We are almost back to “pre-housing crash” home values. The inventories of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) are shrinking dramatically. The economy is improving. The job numbers are headed in the right direction.
The big question that still remains: Have Americans regained their confidence in real estate as a worthy investment?
According to a survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, Americans have put real estate back into first place as the best of all investments.
Here are the results of the survey:
Bottom Line
Homeownership never lost its place as a key component of the American Dream for a host of financial and non-financial reasons. It is good to see that it has regained the top spot as best overall investment.
Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey.
Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over 100 economists, real estate experts, and investment and market strategists about where prices are headed over the next five years. They then average the projections of all 100+ experts into a single number.
The results of their latest survey
Home values will appreciate by 4.1% in 2015.
The cumulative appreciation will be 18.1% by 2019.
That means the average annual appreciation will be 3.4% over the next 5 years.
Even the experts making up the most bearish quartile of the survey still are projecting a cumulative appreciation of 10.5% by 2019.
Individual opinions make headlines. We believe the survey is a fairer depiction of future values.
We often talk about the financial reasons why buying a home makes sense. But often, the emotional reasons are the more powerful, or compelling reasons. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University performs a study every year surveying participants for the reasons that American’s feel are most important in regards to homeownership.
The top 4 reasons to own a home cited by respondents were not financial.
1. It means having a good place to raise children & provide them with a good education
From the best neighborhoods to the best school districts, even those without children at the time of purchasing their home, may have this in the back of their mind as a major reason for choosing the location of the home that they purchase.
2. You have a physical structure where you & your family feel safe
It is no surprise that having a place to call home with all that means in comfort and security is the #2 reason.
3. It allows you to have more space for your family
Whether your family is expanding, or an older family member is moving in, having a home that fits your needs is a close third on the list.
4. It gives you control over what you do with your living space, like renovations and updates
Looking to actually try one of those complicated wall treatments that you saw on Pinterest? Want to finally adopt that puppy or kitten you’ve seen online 100 times? Who’s to say that you can’t in your own home?
The 5th reason on the list, is the #1 financial reason to buy a home as seen by respondents:
5. Owning a home is a good way to build up wealth that can be passed along to my family
Either way you are paying a mortgage. Why not lock in your housing expense now with an investment that will build equity that you can borrow against in the future?
Bottom Line
Whether you are a first time homebuyer or a move-up buyer who wants to start a new chapter in their life, now is a great time to reflect on the intangible factors that make a house a home.
Now that the housing market has stabilized, more and more homeowners are considering moving up to their dream home. With interest rates still near 4% and home values on the rise, now may be a great time to make a move.
Sellers should realize that waiting while mortgage rates are increasing probably doesn’t make sense. As rates increase, the price of the house you can afford will decrease if you plan to stay within a certain budget for your monthly housing costs.
Here is a chart detailing this point:
With each quarter percent increase in interest rate, the value of the home you can afford decreases by 2.5%, (in this example, $10,000). Experts predict that mortgage rates will be closer to 5% by this time next year.
Act now to get the most house for your hard earned money.
The American Dream is an ever evolving ethos that applies to nearly every facet of our lives; real estate is no exception. Check out the graphic below to see which style homes are the most popular these days, and which generations are attached to each,
We are almost back to “pre-housing crash” home values. The inventories of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales) are shrinking dramatically. The economy is improving. The job numbers are headed in the right direction.
