Categoriesinfo for buyers, info for home owners

Rent vs Sell

We have recently been talking a lot about the opportunities out there for buyers.  Between rates, prices and inventory we all know it’s a great time to buy.

However, many of our buyers currently own homes.  And sometimes it’s just not the right time to sell your home.  The idea to move forward, buy a home and keep one’s current home as a rental is a common one.  This is a viable option for many, one that we advocate as part of a long term investment plan, but there are some serious considerations involved. One of course is qualifying for financing a second home and the other is that it is important to weigh the real costs of having a rental property.

We recently ran across this article from the National Association of Realtors.  It has a good breakdown of many of the factors to consider.

The Costs of Renting Out Your House
Renting out your house can be a smart financial move, as long as you calculate your costs carefully. Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2010 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

If you have been thinking it might be time to make a move please give us a call.  We would be happy to do a complimentary market analysis to help you make the best decision for yourselves and your family.

We enjoy the opportunity to help.  It’s always a pleasure to catch up and see what you’ve done with the place!

Warm Regards,

Domenica
Windermere Real Estate

Categoriesinfo for buyers

Rates vs Price: The Real Key to Purchase Power

Many buyers are considering whether to buy a home NOW or wait to see if prices come down a bit more. We wanted to clarify for our clients the most important variable in this equation: interest rates. The majority of buyers need financing to purchase their home. Interest rates are what buyers should be focused on, not prices.

Here is an example that illustrates the point clearly, based on our listing at 3236 41st Ave SW offered at $440,000:

With 20% down and a credit score over 700 buyers currently qualify for a 30-year fixed rate loan with a rate of 4.375%. The monthly Principal and Interest (PI) payment on a loan of $352,000 at 4.375% would be $1,760.17.

If we adjust for interest rates rising while keeping the payment at $1,760.17/month and 20% down you can see how higher rates will affect your purchase power:

  • January 2008: 30-year fixed rate 5.5%. At that rate a payment of $1,760.17/month qualifies a buyer for a purchase price of $387,024.57. $52,975.43 less than today.
  • August 2008: 6.5% = purchase price of $347,740.75. $92,259.25 less than today.
  • May 2000: 8.5% = purchase price of $285,949.18. $154,050.82 less than today.

It is entirely possible that interest rates will climb to 8.5% within the next few years. While this is still a decent rate, historically speaking, you can see it makes a huge impact on a buyers buying power. It would take a 35% reduction in home values to make up for the $154,000 difference an 8.5% rate would make to buyers.

Today’s incredibly low interest rates have created an amazing opportunity for home-buyers, and we just wanted our clients to know.

Warm Regards,
Domenica
Windermere Real Estate