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Displaying blog entries 341-350 of 376

Housing Bubble Fears rise with Prices

Thursday, July 9, 2015
by Christie Cannon

What is a Housing Bubble? Is One Forming? | Keeping Current Matters

Sky-rocketing rises in real estate values have left many people worrying if we are in the middle of another housing bubble.

What is a housing bubble?

According to Jack M. Guttentag, Professor of Finance Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania:

“A price bubble is a rise in price based on the expectation that the price will rise. Sooner or later something happens to erode confidence in continued price increases, at which point the bubble bursts and prices drop. What makes it a price bubble is that the cause of the price increase is an expectation that the price will increase, which sooner or later must reverse itself.”

In a recent article, he explained:

“My view is that we are a long way from another house price bubble. Home buyers, lenders, investors and regulators now understand that a nationwide decline in house prices is possible -- because we recently lived through one.”

Where are home prices today?

Though home values are continuing to appreciate, the acceleration of the increases has slowed to year-over-year numbers which reflect a healthy housing market. Here is a chart showing year-over-year appreciation since January of last year:

Case Shiller Price Changes | Keeping Current Matters

The Take Away

Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal put it best in a recent tweet:

“Predictions of a new national home price bubble look unfounded for now, according to data.”


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Low Inventory Create Slowdown in Sales

Saturday, June 6, 2015
by Christie Cannon

“Lagging Supply” Leads to Slowdown in Sales | Keeping Current Matters

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released the results of theirExisting Home Sales Report. Despite the fact that properties are selling faster than they have at any other time since July of 2013, existing home sales declined 3.3% from March.

NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun explained the main reason for the slow:

"April's setback is the result of lagging supply relative to demand and the upward pressure it's putting on prices.”

One major news organization actually used this headline about the decline:

Existing home sales fall 3.3%

They certainly haven’t cratered! April marked the second month in a row that the annual sales pace remained above the five million mark (5.04 million). Year-over-year sales have increased for seven consecutive months and are still 6.1% above a year ago.

Every month, SentriLock, LLC provides NAR Research with data on the number of homes shown to potential buyers. This data is referred to as ‘Foot Traffic’ and is a great predictor of future sales and buyer demand. In April, buyer demand remained at the same level experienced in March.

Why did sales go down?

Buyers who are ready and willing to make a purchase are entering a market where their dream house may not have been listed yet. They can’t find it! Or if they find it, it happens to catch the eye of other buyers and an ‘auction like environment’ begins.

"Housing inventory declined from last year and supply in many markets is very tight, which in turn is leading to bidding wars, faster price growth and properties selling at a quicker pace," says Yun. "To put it in perspective, roughly 40 percent of properties sold last month went at or above asking price, the highest since NAR began tracking this monthly data in December 2012." (emphasis added)

The median home price of existing homes sold in April was $219,400, which is 8.9% higher than last year, and marks the 38th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains.

Bottom Line

So how do you make sense of everything that’s going on in the housing market when there are so many conflicting headlines on the same report?

John Burns, real estate expert and CEO of John Burns Real Estate Consulting gives this advice:

“The bottom line is this: don't make decisions based on newspaper articles. Read the actual press release, including the methodology, and make sure the results jive with other data points and qualitative feedback you receive.”

If you are one of the many homeowners out there realizing that now may be the time to list your home for sale, or one of the many renters debating a purchase, sitting with a local real estate professional who takes the time to find out what’s really going on in the market, should be your first step!

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Existing Home Sales Stats for May 2015!

Friday, June 5, 2015
by Christie Cannon

Buyer Demand Exceeds Housing Supply [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters

Highlights:

  • Inventory Levels remain less than a six month supply - indicated an unbalanced / seller's market
  • For the last 38 straight months the market has seen gain in home prices
  • The average time on market is the lowest since June 2013
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EVENT - Frisco's Dive-in Movies (You read that right)

Friday, May 29, 2015
by Christie Cannon

So it may not be real estate related - but that doesn't make it any less awesome!

Frisco's Outdoor Aquatic Center will be sponsoring a DIVE-in movie event in June, July, & August.  Tickets went on sale last week. 

Tickets are $8 per person; children under 2 are free. Buy Tickers here! The Movies currently sheduled are:

Friday, June 19, 2015 - Dolphin Tale 2

Friday, July 17, 2015 - Big Hero 6

Friday, Aug. 17, 2015 - LEGO Movie

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The Best Suburbs in Texas - according to Niche Rankings

Wednesday, May 27, 2015
by Christie Cannon

Niche.com just released their Best Places list for 2015.  Included in these ranks is the Best Suburbs List for Texas.  Not surprisingly North Texas secured 6 of the top 10 spots!  Collin County alone has 4 of the top 10 spots!

  1. Rollingwood  (Travis Co)
  2. University Park  (Dallas Co)
  3. Murphy  (Collin Co)
  4. Allen  (Collin Co)
  5. Lakeway  (Travis Co)
  6. Alamo Heights  (Bexar Co)
  7. Highland Park  (Dallas Co)
  8. Frisco  (Collin Co)
  9. Terrell Hills  (Bexar Co)
  10. McKinney  (Collin Co)
The full list can be found here.  Their methodology & assessment criteria can be found here!

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How Do Our Market Values Stack Up?

Saturday, May 23, 2015
by Christie Cannon

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US Median Home Price Up over $200K - Local up 10%

Saturday, May 23, 2015
by Christie Cannon

 

In Steve Brown's recent Dallas Morning News article is reporting that the nationally median home price is up 7.4%, breaking the $200K barrier with a US Median price of $205,200!  All but 25 of the 170 Market areas are reporting gains in home prices.  


The National Association of REALTORs is also reporting that 51 of the market areas saw double digit growth (more than twice the number of last year.) However, chief economist Lawrence Yun also cautions that pricing could level out if housing supplies improve.  Yun further described an all too familiar sentiment in our market, as buyers “are hesitant to move up and sell because they aren’t confident they’ll find another home to buy.” And that, he says, is “leading to the ongoing inventory shortages and subsequent run-up in prices seen in many markets.”  This same report places a fair amount of blame on "subpar homebuilding activity," as home builders are still trailing behind the demand.  

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Tis the Season of Property Value Protests

Thursday, May 14, 2015
by Christie Cannon

christie cannon keller williams frisco tx

The season is upon us - let the tax protests begin!  So the dreaded letter arrived; the good news, the market is up; the bad news, your local appraiser knows it!

So when your tax assessed value jumps the full 10%, what comes next?  First don't panic, second review our helpful tips on determining if you should protest.

  1. Key things to keep in mind
    1. There are generally no costs in contesting your tax value (if you do so on your own), 
    2. There is no separate penalty for protesting your taxes but not succeeding,
    3. Most counties allow for an "informal review" & even encourage such a review prior to an ARB (Appraisal Review Board) hearing,
    4. County procedures differ for the request of a review or protest (some allow mail or electronic methods, others require a scheduled appointment conducted in person),
    5. Like most "government" services, there is a processes that appears mush more complex than it actually is,
    6. Your fellow citizens & residents serve as part of the final Appraisal Review Board,
    7. You have a right to review the information that the appraisal office used in determining your value.
  2. Thoroughly review your Notice of Appraised Value
    1. Have you taken full advantage of tax exceptions for which you qualify (Homestead if owned before Jan 1st, Over 65, etc),
    2. Is the information on your appraisal about your home correct?,
    3. is the information on the CAD's (Central Appraisal District) website correct (bedrooms, SqFt, etc)
    4. Did your appraised value increase greater than 10%, if you have a homestead exemption & no new improvements.
  3. Understand what you can protest
    1. Proposed value,
    2. Denied exemptions for which you believe you qualify,
    3. Incorrect information regarding the scope or use of your property,
    4. Incorrect owner,
    5. Incorrect taxing units (authorities),
    6. Defects of the home or property that would otherwise affect the value.
  4. Understand how value is derived in Texas for the property tax assessed value
    1. Appraisers look for homes that sold closest to Jan 1st in the tax year assessed
    2. Homes that are closest in size, year built, location, age, & construction style are given the greatest weight.
  5. Be Prepared - Bring organized data whether you are meeting "informally" with an appraiser or for an ARB hearing
    1. If you purchased or refinanced your home recently (especially close to Jan 1st) and your tax assessed value exceeds your sales price, bring your signed HUD-1 &/or a copy of the appraisal conducted for your mortgage
    2. Bring Sales Comps for comparable properties (see 4.2) & include: address, sale date, sale price, supporting docs, names of owners, MLS information, etc.
    3. Proof of defects of your home, functional or economic obsolescence
  6. Know your Dates, Deadlines, & Procedures
    1. File on-time or you may miss your chance
    2. In most cases your protest must be filed by May 31st (*CHECK with your CAD!)
  7. READ YOUR COUNTY's PROTEST INFORMATION CAREFULLY - if you don't understand something, give them a call!
    1. Denton CAD (click for info)
    2. Dallas CAD (click for info)
    3. Collin CAD (click for info)

 - Good Luck & please let me know if you have any questions - Christie Cannon

* Be sure to check with a qualified tax agent & your county's central appraisal district for specific procedures & questions.

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Interest Rate projection costs

Saturday, April 4, 2015
by Christie Cannon

The Difference A Year Can Make [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters

The Bottom Line:

  • Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey reports the 30-year fixed rate at 3.7%.
  • Freddie Mac's projection for Q2 2016 - interest rates will be 4.7%.
  • The Home Price Expectation Survey predicts prices (national averages) will appreciate by 4.4% during this same time
Want to discuss if now is the right time for your home purchase?  Please call to discuss! - Christie Cannon - 469-951-9588 
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Real Estate Comeback of Bubble?

Monday, March 30, 2015
by Christie Cannon

Is Another Bubble Forming? | Keeping Current Matters

After the housing market bust we experienced across the country in 2008, many experts have been quick to warn that a new bubble may be forming in some areas.

One particular example of this is a recent article pointing toward the California Bay Area’s price gains over the last 18 months.

The quickest and easiest way to show how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go in regards to the ‘Peak’ is to share CoreLogic’s Price & Time Since Peak figures, used to create the map below.

CoreLogic Price & Time Since Peak | Keeping Current Matters

Even with the high performance of prices in the Bay Area, the state of California as a whole is still -14.4% below their Peak, experienced in May of 2006.

The biggest challenge facing the housing market’s recovery right now is the lack of inventory available for sale. Prices are determined by supply and demand. Right now buyer demand is out-pacing seller supply, across many price ranges, driving prices up.

Bottom Line

Traditionally the Spring months have been the most popular dates sellers choose to list their homes. With additional inventory coming to market soon, meet with a professional in your local market to evaluate your best course of action.

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Displaying blog entries 341-350 of 376

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Photo of Christie Cannon Real Estate
Christie Cannon
Keller Williams Realty
5933 Preston Road #300
Frisco TX 75034
972-215-7747
Fax: 972-215-7748
Send an Email
Keller Williams Frisco - The Christie Cannon Team - http://www.christiecannon.com

 

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