Will home values continue to appreciate throughout 2018? The answer is simple: YES! – as long as there are more purchasers in the market than there are available homes for them to buy. This is known as the theory of “supply and demand,” which is defined as:

“The amount of a commodity, product, or service available and the desire of buyers for it, considered as factors regulating its price.”

When demand exceeds supply, prices go up. Every month this year, demand (buyer traffic) has increased as compared to last year and for the first five months of 2018, supply (the number of available listings) had decreased as compared to last year. However, a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed the first year-over-year increase in supply in three years.

Here are the numbers for supply and demand as compared to last year since the beginning of 2018:

The increase in the June numbers doesn’t mean that prices won’t continue to appreciate. In that same report, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist, explained:

“It’s important to note that despite the modest year-over-year rise in inventory, the current level is far from what’s needed to satisfy demand levels.

Furthermore, it remains to be seen if this modest increase will stick, given the fact that the robust economy is bringing more interested buyers into the market, and new home construction is failing to keep up.”

Bottom Line

The reason home prices are still rising is that there are many purchasers looking to buy but very few homeowners ready to sell. This imbalance is the reason prices will remain on the uptick.

A nightmare home selling experience is something that every home seller wants to avoid. Fortunately, we're here to teach you the ins and outs of selling a house so that you can minimize the risk of problems that could lead to a nightmare home selling experience.

Now, let's take a look at three tips to help you avoid a nightmare home selling experience.

1. Study the Real Estate Market Closely

You don't need to be a real estate market expert to find ways to maximize the profits from your home sale. Instead, you can study the real estate market closely and gain the insights that you need to price your house competitively.

Remember, a home seller's goal is to optimize the value of his or her house. To accomplish this goal, it is paramount to establish the right home price from day one. Otherwise, a home seller risks alienating buyers with a price that is too high, or missing out on profits due to a price that is too low.

Take a look at the prices of available houses in your area that are similar to your own. This housing market data will enable you to see how your residence stacks up against the competition so that you can price your house accordingly.

2. Conduct a Home Inspection

A home inspection usually is completed after a home seller accepts a buyer's offer. However, a home seller who conducts an inspection before listing his or her residence can increase the likelihood of a profitable home sale. Perhaps best of all, this home seller can avoid the danger of a buyer requesting home repairs or a price reduction later in the home selling cycle.

During a home inspection, a property expert will evaluate your residence both inside and out. This property expert then will provide a comprehensive report that details his or her findings.

Examine a home inspection report. That way, you can find out about your house's strengths and weaknesses and take the necessary steps to transform various weaknesses into strengths.

3. Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent

An experienced real estate agent understands exactly what it takes to sell a home, regardless of the current housing market's conditions. As such, this real estate agent can serve as a guide throughout the home selling journey and help you immediately identify and resolve any potential home selling hurdles.

For example, an experienced real estate agent can provide you with a wealth of housing market data before you list your residence. This housing market professional will help you make sense of assorted real estate data and ensure that you can establish a competitive price for your house. He or she also will promote your house to the right groups of buyers and help you enjoy a quick, seamless home sale.

When it comes to selling your home, there is no need to leave anything to chance. Take advantage of the aforementioned tips, and you can avoid a nightmare home selling experience.

In the community of Millis, MA in the past month there have been 16 homes sold.  The average sale price of these homes was $455,773 and the homes were on the market an average of 19 days.  There have been 7 homes listed for sale during the past month Millis, MA.
 
We are here to serve all your real estate needs in the surrounding communities.  We welcome your business, and we promise to take exceptional care of you or any of your referrals.

The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting, with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, in 98 of the 100 largest metro areas in the United States.

In the six years that Trulia has conducted this study, this is the first time that it was cheaper to rent than buy in any of the metropolitan areas.

It’s no surprise, however, that those two metros are San Jose and San Francisco, CA, where median home prices have jumped to over $1 million dollars this year. Home values in San Jose have risen 29% in the last year, while rents have remained relatively unchanged.

For the 98 metros where homeownership wins out, 97 of them show a double-digit advantage when buying. The range is an average of 2.0% less expensive in Honolulu (HI), all the way up to 48.9% in Detroit (MI), and 26.3% nationwide!

Below is a map of the 100 metros that were studied. The darker the blue dot on the metro, the cheaper it is to buy there.

In order to calculate the true cost of renting vs. buying, Trulia includes all assumed renting costs, including one-time costs (like security deposits), and compares them to the monthly costs of owning a home (insurance, mortgage payments, taxes, and maintenance) including one-time costs (down payments, closing costs, sale proceeds). They also assume that households stay in their home for seven years, put down a 20% down payment, and take out a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. The full methodology is included with the study results here.

Below is a chart created with the data from the last six years of the study, showing the impact of the median home price, rental price, and 30-year fixed rate interest rate used to calculate the ‘cheaper to buy’ metric.

In 2016, when buying was 41.3% less expensive than renting, the average mortgage rate was the driving force behind the difference. Rates this year are the highest they have been in six years which has narrowed the gap, all while home price appreciation has also been driven up by a lack of homes for sale.

Cheryl Young, Trulia’s Chief Economist, had this to say,

“One point deserves emphasizing: The ultra-costly San Francisco Bay Area is not a harbinger for the nation as a whole. While renting may outweigh buying in San Jose and San Francisco, it is unlikely that renting will tip the scales nationally anytime soon.”

Bottom Line

Homeownership provides many benefits beyond the financial ones. If you are one of the many renters out there who would like to evaluate your ability to buy this year, let’s get together to find your dream home.