Houston Homes and Rentals

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According to the latest  report   from the  US Census Bureau , more Americans chose to purchase a home over signing a lease to rent in the first quarter of 2017. This marks the first time since 2006 that the number of new homeowner households outpaced the number of new renter households. Of the 1.22 million new households that were formed in the first quarter, 854,000 were new owner households making the jump straight to home ownership rather than renting first. That means that the homeownership rate amongst new households was 70%! This is huge news as the national homeownership rate is currently 63.6% and has only ever come close to this figure in the second quarter of 2004 when the homeownership rate reached an all-time high of 69.2%. A recent  Wall Street Journal   article  pointed to the uptick in first-time homebuyers coming to market as a reason for the jump: “The return of first-time buyers is accelerating. In all they have accounted for 42% of buyers this year,

People often ask if now is a good time to buy a home, but nobody ever asks when a good time to rent is. Regardless, we want to make certain that everyone understands that today is NOT a good time to rent. The  Census Bureau  recently  released  their 2017 first quarter median rent numbers. Here is a graph showing rent increases from 1988 until today: As you can see, rents have steadily increased and are showing no signs of slowing down. If you are faced with making the decision of whether or not you should renew your lease, you might be pleasantly surprised at your ability to  buy a home  of your own instead. Bottom Line One way to protect yourself from rising rents is to lock in your housing expense by buying a home. If you are ready and willing to buy, let’s meet to determine if you are able to today! Simplifying The Market Find Out Your Home's Value For Free! Hoston Homes And Rentals Houston Realtor Leslie Don Wilson Houston Realto

One of the many benefits of owning your own home is the freedom to find your ‘furever’ friend. By pointing out the aspects of your home that make it ‘pet-friendly’ in your listing, you’ll attract these buyers rather than alienate the  61% of American households that have a pet! If you are one of the many homeowners looking to list your home for sale, how do you stand out to the millions of pet parents searching for their dream homes? Whether a dog person, a cat person, or someone who prefers the company of another pet species, 99% of pet owners say that they consider their animal to be family. When finding a home, 95% of animal owners believe it is important that a housing community allows animals. A recent  study  by the  National Association of Realtors (NAR)  revealed that there are many aspects of the home buying, selling and owning experience that have been greatly impacted by American’s love for their pets. This should come as no surprise as $66.75 billion was  spent

Every year,  Gallup   surveys  Americans to determine their choice for the best long-term investment. Respondents are given a choice between real estate, stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds. For the fourth year in a row, Real Estate has come out on top as the best long-term investment! This year’s results showed that 34% of Americans chose real estate, followed by stocks at 26%. The full results are shown in the chart below. The study makes it a point to draw attention to the contrast of the sentiment over the last four years compared to that of 2011-2012, when gold took the top slot with 34% of the votes. Real estate and stocks took second and third place, respectively, while still in recovery from the Great Recession. Bottom Line As the real estate market has recovered, so has the belief of the American people in the stability of housing as a long-term investment. Simplifying The Market Find Out Your Home's Value For Free! Hoston

The real estate market is moving more and more into a complete recovery. Home values are up. Home sales are up. Distressed sales  (foreclosures and short sales)  have fallen dramatically. It seems that 2017 will be the year that the housing market races forward again. However, there is one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: a lack of housing inventory. While buyer demand looks like it will remain strong throughout the summer, supply is not keeping up. Here are the thoughts of a few industry experts on the subject: Lawrence Yun,  Chief Economist  at  NAR : "Sellers are in the driver's seat this spring as the intense competition for the few homes for sale is forcing many buyers to be aggressive in their offers. Buyers are showing resiliency given the challenging conditions. However, at some point — and the sooner the better — price growth must ease to a healthier rate. Otherwise sales could slow if affordability conditions worsen." Tom O’Gr

Homeownership will always be a part of the American Dream. There are advantages to owning your own home ( educational ,  health ,  social ) that far transcend any economic impact. However, we want to look at several of the financial advantages of homeownership in today’s post. 1. Buying is Cheaper Than Renting The results of the latest  Rent vs. Buy Report  from  Trulia  show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The report reveals that: “Interest rates have remained low, and even though home prices have appreciated around the country, they haven’t greatly outpaced rental appreciation…Nationally, rates would have to reach 9.1% for renting to be cheaper than buying. Rates haven’t been that high since January of 1995, according to Freddie Mac.” 2. Homeownership “Forces” You to Save According to  SavingAdvice.com , homeownership is a great way to save. Their advice