Category: Real Estate

Homeownership Remains the American Dream | Realtor Magazine

Homeownership remains the number one accomplishment of achieving the American dream, according to the 2017 Hearth State of the American Dream Report, based on a survey of 2,000 Americans.

The consumers surveyed said the most important elements of the American dream are:
#1. Owning a home I love (19%)
#2. Affording rent and living expenses without hardship (15%)
#3. Starting a family (14%)
#4. Finding a fulfilling career (14%)
#5. Sending my child to college (10%)
#6. Building retirement savings (9%)
#7. Being able to afford luxuries (7%)
#8. Owning a car (5%)
#9. Earning more than my parents (social mobility) (3%)
#10. Owning a pet (2%)

However, Americans fear that portions of their American dream may be slipping away, according to the survey conducted by Hearth, a “fintech” startup that helps homeowners make financial decisions during renovations. Fewer than one in five Americans surveyed say they are fulfilling their American dream. Eighteen percent said they are fully living the American dream, while 36 percent say they are living only parts of it and 28 percent say it’s within reach.

Forty-nine percent of millennials surveyed who were renting their home said that owning a home was crucial to them. Ninety-four percent of the millennials surveyed said that homeownership is important to achieving the American dream, with 55 percent saying owning a home they love is “very important.”

Ninety-seven percent of homeowners surveyed believe renovations are an important part to the American dream. Fifty-five percent of homeowners said owning a home they love is crucial, but only 3 percent believe they could achieve an American dream home without a renovation, according to the survey.

Overall, the top three U.S. states for consumers who say they are living the full American dream are Wyoming (40%), Delaware (38%), and Colorado (36%).

Wasting Money | Household Money Saving Tips | Are Extended Warranties Worth It

The washer/dryer combo was perfect! Such a delightful way to brighten laundry day — with a cheerfully colored front-loader set. They could actually make laundry fun!

“They were this gorgeous, greenish-teal, and they looked great in my laundry room,” says Eliesa Prettelt, avid DIYer and author of “A Pinterest Addict” blog.

But after barreling through three sets in four years, she knew she’d made a mistake. “They looked so pretty, but I had nothing but problems with them,” she says.

She eventually gave up and got nondescript, white, commercial-grade top-loaders she scored for less than half the cost of her original machines. They may be plain, she says, but “I’ve had no problems since.”

Lesson learned. The hard way. Now for learning the easy way. Here are seven common money mistakes homeowners make — and now you won’t.

1. Contractor House Calls

Think you need a pro to fix that leaky toilet? You’d be surprised how easy it can be to fix it yourself — and save the typical $45 to $150 per hour plumbers can charge (and don’t forget the boost in your can-do attitude!). You can often find home remedies for small jobs like a leaky faucet or broken garbage disposal on YouTube. Just be sure it’s a reputable source. And check out several videos on the same repair. That’ll help make sure no crucial step is missed.

“We save a couple hundred dollars per year by doing small home repairs ourselves,” says Lauren Greutman, frugal living expert and author of “The Recovering Spender: How to Live a Happy, Fulfilled, Debt-Free Life.”

For those who prefer an expert, Greutman suggests smaller, local retail appliance stores. “It’s a little-known secret that they usually have repair men that are very inexpensive,” she says.

2. Extended Warranties

It’s tempting to insure your new, big purchase, but according to Consumer Reports, you’re probably already as covered as you need to be.

How’s that? Most major appliances come with at least a 90-day manufacturer’s warranty. Buy with a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express) and it will likely double that standard warranty.

Combine that with the fact that “Consumer Reports” found most products won’t break during the standard two- or three-year service contract period. When they do, the repair cost is usually just a few dollars more than the cost of the warranty.

Instead of paying for an extended warranty, stash the cash in a savings account earmarked for home repairs. When you need it, it’ll be there.

3. Flashy Feature Appliances

The newest appliances come with super fun features. Who wouldn’t want an oven that talks, remote access to your A/C, or bottle jets in the dishwasher (paging new parents!)? Still, it may not be financially wise to replace a fully functioning older model just to gain modern perks. So says Arthur Teel, owner and operator of The Handyman Plan in Asheville, N.C.

Circuit boards break, and energy efficiency numbers don’t always add up,” he says.

Yup. That’s even true for some energy-efficient appliances that boast cost savings. “Spend $1,000 on a new, energy-efficient stove and it could take 10 years of energy savings to offset the cost of the new stove,” he says. “Unless you have a really old appliance, it’s probably efficient enough for your needs. Also, putting the appliance into the landfill isn’t exactly great for the environment.”

4. Budget Bulbs

Incandescents may be easy on your everyday household budget, but they’re tough on your energy bill. Start replacing them now with LEDs. To help swallow the initial costs, just replace them as they die out. A typical LED bulb can recuperate its cost in a little over a year (at least according to manufacturers, so in reality it’s probably a bit longer, but not enough to quibble about). Even better, since LEDs can last a decade or more, you won’t have to buy bulbs as often, and your energy costs will be lower!

5. Commercial Cleaning Supplies

Even if you’re buying off-brand products to save costs, you’re still wasting money. You don’t have to spend anywhere near the cost of commercial products.

“Vinegar will clean a lot of things, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying pricey cleaning supplies,” says Prettelt. She also likes baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, each of which can be found for just a fraction of the cost of their popular store-bought equivalents.

“You can use these natural products in your dishwasher, in your garbage disposal, in your wash,” Prettelt adds. Easy peasy. And it’s super cheap.

That’s right. You can make dishwasher soap from a cup each of borax and washing soda, a half-cup kosher salt, and five packets unsweetened lemonade mix. Or whip up your own window cleaner with these simple ingredients:

• half-cup white vinegar
• rubbing alcohol
• two cups of water
• two tablespoons of cornstarch

All those ingredients cost pennies. And to think you were paying $2-$4 for the commercial kind.

6. A Storage Unit

If it doesn’t fit in your home, is it really worth keeping? Ditch nostalgia and think with your bank account: At a cost of between $50 and $300 per month, it may be time to purge the junk.

If you can’t bear to part with something you don’t use regularly — say, great-grandma’s heirloom china — rethink your home’s organizational storage. Clean out the closet, craft shelves beneath the stairs, or build window seats with drawer storage. You’ll be investing in your home instead of giving money to a storage vendor.

7. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

Bought your house with less than 20% down? You’re probably paying for PMI (a type of insurance that guarantees your mortgage lender will be covered if you default). It costs between $600 and $1,200 per year for a typical home. But once your loan-to-value ratio drops to 80%, you’re not required to pay it. But the lender isn’t required to drop it until it reaches 78%.

That 2% difference could cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars, depending on your home’s mortgage balance. So, keep an eye on your statement and whip out that calculator when you’re getting close. Then, if you’re feeling really savvy, keep paying that amount every month — but apply it to your mortgage principal instead. Do that, and you could recoup your PMI fees. Because as you pay down your principal, you’ll pay less in interest, potentially saving thousands. Now how savvy is that?

How to Get a Mortgage Without a Full-Time, Permanent Job – @Redfin

The growing number of gig economy workers in this country may have the freedom to work whenever they want, and sometimes from wherever they want, but when it comes to buying a home, all of that freedom has its price.

It turns out employees who have many part-time jobs, hop from one short-term contract or project to the next, or rely on freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs, don’t come packaged in the tidy financial box that mortgage lenders typically like.

“Historically the mortgage industry wants everything — residency, credit score and a two-year history of employment. And we’re also trying to predict the likelihood of that continuing for the next three years,” said Whitney Fite, senior vice president, strategic accounts for Atlanta-based Angel Oak Home Loans. “With the gig economy, we’re seeing less and less people fitting in that box.”

Gig economy workers don’t often have the requisite stack of W-2s to document wages. And predictions for future income can be murky. All of which can make obtaining a mortgage an uphill climb unless you, as the gig economy worker, do your homework and start preparing your finances and paperwork well in advance.

Here are six tips to help prepare you for the home loan application process.

1. Get Organized

The No. 1 piece of advice Fite has for gig economy workers who want to own a home is to spend time organizing all of your documentation, including proof of employment and income, the names and phone numbers of references, previous employers, landlords and more. You’ll also want to pull your credit scores so you know exactly where you stand. You can get your two free credit scores on Credit.com.

“Have all of your records, have all the dates of where you worked, who you worked for. It’s going to be onerous from a documentation standpoint, but you need to be prepared,” said Fite.

Gathering this information is more important for gig economy workers than typical borrowers, because you will have to work harder to convince a mortgage lender to approve a home loan.

2. Go the Extra Mile to Educate Your Mortgage Lender

You need to be able to explain to your mortgage lender what you do for a living.

Take the time to educate him or her about your job. Perhaps print out a news article or other information that will help a lender understand what you do.

“You need to prove that your past two years are normal. And that the likelihood of continuance is there,” said Fite. “Be prepared to supply a lot of documentation for that, such as articles about your industry. Things of that nature go a long way. The mortgage lender is not going to make a decision based on it, but it will help create a level of comfort.”

In addition, showing consistency in terms of the type of work you do will improve your chances of obtaining a mortgage, said John Moran, a mortgage professional who runs The Home Mortgage Pro.

A mortgage underwriter is looking for a stable history. Even if the gigs themselves start and stop frequently, gigs within the same industry or utilizing the same skill set will be considered more favorably.

3. Ease Up on the Deductions…

Self-employed individuals, as gig economy workers typically are, often use a Schedule C when filing taxes to report income and write off numerous expenses tied to working the way they do.

The downside of deducting a long list of expenses from your income is that it reduces your profits on paper. You may bring in $73,000 in a given year. But after deducting the cost of everything from internet and cell phone bills, to travel, business meals and professional memberships, your net income on paper may be far less.

“Use caution in how you’re deducting expenses as it’s the net income that’s used to qualify for a mortgage, not the gross pay,” said Kevin Hardin, a senior loan officer with HomeStreet Bank. “It’s tempting to use the full breadth of the IRS tax laws to reduce taxable income, but every dollar that is reduced from that taxable income reduces the income that can be used for qualifying for a mortgage.”

So, if you know you want to buy a home in the near future, consider forgoing some or all of the deductions for a year or two to increase the income you’re reporting.

4. …But First, Talk With a Mortgage Officer About Your Goals

Before completely doing away with claiming any or all expenses on your tax return, however, talk to a mortgage officer about your home buying goals. (Here are some tips for finding a good mortgage lender.)

“Go to a mortgage officer and say, ‘This is the amount of home I want to buy, how much income will I need to show?’” said Hardin. “Don’t just arbitrarily stop writing things off.”

In other words, get educated about the income you’ll need to show on paper first, before throwing write-offs out the window. Once you’ve identified how much mortgage you’d like, it will be easier to determine what the monthly mortgage payment would be and thus, how much income you’ll need to be able to document.

“The first step is to talk to a mortgage loan officer and then take that information to your tax preparer and say, ‘This is the number I need to hit in terms of income,’” Hardin said.

5. Get Your Debt Down

Let’s stress this one more time — because you are a gig economy worker, mortgage lenders will require more assurance that you’re qualified for a loan and that you’re a good risk.

To that end, work to get your debt down to zero, or as low as possible before applying for a mortgage, and keep your credit score in excellent standing, said Casey Fleming, a mortgage adviser since 1995 and author of The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage.

“Self-employed borrowers are going to be held to a higher standard because there is an added layer of risk with them,” said Fleming.

6. Try a ‘Bank Statement’ Mortgage

Newly emerging “bank statement” mortgage programs may be a good option for self-employed or gig economy workers to consider, said Fite, of Angel Oak Home Loans.

Such mortgages rely upon reviewing 12 to 24 months worth of deposits to one bank account  and a profit and loss statement for your business, in lieu of the traditional two years of tax returns, W-2s, and payroll checks.

“These are geared toward the gig economy. It’s a rapidly growing segment of mortgages across our industry,” said Fite.

A variety of mortgage lenders are beginning to offer this loan option.

Staging: More Money, Fewer Days on Market, Report Shows

To many real estate pros, home staging has gone from a luxury to a necessity. The National Association of REALTORS® found in a recent survey that sixty-two percent of sellers’ agents believe staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market, and a third say it increases the selling price.

The survey also found that staging can help buyers envision themselves living in that home. NAR’s Home Staging Report found that another 77 percent say that staging makes it easier for the buyers to visualize the property as their home. Staging can help transform a home into the type of residence that is demanded and desired in the market.

Some staging services that can be useful include photoshoot styling services. This involves prepping and photographing staged living areas to be featured in an online listing. This staging service is attractive because many home buyers are beginning their home search online and a nicely designed home can draw a buyer to the open house. Independent of how the market is, a staged home has a move-in ready feel and buyers will pay for it.

Of course, these benefits don’t come free. Staging services can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the home’s condition, desired outcomes, size, and where it is and whether it is occupied or vacant. But home staging doesn’t have to involve a complete makeover. As NAR’s 2017 Profile of Home Staging shows, there are really three rooms one should consider staging: living room, kitchen, and the master bedroom.

Home buyers decide within eight seconds of seeing a home whether they like a home or not, according to the Real Estate Staging Association. That first impression can be long lasting. To help you learn more about the topic, we spoke with an NAR researcher and a Chicago-area stager and report on what they say.

5 Home Maintenance Tips for Fall | Realtor Magazine

• Check the roof. Sun exposure can cause warping, fading, chipping, and other deformities to roofs and siding materials. Inspect the roof for cracks or other damages, and repair any issues before winter.
• Sweep the chimney. If there is a blockage, or if residue is built up, the risk of fire and other safety issues increases. Homeowners will want to make sure the chimney is clean and in tip-top shape for winter use.
• Clean the gutters. Check gutters for leaves or other debris that may be blocking water flow. Be sure to clear them out so water can properly drain. Gutters are essential in preventing water damage and other costly repairs.
• Check weather stripping and caulking. This is essential to keep windows and doors sealed. Windows and doors may become slightly detached from their frames during colder months, so it’s important to make sure they are properly attached at the beginning of the season.
• Check out floors. With all the heat and moisture of the summer months, floors may be showing some signs of wear and tear. Scratched, dull, or damaged floors should be professionally scuff-sanded and recoated.

Mortgage Rates Hit New Yearly Lows | Realtor Magazine

Average mortgage rates moved lower this week, as the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to sit well below 4 percent.

“The 10-year Treasury yield fell to a new 2017 low on Tuesday,” says Freddie Mac chief economist Sean Becketti. “In response, the 30-year mortgage rate dropped four basis points to 3.82 percent, reaching a new year-to-date low for the second consecutive week. However, recent releases of positive economic data could halt the downward trend of mortgage rates.”

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the most recent week through Aug. 31:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.82 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 3.86 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.46 percent.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.12 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 3.16 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 2.77 percent.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.14 percent, with an average 0.5 point, also falling from last week’s 3.17 percent average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.83 percent.

Simple Home Fixes to Attract Buyers | Realtor Magazine

If your sellers are looking for easy ways to increase a home’s value and get buyers’ attention before their home hits the market, here are three quick fixes for kitchens and bathrooms from Matt Karlin, president and CEO of Nemo Tile + Stone.

1. Refresh with color. As a 20-year industry veteran, Karlin has seen a lot of color trends come and go. When it comes to selecting a palette that looks fresh and has broad appeal, it’s best to go with whites and neutrals, Karlin says. Plus, if your seller is working with a small bathroom or kitchen, he recommends favoring a pale palette because it will also make the space look bigger. Sellers could also add a border of metallic tile as an accent to the room to give it a more modern look, he says.

2. Update the floors and walls. These areas receive serious wear and tear, Karlin says, so a smart move is to upgrade to a durable porcelain tile. Current design trends are replicating classic terrazzo and even wood textures. Porcelain tiles are great alternatives to traditional flooring materials, he adds.

3. Choose larger tiles. Oversized tiles not only are cost -effective (bigger tiles cover a larger area) but also help make a small room seem larger, Karlin says. He also recommends selecting simple patterns: Avoid anything too busy to ensure a clean yet modern look.

Half of Homes Sold in Less Than a Month | Realtor Magazine

Fifty-one percent of homes sold in July were on the market for less than a month, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ existing-home sales report, released Thursday.

Properties typically stayed on the market for 30 days in July, down from 36 days a year ago.

“Buyer interest in most of the country has held up strongly this summer and homes are selling fast, but the negative effect of not enough inventory to choose from and its pressure on overall affordability put the brakes on what should’ve been a higher sales pace” for existing-home sales last month, says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “Contract activity has mostly trended downward since February and ultimately put a large dent on closings last month.”

Total existing-home sales—including completed transactions for single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops—decreased 1.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.44 million in July. Last month’s sale pace is the lowest of 2017, but it is still 2.1 percent above a year ago.

Large declines last month in existing-home sales in the Northeast and Midwest offset sale increases in the South and West, NAR reported.

“July was the fourth consecutive month that the typical listing went under contract in under one month,” says Yun. “This speaks to the significant pent-up demand for buying rather than any perceived loss of interest. The frustrating inability for new-home construction to pick up means inadequate supply levels will keep markets competitive heading into the fall.” 

Home prices across the country continued to rise last month. NAR reported that the median existing-home price for all housing types in July was $258,300, up 6.2 percent from a year ago.

Meanwhile, inventories of homes for sale remain tight. The total housing inventory at the end of July dropped 1 percent to 1.92 million existing homes available for sale. Inventories are now 9 percent lower than a year ago (2.11 million). Unsold inventory is at a 4.2-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a 4.8-month supply a year ago.

“Home prices are still rising above incomes and way too fast in many markets,” Yun says. “REALTORS® continue to say prospective buyers are frustrated by how quickly prices are rising for the minimal selection of homes that fit buyers’ budget and wish list.”

 

5 Things to Never Tell a Contractor | Realtor Magazine

Contractors may be your client’s go-to person during a home renovation. To ensure things go smoothly, realtor.com® warns of a few phrases homeowners should never say to the contractor, including:

1. “I’m not in a hurry.”

Don’t put too much pressure on the contractor. This phrase implies the contractor and crew can take as much time as they’d like with the home project, Victoria Shtainer, a residential expert at Compass New York, told realtor.com®. Time is often money and convenience.

2. “We had no idea this would be so expensive.”

“There is no worse feeling than bidding on a project, feeling good about your bid, and learning that the budget for the project is set unreasonably low,” says Nathan Outlaw, CEO of Onvico Inc., a general contracting company. “A good lesson for contractors and owners is to always get the money talks started during an early conversation.”

3. “I’ll buy my own materials.”

Contractors are often eligible for better pricing on materials. Still, “it isn’t necessarily a bad idea to check what materials a contractor is using for things like the subfloor or cabinets,” Outlaw says. “But trust them to use a good, well-established supplier to have the materials brought to the job site.”

4. “I’ll pay up front.”

Don’t take away your bargaining card from the start. A contract between you and the contractor will ensure the contractor will get paid, but make it contingent on the job being done to your satisfaction. You want to be able to hold the contractor accountable for the work they do.

5. “I’m old-school. We can use a handshake.”

“When a client says this, I know it’s time to run for the hills,” says Outlaw. “There should never be any fear about getting the scope of work and payment terms in writing.” A contract protects you and the contractor from the project being done on budget and in a timely manner. Get everything in writing first. 

4 Scary Risks ‘For Sale By Owner’ Home Sellers Face | realtor.com®

Going the “For Sale by Owner” route is a tempting alternative to hiring a real estate agent to sell your home. After all, listing agents charge a commission for their work that can eat into your own profits. So why not try to save money by selling your home yourself?

Here’s why: There are some major risks with going FSBO, from a lower sales price to landing in legal hot water. So before you pursue this DIY route, here’s a warning of some of the bad things you might encounter when you attempt a FSBO arrangement.

1. Your listing won’t be seen by many buyers

One key thing a real estate agent will do for you is create an eye-catching ad for your home, with attractive photos and a winning description that will reel in buyers (by, say, playing up those hardwood floors and granite countertops). Sure, you can probably cobble together your own ad, but there’s one thing you absolutely can’t do if you go FSBO: Post that ad on the multiple listing service.

 

Real estate agents pay to put their listings on the MLS, which is then distributed far and wide, including to sites such as realtor.com®. Which is great, since that way you know your home can be seen by thousands of potential buyers and their agents. With FSBO, however, your home won’t go on the MLS; instead, it’ll go on sites that cater to FSBO listings, which get far less traffic.

“There are thousands of agents trying to sell your house when it’s on the MLS, but when you do it alone, only one person is trying to sell your house—you,” notes Realtor® Denise Briez with Pro100 in Neosho, MO.

2. Your home could sell for a much lower price

Pricing a home can be far more challenging than most newbies assume. The majority of sellers price their home based on emotions, or what they hope it should sell for in some dreamy best-case scenario.

“Often the seller is too personally invested in the situation and too close to be objective,” says John Powell, chief development officer at Help-U-Sell Real Estate in Tucson, AZ.

But buyers want a bargain, and they know when a place is overpriced. As such, listings with bloated prices tend to sit—and sit—on the market. Even if you eventually lower the price, buyers are likely to wonder at that point if there’s something wrong with your house since it’s languished on the market so long.

A real estate agent, by contrast, will provide an accurate home value based on a solid market analysis, plus serve as a buffer between you and buyers to facilitate successful negotiations and a resolution both parties can live with. This, in turn, means you can earn top dollar for your home—which means your agent will likely earn every penny he’s paid.

3. You could run into legal trouble

Selling a home is fraught with legal pitfalls that only a real estate agent will know. As such, when you choose the FSBO route, you could do something that skirts the law but not even know it.

“There are a lot of potential legal problems that can arise during home selling,” says David Welch, a Realtor with Re/Max 200 Realty in Winter Park, FL. “I would say disclosure requirements may be your most likely issue. Most states, maybe all of them, have requirements involving seller’s disclosure of defects in the property.”

Disclosure requirements vary by state, but might include information on lead-based paint, nearby environmental hazards or sex offenders, and even whether someone died in the house. If you know of such info but keep mum, you could be committing a prosecutable offense and have one highly irate buyer on your hands to boot.

4. You might end up with a buyer who doesn’t pan out

Even if your FSBO listing gets an offer that you accept, you’re not out of the woods quite yet. For one, buyers fall through or back out for all sorts of reasons. For instance, you might inadvertently choose a buyer who can’t get a loan, which means you’ll have to start back at square one.

A real estate agent will be your ally in confirming a buyer is pre-approved for the correct loan amount, and then will ensure there is an airtight contract in place so the entire process will proceed smoothly.

Due to the risks of FSBO homes, many sellers eventually realize they can’t afford to not hire a real estate agent. So make sure to weigh the FSBO trade-offs against your money, time, and peace of mind.