Houston Homes and Rentals

www.GreaterHoustonHomesAndRentals.com Houston Realtor Greater Houston Heights Real Estate Agent   Greater Houston Heights Realtor   Houston Realtor ,  Houston Real Estate Agent ,  Greater Houston Heights Realtor ,  Greater Houston Heights Homes ,  Greater Houston Heights Realtor ,  Greater Houston Heights Real Estate Agent ,  Greater Houston Heights Homes    www.GreaterHeightsHomes.com   Houston Realtor   Houston Real Estate Agent

In a blog post published last Friday,  CNN’s  Diana Olnick reported on the latest results of the  FAU Buy vs. Rent Index . The index examines that entire US housing market and then isolates 23 major markets for comparison. The researchers at  FAU  use a  “‘horse race’ comparison between an individual that is buying a home and an individual that rents a similar-quality home and reinvests all monies otherwise invested in homeownership.” Having read both the index and the blog post, we would like to clear up any confusion that may exist. There are three major points that we would like to counter: 1. The Title The CNN blog post was titled,  “Don’t put your money in a house, says a new report.”  The title of the press release about the report on  FAU’s  website was  “FAU Buy vs. Rent Index Shows Rising Prices and Mortgage Rates Moving Housing Markets in the Direction of Renting.” Now, we all know headlines can attract readers and the stronger the headline the more readership you

According to a recent  survey  conducted by  Genworth Financial Inc.  at the  Annual Mortgage Bankers’ Association Secondary Market Conference , 69% of potential first-time buyers still believe a 20% down payment is necessary to buy in today’s market. Nearly 40% of mortgage industry professionals surveyed believe that a lack of knowledge about the home-buying process is keeping potential buyers on the sidelines. Saving for a down payment is often cited as a huge barrier for first-time homebuyers to make the leap into homeownership. If homeowners believe that they need a 20% down payment to enter the market, they also believe that they will have to wait years (in some markets) to come up with the necessary funds to buy their dream homes. The greatest source of confusion cited in the survey results centered around down payments. The results are broken down in the chart below: Rohit Gupta,  CEO of Genworth Mortgage Insurance  had this to say, “While first-time homebuyers

Houston Real Estate Houston Realtor Leslie Don Wilson Houston Realtor Houston Real Estate Agent Greater Houston Heights Real Estate Agent   Greater Houston Heights Realtor   Houston Realtor ,  Houston Real Estate Agent ,  Greater Houston Heights Realtor ,  Greater Houston Heights Homes ,  Greater Houston Heights Realtor ,  Greater Houston Heights Real Estate Agent ,  Greater Houston Heights Homes    www.GreaterHeightsHomes.com   Houston Realtor   Houston Real Estate Agent

The residential housing market has been hot. Home sales have bounced back solidly and are now at their  fourth highest pace  over the past year. Demand has remained strong ­throughout spring as many real estate professionals are reporting bidding wars with many homes selling above listing price. What about your house? If your house hasn’t sold, it could be the price. If your home is on the market and you are not receiving any offers, look at your price. Pricing your home just 10% above market value dramatically cuts the number of prosp­­ective buyers that will even see your house.  See chart below. Bottom Line The housing market is hot. If you are not seeing the results you want, sit down with your agent and revisit the pricing conversation. Simplifying The Market Find Out Your Home's Value For Free! Houston Real Estate Houston Realtor Leslie Don Wilson Houston Realtor Houston Real Estate Agent Greater Houston Heights Real

Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this summer makes sense. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest  Buyer Traffic Report  from the  National Association of Realtors (NAR)  shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase… and are in the market right now! More often than not, multiple buyers are competing with each other to buy a home. Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market. 2. There Is Less Competition Now Housing  inventory  is currently at a  4.2-month supply , well under the 6-months needed for a normal housing market. This means, in the majority of the country, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers in that market. This is good news for home prices. However, additional inventory could be coming to the market soon. There is a pent-up desire for many homeowners to move, as they were unable to sell over the last few years