ready. And if you haven’t started that process yet, you’ll need to move quickly. Here’s what you should keep in mind.   Work with an Agent To Determine Which Updates To Make Start by prioritizing which updates you’ll make. In February, realtor.com asked more than 1,200 recent or potential home sellers what updates they ended up making to their house before listing it (see graph below):   As you can see, the most common answers included landscaping and painting. Work with a trusted real estate agent to determine what projects make the most sense for your goals and local market.   If Possible, Plan To Have Your House Staged Once you’ve made any necessary repairs and updates to your house, consider having it staged. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 82% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Additionally, almost half of buyers’ agents said home staging had an effect on most buyers’ view of the home in general. Homes that are staged typically sell faster and for a higher price because they help potential buyers more easily picture their new life in the house.   Are you ready to sell this spring? Contact a real estate agent to plan your next steps. You can start by making a checklist of what you think your house needs to get ready. Then, we can work together to prioritize your list and move forward together.

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