Recent Report Thinks Housing Will ‘Soar’ in 2015

News Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Just recently there have been quite a few rumors that the housing market is about to take a turn for the worse, but an article in Housingwire is predicting the opposite. This is based on a report released by Altos Research which says the market will begin to soar next year. Although the report does concede that demand will ease, it is still quite bullish about the outlook for the housing market. Based on its models, the company is forecasting another year where home values will rise. It is predicting a 7% increase for next year. This is quite remarkable as some experts are anticipating that house prices will depreciate next year.

Apparently this negative view is largely due to the media, according to the report from Altos Research. They think this outlook is short-sighted, and even though they concede the concerns are valid they feel the variables affecting home prices are proven to be driven by new household formation and low supply in the market, constrained by low new construction. The main reason Altus Research feels prices will increase by 7% is that it expects inventory levels to increase by another 10%. It’s anticipated that as inventory levels and the number of transactions continues to increase, alongside house prices, then participants in the real estate market will broadly benefit.

In addition they point out that the number of days houses remain on the market before attracting a buyer is still low compared to figures seen before the housing crisis. This shows it’s still very much a sellers’ market. During a sellers’ market, sellers are able to list their homes at a higher value in the hope that a buyer will be tempted to pay the price. If this fails to attract a buyer, then the seller always has the choice of reducing the price closer to market values which also gives the buyer the impression of a compromise. According to Altos, just over a third of properties will see the price is reduced in this way, something the company sees as an indication of weaker overall demand combined with strong competition.

The report points out that the housing market recovery will soon enter its fifth year. The market is still dealing with low inventory levels and demand, but is boosted by an expanding economy and overall remains healthy. As a result supply and demand are becoming more balanced.

Five-year mortgages holding firm, but just wait

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Five-year fixed mortgage rates tend to roughly track the yields on five-year government of Canada bonds, because those influence the cost of the funds that the banks obtain to lend out. Yields on five-year government of Canada bonds have fallen. They ended last year at 1.95 per cent, and this week were below 1.50 per cent.

“If you went back to the start of the year, there was an absolute consensus that bond yields were going to head higher,” explains Toronto-Dominion Bank chief economist Craig Alexander. “Not dramatically, but there was an absolute consensus that bond yields would be increasing through the course of 2014. So, one of the big surprises this year has been the drop in bond yields.”

Canadian bond yields tend to mirror those in the U.S. because the market views the securities as alternatives to one another.

“One of the things that happened at the start of this year was, initially, there were some concerns about emerging markets and the angst over the slowdown in China,” Mr. Alexander adds. “But then we started to get very weak economic data out of the United States, and there was news that the U.S. economy outright contracted, and you saw broad-based scaling back of expectations about global growth. So, while some of the fears about emerging markets diminished, it happened at the same time that people found something new to worry about.”

So, a more negative outlook for economic growth in the U.S. and elsewhere turned into good news for Canadian home buyers.

But Mr. Alexander thinks the U.S. economy is on pace to grow faster than most other advanced countries in the second half of this year. “As a consequence, I think that the rally in bonds that we’ve had since the start of the year is likely to be reversed, from an economic fundamentals point of view it’s only a matter of time. The thing that economists are notoriously bad at is timing.”

In other words, economists are still expecting five-year fixed mortgage rates to creep up, they just don’t know exactly when. Mr. Alexander now expects five-year bond yields to creep back up to about 1.95 – where they were at the end of 2013 – by the end of this year. He then sees them rising by about 90 basis points next year, largely during the second half of the year.

Altos: Ignore the Critics, Housing is Ready to Boom in 2015

News Source: http://www.canadianmortgageupdates.ca/

The housing market is going to surge in 2015, despite the bearish predictions from many critics in the housing industry recently, according to a report to be released today by Altos Research, a housing data provider.

“While we see signs of demand easing, we are significantly more bullish on housing than many of the recent headlines seem to suggest,” says Michael Simonsen, Altos CEO. “Based on our models, we’re forecasting another year of home price appreciation, with a 7 percent home price increase for the year of 2015.” Altos is also projecting for-sale inventories to rise another 10 percent. Researchers point out that the number of days on the market remains low compared to prior to the housing crisis, an indicator of a seller’s market. Some other housing experts in recent weeks have projected that a depreciation in the nation’s housing market is coming. But Altos researchers are blaming it on recent negative headlines throughout the media:

“In our view, these attitudes reflect a myopic view of actual market conditions and conflate concerns over the mortgage industry, the otherwise-constrained new construction market, and more broadly, the long-term financial stability of the U.S. consumer with specific current housing market supply and demand dynamics. While these are valid long-run concerns, the variables impacting home prices have proven to be driven by low available supply and growing household formation.” Altos researchers say that home prices across the country are poised for a fifth consecutive year of recovery.

“The market is still faced with low inventory and demand, buoyed by an expanding economy, which, among other factors, remains healthy,” according to the report. “Both supply and demand conditions are moving from extreme bullish conditions to healthy condition.”

Can’t get a Mortgage? Try a Bigger Lender

\

Article Source: https://caleastnewhomes.wordpress.com

Demand for mortgages rose during the second quarter, but a strong divergence between larger and smaller lenders in underwriting credit standards is appearing, according to Fannie Mae’s Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey, which tracks current lending activities and market expectations among senior mortgage executives.

Mortgage executives say it’s difficult for consumers to get a mortgage today, but some lenders are tightening their standards more than others. The Fannie Mae survey found that smaller and mid-size lenders are more likely than larger lenders to say their credit standards tightened over the prior three months. These lenders also report that they’re more likely to tighten them even more during the next three months. On the other hand, larger lenders were more likely to report that they have eased their credit standards over the prior three months and that they expect to ease standards more during the next three months.

The most common reason cited for tightening credit standards among all the lenders surveyed was the “changing regulatory requirements,” according to the survey. “Lenders have been trying to find ways to manage their operational costs and meet new regulatory rules,” says Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. “They appear to feel cost constrained and, thus, may be applying more conservative standards in their lending practices.” Still, overall, lenders reported positive expectations for mortgage demand throughout the remainder of the year, although they expect growth to remain modest. “These results are broadly in line with other major indicators released recently, including the pickup in home sales in May, and also support our expectations of a steady but unspectacular rebound for housing during the second half of this year,” says Duncan.

Home Improvement: Make Your Home More Valuable With These Easy Tips

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Many home-improvement jobs can be done without the help of a professional. Many self-help books are available that you can use to learn exactly what techniques and equipment you need for any job. If you follow the directions, you should be able to get the job done right the first time.

Many tenants who are renting an apartment or home are in a pickle when landlords don't allow tenants to paint the walls in a different color or take off the wallpaper that doesn't suit their tastes. A great way to get around this is by purchasing flat bed sheets (the unfitted kind) and tacking them in a pleasing design on the wall. This will not harm the underlying wallpaper or paint and can add a touch of personality that won't displease the landlord.

Protect yourself when you change the blades in your utility knife. While changing the blade, wrap tape around the old blade before tossing it in the trash. By doing this, the sharp edges of the blade will be covered. When taking out the trash, or packing down the trash, the sharp edges will not be able to hurt anyone with the tape wrapped around them.

In order to save money on air conditioning costs during the summer, try installing ceiling fans. Ceiling fans recirculate air within a room, cooling it down without the need for turning on a central air system. They are relatively easy to install and can be installed in place of your lighting fixture.

Doing the home improvements yourself can give you a lot of pride and joy. The money that you can save from doing the improvements on your own could be used somewhere else or to do more improvements in the future. Following the directions in the books will make the work quick, easy and rewarding.

Advice That You Can Use When Buying A Home

Article Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

In today's market, everyone is trying to save money and find a good deal, especially in real estate. If you're one of these people who are searching for a new home, this article has a number of useful tips for buyers that can help you find the perfect home at a great price.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying home when buying a home, is falling in love with the decor that was there during the showing or open house. You are buying a home for it's structure, layout and design, not the furnishings. Try to remove these images from your mind and look past them when touring a home.

Find a motivated seller when you are looking for a new home. Look for homes that have been on the market for a long period of time or have reduced the asking price of the home. These sellers may be more willing to negotiate the price of the home in order to make a quick sale.

An important aspect to consider when buying a house is the number of bedrooms. Each neighborhood was built in a family model in sight so it is easier and usually cheaper to find a 3-4 bedroom house in an area where most of the houses have 3-4 bedrooms. If the neighborhood usually has smaller houses, you will pay much more for the extra bedroom.

If you're hiring an appraiser when purchasing your next investment property, make sure he or she is state certified and has five years minimum experience. This allows you to know that the appraiser is qualified, reputable, and will provide you with the most accurate information. Having accurate information can be extremely valuable when making your buying decisions.

Buying a new house is a huge investment which should be considered carefully with your realtor and agents. If you follow these tips, you will be able to find good deals on the market that won't break the bank. Hopefully, this article will help you find that perfect home.

Communicating with clients: What Real Estate Pros Must Know

News Source: http://bestmortgagebrokers.net/

Real estate agents need to understand the differences in how men and women communicate. While men like to handle one idea at a time, women often launch into a stream of multiple ideas all at once, reports Inman News.

To ensure more effective communications, agents should ask probing questions and aim for male clients to talk about 80 percent of the time. They should be direct and avoid rambling, interrupting, or finishing a man’s sentence, as well as provide additional data until they are ready to consider the next topic. When it comes to time, agents should keep in mind that men tend to allot a specific amount of time to each task, whereas women focus more on completing tasks, no matter how much time it takes.

This means agents should start showings on time and end early, as well as tell clients a particular task will take longer than they anticipate, which ensures the agent always appears efficient and organized. Men are more direct in their communication, whereas women tend to be indirect; so it is important to always tell a man exactly what should be done instead of to imply it. Culturally, people from the United States, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and Southern Europe prefer getting right to the point, while those from China, Japan, and India prefer that messages are implied. However, even if direct communication is preferred, agents should keep in mind that American Millennials are unnerved by direct eye contact; and staring is considered rude in the United Kingdom. Agents should watch how clients communicate with them and with others, then adjust their communication style to match.