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A Real Estate Professional Helps You Separate Fact from Fiction

August 10, 2022 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

Image Source: KCM Blog

If you’re following the news, chances are you’ve seen or heard some headlines about the housing market that don’t give the full picture. The real estate market is shifting, and when that happens, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. That’s where a trusted real estate professional comes in. They can help debunk the headlines so you can really understand today’s market and what it means for you.

Here are three common housing market myths you might be hearing, along with the expert analysis that provides better context.

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Filed Under: Buyers, Buying Myths, Real Estate Tips, Sellers, Selling Myths Tagged With: Buying Myths, Colorado Real Estate, For Buyers, For Sellers, Real Estate Tips, Selling Myths

Do You Have Enough Money Saved for a Down Payment?

October 30, 2020 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

One of the biggest misconceptions for first-time homebuyers is how much you’ll need to save for a down payment. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always have to put 20% down to buy a house. Here’s how it breaks down.

A recent survey by Point2Homes mentions that 74% of millennials (ages 25-40) say they’re interested in purchasing a home over the next 12 months. The study notes, “88% say they have significantly less savings than the average national down payment amount, which is $62,600.”

Thankfully, $62,600 is not the amount every buyer needs for a down payment in the United States. There are many different options available, especially for first-time homebuyers (millennial or not). That amount can also be significantly less, depending on the purchase price of the house.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “The median existing-home price for all housing types in August was $310,600.” (These are the latest numbers available). NAR also indicates that:

“In 2019, the median down payment was 12 percent for all buyers, six percent for first-time buyers, and 16 percent for repeat buyers.” (See graph below):

That means if a qualified first-time buyer purchases a home at today’s median price, $310,600, with a 6% down payment, in reality, the down payment only amounts to $18,636. That’s nowhere near $62,600.

Knowing there are also programs like FHA where the down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price for a first-time buyer, that up-front cost could be significantly less – as little as $10,871 for the same home noted above. There are also other programs like USDA and loans for Veterans that waive down payment requirements.

The Point2Homes study also shares how much millennials have indicated they’ve saved for a down payment. As we can see in the graph below, 39% have already saved enough for a down payment on a median-priced home. Another 47% are close to reaching that goal, depending on the purchase price of the home.

Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge about the home-buying process is keeping many motivated first-time buyers on the sidelines. That’s why it’s important to contact us to understand the requirements in our area if you want to buy a home. Our team and your lender can guide you through the process.

Bottom Line

Be careful not to let big myths about home-buying keep you and your family out of the housing market. We would love to meet with you to help you better understand and plan for your options today.

 

Article originally published at https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2020/10/13/do-you-have-enough-money-saved-for-a-down-payment/.

Filed Under: Buyers, Buying Myths, Down Payments, Finance, First Time Homebuyers, Infographic, Loans, Millennials, Real Estate Tips Tagged With: Buying Myths, Colorado Real Estate, Down Payments, Finance, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Infographics, Millennials, Monument Realtor

New Research Shows Housing Is Affordable For First-Time Buyers

May 15, 2019 By Claire Garlick Leave a Comment

Home prices have been on the rise for the last seven years, leading many housing market analysts to conclude that first-time homebuyers are being shut out of the market due to affordability concerns.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports on the percentage of First-Time Home Buyers (FTHB) on a monthly and yearly basis. Their latest report shows that FTHB’s made up 33% of buyers in March, which matches their reported share in 2018.
NAR uses survey data from their members to come up with this statistic, so their results do not include every transaction completed. Rather, they only show the transactions reported by members who complete the survey.
The other entity that reports on FTHB share is the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). The AEI uses data from mortgage applications that define an FTHB as “any borrower who did not have a mortgage for the preceding three years.”
This means the AEI measurement also includes former homeowners who transitioned out of a home they previously owned and re-entered the market after at least 3 years. The latest FTHB share data from AEI shows that first-time buyers made up 57.5% of all mortgages in August 2018. NAR’s data shows a 31% share for the same time period.
New research from the New York Federal Reserve shows that these traditional reports on FTHB share have been unable to give an accurate depiction of this group’s involvement in the market.
The NY Fed was able to take consumer credit data and identify when a mortgage payment entered a consumer’s credit report to determine when a first-time home purchase was made. Using this data, they were able to show that AEI’s reported FTHB share was consistently 10% higher. The NAR reports were right on par with their findings until 2010, when NAR’s share dropped to the 11% gap seen today.
So, what does this all mean?
First-time home buyers have not disappeared from the market as many analysts had believed. Buying a home is very much a part of the American Dream for younger generations, just like it had been for their parents and grandparents.
This also means that rising prices have not scared buyers away from the market. Many first-time buyers are making sacrifices to save their down payment and make their dream a reality.
Bottom Line
If you are one of the many renters who is scrolling through listings on your phone every night dreaming of buying your own home, there are opportunities in every market to make that dream a reality!

Filed Under: Buyers, Buying Myths, First Time Homebuyers, Housing Market Update Tagged With: Buying Myths, First Time Homebuyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Update, Rent vs. Buy

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Claire Boynton, The Platinum Group Realtors Monument Colorado Real Estate

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About Blessings Realty

We perform top notch sales and marketing services for residential homes and land. We help home buyers find the right homes for their needs. Also specializing in new construction and rental properties. Whether you are a first-time home buyer or seller or have bought and sold many homes before, we will Read More…

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Welcome and thank you for visiting our Blessings Realty website! We are Monument-based real estate experts providing information about the Monument and Northern Colorado Springs, CO real estate market.

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