Palm Springs Real Estate Podcast with Will Cook

An Important Update for the Palm Springs Area Market

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Thu, 17 May 2018 13:47:00 -0700

It’s time for a market update. Let’s take a look at how current conditions are contributing to rising prices and declining supply.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

What’s going on in our local real estate market?

In general, we’ve been in a strong seller’s market recently. This can be determined by looking at the “months of supply” ratio, which measures the balance of supply and demand. In this case, supply refers to our current available inventory while demand refers to sales.

A balance of low supply and high demand is what leads us to a seller’s market in the realm of real estate. Our current ratio, which is at 4.2 months, is the lowest May 1 figure we’ve seen since 2013.

And the average number of days on market this April was 64—the lowest figure for that month in the last five years.

Returning to the subject of supply, let’s discuss how price range can impact these figures. For all price brackets below $700,000, the months of supply ratio is below six months. Homes at and above the $800,000 price point have experienced considerable improvement in terms of supply.

Now is a great time to enter the market.

Inventory, though, continues to shrink overall. As of May 1, there were 3,622 units available on our market. This is 870 fewer units than were on the market at this time last year.

Diminishing inventory is one half of what’s been driving up home prices, recently. And if typical seasonal patterns persist, inventory is likely to continue its decline until September.

Taking a closer look at appreciation, Cathedral City, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert stand out as the three local cities with the greatest price momentum for detached homes. These cities have 12-month gains of 15.6%, 12.7%, and 11.8% respectively.

Palm Springs has been the region leader in terms of price, with a current median of
$656,100. This is 9.3% above the previous all-time high we saw in 2006.

With all of these considerations in mind, now is a great time to enter the market. Sellers have a great opportunity to take advantage of current market conditions. Buyers considering using financing to purchase a home are facing some urgency at the moment, though, as the impending rise of interest rates will negatively impact purchasing power.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

4 Reasons Your Insurance Company Will Drop You

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:55:00 -0700

There are a number of things that could prompt your insurance company to drop your coverage. Today, I’ll be going over four common reasons this can happen.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Homeowners usually see their payments to the home insurance company as a necessary evil. The coverage they offer protects your home, your belongings, and your investment. Still, shelling out thousands to an insurance company can hit your wallet hard. It may seem like a large financial burden, but did you know that an insurance company can choose to drop you altogether? Violating the terms of your agreement, not paying your premiums, or committing fraud are all examples of how this can happen. But, your coverage can also be jeopardized for other reasons. If your insurer feels you or your home are too risky to cover, you could have a hard time finding another company that will provide you with coverage. Today, I’d like to share four common reasons an insurance company will drop you: 1. You have an old roof. This might surprise you, but having an old roof can prompt your insurance company to ask you to replace it. If you don’t, they may drop your coverage. The average lifespan of a roof is 30 years. After that length of time, your roof will become more susceptible to issues like water damage. Since water damage is the most commonly submitted home insurance claim, insurance companies want to ensure your home is not at risk. Nevertheless, age alone won’t trigger a non-renewal. If your insurance company notices issues with your roof, you can expect a letter asking that you make repairs.

Don’t use your insurance policy as a maintenance policy by filing claims that barely meet your deductible.

2. You have too many claims. This might sound unfair, but it happens. Insurance companies will most likely drop a policy if you file more than one claim in the same policy term. Insurance is based on averages. The average consumer files a claim every nine or 10 years. So if you file more than that, the insurance company won’t see you as profitable. Pay close attention to how often you file claims, especially if you bundle your insurance. 3. They don’t want to cover a specific area. This might happen if the insurance company is finding that too many claims are coming in from a certain area or state. If your area is prone to crime, flooding, or fires, the insurance company may decide to cease coverage. Thankfully, there are other ways to pursue coverage if this happens to you. You can always discuss your options with an independent broker. 4. They have an issue with your pets. Insurance companies may exclude certain pets from their policies. If your pet is exotic or considered high-risk, this may pose a problem for your coverage. With all of these things in mind, remember that there are steps you can take to stay in your insurance company’s good graces. Perform regular maintenance and make necessary repairs as soon as you become aware of them. Don’t use your insurance policy as a maintenance policy by filing claims that barely meet your deductible. Have money set aside for regular maintenance and repairs, and save your insurance for major issues. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon

Boost Your Home’s Value With These 4 Steps

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 08:16:00 -0700

There are four steps you can take in order to prepare your home to sell for top dollar.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Every seller wants to get as much money as possible for their home, but few know how to accomplish this. As it turns out, there are four steps you can take to prepare your home to sell for top dollar. 1. Do the ordinary updates. These updates include replacing rotten wood, taking care of a leaky roof, getting rid of mold, and remediating other water intrusion issues. It’s also a good idea to put a new coat of paint on the walls. Buyers tend to look over houses very carefully, so it’s important to check out every inch of your home and update what you can without breaking the bank. 2. Consider remodeling or updating your kitchen. If it looks dated, repaint the walls, install a new backsplash, and purchase new, energy-efficient appliances. If you’re going to repaint, consider using low VOC paint, as it has fewer harsh chemicals and is more eco-friendly.

A great outdoor space can make or break a sale.

3. Improve your outdoor environment. A great outdoor space can make or break a sale, especially here in the greater Palm Springs area, where we enjoy so many months of incredible weather. Update your landscaping by installing drought-tolerant flowering plants or perhaps an outdoor seating area. For larger projects, you might want to consider creating a covered outdoor entertainment space, or possibly some hardscaping with pavers and a firepit. If your pool needs cleaning or resurfacing, go ahead and do that. Additionally, be sure to take advantage of any views that your property has. 4. Prioritize energy efficiency. More buyers today than ever are looking for energy-efficient installments. To take advantage of this, consider replacing your windows, buying Energy Star appliances, or installing LED canned lighting. These features are not only appealing to prospective buyers, but they can also lower your energy bills while you’re still living in the home. If you have any questions about this or other real estate topics, please feel free to give me a call or send a text or email. I’d be happy to answer them for you.

How to Be a Smart Seller in a Seller's Market

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 7 Mar 2018 08:56:00 -0800

When the market favors sellers, it can be tempting to test your luck with your listing. Today, I’d like to go over what you should do instead.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

When you start the process of selling your home, you have to make a shift in your perception. Think of home selling as a business. When you list your home, imagine you’re selling a product in a much larger market.

You can ignore the market, but to do so would likely lead to a lot of regrets. There are a lot of risks associated with pricing your home incorrectly, one of them being that you could wind up with less money than if you priced your home appropriately to begin with.

When the market is hot, it’s tempting to test it. But, buyers are smart. They have access to a much higher level of data these days. So, as they search for their next home, they make a lot of comparisons between different properties.

Rather than testing the market, it’s important to price your home correctly from the start. Buyers won’t put an offer on an overpriced listing, and there are three reasons why:

1. They don’t want to offend the seller. It goes against human nature to offer significantly less than what is being asked.

2. They believe the seller knows the home is overpriced. This belief may be erroneous, but buyers tend to truly feel that if a seller wanted to strike a deal they would lower the price.

3. They assume the seller has already turned down low offers. They think, surely, someone must have already tested the price. In reality, the listing may not have seen any offers yet at all.

It is entirely possible, in a seller's market, to get multiple offers on your home if you price it correctly, especially if you list it in a range where a lot of buyers can qualify and absorption rates are low

When you list your home, imagine you’re selling a product in a much larger market.

When pricing your home, make sure you listen to your Realtor about the current value of your home. Putting your home at or just below market value provides a compelling reason for buyers to submit offers. However, buyers will only be motivated to make an offer over asking price if they have good reason to do so. One common reason they might do this is if they’re competing with another buyer.

Make sure you carefully review each offer you get once they start coming in. One offer may be a few thousand dollars higher than another, but there are other factors you should consider when deciding between multiple offers. The offer with the highest price may not be the right choice over another offer that is lower but has better terms or comes in cash. When examining offers, pay attention to any possible contingencies.

Above everything else, make sure you’re letting your Realtor guide you through pricing your home and selecting an offer.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

A Market Update for the Palm Springs Area

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 08:27:00 -0800

What are the latest trends of the Palm Springs area market? I’ll fill you in on the numbers today.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Are you up-to-date about what’s going on in our local real estate market?

As of February 1, the months-of-supply ratio was 4.9, which is a record-low ratio and is responsible for the continued trend of being in a seller’s market. The chart shown at 0:44 in the video shows that March is usually the high in this ratio, and we expect it not to exceed five months of supply for the entire year.

This is a considerable improvement over the last three years, when it often went above six months for extended periods of time. This indicates that inventory should remain low and tight in 2018, making it a seller’s market in general, and putting upward pressure on pricing.

The days on market remains low as well, at just 66 days. The inventory improvement compared to a year ago is found in all price brackets, but especially between $400,000 and $800,000. As we expect, the months-of-supply ratio increases at higher prices, but it doesn’t really start until prices get over $700,000, while inventory ratios for prices above $900,000 are better than a year ago—that segment of the market is still a buyer’s market.

Our continued price appreciation and lower inventory point to a great time to consider selling your Greater Palm Springs area home.

Inventory rose by 330 units in January for a total of 4,083 units listed by February 1. As the graph at 2:06 in the video indicates, for the last five years, January has shown an increase in inventory. With some January increases larger than others, the largest increase was in January of 2016, when it rose by 1,000 units. If inventory continues its historical pattern, we should see a peak sometime next month in the low 4,000s, then slowly declining. This continuing low supply of inventory should put upward pressure on pricing.

Year-over-year changes in single-family or detached median home prices of the nine major cities remain very strong. Only LaQuinta has a lower median price than it did a year ago. The other eight cities are all higher.

The attached, or condo, market continues to show marginal price increases. The two largest condo cities—Palm Springs and Palm Desert—show increase of 4.9% and 3% respectively. With the threat of inflation, interest rates have begun to climb, and most experts project a steady trend towards a 5%, 30-year fixed rate by the end of the year.

Our continued price appreciation and lower inventory point to a great time to consider selling your Greater Palm Springs area home. If you’re a buyer who will be getting financing, there is some urgency to get into this market now before interest rates affect your purchasing power.

If you have any questions about the value of your home or you’d like to explore purchasing a home in the Palm Springs area, then please feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to help you out.

4 Ways the New Tax Bill Will Impact the Real Estate Market

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 5 Feb 2018 09:06:00 -0800

The new tax reform will impact the real estate market in four key ways. These changes indicate that now might be the time to start the process if you’re thinking about selling in 2018.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

I’ve gotten a lot of questions recently about how The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect the real estate world. There are four key tax changes that will impact the housing market:

1. Deductions for property taxes. Prior to the new tax bill, if you itemized deductions on your federal return, you were able to deduct the entire property tax bill along with any state income taxes. Going forward, this total amount will be capped at $10,000.

2. Deductions for mortgage interest. The final tax bill reduces the limit on deductible mortgage debt to $750,000 for or new loans that were taken after December 14, 2017. Other loans of up to $1 million prior to that time are grandfathered in.

3. Exclusion for capital gains. Previously, if sold your home and turned a profit, then up to $500,000 of that profit was exempted from the capital gains tax if you were married and had lived in the home for two out of the last five years. There was some concern that this rule would be changed so that you had to live in the home for five out of the last eight years, but no change occurred. You still only need to live in the for home two out of the last five years in order to claim this exemption

4. The deduction of moving expenses. You used to be able to deduct your moving expenses if you moved for a job, but the final bill repealed this rule and modified it so that you can only deduct your moving expenses if you’re a member of the U.S. armed forces.

The first two changes increase taxes on current homeowners who itemize. Therefore, they might make homeownership a little less attractive. This is why the NAR stated that we would see a 10% drop in prices in 2018. On the other hand, the last change makes it more expensive to sell your home. As a consequence, there may be more homes not coming on the market.

If you’re thinking about selling your home in 2018, now might be the right time to start the process.

We’ll have to see how things play out, but there seems to be a consensus among experts that these reforms might drive home prices down in the midterm.

On the bright side, sellers still get to keep the capital gains exemption, which is a huge win for real estate. If you’re thinking about selling your home in 2018, now might be the right time to start the process.

If you have any other questions about these changes or you need help buying or selling a home in our market, feel free to call or email me. I’d be glad to help you.

4 Key Strategies for Winning Any Bidding War

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 07:10:00 -0800

Right now, our Palm Springs market is seeing a lot of competition among buyers. Today, I’d like to offer some tips on how to win in bidding wars.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

As the housing market heats up here in our Greater Palm Springs area, homes priced under $700,000 have an absorption rate of 5.4 months. As a reminder, any absorption rate below six months equates to a seller’s market.

Since our market is currently trending in favor of sellers, it’s important that buyers prepare for the possibility of entering a bidding war during their home search. With that in mind, I’ve got four strategies to help you succeed against the competition and win out in bidding wars.

With the market trending toward sellers right now, buyers should be prepared to face bidding wars during their home search.

Understand how much home you can afford. Buying a home makes for a very emotional purchase. If you don’t know what your limit is, you could be suckered into buying more than you can afford. Your lender or financial advisor will be able to help you determine what your limits are.
Put your best foot forward early. If your first offer is one of several, you may not get the chance to improve it. In this scenario, let your first offer be your best. If it isn’t, you could be losing out on the home of your dreams.
Have your agent talk to the listing agent. This will help you better understand the motivations, wants, and needs of the seller. That way, you can better meet their terms. Proposing a shorter time frame, for example, may swing the deal in your favor.
Propose an as-is sale. The fewer conditions you put on the purchase of the property, the better the deal is for the seller. If you aren’t comfortable with an as-is sale, perhaps decrease the length of your due diligence period. You may also offer to pay for things that would customarily be paid for by the seller. Another option is to remove the appraisal or loan contingency.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

7 Tips to Buy a Home in 2018

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Thu, 7 Dec 2017 08:46:00 -0800

If you are preparing to buy a home in the new year, there are seven ways you can prepare.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today, I’d like to share seven tips you’ll need to keep in mind to buy a home in 2018.

1. Check your credit score. Your credit score is basically a numerical representation of your credit report. FICO credit scores range from 300 and 850. Having good credit is like gold when it comes to getting a mortgage. Those with credit higher than 740 will get the most competitive rates.

2. Do not open new credit cards. Opening up new lines of credit could damage your score, which would be detrimental to your overall purchasing power.

3. Consider asking for financial gifts for the holidays. Instead of requesting a tangible item, asking for a monetary gift could help you make progress toward your down payment and closing costs.

4. Start shopping for a real estate agent. Ideally, you should find someone who is knowledgeable and has experience in your area. You want someone who will work in your best interest and will be loyal to you.

5. Watch interest rates. Keeping an eye on trends pertaining to interest rates can help you stay on top of what’s going on in the market. Be sure to pay attention to government actions that may have an impact on rates.

6. Find a good mortgage lender. Your Realtor should be able to provide you with a good recommendation for lenders.

7. Get a pre-approval letter. This will demonstrate to any seller that you not only have the desire, but also the ability to purchase a home. When a market is trending toward sellers, demonstrating your qualifications as a buyer is very important.

Getting pre-approved will demonstrate to any seller that you not only have the desire, but also the ability to purchase a home.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What's Going on in Our Market Today?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:40:00 -0800

Today I have an update on what our local real estate market is doing.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today I’m going to give you an update on what our local real estate market is doing.

Our absorption rate, or months of sales, is 4.4. This number is confirming that we are continuing our trend as a seller’s market. This is the No. 1 indicator that confirms this trend.

The strength of our seller's market is confirmed also by a days-on-market reading of 70 days, which is three days fewer than less month. This is also the lowest number of days on market since October 2013.

As you can see in the graph displayed in the video at 1:17, we see lower months of supply ratios in all price brackets, which indicates the Valley’s improving housing market is broad-based and strengthening in all price ranges.

As you recall, a balanced market is a six-month absorption rate. That said, while the months of supply for homes priced over $900,000 has dropped from 10.9 to 9.3, this price bracket could still use some improvement, as these numbers are still a little high and indicate a bias toward buyers.

On November 1, Valley housing inventory started, as it does every year, an inevitable rise. The 384-unit increase in one month was relatively small, however, when compared to previous years. That’s a positive, and it’s primarily due to the higher sales volume in the summer months. At 3,625 units, our current inventory is 725 units less than it was last year at this time.

Our appreciation, home pricing, and lower inventory point to a great time to consider selling your home in the greater Palm Springs area

Year over year, the changes in the median home price of the nine major cities show overall strong gains but also a wide variation in the numbers.

For detached homes, year-over-year go from 16.2% in Desert Hot Springs to -4.3% in Indian Wells. We see similar results for attached homes but with an even wider spread in year-over-year changes. Here, they go from a 23% gain for Rancho Mirage—which is great— down to -29% for Desert Hot Springs.

It should be noted that the number of sales in Desert Hot Springs was very low, and some of that decline was due to statistical variations.

Interest rates have continued to remain steady and are hovering at about 4% with minimal fluctuation.

Our appreciation in home pricing, and lower inventory point to a great time to consider selling your home in the greater Palm Springs area. For buyers, while there is more competition and well-priced homes are moving, the lower interest rates create a compelling reason to get into this real estate market.

If you have any questions about the value of your home or are interested in exploring investing in real estate in the greater Palm Springs area, we’d love to be the ones to help you out. Just give us a call, text, email, or check us out on the web at www.WillCookGroup.com.

As always, if you have any real estate-related topics or questions that I can answer, please give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to make a video about it.

See you next time!

What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know About Real Estate Contracts

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 07:05:00 -0700

Today we’re going to talk about what it takes to make a real estate contract legal and binding.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today we’re going to talk about what it takes to make a real estate contract legal and binding.

All offers to purchase real estate should be in writing. An offer doesn’t have any teeth unless it’s in writing, and most sellers won’t respond to a verbal offer. The seller then has the opportunity to respond to the offer by either accepting it or countering it with terms and a price that are acceptable to him.

This process would continue with each counteroffer being signed by the presenting party until mutually acceptable terms and price are agreed upon. If there is no agreement, then the contract falls apart.

So in general, the offer becomes a contract on the date that both parties have signed. Once this happens, the contract is binding for both the buyer and the seller. The contract is one of the most important steps in the home buying process, as it clears the way for both parties to begin the transfer of property.

It means that the sellers can begin planning their move out and the buyers can work with their agent, lender, and escrow company to get their ducks in a row for closing. Of course, just how binding the contract is depends on the detail of the contract itself. Some contracts may have contingencies built in.

Typically, a buyer’s agent will try to build in as many contingencies as possible into the contract to keep the client from being tied down in case something unexpected comes up. A listing agent, on the other hand, will typically advocate for as few contingencies as possible and may even ask to tighten up some of the time frames of the contingencies because their client doesn’t want the buyer walking away from the deal.

Why may a buyer cancel a contract? One of the most common reasons that real estate deals fall through or fall apart is because of financing, or, specifically, a buyer’s inability to get financing from their lender. For example, an appraisal contingency protects the buyer and gives them the opportunity to walk away from the sale if the property does not appraise for the purchase price.

If the home fails to appraise or appraises lower than the purchase price, it usually means that the lender won’t be able to provide the buyers with as much financing as they need to actually close on the property.

The contract is one of the most important steps in the home buying process, as it clears the way for both parties to begin the transfer of property.

Other contingencies in the contracts include due diligence for a property passing a home inspection or a buyer’s property being sold before closing, or a title search that ensures the seller has the right to sell the property.

Sellers get some protection out of the contingency, like time limits for how long the buyer has to do their home inspections or to obtain their financing. But, most contingencies are written to protect the buyer and allow them an out if something goes wrong before closing. So, if contingencies aren’t met and the buyers walk away from the deal, they can typically get their funds that are held in escrow back, which could be like the earnest money deposit.

Should any of the contingencies not be met in a timely manner, the buyer should be able to dissolve the contract and walk away with no repercussions because that’s the point of the contingencies. Of course, if the contingencies were met and the buyer physically removes a contingency by signing a contingency removal document and then decides to cancel, then the buyer is obligated to perform in accordance with the original parameters of the contract.

That means potentially forgoing 3% for liquidated damages if that’s agreed upon in the contract. Or, they could be vulnerable to a lawsuit for specific performance demanding that the buyer close on the sale or provide funds equal to the purchase price to the seller.

Why a seller may cancel the contract: It’s more difficult for a seller to cancel the contract, but it’s not impossible. If the buyer’s contingency time period expires without an agreed-upon request for an extension for that time period for that contingency, then the seller can provide what we call a “notice to perform.” And the performance is to specifically remove that contingency within a certain number of days specified in the contract.

If the buyer does not remove the contingency, then the seller can unilaterally cancel the contract. Now, it is more typical for a buyer and a seller to work out an extension of time for that specific contingency to be removed, but let’s say that the seller has a higher backup offer and is looking for ways to get out of the contract with his initial buyer. This is why it’s always important for us to respect the agreed-upon time frames for contingencies in the contract, as time is of the essence and it should be respected by all parties and their representatives.

If you have any other real estate-related topics or questions that I can answer, please give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to make a video about it.

6 Critical Junctures Where Sellers Can Lose Money

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 08:40:00 -0700

Listing your home on the market can be a tricky process to navigate. There are six key points where sellers most often lose money during the transaction.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today I want to share the six most critical times you’re at risk for losing money when selling your home.

Not preparing your home to sell. If there are any items in your home that need to be fixed, don’t hesitate in making those repairs. Also remember to clean out and organize closets and storage spaces. Then, consider staging your home to sell. You want to present the best version of your home possible in order to earn top dollar.

You want to present the best version of your home possible in order to earn top dollar.

Overpricing your home. The higher you price your home over fair market value, the fewer buyers you’re going to attract. Pricing your home at or just below market value will generate the highest interest. Like most shoppers, buyers are always seeking the best value.
During the negotiation of the offer. You want to have an experienced agent by your side to make sure that this part of the process doesn’t cause you to lose any money.
During the negotiation of home inspection issues. Like the previous point, an experienced agent will help you determine the best route to pursue.
During the appraisal. The right agent will show up, meet the appraiser, and help you defend the price.
During the final walk-through. You want to make sure that all of the negotiated home inspection repairs have been completed. Otherwise, the buyer may ask for a credit or to delay the closing.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Is Happening in Our Palm Springs Area Market?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 08:36:00 -0700

Right now, we’re definitely still seeing a seller’s market. But what changes have taken place since last year, and where is our market headed?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

With a 3.9-month absorption rate, our market is continuing its trend of favoring sellers. As time passes, the seller’s market we’ve been seeing becomes even stronger.

This is the first time we’ve seen inventory dip below a four-month absorption rate since 2013. However, certain other statistics have remained steady. For example, our average days on market has stayed consistent at 73 days for seven months now.

By looking at the months of sales by price range we can see that inventory has gone down since last year across every price point, with all homes priced below $300,000 having the lowest absorption rate. Homes at this price point have just 2.5 months of inventory.

Our Valley inventory continued to decline through the month of August, but this was expected because of seasonal trends. However, this decline occurred at an above-average rate.

Inventory as of September 1st, 2017 is at 3,182 units. This is the lowest number we’ve seen since 2014, but we can expect inventory to rise in the coming fall and winter months. However, the number is not expected to rise past 4,500 as we move into the 2018 selling season.

The seller’s market is only getting stronger.

The year-over-year change in the median price of detached homes across nine major cities shows that only one, Rancho Mirage, is lower. La Quinta had the largest year-over-year gain, at 13.9%. Followed by Cathedral City, which had a year-over-year change of 9.1% and Palm Springs with 7.9%.

The median detached home price in Palm Springs is only 1.3% away from its all-time high made in 2006.

The year-over-year change in the median price of attached homes shows five cities with higher prices and three with lower.

Also, with interest rates rising combined with the current appreciation of home pricing makes now a great time to consider selling your Palm Springs area home.

While there is more competition among buyers. As long as interest rates remain low, buyers still have a great opportunity to get into this market.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

6 Types of Disclosures in California

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 6 Sep 2017 09:28:00 -0700

What exactly should you disclose to potential buyers when selling your home? These are disclosures required by state and federal law.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

If you’re selling your home in California, there are certain disclosures that you are required to complete before your sale is final. The purpose of these disclosures is to alert the buyer to any potential issues in the home and generally give them a better picture of how the home has been taken care of. Here are six different disclosures that you may have to complete if you’re thinking of selling your home:

1. Water damage or mold issues. If you’re aware of a leaky roof or dampness in your house, or any evidence of water intrusion, you’ll need to disclose that to the buyer.

2. Lead paint. The federal government requires anyone who has a home built before 1978 to disclose their knowledge of any lead-based paint in the home.

3. Natural hazards. California state law requires sellers to alert buyers of any natural hazard risks in the area such as wildfires, earthquakes, and floods. This is typically done during escrow via a third-party who creates a natural hazard disclosure report.

4. Termite damage. If you’ve had your home treated for termite damage, that needs to be disclosed. During negotiations, a buyer may ask you to provide them with a pest inspection report or wood-destroying organism report. The report identifies active infestations as well as past evidence of an infestation.

5. Repairs and insurance claims. If you have knowledge of any previous repairs or insurance claims from yourself or the previous owners of the home, that needs to be disclosed. I’d disclose these when you list the home.

6. Death. In California, it’s required for you to disclose if you have knowledge of anybody dying in the home within the past three years.

When in doubt, disclose.

We have a saying in real estate: “When in doubt, disclose.” In other words, it’s better to be thorough and alert the buyer to any and all potential issues upfront. Keeping a binder of receipts and documents that show the different upgrades and improvements you’ve made to the home is smart.

If you have any questions for me or you’re interested in buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs Area, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

What Do Buyers Look for in a Home?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 12:44:00 -0700

You have more control in pleasing buyers than you may think. Before putting your home on the market, make sure to remember the three things buyers most often look for.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today, I’d like to discuss three major items homebuyers are looking for during their search.

If you are a seller, you have a lot more control pleasing buyers than you may think—so go into the process with an understanding of what buyers tend to look for. This knowledge will help you find success in today’s market.

Currently, there are three main things buyers tend to look for: curb appeal, space, and updates.

There are three main things buyers tend to look for: curb appeal, space, and updates.

First, let’s talk about curb appeal. A first impression can only be made once, and the same goes about making a good one. Buyers should be excited about your home at first sight. Start by making sure your driveway and sidewalks are swept. Additionally, consider power washing the front of your home for an extra touch. Clean windows and tidy landscaping are also a must.

You will also want to replace any outdated porch lights or front door hardware that could date your home’s appearance. The appeal of your front door is critical. Consider painting it a fresh, modern color to give your home an updated look.

The second big item buyers look for is space. In fact, space is a key factor in why many people move in the first place. Before showing buyers the interior of your home, be sure to declutter. Rent out a storage space for anything taking up extra space. A buyer should be able to imagine themselves living in your home. Even in cases where people are downsizing, a clear, open space will be more attractive.

Finally, don’t forget to update things around the house. Cabinet pulls, fixtures, appliances, and certain finishes should be replaced. Giving the rooms in your home a fresh coat of paint will also make a big difference. Neutral, yet modern colors will be your best choice. Buyers may not be expecting a mansion, but they are expecting you to have pride in your property.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Understanding Property Taxes and Assessments

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 13:19:00 -0700

Property taxes are a significant expense for homeowners. Not to mention Mello-Roos and special assessment taxes.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

In addition to your monthly mortgage payment, you also need to consider some other taxes and assessments to get a true picture of what homeownership will look like for you. Each of these components will empower you to accurately predict and control your monthly expenses.

There are three components to these taxes: property taxes, direct assessments, and special assessments or Mello-Roos assessments. Every year, the city, county, and state all charge taxes on every parcel of real estate located within their borders. For many homeowners, these property taxes are the 2nd-largest home owning expense after mortgage interest.

In most areas, property taxes are governed by state law.

In most areas, property taxes are governed by state law, but assessed and collected by the county on an ad valorem basis. Ad valorem is latin for “according to value.” These taxes are calculated annually. In addition to these direct assessments, you may also be located in a special assessment district or a Mello-Roos district.

In recent times, many cities have required developers to build and ensure long-term funding for parks, schools, and emergency services to directly benefit the subdivision. To prevent the influx of new homes from causing a drain on existing municipal services, special assessments are collected. A Mello-Roos district is an areas where a special tax is imposed on those property owners within a community facilities district. It is an area that has chosen to seek public financing through the sale of bonds for the purpose of financing certain public improvements and services.

Mello-Roos taxes are in turn used to make payments on principal interest on the bonds and is collected with the general property tax bill. It’s also subject to the same penalties that apply to regular property taxes. This stays in effect until the bonds and the costs incurred are paid off, but it won’t exceed 40 years.

Both special assessment districts and Mello-Roos districts allow raw land to be used as collateral for bonds that are sold to investors. Those proceeds are then used to pay for public facilities.

If you have any additional questions about anything I discussed in this post, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

Why Should You Consider Real Estate Investing?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:44:00 -0700

Real estate investing is an often overlooked, but potentially very attractive, means of diversifying and smoothing out a portfolio.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Adding real estate to your investment portfolio is a great idea.

Because it offers diversification, real estate makes a good addition to traditional stock and bond style portfolios.

This is especially true because real estate is it’s own asset class, can offer generous yields during periods of depressed economic activity, and can appreciate when the economy is strong.

Real estate also combines aspects of stocks and bonds that tend to work in opposite directions in most economic conditions.

For this reason and others, financial advisors tend to consider real estate as an alternative investment on the level of commodities.

Real estate investing can not only help diversify a portfolio but can also smooth out its rough patches.

The reason real estate investing is often overlooked, however, is that most people already have great exposure to the asset class by way of their own homes.

Since a home is most people’s largest asset, finding exposure to real estate isn’t typically a priority.

As long as household formation continues, real estate will continue to be a viable asset class.

Since the real estate bubble and the subsequent technology bubble, real estate investing has recently been considered a less attractive option by some. Despite this, people should look at it in a long-term sense.

As long as household formation continues, real estate will continue to be a viable asset class.

What’s more is that some stock portfolios have allocation to mortgage insurers or real estate investment trusts which tend to pay healthy dividends.

Because both of these sectors are tied to real estate, they thrive when prices are rising.

In a long-term sense, the health of the real estate market is determined by demographic and economic trends. These trends remain favorable and make real estate an attractive option for investors seeking non-correlated returns.

If you have any other questions or would like more information feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Are the Advantages of Putting Your Home in a Trust?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:38:00 -0700

Putting your home in a trust offers three important advantages that you should seriously consider.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Should you put your home in a trust? This may seem like a question only pertinent to homeowners advancing in age, but estate planning is a topic all homeowners should seriously consider. Putting your home in a trust has advantages and disadvantages. Here are three advantages it offers.

The first and most important is it allows you to avoid probate by transferring the title of your home directly to a family member or significant other. Probate court can be very costly and time-consuming, and while some states have streamlined this process, many others haven’t. If you want to transfer other properties that might be out of state, you’ll be able to avoid probate in those jurisdictions as well.

Another advantage is it gives you future incapacity protection, which means if you become ill or unfit to manage your own finances, another trustee can be selected to manage your trust and protect your home.

The final advantage is it gives you the opportunity to save on estate taxes. Of course, this depends on whether the trust is designated properly and the financial plans for your estate have been constructed efficiently.

Consider these factors carefully before making a decision.

Consider these factors carefully before making a decision. If you have any more questions about any real estate topics or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs area, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to helping you.

The Benefits of Buying and Selling With a Single Agent

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 19 May 2017 13:04:00 -0700

Why work with just one agent when buying and selling a home? You can turn both transactions into one smooth process. Here's how.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

When you're looking to buy a home, working with just one agent will be very beneficial to you.

You want a single, trusted advisor who truly understands what you're looking for in a home. You'll come across many agents early in your search, and it's important to pick the one you connect with best. You should feel that they will represent you and your interests best.

Aligning yourself with a single agent creates continuity in your search and prevents you wasting time being shown the same home multiple times. Agents don't get paid unless they find you the home of your dreams and close on it, which can be a long process. Your Realtor will work hard to understand your needs and find you the right home, as well as working in your interest to negotiate a contract and shepherd you through the closing process.

In return, all they ask is for your loyalty when you are searching for a home.

All an agent asks is for your loyalty when you start searching for a home.

This just means calling your agent FIRST if you have questions about a property you see online, at an open house, or just driving around. All agents have access to the multiple listing service as a way to get exposure for our listings, and our MLS facilitates a cooperating agreement between all member agents and brokers. Unless you're talking about a pocket listing (not yet live on the market), we all have the same information.

The one agent you align yourself with should have knowledge in the areas you're interested in and who you feel will work in your interest to find your dream home.

If you have any other questions about real estate or you're thinking about buying or selling a home here in the Palm Springs area, you can always give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help!

Contingent Offers on the Rise in Palm Springs

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 08:49:00 -0700

Contingent offers are making a comeback. Today we’ll explain why.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Contingent sale offers are on the rise in Palm Springs. Contingent sale offers occur when a buyer submits an offer on a property that is contingent on them selling their own home. If they don’t end up selling their home, they do not have to go through with the purchase.

In 2003 and 2004, we saw a huge surge of buyer demand in the market. It was difficult for contingent buyers to get their offers accepted because in some cases, sellers would have 20 or 30 different offers to choose from.

During the housing market crash, many people were unable to sell their home, meaning any contingent offers were frowned upon because sellers weren’t confident that these buyers would end up selling their homes. Between 2011 and 2013, we saw another boom. However, equity hadn’t quite gone up enough for some sellers to feel comfortable with pulling the trigger.

Now, the market is more stable, sellers have enough equity to feel confident in buying a new home, and more and more contingent offers are coming back into play.

As a contingent buyer, it’s best to make a contingent offer after your home is already in escrow. If you try to make a contingent offer on a property when your home isn’t even on the market yet, the seller is less likely to accept it because of all of the unknowns. If the sale falls through while you are in escrow, your contingent offer protects you, and you’ll be able to get your earnest money deposit back.

If you’re a seller who receives a contingent offer, it’s important that the buyer has their home in escrow for the reasons mentioned above. It’s also important to determine where they are at in the process, i.e. have they just received an offer? Have the inspections been completed? Have all contingencies of their sale been removed by their buyer?

Whether you’re a buyer or seller, know that contingent offers are no longer the red flags they used to be. If you have any other questions about contingent offers or anything else relating to real estate, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

How Reliable Are Online Home Value Estimates?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 09:40:00 -0700

Online home value estimators can’t always be trusted. There are three reasons you should take their information with a grain of salt.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Online home value estimates might not be as reliable as you think. There are actually three reasons why you need to be careful when using them to determine value.

First of all, online home value calculators are based on a formula. The algorithms used to create a value for a home are generally based on a specific set of factors such as the square footage and prior sales of similar homes in the neighborhood. While that can be a good starting point, homes are imperfect, and there is no human interaction with the property when the value is being assessed.

Second, online estimates miss the details of your home. As noted, these tools can’t tell how lived in your home is. Online values won’t take into account if a home is covered in 1950s wallpaper or used to be a meth lab. On the flip side, they also don’t take into account any recent renovations or upgrades that may have been done to the home. The list price you would get from an online estimator would not include any value for amenities or the condition of the home.

Finally, the online estimators are only guidelines. These estimates can give consumers false hope sometimes, so you need to keep in mind that you won’t get the true value of your home online. You should use the Internet to do your homework, but don’t get attached to the values or list prices given for your home or estimates for potential homes you may want to buy.

“

The best way to find your home’s value
is to contact a real estate agent.

”

If you are thinking about selling your house, you really need to consult a real estate agent. A real estate agent will come to your home and let you know exactly what affects your home’s value. They can also get more reliable comparable sales to ensure the value they give you for your home is as accurate as possible.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

What Do You Need to Know About Home Inspections?

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:52:00 -0800

Whether you’re a buyer or seller, you need to know these three things about home inspections before ordering one.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Whether you’re a buyer hiring someone to inspect a home you want to buy or a seller needing an inspector to look at your home to see if there’s anything that needs to be fixed before you put it on the market, there are three things you need to know about home inspections:

“

Knowing these three things is
essential to understanding
home inspections.

”

1. You can choose any home inspector that you like. Your Realtor usually has several inspectors they’ve worked with, and they can be a good source of recommendations. You can also look for one on your own. In either case, it’s important to look for an inspector who’s a member of the National Association of Home Inspectors because they must complete an approved home inspector training program, demonstrate experience and competence as a home inspector, complete a written exam, and adhere to the NAHI standards of practice and codes of ethics.

2. Home inspections are intended to point out adverse conditions—not cosmetic flaws. A home inspector will point out conditions that need repairs and/or potential safety-related concerns regarding the home. They won’t comment on cosmetic items if they don’t impair the integrity of the home.They also don’t do destructive or invasive testing.

3. Home inspection reports only include the basics. On the home’s exterior, this report should include the steps, patios, decks, chimneys, roofs, windows, doors, the pool condition (if requested), and all operating components. Inside, they’ll look at the attic, electrical components, plumbing, central air conditioning and heating (including the ductwork), crawl spaces, and garages. They report on the working order of most items including the faucets to see if they leak or garage doors to see if they open properly. They’ll also note the presence or absence of state and locally mandated retrofits such as hot water heater strapping or the presence of a carbon monoxide and/or smoke detector. Inspectors may also point out termite damage and suggest you get a separate pest inspection. The final written report should be concise and easy to understand.

If you have any questions about this or any other real estate-related topic, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help!

Market Update January 2017

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 10:37:00 -0800

What's going on in the Palm Springs market? I've pulled the numbers to give you a comprehensive look at how our market changed last year and where it's headed in 2017.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

What's been going on in the greater Palm Springs area real estate market?

With 6.3 months of sales, our market is balanced. This is part of a positive trend, though, as it is one month less than it was at this time last year. Remember, six months of sales (or absorption rate) is a balanced market. A higher number would favor buyers, and a lower number favors sellers.

If we look at the absorption rate by price range for all Coachella Valley area cities, we can see that the highest absorption rate is for properties listed over $1 million at 18.7. That means it would take 18.7 months to sell all homes listed at $1 million or above if no other home came onto the market. This is also a positive trend. At this time last year, the absorption rate in this price range was 20.9 months.

As you can imagine, the lower price points have a lower absorption rate because there are more buyers who qualify for those types of properties. Homes priced below $200,000 have the lowest absorption rate at 3.2 months of sales, which is also lower than last year when the rate was 3.9 months.

As of January 1st, inventory for the entire Coachella Valley stood at 4,585 units, which was 10% lower than this time last year. However, it's exactly the same number of units we had on the market on January 1st, 2015. Much of this is the result of higher sales volume numbers in the last few months of last year compared to a year ago.

At $340,000, our median price for detached homes for the whole Valley is effectively unchanged as of January 1st from last year at this time. However, this year's change in the median price for Valley condos has increased about $2,000, or just under 1%. The yearly change in the median price of individual cities shows a really positive trend for detached homes, but a slightly negative bias for condos. Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs continue to be the Valley's leaders with 8.1% and 15.6% gains, respectively, while Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage each experienced year over year reduction of values.

After a period of stagnation in our market, the growing trend in long-term sales volume in both detached homes and condos is a very positive indicator in our market. Condo sales rose 9% year over year and detached sales rose 2.8% from last year. Since the Fed’s interest rate increase in December, interest rates are still hovering around 4% and slightly higher. Inflation is expected to increase in 2017, and as inflation increases, bond prices move lower, and mortgage rates typically increase. Most experts, however, don't expect interest rates to go above 5% in 2017.

“

We think the market will remain strong, making it a great time to buy or sell in Palm Springs.

”

Interest rate volatility along with market uncertainty is expected with the new presidential administration, but the economy seems to be strengthening. We're predicting that our real estate market will continue to improve overall, which makes now a great time to buy or sell a home in the greater Palm Springs area.

If you have any other questions for me or there are topics you'd like to see me cover in a video, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

What to Do If Your Appraisal Comes in Low in the Middle of a Transaction

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 09:03:00 -0800

If a home appraisal comes in lower than the sales price in the middle of a transaction, what should you do? Here are your three options.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Low appraisals can be a real challenge in our market today. Low appraisals have become more common because our home prices have been appreciating quickly over the past several years and there are fewer and fewer comparable properties. It seems that each sale is higher than the last.

So what is an appraisal? It’s a price that a willing buyer and seller will settle on. In reality, a home must be sold to three different groups: the buyer’s agents, the buyers themselves, and the mortgage lenders. The brokers help us find the buyers for your properties, the buyers have to feel that the sales price is justified, and the lenders have to agree on the value because they’re the ones putting up most of the money for the house.

“

If the appraisal comes in low,
you have three options.

”

What happens if your appraisal comes in low in the middle of a transaction? There are three ways to proceed:

The buyer can terminate the contract.
The buyer can pay the difference in cash. If the buyer wants to move forward with the transaction, they can pay the difference between the appraised amount and the contract price to proceed.
The seller and the buyer can negotiate. If the seller and the buyer meet somewhere in the middle, the transaction can continue. If the seller still feels that they are getting the value they want out of their house, they may reduce the price to the appraised price in order to keep the transaction moving.

Because this is such a complicated process, it’s imperative that you have a great agent on your side to help you through the transaction and go to bat for you. We have experienced all of these situations and are here to negotiate on your behalf.

On a side note, with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, I just wanted to take this opportunity to let all of you know how much I appreciate your support. I’m thankful for the trust that you’ve put in me and my team this past year, and it’s been a privilege sharing these real estate tips with you. For those of you who we’ve had the pleasure to represent in the purchase or sale of a home, we are especially grateful. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you have any other questions about your options in the event of a low appraisal or any other questions about buying or selling a home in the Palm Springs area, feel free to reach out to me by phone or email. I’d be happy to help you!

Debunking 4 Major Real Estate Myths

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:29:00 -0700

There are four real estate myths that, unfortunately, too many people believe. Some of them could even cost you a lot of money.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

There are four major real estate myths that I wanted to debunk for you.

1. Realtors get kickbacks from lenders, home inspectors, and other referrals. This is not only untrue and unethical but according to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), it’s also against the law. No professional Realtor is going to jeopardize their career or reputation just for a kickback. Most agents, however, will give you recommendations for vendors like lenders or inspectors because they build professional relationships with these people and they know that they’re good at what they do. It only helps to ensure a smooth transaction for everyone involved.

“

Realtors won’t jeopardize their career
just for a kickback.

”

2. You should choose the listing agent that says they can sell your home at the highest price. Choosing an agent that understands the current market and prices your home accordingly is crucial. Pricing your home too high only means that it will sit on the market longer, you’ll get fewer showings, and receive fewer offers. You’ll most likely end up dropping the price and wasting valuable time. You can price a home at whatever you want, but the fact is, a bank will only loan on the appraised value of the home, and your home will only sell for what someone is willing to pay for it.

3. Real estate agents want you to pay a higher sales price so they can get a higher commission. Realtors are honest professionals who, more than anything, want you to get the home of your dreams at the best possible price. In California, by law, a buyer’s agent is obligated to act in your best interest. Many factors go into consider the offer price on a home, and your agent will work with you to determine the best offer amount. For example, if you’re in a multiple offer situation, you may considering making a strong offer to give yourself the best chance to get your offer accepted.

4. A cash offer is always the best offer. While a cash offer is always a strong offer, it’s not always the best offer in the eyes of a seller. There are many crucial elements of an offer that need to be analyzed by a seller, such as the financing terms, contingencies, and time needed to close. For example, a conventional offer with no contingencies may be the seller’s best offer when compared to a full-price cash offer with a contingency of the buyer’s home needing to sell first.

Thanks for visiting the blog today! I hope you found this information helpful for your next real estate transaction. If you have any other real estate-related questions, always feel free to call me or email me. I’d love to hear from you!

Why Mortgage Interest Rates Are Still Low

Will@WillCookRealEstate.com (Will Cook) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 12:00:00 -0700

Today we’re going to talk about one of the reasons that mortgage interest rates are so low right now.

At the beginning of the summer, the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. This became known as "Brexit," and it has created a lot of uncertainty and worry for our neighbors across the Atlantic.

Here in the U.S., though, Brexit has been nothing but good for our real estate market. Because of Brexit, investors all over the world want a safer place to invest, and this has pushed already-low mortgage interest rates down even further because they are investing in our housing market.

“

Here in the U.S., Brexit has been
nothing but good news
for mortgage rates.

”

In fact, we are now in the middle of the second-longest run of cheap mortgage rates in history. Currently, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.46%; this is only a few points above its all-time low of 3.31%.

What does all of this mean for you?

First, if you are looking to buy a home, now is an unusually good time to do so because these low rates mean you will be paying less. As an example, if you were to take out a 30-year, $250,000 mortgage today versus a year ago (when interest rates were almost 4%), you would save more than $25,000 over the lifetime of the loan.

Another way to look at it is that at today’s rates, you can afford a more luxurious home without paying more. For example, if you were to take out a 30-year mortgage, you could now afford $15,000 more for a home than you could a year ago while keeping the same monthly payments.

Clearly, this is a great opportunity.

If you’re curious about which homes are available for sale in the greater Palm Springs area right now, check out the “search all homes” link above to get a list of available homes.

Now, if you are looking to sell rather than buy, these low rates also benefit you big time. The more the mortgage rates drop, the larger the population of qualified buyers is, and the greater the demand is for homes.

This healthy demand keeps up the price of your home and ensures your home will get sold quickly. Not surprisingly, pending home sales are up by 1.3% this summer and are now at the second-highest level in over a decade.

If you’d like to know how much your home might be worth in the current market, I have a great tool I’d like to share with you called Market Snapshot. To use this tool, simply enter your address and some attributes of your home, and then we will provide you with a list of all of the homes that are currently on the market in escrow and homes that have sold in your specific area. This will give you a good idea of the value of your home.

As you can imagine, these ultra-low mortgage rates won’t last forever and will rise sooner or later.

If you are looking to take advantage of this unique situation while it lasts, give me a call or send me an email anytime. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, I’m here to help you.