Your House May Be High on the Buyer Wish List This Holiday Season





Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to sell their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their listings until the spring. Let’s unpack the top reasons why selling your house now, or keeping it on the market this season, is the best choice you can make. This year, buyers want to purchase homes for the holidays, and your house might be the perfect match.


Here are seven great reasons not to wait to sell your house this holiday season:


1. Buyers are active now. Mortgage rates are historically low, providing motivation for those who are ready to get more for their money over the life of their home loan.


2. Purchasers who look for homes during the holidays are serious ones, and they’re ready to buy.


3. You can restrict the showings in your house to days and times tha ...

Homeownership Rate Continues to Rise in 2020





So far, it’s been quite a ride this year, and our nation has truly seen its fair share of hurdles. From COVID-19 to record unemployment and then the resulting recession, just to name a few, the second quarter of 2020 has had more than a few challenges. Amidst the many roadblocks, however, the U.S. homeownership rate rose again, signaling great strength in the recovery of the housing market and an indication that even in a time of crisis, Americans still feel confident about buying a home.


Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced:




“The homeownership rate of 67.9 percent was 3.8 percentage points higher than the rate in the second quarter 2019 (64.1 percent) and 2.6 percentage points higher than the rate in the first quarter 2020 (65.3 percent).”



The increase is also represented by race and ethnicity of the householder:There are many reasons why the homeownership rate in this count ...

Mortgage Rates Hit Another All-Time Low


May 28, 2020


The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has again hit the lowest level in our survey’s nearly 50-year history, breaking the record for the third time in just the last few months. These unprecedented rates have certainly made an impact as purchase demand rebounded from a 35 percent year-over-year decline in mid-April to an 8 percent increase as of last week—a remarkable turnaround given the sharp contraction in economic activity. Additionally, refinance activity remains elevated and low mortgage rates have been accompanied by a $70,000 decline in the average loan size of refinance borrowers this year. This means a broader base of borrowers are taking advantage of the record low rate environment, which will benefit the economy.





Current Mortgage Rates Data Since 1971 xls










Primary Mortgage Market Survey®


U.S. weekly averages as of 05/28/2020






30-Yr FRM




3. ...

Economists Forecast Recovery to Begin in the Second Half of 2020





With the U.S. economy on everyone’s minds right now, questions about the country’s financial outlook continue to come up daily. The one that seems to keep rising to the top is: when will the economy begin to recover? While no one knows exactly how a rebound will play out, expert economists around the country are becoming more aligned on when the recovery will begin.


According to the latest Wall Street Journal Economic Forecasting Survey, which polls more than 60 economists on a monthly basis, 85.3% believe a recovery will begin in the second half of 2020 (see graph below):There seems to be a growing consensus among these experts that the second half of this year will be the start of a turnaround in this country.


Chris Hyzy, Chief Investment Officer for Merrill notes:




“We fully expect the economy could begin to pick up in ...

Interest Rates Over Time [INFOGRAPHIC]


Some Highlights:

With interest rates hovering at near historic lows, now is a great time to look back at where they’ve been, and how much they’ve changed over time.
According to Freddie Mac, mortgage interest rates are currently hovering near a five-decade low.
The impact your interest rate has on your monthly mortgage payment is significant. An increase of just $20 dollars in your monthly payment can add up to $240 per year or $7,200 over the life of your loan. Maybe it’s time to lock in now while rates are still low.