-
North Texas home sales headed higher in August
Lower mortgage rates helped boost North Texas home sales in August. Sales of single-family homes by real estate agents rose 5% last month — the second month in a row that sales were higher than levels a year ago. The 10,911 homes sold set a record for August purchases, according to preliminary data from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University and the North Texas Real Estate Information Systems. “Both August and September have been very good months,” said housing analyst Ted Wilson with Dallas-based Residential Strategies. “These lower mortgage rates have definitely pulled people off the sidelines and helped with the affordability issues. “It’s definitely been a boon…
-
Home Prices Are Up Only 1.4 Percent From 2018
Dallas-Fort Worth home prices grew at less than half the nationwide rate in the first quarter. D-FW median home sales prices were up just 1.4% from a year ago. That was the smallest such gain for the area in almost eight years in the closely watched quarterly home price report by the National Association of Realtors. Nationwide home prices were 3.9% higher than in first-quarter 2018, according to the just-released study of 178 U.S. metro home markets. “Homeowners in the majority of markets are continuing to enjoy price gains, albeit at a slower rate of growth,” Realtors chief economist Lawrence Yun said in the report. “A typical homeowner accumulated $9,500…
-
When to walk away: Red flags in the home buying process
Buying a home is an incredibly exciting decision, but it rarely goes as smoothly as we hope. From questions about the neighbors, to surprises on the inspection report, add in the nerves associated with making one of the biggest investments of your life, and it begs the question: how do consumers know whether to take the plunge or walk away? To begin, work with people who are knowledgeable and honest. “When deciding whether to buy, trust your professionals. A good home inspector should point out potential problems in the home and your realtor should be able to negotiate having those fixed or a lower price,” co-founder of Angie’s List, Angie…
-
Homebuying in 2019: Prices dipping, but other problems linger
After an almost decade-long “seller’s market,” in which prospective homeowners routinely encountered a bidding war, prices for homes and condos are leveling off. But buyers shouldn’t count on having an easier time negotiating — particularly for a “starter” home. Chief Economist Lawrence Yun of the National Association of Realtors predicts just a 2 percent rise in home prices this year. “Price increases will be difficult to maintain after several years of sizable gains,” said Yun. Housing prices have risen 52 percent since 2010 when the nation began to recover from the real estate crash. Yun’s prediction is in line, but not in total agreement, with other projections. Global analytics firm…
-
Now is The Best Time for Investors to Invest in Real Estate
For the last 3 years, investors plus most economic analysts have been predicting a stock market correction and it has finally arrived. Over the last five weeks, the stock market has lost trillions of dollars in value and everyone from amazon.com to home builders nationwide have been feeling the effects. The good news is that one of the best alternatives for beleaguered investors to put their money into is still a viable option and it’s Real Estate. Why Invest in Real Estate? When you invest in real estate (either single family homes or multi-family rental properties) you can count on consistent cash flow from your Investments regardless if the economy…
-
US Housing Starts Rose in August
There’s no denying that the Real Estate market has been up and down recently but the good news is that housing starts actually rose during the month of August and this certainly be a welcome relief for a housing market that’s been hard up for inventory in recent years. About Housing Starts in August U.S. housing starts grew modestly last month, driven by an outsize jump in an apartment building that masked weakness in the pipeline for single- and multifamily construction. Housing starts increased 9.2% in August from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.282 million, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. This rise in the building was…
-
Now Is The Perfect Time To Buy A Home In Dallas Texas
Are you planning on buying a home in Dallas? If so, the good news is that home values here are growing at the slowest pace that they’ve grown in the last five years. Although this news may not necessarily be good for homeowners, the reality is that it’s good news for home buyers because it means that buyers will actually get a break and be able to buy a home without having to deal with huge year-over-year gains that they might find in other cities across the USA. About The Dallas Texas Real Estate Market Dallas-area home prices are up by only 5.7 percent in the latest survey – the…
-
Texas homeowners gained almost $9,000 in equity last year
Are you searching for another reason to buy real estate in Dallas or elsewhere in Texas? How about equity? Last year homeowners in Texas saw an equity gain of almost $9,000! This is another excellent reason why anyone who has been thinking about buying a home in Dallas or the surrounding area should act now because mortgage interest rates are increasing and there’s no telling what the real estate market will look like one year from now. About 2017 Equity Gains In 2017 the average U.S. residential property gained more than $15,000 in equity — the biggest increase in four years according to analysts at CoreLogic Inc. Overall home equity…
-
Is Now The Best Time For Home Buyers?
Mortgage interest rates have been steadily increasing over recent years, including this year, and the BIG QUESTION that many people have on their minds is if now is the right time for buyers to take action and purchase Dallas Texas Real Estate or homes elsewhere in the country. The answer to this question is yes. Now is the right time for buyers to purchase real estate in Dallas Texas and elsewhere across the United States, especially before rates go up even more, making buying a home un-affordable for many. Last Call For Mortgage Interest Rates All good things come to an end—even low mortgage interest rates. They’ve been steadily rising…
-
Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
1. Start saving for a down payment early It’s common to put 20% down, but many lenders now permit much less, and first-time home buyer programs allow as little as 3% down. But putting down less than 20% may mean higher costs and paying for private mortgage insurance, and even a small down payment can still be hefty. For example, a 5% down payment on a $200,000 home is $10,000. Play around with a down payment calculator to help you land on a goal amount. Some tips for saving for a down payment include setting aside tax refunds and work bonuses, setting up an automatic savings plan and using an app to…
