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Case-Shiller: Home Prices Growth Slows in March

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Case-Shiller: Home Prices Growth Slows in MarchHome price growth slowed again in May according to Case-Shiller home price indices. Home price growth slowed for the 14th consecutive month to its lowest rate in 12 years. Case-Shiller’s National Home Price Index showed 3.40 percent growth year-over-year in May as compared to April’s year-over-year reading of 3.50 percent.

Las Vegas, Nevada held its first place position in the 20-City Home Price Index for highest year-over-year home price growth rate at 6.40 percent; Phoenix, Arizona held second place with a year-over-year home price growth reading of 5.70 percent. Tampa, Florida home prices grew by 5.10 percent year-over-year in May.

Home Price Growth Rates Fall In West Coast Cities

West coast cities that posted double-digit annual home price gains in recent years posted less than two percent growth in home prices in May. Seattle, Washington was the first city to post negative home price growth with a negative year-over-year reading of -1.20 percent in May. San Francisco, California home prices rose by 1.00 percent year-over-year and home prices in San Diego, California grew 1.30 percent year-over-year.

This trend suggests that home prices were topped out in terms of affordability as buyers looked elsewhere for larger selections of homes at affordable prices.

Analysts predicted a plateau in home price growth and did not expect steep declines in home prices. Steady growth in wages and jobs could help to ease affordability challenges for home buyers. Lower mortgage rates provided additional opportunity for first-time and moderate income home buyers, but home price growth needs to ease further to help would-be buyers conquer affordability concerns. Shortages of homes for sale are most pronounced for lower-priced homes, where demand is largest. Higher demand for homes during the peak selling season could boost prices in popular metro areas.

If you’re in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, please contact your trusted home mortgage professional.

The Community Reinvestment Act Explained In Simple Terms

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The Community Reinvestment Act Explained In Simple TermsThe federal government adopted the Housing and Community Development Act in 1977, and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) portion was designed to prompt lending institutions to provide mortgages for low- and moderate-income Americans. The underlying reasoning for the CRA was to discourage discriminatory lending practices that inhibited low-income communities and neighborhoods.

Over the years, its regulations have been revised to improve effectiveness. During the early 1990s, upwards of five changes were made and more following the 2007 financial crisis. With the country currently in the midst of an economic comeback, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced that it favored making changes to the rules that govern lending under the CRA. These changes could have a significant impact on the real estate market.

Modernization of the Community Reinvestment Act

Critics of the CRA say that it has failed to keep pace with the emerging technologies readily available in the low- to moderate-income communities it was designed to serve. Falling behind in this capacity reportedly inhibited the worthy goal of the policy.

Organizations such as the American Bankers Association are said to be in favor of modernizing the CRA. This group continues to press regulators to bring resources into the technology era. Improved technological resources appear to be critical elements to meeting community borrowing needs and improving banking transparency.

Another aspect of the CRA some feel has trailed behind the times is that not all lending institutions are subject to CRA guidelines. If the goal of the CRA is to give low- and moderate-income families a fair shot at the American dream of homeownership, other financial organizations may need to come under the CRA umbrella. A greater CRA borrowing pool is likely to increase residential and commercial buying.  

How The CRA Helps Communities Build Wealth

The current administration has made some hay about pushing policies that centralize ownership in community members’ hands. Several of the potential rule changes to the CRA point to improved home and business ownership within low- and moderate-income communities. In essence, the changes are a kind of throwback to the days when the person who owned the local bakery, breakfast restaurant and hardware store lived within the community.

If successful, the discussed policy shift would encourage residents to buy residential and commercial real estate where they live. In some sense, the administration appears to be shielding living, breathing communities from the widespread corporate takeovers that occurred in the 1990s and early 21st Century.

Critics seem to worry that tinkering with guidelines may lead to quantity over quality lending. However, proponents see a long-term plan to revitalize communities by restoring and increasing localized property ownership.

If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional.

The Monopoly Technique – How To Build Value By Acquiring Adjacent Properties

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The Monopoly Technique - How To Build Value By Acquiring Adjacent PropertiesHave you ever played the classic board game called Monopoly? The object of the game is to collect all the properties until one winner bankrupts all the other players. The other part of the game is that accumulating properties adjacent to each other increases the value of the individual properties. When a player acquires all the properties of the same color (two or three), then the rents go up and property development can begin.

The Monopoly Game In Real Life

The same basic principles sometimes work in real life. Owning a property and then buying the one next door creates a value-added possibility of the combined properties being worth more than the individual pieces.

To start this strategy, tell the neighbors of having an interest in buying their home in the future if they want to sell. This is a way to get the first option to buy a home before it lists on the market.

Control Of The Neighbors Adds Value

In many neighborhoods, there is one home that creates severe negative pressure on property values. These homes may be neglected and badly needing a paint job and landscaping. The home may be a source of neighborhood noise problems or heavy traffic.

When considering buying into this neighborhood, make a plan to buy the derelict house. Then, before bringing it back into a marketable condition, there may be a chance to buy the ones next door for a steep discount from the market value.

If possible, buy all the properties at once and close them around the same time. This helps avoid triggering a profit demand from those who are opportunistic and learn about the interest of a buyer in more than one property.

Cashing Out

If possible, buy three houses, one of each side of the derelict house, then renovate all three properties. Make them into rental units or to sell them as a “flipped” property after the renovation for a big profit.

If there is the possibility of controlling a full block on both sides in a rundown neighborhood, it is possible to start with one block of home improvements at a time. Entire neighborhoods may improve one block at a time.

Redevelopment

In some neighborhoods, there is a chance of re-zoning and redevelopment. For example, it may be possible to build a larger structure by combining two properties. There is profit possible in assembling the land for redevelopment purposes, even for those who do not do the construction for the redevelopment.

Summary

Playing Monopoly in real life can make investing in real estate fun. It is possible to start with a few low-cost rental homes. For rental properties, it makes it much easier to manage them if they are next to each other. Values may increase in the neighborhood by the renovation of a derelict house.

If you are intested in refinancing your current property or in the market for a new home, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional!

How To Find Hot Real Estate Markets

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How To Find Hot Real Estate MarketsA hot market in real estate is identified by a few things, which include higher prices, lower amounts of unsold inventory, and desirable neighborhoods. Neighborhoods can increase in value because of having an excellent location, high-paying jobs, quality schools, and a variety of attractive amenities.

Hot Markets Are After The Fact

Properties in a hot market may sell faster, for higher prices, and without needing to be in perfect condition or staged for sale. Real estate investors do not necessarily benefit from learning about a hot market unless they already own property in that market area.

It is nice to be an owner with a property for sale in a hot market. However, more success may come from identifying a market as potentially valuable before it becomes a hot market.

Hot Market Trends Before The Fact

Gentrification is a pattern that may start out slowly and then build until a market goes from cold to hot. With gentrification, renovation of rundown neighborhoods attracts new, wealthier residents. Many cities encourage the gentrification of deteriorating urban areas.

Streets with abandoned storefronts may convert into pedestrian-only shopping promenades. Old wharf warehouses may turn into a riverfront boardwalk. Artist types may move into a bad neighborhood because of the low rent and then turn it into an eclectic, hip area with art galleries, coffee shops, boutiques, and street murals.

One way to benefit from gentrification possibilities is to follow the long-term development plans of a community and be an early investor in those plans. Invest in property just on the outskirts of a planned gentrification zone.

Be careful to note any physical barricades, such as a wide street, which may stop gentrification from progressing further. A wide street may prevent gentrification from moving across it to the rundown area on the other side.

A similar pattern shows up when investing in real estate that is on the outskirts of a growing area or adjacent to a desirable neighborhood. Over time, if the growth continues, these outlying areas may become a nicely profitable investment for those who are patient.

Getting Out Of A Hot Market At The Right Time

It is important to know when to sell properties in a hot market and move on to find a different one. Continuing to re-invest in a hot market may ultimately disappoint when there is a market correction to the downside. Try to avoid this if possible.

Market indicators to watch include:

  • Year-over-year increases in listing prices compared to historical figures for the same area.
  • The percentage of listings showing a price reduction.
  • The average time a property is listed before being sold.
  • A comparison between the listing price and the sales price for sold properties.

Conclusion

Studying market growth and guessing the direction of growth helps identify a potentially strong market before it gets hot.

It is time to sell and move on, if the listing prices are not increasing each year or if price reductions are increasing. Other strong indicators that a market is cooling down are when the average listing time is increasing and the average difference between the listing price and sale price is widening.

If you’re in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to set up a consult with your trusted home mortgage professional.

3D Printing Used For Home Renovations And Construction

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3D Printing Used For Home Renovations And Construction3D printing technology is a game-changer in the home construction business. Not only is the technology capable of printing a home, but it can also be used to print one at a much lower cost when compared to traditional home construction.

All3DP reports on homes printed using 3D technology that costs as little as $4,000 to $10,000. Some are ready for occupancy within 24 hours.

The $4,000 Home

A company in Texas, called ICON, is working with NewStoryCharity.org to create 3D-printed homes at an extremely low cost. New Story Charity builds simple homes in other countries, like Haiti and El Salvador. They give these homes to very poor people who live in shacks built out of plastic and cardboard.

These homes are small (around 500 square feet) and yet fully self-contained with a kitchen area, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a living space area.

Weather-Resistant Homes

A Russian company, called Apis Cor, used 3D printing to build a ready-to-use home for just over US$10,000 that can withstand the severe climate during winters in Russia. The 410-square-foot home is completely finished, painted inside and out, and wired for electricity. It was printed and built completely on site. It is small, yet quite attractive.

Ten Homes In One Day

A company in Shanghai, China, called Winsun, achieved the break-through of 3D printing ten homes out of a foamy, lightweight concrete material in a single day. The prospects of factory-produced extremely low-cost homes are extremely appealing in China where many millions are looking to have a new home.

Architectural Firsts

Many of the applications of 3D-printing technology in home construction focus on small homes built quickly for a really cheap price. That was what Winsun first started doing. However, 3D-printing technology is not limited to these cheap homes.

In fact, using 3D-printing technology, Winsun produced a beautiful, architecturally-stunning, office building that went up in Dubai for the price of $140,000. The project only took 17 days to complete. The cost was about one-half of regular construction costs for a building of the same type.

The office building has beautifully-curved walls and a style that would be very difficult to replicate by using other construction methods.

Summary

Expect that 3-D printing technology will increase in use for the construction of homes. Using 3D-printing technology also means that the homes can be very stylish. They can have nicely curved walls and are not limited to simple, rectangular-angled styles.

This means that, right now, they are perfect for a cottage home, an in-law apartment, or home office built in the back yards of larger homes in America. If you are thinking about a backyard cottage you can already get one 3D printed for a great price.

If you’re in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional.