INTEREST RATES ARE ON THE RISE, IT'S TIME TO BUY!

The Federal Reserve suggested last week that they will over time loosen the constraints that have had in place for the last several years, allowing interest rates to increase.  With today’s improving real estate market and strong consumer confidence will the increase have a negative impact on home buyers?

I believe that in the near future the rise will create a driving urgency to buy.  Consumers recognize that recent interest rates are very favorable and the cost of homeownership is at a record low.  Consumers trying to time the market may now decide that it is time to move forward. 

Consider this; a buyer qualifying for a $750 monthly payment, at 3.5% (30 year fixed) can purchase a $165,000 home. However if the rate increases to 4.5% they same buyer will only be eligible to purchase a $148,000 home and at 5.5% the buying power diminishes by 20% to $132,000.

Although home prices are increasing, in most areas home prices remain significantly lower than 3 years ago.  With mortgage rates predicted to raise this is not the time to take a wait and see approach to home buying. It’s time for action.

Terry Roberts
Broker
RE/MAX Landmark
Terrell, Texas
www.rmlandmark.com

Why Real Estate is Great in the Metroplex

10 Reasons that Metroplex Real Estate Out Preforms

1. DFW gains some 365 net new residents every day
2. Low cost of living
3. About a quarter of all Texans live in the DFW Metropolitan area.
4. You can fly anywhere in mainland United States in three hours
5. DFW is the fourth busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movements.  In terms of passenger traffic, it is the eighth busiest airport in the world transporting 56,906,610 passengers in 2010
6. The Metroplex contains the largest information technology industry base in the state (often referred to as Silicon Prairie), owing to the large number of corporate IT projects and the presence of numerous electronics, computing and telecom firms.
7. DFW Metroplex has over 10,000 corporate headquarters.  The largest corporate headquarter concentration in the United States.
8. Dallas has more restaurants per capita then New York City.
9. The Metroplex has more shopping centers per capita than any other United States city or metro.
10. 365 day Economy (typically very few days lost to winter weather).

Lending Restrictions Loosen

For those of you who have purchased a house in the last four years you are  familiar with the lending constraints that home buyers face today.  The process can seem downright invasive with lots of  CYA’s from the lenders. The current regulations are, in my opinion, a government overreaction to the seemingly on-existent lending guidelines from the last housing boom, built on risky credit and under collateralized loans.

Thankfully the pendulum may be starting to swing back to some semblance of reasonableness.  Finally, after several years of tightening lender requirements things are starting to stabilize.

The average credit score required for a mortgager has stabilized at 700.  This is higher than prior to the crash but  has stopped constricting.  Also, banks are now lending p to 3.5 times the borrowers earnings.  This is up from a low of 3.2 times borrowers earnings.  Finally the loan-to-value ratio (the amount of a mortgage as a percentage of the total appraised value of the property)  was as low as 74% LTV in the mid-2010’s, is not at 82% LTV.

Unfortunately, these gains will probably not be enough  to mean home values appreciation but it will make buying, one of the great values available in today’s market easier.

In my opinion, if you haven’t already taken advantage of the incredible values & interest rates available, now is the time.  Remember, you can’t time the market, only hind-site will tell us when the market  has  bottomed!

Terry Roberts

Owner, Broker

RE/MAX Landmark

terry@rmlandmrk.com